AD asked why we didn't train on the track every day

to keep the track nice for competitions, thereby improving the school's image and minimizing ongoing maintenance/refurbishing costs

benefits to the athletes are secondary, and not likely a concern of the AD

not from here anymore wrote:

to keep the track nice for competitions, thereby improving the school's image and minimizing ongoing maintenance/refurbishing costs

benefits to the athletes are secondary, and not likely a concern of the AD

Best answer so far. ADs aren't going to understand the ins and outs of all the various sports on campus (especially outside of football). They DO understand budgets. Talk budget and you're speaking their language.

Wow, I think most of the answers here are asinine.

All the LRCs are all over the AD for being incompetent, or uninformed, or useless, etc, etc.

She asked an honest question, and if the OP cannot give a good response, then maybe he should not have his job.

LRCs have consistently shown a lack of understanding of training for any sport outside of track and Xcountry.(and frequently, even track and X/C)

Never give up, never surrender wrote:

Wow, I think most of the answers here are asinine.

All the LRCs are all over the AD for being incompetent, or uninformed, or useless, etc, etc.

She asked an honest question, and if the OP cannot give a good response, then maybe he should not have his job.

LRCs have consistently shown a lack of understanding of training for any sport outside of track and Xcountry.(and frequently, even track and X/C)

Administrators are justifiably concerned with liability and off-campus XC workouts are rife with possibilities for lawsuits concerning supervision. The AD had a legitimate question. That said, be glad the AD even notices your program. I had one to whom I had to explain, annually, the fact that low score wins in XC, and another who asked whether our sectional championship in track was a "real" championship.

I've preached this 1000 times. We long distance runners are a minority. We don't think we are, but we are!

There are not many. Case and point; The fastest growing road race distance?

The half marathon, by far. Why? No one really knows. It's not a full, and actually obtainable by the new xfit, kip-ups fad.

Many of those same people don't understand much about distance running. Mention the word "base" and they will think of their base while doing squats. Talk to most of your co-workers and they will tell you they could some obscene distance in a world record time, without actually know what they are saying.

My boss told me she was doing " a 5k marathon"

The shot put kid for the high school team I coach, asked why distance runners didn't just "run the first lap really fast, and come up behind everyone, and then jog behind them..."

People don't know.

One Coach too many wrote:

Today my AD asked me why, not that cross country is over, we not practicing on the track daily`. In particular wanted to know why we were still going to the rail trail near us to do long runs and why the kids were still out on local roads off of campus.

I was silenced for 30 seconds while I tried to think of a way to explain something so obvious to me yet so unfamiliar to someone who has no clue.

And no I am not trolling this happened. Oh and we have had several All American so it isn't like we run a shabby program.

You need to build your strength for track. Better to do so on the roads and trails rather than running in circles.

I did genuinely consider think about this as a tactic for a 24 hour race on the track...

"Good question! I guess most people only see us racing on the track, just like watching TV we only see tennis player on the court. But we do all kinds of different training, like sprints up hills, long runs on soft trails, medium-length hard runs on the road. Usually when we come to the track it is to do things that are really specific to our races, so generally just the fastest-pace running. Running around the bend for those longer runs can be bad for your joints, and besides, it keeps things fresh to run in different places. Would you like to come bike along with us on a long run sometime, or see our other training?"

How hard was that?

If you people had some communications skills maybe you wouldn't always be wondering why nobody understands or cares about your sport.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Your AD is right!!! You should be doing real workouts on the track. Roads and trails are for sissies.

I interviewed for a track coach post at a co-ed Catholic H.S. with a woman A.D. who asked no questions about training/coaching approach. I launched into a Lydiard inspired rant anyway.

But clearly one of her key questions was: "what would you do if a boy and a girl went off into the woods together for several minutes?"

I said that was fine with me as they run through the woods to warm up and down and do that in x-country as well.

She was clearly upset by that answer. "Why wouldn't you question them?" she asked. Me... a shrug: "Why would I?"

I didn't get the job. just as well. $500 a season and a bitch to answer to.

shoulda said: "You should Buy a drone and fly over them at all times."

Sounds like a bullet dodged, yes.

You made the right decision! There are many athletic directors that do not have any idea about what CC and Track & Field training are. (I coached for ten years at a big high school, and also age-group summer track.) You do not want to get hooked to the wrong AD.

They are right to be concerned about kids getting hit by cars. In the future I would tell an AD that you would always be close by. In a big city, I'm not sure how easy it would be to run with them in this day of over protecting kids. I think I would follow the team by car and keep them away from major traffic! Tell the AD that we run in ability groups and that those groups are large!