Working kids too hard

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I think strides are important to do especially the day before workouts, but really every young runner really any runner should do form drills and strides before their runs, then do static stretching afterwards. This is not too strenous you avoid inuries by teaching them how to run properly. Focus on form and strength.

My idea would be to do form drills and strides before runs, then twice a week do 5 hill sprints after runs, this will implement strenth and form. Everyday do a 30 min static stretching routine after runs this helps with flexibility which goes hand in hand with increasing speed.

Workaholic? wrote:

They are inexperienced. I have them do ~10' of running, a 5' break, and repeat 2 or 3 times.

Ten feet of running and then a 5 foot break 2 or 3 times? You're worried that 30 feet of running is too much?

You are silly.

Work on their aerobic base you idiot. Read Lydiard and put down that Daniels shit.

I'd agree on the strides. Overall it doesn't sound to hard but I don't know the kids. Are they responding? Do they seem to be enjoying it? Are there other routes you could take to mix it up from time to time? As you get to know the kids better you can look into individualizing it a bit more as well - some will do a bit more, some a bit less.

I'm working on their aerobic conditioning. The inexperienced ones can't go far without their form suffering, I'm working up to 30 minutes steady, but we're not there yet. I was just venting because the head guy is clueless. There's a senior that wants to break 17, and he averaged 30 miles a week in June. His best is 18:15, but he has run 4:40. His mileage has all been super slow, with nothing even close to 7:00 pace, no strides or anything, just slow miles.

Whether it is too much or not depends on where they are coming from. If the kids have had a relatively active childhood so far it shouldn't be too much, sense similar kids are running at least that much WITH fast stuff in soccer, etc.

Keep it well rounded (fast running and slow running, agility stuff). I like to disguise this stuff in games like soccer for the second half of practice. Don't listen to anyone who warns against doing strides. How the heck will they learn the biomechanics of running fast for a long time later if they can't even do it for a very short time as kids? African kids didn't get fast by jogging to and from school, they did it by playing around along the way. Sometimes racing it if they were late, sometimes sprinting parts with friends, and usually included at least some slower running and walking.

This is the problem with internet advise, we don't know what is going on in that situation. Whether you are working them too hard or not is something only you can tell since you have all of the signs. What is your goal in working them at all? To get them in shape? To get them interested in the sport? While the running doesn't seem like much, maybe the important question is whether or not they're responding to you and to the training.