How to get HS kids to race

High School Running Distance

12 years ago 09/14/2011 6:56am EDT

I have two girls on my team who are way underachieving in races. For the first time in their HS career they trained all summer. However, they aren’t racing any better.

Practice is great and longs runs are way better than anything they’ve done in the past.

Any suggestions on how to get these kids to really race? They seem to be going through the motions. They also give up and get very discourage when teammates pass them (as they should because they are getting beat by people who aren’t as talented or fit).

I was thinking of giving them an easy week, but don’t want them to peak this early in the year. Maybe just backing off a little on things. I don’t think training is the problem, but more racing.

Any ideas?

12 years ago 09/14/2011 7:31am EDT

re: To their potential

The same thing has been happening to my brother. I believe it is all in his head. Any solutions anyone?

12 years ago 09/14/2011 7:44am EDT

re: To their potential

If it's not something physical (overtraining, etc), it could be mental. Have you tried telling them? Keep it positive or neutral, like "I know you can be our #1 girl in this race" or "you are fit to run XX:XX time." Having someone else believe in their abilities will help them believe it too. A lot goes through your head when racing and I don't think most girls are as competitive with each other as naturally as guys are, so to get them to race means to get their head in the right place so they can run to their potential.

12 years ago 09/14/2011 8:25am EDT

re: txRUNNERgirl

30 years ago, they would have learned to race by racing. You would have good races and bad races and soon so many that you couldn't remember which was which. Now there are fewer meets scheduled and the pressure builds to make each one perfect and they have no experience to know what to do and don't want to let you down.

My suggestion is to try to pair the ones having a tough time up with girls who seem to have it down. Just tell the inexperienced girls to shadow the experienced ones. That way they don't get passed they just try to hang on.

12 years ago 09/14/2011 11:19am EDT

re: *$GJKrbkexj

Embrace competition in practice. Set up relays for workouts, with mixed-ability kids making up the teams. Super relays (each kid ends up running each leg one time, the baton travels around the loop 5 times, and each leg is of different distance) are great, and they mimic intervals. You almost have to remind kids that the "let's see who can get to the end of the driveway first" mentality you had as a kid still applies to CC. Set them up to compete in practice and you'll see competitors in races.

12 years ago 09/14/2011 11:32am EDT

re: To their potential

Could it just be a matter of getting out too hard? This seems to be the most common reason that high school runners don't run as well as they should.

12 years ago 09/14/2011 11:42am EDT

re: To their potential

You could try doing a race distance time trial on the home course where the runners go individually. By having them run separately they hopefully will get a true test of where they are without being able to compare themselves to teammates. You may want to not let them wear watches or get splits either for the trial. Another option would be to have the team go out in groups but to have them in separate groups and away from a group of girls who may be able to beat them, this way they get used to running away from the others.

Just a couple of ideas.

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