What to do when team races workouts?

Running is about recovering. You can train as hard as you want even if that means close to race effort for a tempo run as long as you are able to recover after. The key is to take care of yourself.

flipping birds at the finish wrote:

Running is about recovering. You can train as hard as you want even if that means close to race effort for a tempo run as long as you are able to recover after. The key is to take care of yourself.

Daniels, Martin and Coe, Pfitzinger, exercise physiology, and every successful coach and athlete I've ever talked to would disagree with you. But maybe you're right...

Just worry about yourself, even if the coach gets mad at you. If you run well in the races, that's really all that matters. You will probably have to take shit from your teammates, but they won't be giving you shit when they're burned out by conference and you're running properly. If it's as bad as you say, they'll likely peter out soon and coach may take notice that the one guy who didn't is also the guy who wasn't busting ass on tempos. Also keep in mind that coaches don't know exactly how you're feeling, so it's hard for them to judge what kind of effort you gave sometimes. You might just say you weren't feeling well or that you tend to race faster than you workout. Should be doable.

good luck.

Mention to your coach that you are running race pace in training

Or just run your own pace

Have your team wear uniforms to the next workout and make up race numbers for the "2011 Anaerobic Threshold Championships". He might take the hint.

On the other hand, you could just discuss your concerns with your coach like someone on the threshhold of adulthood.

ChubsyUbsy wrote:

Have your team wear uniforms to the next workout and make up race numbers for the "2011 Anaerobic Threshold Championships". He might take the hint.

On the other hand, you could just discuss your concerns with your coach like someone on the threshhold of adulthood.

The problem is that I'm the only one on the team who sees any problem with "racing" in practice all the time. My teammates were all excited afterwards about how fast they ran and were even talking about what it'd convert to on the track and whatnot as if comparing a threshold run to a 10k race even makes since. I'll probably say something to the coach though.

Sit back and run the pace that the workouts are supposed to be run at, and if they decided to run them significantly too hard, just grin and think to yourself about how you will be faster come race day. Don't let your ego influence the way you practice

always like this wrote:

ChubsyUbsy wrote:

Have your team wear uniforms to the next workout and make up race numbers for the "2011 Anaerobic Threshold Championships". He might take the hint.

On the other hand, you could just discuss your concerns with your coach like someone on the threshhold of adulthood.

The problem is that I'm the only one on the team who sees any problem with "racing" in practice all the time. My teammates were all excited afterwards about how fast they ran and were even talking about what it'd convert to on the track and whatnot as if comparing a threshold run to a 10k race even makes since. I'll probably say something to the coach though.

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There you go. You started a new thread and answered your own question.

Put on your big girl dress, and go talk to your coach.

flipping birds at the finish wrote:

Running is about recovering. You can train as hard as you want even if that means close to race effort for a tempo run as long as you are able to recover after. The key is to take care of yourself.

And we have our first retarded answer! So how do you take care of yourself besides the obvious sleep, good nutrition, etc.? I have a coach that LOVES it when half of the team is racing during workouts. He also believes that ice baths will cure anything, and when those don't work his challenges your commitment and mental disposition.

To the OP, just be glad that this shit doesn't go down during your more organized workouts like on the track. Some athletes thrive off of it, although most don't and end up breaking down. Just take care of yourself and run what you feel is best for your recovery.

There-in lies the rub of team training. However, there are more accurate ways of determining a "threshold" run than the generic "15-20 seconds slower than race pace" value. Courses vary; a hilly race course vs. a flat threshold course will have different per mile goal pace. Use a heart rate monitor. Show your coach that you are running at 90-100% instead of 80-85%. If he doesn't get it, then you're on your own, stud.

a decent coach wrote:

... coach may take notice that the one guy who didn't is also the guy who wasn't busting ass on tempos.

I wouldn't count on that. I know of major D-1 programs where the coaches don't figure that out. Logically, if they're not realizing that the team just ran race pace, then I'd be surprised if they could take the next logical step to analyze end-of-year cause & effect.

Run your easy days easier to recover.

Yeah, I'm using the course we ran last weekend which was flat (only one small negligle hill) that was in a town about 1200ft lower in elevation than where we train. Weather conditions were about the same. The pace we did our 6 mile threshold at was only 7seconds per mile slower than what our fifth guy averaged for 8k last weekend in a race, so it had to have been close to all out. I ran faster than he did and it felt close to all out for me. I was surprised when coach gave us a goal pace because I'd think anyone would be able to tell that if Runner X ran 5:13 pace in an 8k race, they probably shouldn't run 6 mile thresholds at 5:20 pace. I looked at what Daniels says in his second edition and according to him, we ran about 15seconds per mile too quick, which is a pretty big difference.

i'm a post-collegiate on a club team where everyone CRUSHES workouts...and then i beat them all by 20+ seconds on saturday mornings in xc races and they wonder why. it's like practice to them is a place to compare the size of their d*cks and impress the coach, girls, other people on the team or around the track, etc. i hate it so i run on my own and let the "workout all-stars" have their fun together.

first, talk to your coach about your concerns.

if he isn't doesn't fix the problem, he is a moron. you'll just have to run YOUR pace during workouts and crush your teammates in races. let your legs do the talking on raceday.

last time i checked they don't keep team scores or give out medals at practice. so don't run like they do. save it for raceday.

we talkin' bout practice wrote:

last time i checked they don't keep team scores or give out medals at practice. so don't run like they do. save it for raceday.

You went to the wrong college then...

Well, just thought I'd update. I talked to my coach and he actually has me doing different stuff than the rest of the team now. We had a meet this weekend and everyone but me ran slower than they "should have" based on races earlier this season. The course had a few hills but nothing major and yet our fifth guy only averaged 8 seconds faster per mile than he did in our 6 mile threshold two weeks ago, despite it being a real race and wearing spikes instead of trainers like in the workout. When my other teammate asked me how fast I ran my threshold the other day, he acted like I was slow as all hell and some kind of idiot for running it at 5:2x pace instead of 5:0x pace. It's mostly upsetting to me because we actually have the potential to be quite good, but our guys are always getting injured and burned out. I'm just keeping my mouth shut though and worrying about myself.

If you can perform at the end of the season your teammates will probably take notice.