I'm helping coach the distance team in track this winter/spring. We are focusing on our base work currently and would like to start implementing some type of workouts, but not short repeats. What are some creative workouts that high school kids can get some good quality runs in but still have lots of fun?
One of the most memorable workouts from high school we only did once but it was great. After a warm up the team was broken up into groups of 4-6 of like ability. Everyone in the groups received a piece of paper telling them a number and a time. For example: 3- 2:30, 2- 1:00, 4- 4:00, 1-2:00 etc. The number being the repeat and the time being how long to go hard for. Then everyone started in their group, but no one knew what other place and times their teammates had. So the person who had position 1 would run hard for 2 min and then group would have to chase to keep up not knowing how long the repeat would last. Then after jogging for a few minutes person #2 would decide when to take off and everyone would again have to chase, etc.
Its a good way to simulate a race. Compared to a track workout or fartlak where you know the times, you just focus on running hard and staying with your teammates and trying to outlast them. To me it seems like a good way to make runners less obsessive about splits, pace, position etc.
I like to employ regular off-season long runs that incorporate medium intensity hill repeats, or XC race pace intervals of various lengths, so as to "cheat" the mileage. Doing so keeps the athletes' focus on the quality more than the quantity, allowing them to put in a lot more work than they realize.
Team relay workouts are always a hit, although that tends to veer more toward the short stuff you're trying to stay away from this time of year.
It's actually a topic close to my heart, as I just wrote a book largely about that very thing. :-)
Dan
bump
indian runs were and always will be my favorite types of team runs
that and intra-squad relay races
lots of fun? ha!
pain and misery builds camaraderie!
You just described "Foxes and the Hounds".
Great way to simulate a race, I agree 100%.
Usually we do it on a track, but instead of times we have distances. Anywhere from 50-800m usually.
They key is to get runners of SIMILAR ABILITY. Otherwise the fast guys will be toying with the slow guys who are hurting. Keep the rest quicker than normal, enough where the runners need to pack up like in a race. Any slower and they'll just crowd around the leader.
I've got a couple for you:
We do "elimination" intervals on the track, but I've also adapted them for an XC course in the past. Basically, we do 5-6Xkm & I handicap each interval so that everyone starts according to their current 5k PR (slower people start first and then everyone else starts a certain time interval behind them). The last place person on each interval must complete the rest of the workout on an 800m hill that I measured out adjacent to the track. Depending on numbers, I will break the group up so that on the last interval there are three people vying for the elimination 1000 "title." Ultimately, the kids care less about the hill part and more about staying in the workout in order to give them a chance of winning the whole thing.
We also do a variation of this with 400s in which everyone starts the first 400m interval together and then whoever wins the first 400m interval controls the pace of the recovery jog. This causes the team to strategize by sometimes sending out a "sacrificial lamb" with good foot speed to try to beat the team's #1 runner because they know that if the strongest runner wins the first interval he might be able to control the rest of the workout by hammering the recovery. This workout has the potential to either be alot of fun or not much fun at all. If the lead runner wins the first interval and then reverts to his threshold pace for the recovery, then he will soon drop the rest and the workout wont be as much fun. Otherwise, this workout has some great potential and its very effective as well.
Indian runs are great
Chasers----do an out and back run, the faster guys try to catch the slower ones on the way back
Silent tag- all the runners run in a pack, one person is "it", he taps somone new and then they are it. the person that is "it" at the end loses. We have a rule that everyone must be together till we get 100 yards from the school....then the sorint is on.
intra squad xc races. Find a nice field 600-1000m and make an xc course. divide the team and race. kids still like to race. a whole season of base sucks and is great way to lose runners to other sports
I made this game up:
the point of the game is to be the last runner standing.
after a short warm-up all the runners set off in a single file line.
the leader of the line sets the pace, he may go as hard and as long as he wishes, anywhere from sprinting to shuffling.
the kicker is that anyone in the line may run up front and once he is 2 strides ahead of the leader he becomes pace setter and all others must comply- once you are kicked from leader you cannot retake the lead for 2 more runner roatations.
you are out if you fall 50m behind or give up
it adds alot of fun strategy and race components...do you sprint up front and bring the pace down to a shuffle to catch a breather? or get the lead and drop the hammer to kill off everyone else? or simply let everyone else tire while they fight to take the game into their own hands while you sit back and hang on?. the 2 rotation rule however keeps the middle distance guys from dominating by simply retaking the lead and ending it in 800m