A lot of the threads on this board are about athletes getting run into the ground while running in college. I'm going to be running in college next year, and I was wondering, what should I do to avoid being run into the ground by my coach, and what would you have done in order to prevent it from happening to you?
I'm the OP of one of those threads. Honestly, the best thing to do is listen to your body. If you know you're getting run into the ground, stay in the back of the pack during workouts. If you feel bad on an easy day, take it a little easier than normal. Sleep the best you can, eat the best you can, and take in good recovery food/drink no later than 30 minutes after workouts. Just always make sure your feeling confident and balanced.
1) make sure your coach knows your goals both athletic and academic. this will make it less likely you are treated as a cog and a bit more like a human. also ask what times will earn you scholarship.
2) communicate details of your sessions -- not just the results of your training like reps and times or miles -- but the actual update about how you are feeling, recovering.
3) avoid over-racing. your races should build your power not break it down. your workouts should build morale and confidence, one step at a time.
4) do not sign up for the steeple.
5) bad coaching + missed sleep = disaster
guard your sleep. even if your coach turns out to be a mutton-head, you can buy yourself some time and limit the mayhem by getting sufficient sleep. if the training is awful, the sleep troubles will usually be the earliest sign.
missing sleep has much the same effect as a stupid workout.
5) set limits on doubling, tripling quadrupling. remind the coach that 1st place scores more than 2nd. major sign of exploitation. be wary.
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