I was wondering if it's normal for elite college xc runners to just run "easy runs" during the summer in preparation for the fall. Like would a guy like Diego Estrada have just run mileage without tempos and that sort of stuff until he met up with the team mid August or so?
No, but in June, yes. Most teams start tempos/fartleks in July or early August.
Yeah I mean maybe beginning of august start some tempos but not really consistent workouts throughout. Relax. Hit your milegae. do some core and strides. Thats it.
iliketurtles wrote:
I was wondering if it's normal for elite college xc runners to just run "easy runs" during the summer in preparation for the fall. Like would a guy like Diego Estrada have just run mileage without tempos and that sort of stuff until he met up with the team mid August or so?
I was on a very good college team, and we only did easy mileage until official practice started in late August.
how about do what works best for you. If you need a plan, search for summer of malmo either on google or the boards.
Don't necessarily need a plan, just looking for some advice. We have fairly frequent tempos/fartleks for our "optional" summer training. I just want to be able to turn it up in November and from what it seems, you guys think in general holding off on the workouts is probably a good idea?
iliketurtles wrote:
Don't necessarily need a plan, just looking for some advice. We have fairly frequent tempos/fartleks for our "optional" summer training. I just want to be able to turn it up in November and from what it seems, you guys think in general holding off on the workouts is probably a good idea?
Who put those tempos/fartleks into your training? A captain or teammate? If so, it's worth a conversation.
If it was your coach, I strongly advise you to do as he asks. If you're not going to listen to your coach, go find a different team.
depends on what you've done the last 6 mos. I coach a kid who doesn't run track, so she's basically been building a base for XC since December. Obviously can't just do easy runs for 8 mos., so we've been doing tempos, fartleks, hill workouts, threshold work, etc. for some time.
If you just finished up track though & did intense speed work all Spring, lots of easy/moderate mileage now is probably the ticket..
Well my coach designed them, but more as suggestions. It seems more for the guys that are on the fringe of not making the team, or for people that think they have to do other stuff than mileage during the summer. But that's really beside the point.
Not beside the point at all.
If your coach told you to do it - do it.
A tempo, with the team, after your first race, when the coach knows exactly what shape you are in and what pace you should hit is very different from a summer tempo, by yourself, when you should just be making sure you don't forget what a pace 30 or 40 seconds per mile faster than your every day pace feels like.
Workouts during the summer are a good idea if you wish to compete seriously.