Is my coach insane for doing this?

One day in the gym a week is hardly excessive. I think your coach is not wrong in this decision, regardless of his past experience. It's only September, the soreness should lessen over time.

An efficient distance running form derives from an optimized sprinting form. There are certainly benefits to XC runners in doing such excercises, so in that vein don't worry about it too much. Just keep in mind that the types of excerises you are describing should include a basic warm-up run and cool-down run. Also, IMHO such excercises should be discontinued by mid-season as you start to focus on more aerobic fitness goals.

My advice is to do your own warm-up run beforehand, and your own cool-down run afterward, and enjoy the benefits you will get from optimizing your form.

Regardless of whether or not this was a good workout for you (and we have far from enough information to judge that), your season is doomed because you do not believe in and have not bought into your coach and his philosophy.

Get off message boards, buy in to the program you are in and give it 100%. It is your only hope for this season. Anything else will sell you and your coach short.

Plyometrics are all the rage. But you should be running. I doubt that Shorter or Pre passed up a run for this nonsense. I personally think a bit of trail or grass running in light shoes teaches one fast feet and proprioception. But the lunges and other gym work you describe are worthless.

A little strength training is good for young runners, but not to the detriment of running. Ask your coach if you can do like a short run in the morning on those days or right before practice. Or just run in the morning on those days. Problem solved.

I tend to agree with this.

runner who professes wrote:

Plyometrics are all the rage. But you should be running. I doubt that Shorter or Pre passed up a run for this nonsense. I personally think a bit of trail or grass running in light shoes teaches one fast feet and proprioception. But the lunges and other gym work you describe are worthless.

However kids are weak. The basic athletic movement and strength gained from playing, chores, etc. are not there any more. Teenagers are in a state of devolving and atrophy. The need this to make up for all the tv and computer screen time.

You don't need a long run for xc. Its only 3 miles.

Do the Kenyans and Ethiopians do them?

Your coach still has the mind of a sprinter and jumper.

Runner who professes is trolling. He knows both Pre and Shorter were great runners for their day, but their track times are pretty noncompetitive by todays standards. Training has evolved.

vpathletics.com wrote:

Runner who professes is trolling. He knows both Pre and Shorter were great runners for their day, but their track times are pretty noncompetitive by todays standards. Training has evolved.

Vpathletics is trolling. He knows that an 8:41 2-mile in highschool is pretty competitive by today's standards.

Yes training has evolved and you will see more plyometrics these days. Both Salazar and Kostre (the Ethiopians) do this. Bekele does both plyos/sprints and light weights lifted rapidly for strength endurance. Asbel Kiprop as been seen towing a sled like a sprinter--in the rain. What I see here with the OP falls more in the category of strength endurance, and while you see Bolt, Jeter, and such doing this for 100/200, I'm not sure there's evidence of this for XC/3200.

Plyometrics are more involving a maximum contraction (down immediately followed by up) and the force in true plyos can be as much as 7 times body weight. For basic plyos, you would be doing things like:

standing long jumps

alternate leg bounding (the best plyo for max speed development)

box jumps (jumping to the top of a box--works better barefoot)

I'm not going to talk about depth and drop jumps without a coach trained in their use (and risks).

Pro times buddy. 13:20s for 5k isn't going to get you far anymore.

vpathletics.com wrote:

Pro times buddy. 13:20s for 5k isn't going to get you far anymore.

If the OP is in high school, aren't Pre's his times more important and relevant?

Our team does active warmup (20mins) everyday. and circuits after every meet. it makes us better so i don't care.

jsjjs wrote:

vpathletics.com wrote:

Pro times buddy. 13:20s for 5k isn't going to get you far anymore.

If the OP is in high school, aren't Pre's his times more important and relevant?

Actually you bring up a great point. Why was it that Pre ran so fast in high school but not as a pro compared to guys these days? Could it be that modern training programs are better?

vpathletics.com wrote:

Actually you bring up a great point. Why was it that Pre ran so fast in high school but not as a pro compared to guys these days? Could it be that modern training programs are better?

The top guys these days don't have to work to support themselves? Just a guess, I don't recall what was different way back then.

Just to make it clear what you are trying to imply, do you think that we have regressed from a coaching standpoint? Do you think training methods from the 70s are better than today?

vpathletics.com wrote:

Just to make it clear what you are trying to imply, do you think that we have regressed from a coaching standpoint? Do you think training methods from the 70s are better than today?

What I was trying to imply was that in highschool, you don't have to worry about making money. In college or as an adult, you generally have to start paying for things yourself. This requires a job which can take away from training time or energy.

I didn't say anything about regressing and coaching standpoints. I'm not really sure what training methods means. It's not like everyone trains the same way then or now.

Then you are missing the point. Going back to the original post I was responding to, we have improved on times and training. Then you came after me as I was saying that guys are running faster on all levels now, we shouldn't dismiss new training ideas and just "go hit up another run."