I'm a first year cross country coach. I am seeking advice on workouts to peak around October 5th. We've been running about 30-35 miles a week. One race a week and two track workouts a week (5x800) or (8x400) We run 2.5 miles in the morning 4 days a week. Are there workouts that will develop their speed in the next 2 weeks? Yet keep their legs fresh?
Thanks
May I be the first to scream "Incomming"!
Please ignore the bashers as they are sure to pile on. Seems to me that runnning two a days for 4 days a week and you are only getting 30-35 miles per weeks means your workouts are only 5 miles max. I believe that is too low. But this season is a learning experieince for both you and your team. I believe that until your afternoon workouts are exceeding 8 miles you don't need the morning runs. The kids are not learning how to run hard when they are tired. Mileage does this. And bevelops strength.
Since you are only 2 weeks away from your deired peak racing time, the only thing you can do is make the fast stuff faster and the slow workouts slower to let the legs recover. The legs must be training to run fast.
Also, why track workouts? If you mean on the track, then there will be less carry over from running fast on the nice smooth and flat track to the rough footing and hilly XC course. Again, to run fast on the grass, they must practice running fast on the uneven surfaces of XC courses. Run you intervals on the XC course or at least on a park.
Good luck
Why peak so early?
Just ease back on the hard training, especially the intervals and maintain the mileage you have been doing, which is 30-35 per week. If you taper from 30-35 miles downward, you will lose aeobic endurance, no doubt. Tinman