the truth

The truth is I don't know the actual course lengths from this past weekend.  What I do know is that I trust our system, I trust the numbers we produce in training, and I trust what the pace chart and the mcmillan calculator tell us the numbers mean.

I do not doubt at all that we are capable of running the times we ran on Saturday.  Every summer I counsel individuals on our team who are struggling with their workout times in the heat and humidity. I always say..."all you need is the first cool and crisp Tuesday morning in September and you'll see what great shape you're in."  Well, this year that first cool and crisp morning just happened to fall on a Saturday...race day.

Trust me, and more importantly, trust our system.  If you need confirmation, look at the data for yourself.  Go ahead...you can't help yourself...you're a bunch of nerds anyway :)

Look at the pace chart and locate where you're 80% run from Tuesday was, extrapolate if needed.  Maybe even take a few seconds (4-5") off your average due to the temperature and humidity. Then go to the mcmillan calculator and plug in your projected 5k or 10k time from the pace chart.  Once the calculator produces your equivalent times for other distances, choose either 6k or 8k.  See what comes up.  Whether Saturday's course length was accurate or not, we are very capable of the times we ran!

monday (on your own)

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (6:00 AM)

800j, mcmillan wu

(on park grass adjacent to 10th Street)

women: 16-20 x 300 @ 6k xc pace, r= 90"

men: 20-24 x 300 @ 10k xc pace, r= 60"

+ general strength circuit at track

wednesday

400j + dynamic foot drill wu

+ aerobic running

+ hurdle walkovers

+ barefoot strides on grass

+ foot drills in sand & balance exercises

thursday

800j + dynamic wu & speed ladder

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x 40m fast striding on ramp w/ walk recovery

+ hip work and/or  mcmillan core

friday (6:00/6:45 AM)

800j + mcmillan wu

+ AT running on track (w= 3-3.5 mi / m= 3.75-4 mi)

+ general strength circuit

saturday (on your own)

aerobic running

+ stretching

sunday (time - tbd / optional if you attended Sep 1)

long aerobic running at Chattahoochee River

+ cool-down exercises

+ recovery at training room

aretas

From the book, Top Dog - the science of winning and losing:

"Today, you may see English translations of aretas as “excellence." However, that is just a fraction of its true significance. In the Homeric Age,  competition was the outlet for all other virtues – courage, loyalty, trustworthiness. The Ancient Greeks did not fear that competition bred immoral behavior. They believed that competition taught moral behavior. In the heat of battle, someone with aretas had proven himself to be a fearless opponent and brilliant strategist. Sports contests became a way to hone aretas in daily life. Thus aretas – attaining excellence through competition – became the supreme Grecian virtue."

 As we head into this weekend, it is important that we build within us a competitive fire.  It does matter how we compete!  Recognize that the stress of competition does not go away with experience - it is not whether you have a psychoendocrine stress response (we all have it), it's how you interpret it.  Recognize that biology and psychology are in a battle for control.  Becoming a better competitor is about controlling your psychological state, which in turn alters your underlying physiology.  If you can control your fear, then you can control your biology too!

Top Dog describes aretas as something the gods had that mere mortals sought to achieve.  Aspire to achieve it, and start this weekend!

monday (on your own)
dynamic wu
+ light aerobic running
+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (6:00 AM)

800j, mcmillan wu

+ 80% steady aerobic running on park lake loop

w= 6-8 miles / m= 7-10 miles

+ general strength circuit at track

wednesday

400j + dynamic foot drill wu

+ aerobic running

+ hurdle walkovers

+ barefoot strides on grass

+ foot drills in sand

thursday

800j + dynamic wu & speed ladder

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x 40m fast striding on ramp w/ walk recovery

+ hip work and/or mcmillan core

friday (in AM, time - tbd)

800j + mcmillan wu

+ light aerobic running

+ starts on grass in spikes

+ depart for Greenville no earlier than 12:30 PM

(race course is not available for preview)

(those not racing)

+ anaerobic threshold (AT) running on track

+ general strength circuit

saturday

COMPETITION, w6k @ 8:30 AM / m8k @ 9:00 AM

+ general strength

(those not racing, on your own)

aerobic running

+ stretching

sunday (time - tbd)

long aerobic running at Kennesaw or River

+ cool-down exercises

+ recovery at training room

back to work

monday (on your own)

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (6:00 AM)

800j, mcmillan wu

(on park grass adjacent to 10th Street)

women: 16-20 x 300 @ 6k xc pace, r= 90"

men: 20-24 x 300 @ 10k xc pace, r= 60"

+ general strength circuit at track

wednesday

400j + dynamic foot drill wu

+ aerobic running

+ hurdle walkovers

+ barefoot strides on grass

+ foot drills in sand & balance exercises

thursday

800j + dynamic wu & speed ladder

+ light aerobic running

+ 6 x 120 ins & outs (40 fast striding + 40 float + 40 fast striding)

+ hip work and/or  mcmillan core

friday (6:00 AM)

800j + mcmillan wu

+ workouts tbd

+ general strength circuit

saturday (on your own)

aerobic running

+ stretching

sunday (time - tbd)

long aerobic running at Kennesaw

+ cool-down exercises

+ recovery at training room

on the red line

As we head into the first competition of the year...

"Cassidy sought no euphoric interludes. They came, when they did, quite naturally and he was content to enjoy them privately. He ran not for crypto-religious reasons, but to win races, to cover ground fast. Not only to be better than his fellows, but better than himself. To be faster by a tenth of a second, by an inch, by two feet or two yards than he had been the week or year before. He sought to conquer the physical limitations placed upon him by a three-dimensional world (and if Time is the fourth dimension, that too was his province). If he could conquer the weakness, the cowardice in himself, he would not worry about the rest; it would come. Training was a rite of purification; from it came speed, strength. Racing was a rite of death; from it came knowledge. Such rites demand, if they are to be meaningful at all, a certain amount of time spent precisely on the Red Line, where you can lean over the manicured putting green at the edge of the precipice and see exactly nothing."

This excerpt comes from Chapter 17 of Once a Runner.  To read the whole chapter, which will take you five minutes, use the link below.  Go ahead...read it...it's poetry in describing running as we know it :)   http://www.chesnes.com/personal/docs/OaR17.pdf

monday (on your own)

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (6:00 AM)

800j, mcmillan wu

(on park grass adjacent to 10th Street)

women: 14-16 x 300 @ 6k xc pace, r= 90"

men: 16-20 x 300 @ 10k xc pace, r= 60"

+ general strength circuit at track
(+ W-TRACK team meeting at 3:30 PM, M-TRACK @ 4:00 PM)

wednesday

400j + dynamic foot drill wu

+ aerobic running

+ hurdle walkovers

+ barefoot strides on grass

+ foot drills in sand & balance exercises

thursday

800j + dynamic wu & speed ladder

+ light aerobic running

+ 4 x 150 ins & outs (50 fast striding + 50 float + 50 fast striding)

+ hip work and/or  mcmillan core

friday (in AM, time - tbd)

800j + mcmillan wu

+ light aerobic running

+ starts on grass in spikes

(those not racing)
+ AT running on track

+ general strength circuit
(+ PICTURES IN AFTERNOON?)

saturday

COMPETITION, very early AM departure
+ general strength
(those not racing, on your own)

aerobic running

+ stretching

sunday (time - tbd)

long aerobic running at Kennesaw

+ cool-down exercises

+ recovery at training room

let the games begin...and may the odds be ever in your favour

***practices at 3:30PM unless otherwise noted

monday (on your own)

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (6:00 AM)

800j + mcmillan wu

+ 200's @ xc race pace on park cinder loop

(1 x 200 per loop, steady running @ ~75% remainder of loop)

w= 7-8 loops / m= 9-11 loops (one loop = 870m)

+ 1 x 200 fast at end

+ general strength circuit

wednesday

400j + dynamic foot drill wu

+ aerobic running

+ hurdle walkovers

+ barefoot strides on grass

+ foot drills in sand & balance exercises

thursday

800j + dynamic wu & speed ladder

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x 80m fast striding in spikes

+ hip and/or core work

friday (6:00am)

800j + mcmillan wu

+ AT (anaerobic threshold) running @ 85% at park or track

w= 3.75-4 miles / m= 4-5 miles

(women may run as 1600m repeats)

+ general strength circuit

saturday (on your own)

aerobic running

+ stretching

sunday (time - tbd)

long aerobic running at Kennesaw

+ cool-down exercises

+ recovery at training room

important dates for this week

Well, it's finally time to return to campus and begin a new school year and a new season!  Everyone seems excited about the latter but not so much the former.  But the two go together, so might as well get excited about both!  Generally this week will be hectic for most, if not all, of you.  From a training standpoint, do your best to get the week in, and at a minimum just try to get the miles in even if you can't get the workout(s) in.  For the freshman, you should be moved in on Thursday so maybe you can get together for the workout on Friday and then get together for your long run on Saturday.  For the upperclassmen, you can move in on Saturday without paying for early check-in, so hopefully you can get your workout in on Friday and do as much of a long run on Saturday as you can get in.  Lastly, maybe a group can organize getting to the river on Saturday for those that can make it.  As you'll see from the important dates below, Sunday will be a difficult day to get the long run in...

Saturday, Aug 17 @ 6:00PM
Team Meeting & Dinner for all distance group members, where - tbd
(we're going to have dinner and go through our meeting at the same time as we want to take as little of your time as possible, and we figure everyone has to eat anyway!)

Sunday, Aug 18
PHYSICALS at Stamps Health Services/Student Health Center
7:00AM - Incoming Women & Incoming Men
8:00AM - Returning Women
8:30AM - Returning Men
*fasted blood test will be given upon arrival - DO NOT eat or drink anything except water after midnight
*attire - loose-fitting bottoms, T-shirt, and sports bra for women
*bring insurance card

Sunday, Aug 18 @ 1:00PM
New Student-Athlete Orientation in lobby of Edge Athletic Center

Sunday, Aug 18 @ 4:00PM
Compliance Meeting for everyone (XC and T&F) in lobby of Edge Athletic Center


If you have any questions make sure you contact us ASAP.  See you soon!

the second nutritional step in recovery

For some time now we have emphasized and been committed to the importance of nutrition in recovery.  All of us know how hugely important it is to get ~50 grams of carbohydrate and ~12 grams of protein inside the 45 minute window after practice to jumpstart recovery.  But we now need to understand and commit to the second nutritional step in recovery - the next four hours or so after practice.  Intake of carbohydrate and protein during this period is equally important.  More specific guidelines will be developed and distributed, but some information recommends consuming another ~50 grams of carbohydrate every hour for 4-6 hours after the workout.  At a minimum you must make sure you follow up the 45 minute post-workout window with a meal within two hours, and that meal should contain a significant amount of carbohydrate, along with protein.  If you have not been taking care of this second step you are not taking full advantage of the recovery process - let's commit to this important second step!

Do not buy into the misguided notion contained in much of the current popular diet/nutrition advice that carbohydrates are bad.

Sluggish days and heavy legs are not an indication that the training is too much, rather they are signs that recovery has been too little!  Very likely you have depleted your glycogen stores by not replenishing them at a high enough rate.  Think about your nutritional recovery strategy with regards to both steps of the process.  And remember that adequate hydration is also vital to the process.

For high performance endurance athletes, carbohydrate intake and hydration are crucial!

Now some important notes:
*Freshman - make sure you have 'final certification' with NCAA Eligibility Center.  Some of you are missing final transcripts from your high school and some of you have not had your SAT/ACT test scores sent directly to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
*While the specific times will be sent soon, remember these important dates:
Sunday August 18 - physicals in the AM
Sunday, August 18 - freshman athletic academic orientation in early afternoon
Sunday, August 18 - team meeting with the Compliance Office at 4:00 PM
Tuesday, August 20 - first official team practice, time - tbd