#fortitudine vincimus

Headed out for a run today on some trails near where I live not expecting much.  With a broken heart for two weeks, a sharp pain in the back, aching knees, and what feels like a broken foot, #oldmanrunnerproblems, my recent runs have not been much to speak of.  But the weather was perfect and early on there was strength in my knees and a bounce in my stride that had been missing lately.  After adding an extra loop to lengthen the run to eight miles from the planned six, I was just about to merge from one trail to another when I heard a thundering through the music playing in my ears.  Just in time I glanced right to see five horses flying down the trail I was about to enter.  I quickly yielded to the thoroughbreds, #5x1000lbsofmuscle>coach, then followed behind them as the trail began to climb upwards.  For the next ten minutes each time I closed the gap one of the riders would look back and shout to their group and they would increase the pace.

Eventually though I caught and passed the last horse and as I approached the next one heard from behind "runner on your left".  This continued as I passed each successive horse until finally I took "the lead" just before a wooden bridge.  Once clear I began to open up a gap, and the race was over, #fortitudine vincimus :)

Wanting the best for all who are racing this weekend!

monday (on your own)

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (6:00 AM, on track)

800j, mcmillan wu

+ w= 2400m @ 85% + 10' light running + 6 x 200 @ 95%, r= 100j
+ m= 3200m @ 85% + 10' light running + 6 x 200 @ 95%, r= 100j
(HIT TIMES, DO NOT GO FASTER)

+ general strength circuit at track

wednesday

400j + dynamic foot drill wu

+ (those traveling) light aerobic running or OFF
+ (those not traveling) aerobic running

+ hurdle walkovers

+ barefoot strides on grass

+ foot drills in sand & balance exercises

thursday

(those traveling)
travel to Kernersville, NC (8:30 AM departure)
+ light aerobic running on xc course
+ 3-4 starts from starting line
(those not traveling)
800j + dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 2-3 x fast striding on grass
+ 6 x 40m fast striding on ramp w/ walk recovery

+ hip work and/or mcmillan core

friday

light shake-out in AM
+ COMPETITION; m8k - 10 AM / w6k - 11 AM
(those not traveling, time-tbd)

800j, mcmillan wu
+ 7 x 800 on track @ 5k GP, r= 1'

+ 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

wind it up

monday (on your own)

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (6:00 AM)

800j, mcmillan wu

+ anaerobic intervals @ 95% on track or cinder loop
(w= 4 x 4 x 400 / m= 4-6 x 4 x 400; r= 1' / R= 2')

+ 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

+ (in spikes) 2-3 x 80m fast striding on grass
+ 4 x 120 ins & outs (40 str + 40 sprint + 40 str)

+ hip work and/or mcmillan core

friday (6:00/6:30 AM)

800j, mcmillan wu

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

+ general strength circuit at track

 

saturday (on your own)

aerobic running

+ stretching

sunday (time - tbd)

long aerobic running at Kennesaw

+ cool-down exercises

+ recovery at training room

fall break

monday (on your own)

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (m @ 8:00 AM / w @ 8:30 AM)

800j, mcmillan wu

m = 2 x 1000 + 1 x 6000 AT + 2 x 1000
w= 1 x 1000 + 1 x 4000 AT + 1 x 1000

+ 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

+ (in spikes) 4-6 x 200, r= 200j
(w @ 37-42 / m @ 30-33)

+ hip work and/or mcmillan core

friday

depart for Indianapolis

+ light aerobic running on xc course
+ 3-4 x 100 starts from starting line

those racing at Berry or ATC XC 5k
+ light aerobic running on own
+ 3-4 x 100 starts on grass
those not racing

+ workout on your own, tbd

+ general strength circuit

saturday

COMPETITION

+ 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

the game plan

"Leaving the game plan is a sign of panic, and panic is not in our game plan." - Chuck Noll

monday (on your own)

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (6:00 AM)

800j, mcmillan wu

anaerobic intervals @ 90% on park cinder loop

+ w= 6 x 1000, r= 2' / m= 6 x 1200, r= 2'

+ 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

+ 10 x 100m cut-downs in spikes w/ walk back recovery

(cut each one down by 0.5", ending at faster than ~1500m pace)

+ hip work and/or mcmillan core

friday (6:00 AM)

800j + mcmillan wu

anaerobic threshold running on park cinder loop

1 loop @ above AT pace + 1 loop @ marathon pace
w= 5 miles; start with loop above AT, end w/ loop above AT

m= 6 miles, start w/ loop @ mar pace, end w/ loop @ mar pace

+ general strength

saturday (on your own)

aerobic running

+ stretching

sunday (time - tbd)

long aerobic running at Kennesaw

+ cool-down exercises

+ recovery at training room

aretas in the blue grass state

As we haven't competed over the last two weekends, let's re-visit the concept of ARETAS:

"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."

It DOES MATTER how we compete!  As a team we have to continue to build within us a competitive fire.  To become a better competitor you MUST control your psychological state.  Don't worry about your physiology, you are prepared!

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

+ general strength circuit at track

wednesday

400j + dynamic foot drill wu

+ aerobic running

+ hurdle walkovers

+ barefoot strides on grass

+ foot drills in sand & balance exercises

thursday

800j + dynamic wu & speed ladder

+ light aerobic running

+ 8 x 100m cut-downs in spikes w/ walk back recovery

(cut each one down by 0.5", ending at ~1500m pace)

+ hip work and/or mcmillan core

friday

depart for Louisville at 8:45 AM

+ light aerobic running on xc course
+ 3-4 x 100 starts from starting line

(those not racing - 6:00 AM)

+ anaerobic threshold (AT) running on track

+ general strength circuit

saturday

COMPETITION, m8k @ 9:30 AM / w5k @ 10:15 AM

+ 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

aerobics test time

For most of those not racing xc this week we'll have our annual aerobics test (i.e. controlled 3k trial effort) on Tuesday evening.  The 3k will start at 7:00PM CHT, which means at 7:00PM sharp!  Those running DO NOT attend Tuesday's 6:00AM practice, instead plan your day around 3k and show up at the track at 6:00PM to begin your warm-up.  We'll set a pace to hit through 1600m, then it's hard to the finish from there.

monday (on your own)

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass

tuesday (6:00 AM)

800j, mcmillan wu

+ 3 x (2 miles @ 80% on park lake loop + 2 x grass hill loops hard)

+ 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

+ 8 x 100m cut-downs in spikes w/ walk back recovery

(cut each one down by 0.5", ending at ~1500m pace)

+ hip work and/or mcmillan core

friday (6:00 AM)

800j + mcmillan wu

+ 80% steady aerobic running on park lake loop

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

(OR AT running on cinder loop)

+ 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

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