xc schedule v.2020

Just a short post for this week with the tentative fall schedule below providing some great competitive opportunities!  As with all things in this time of COVID-19, this is subject to change.  Of the states we are planning to travel to, Oregon has been the slowest to begin re-opening.  We will keep you updated as more information becomes available!

Sat, Sep 5 - UGA Invitational, w= 4.5k, m= 6k / Athens, GA

Fri, Sep 25 - Bill Dellinger Inv, w= 6k, m= 8k / Eugene, OR

Fri, Oct 16 - Penn State National Open, w= 6k, m= 5.2mi / State College, PA

Fri, Oct 30 - ACC Championships, w= 6k, m= 8k / South Bend, IN

Fri, Nov 13 - NCAA South Regional, w= 6k, m= 10k / Tallahassee, FL

Sat, Nov 21 - NCAA Championships, w= 6k, m= 10k / Stillwater, OK

TEAM > TEAMMATE > SELF

#MTM #actachieveactualize #professionalism #juice #chopwoodcarrywater
⬈🝚x🝚   #ambitiontoexcel

easy tempo x 2

To go along with Tuesday's Easy Tempo that was added last week, add a second Easy Tempo effort on Friday this week.  We'll keep this Tue/Fri pattern for the next five weeks.  Remember to not make these Easy Tempos too much of an effort.  You should NOT be struggling to the finish.  Be intentional about getting in some strides, at a minimum, on Thursday's.  Gradually add each week toward getting in 6-8 x 80m of fast striding.  FYI, fast striding is not sprinting, rather a relaxed but quick stride with a focus on good technique.

In coming weeks, there will likely be some information on the importance of sodium.  Maintaining proper sodium levels is essential and a lot of sodium is lost while running.  With the summer heat and humidity, sodium loss is even more extreme.  The basic advice would be to make sure your are salting your food to taste when you eat.  Drinking a sports drink, even adding a little salt to it, after runs is beneficial.  Pickles and olives are among foods with high sodium content.

TEAM > TEAMMATE > SELF

#MTM #actachieveactualize #professionalism #juice #chopwoodcarrywater
⬈🝚x🝚   #ambitiontoexcel

easy tempo

For week three and going forward, add a ~75% "easy tempo" run on Tuesday's.  Run your normal mileage for the day, using the first mile to warm-up a little.  Then progress the run to about 75% effort.  To determine your 75% pace, you can use the color-coded pace chart.  Be very conservative in figuring out your CURRENT 5k shape.  If you are between lines, drop down to the slower time and then use that 75%.  Or you can use the calculator tab at runfastcoach.com.  Again, be very conservative in inputting your CURRENT 5k shape.  Then go to the Training Pace tab and use the pace range for Easy Tempo.  Remember, we always use current fitness when determining paces, never use your personal best or your goal.

TEAM > TEAMMATE > SELF

#MTM #actachieveactualize #professionalism #juice #chopwoodcarrywater
⬈🝚x🝚   #ambitiontoexcel

coaching philosophy

Heading into the second week of the new schedules...another week of just light running to allow yourself to adjust to training again.  So with not much training-wise to include in the blog post, we thought we'd take an opportunity to share with you a little about our coaching philosophy!  We have a number of musicians on the team, including several of our incoming freshmen, so we'll use a Ted Talk as our vehicle.  We hope you'll invest twenty minutes to listen, but also have included the relevant notes (no pun intended) below.  Click on link to play!

Benjamin Zander - The Transformative Power of Classical Music

NOTES (time remaining in video):

(14:13) "It is one of the characteristics of a leader that he not doubt for one moment the capacity of the people he is leading to realize whatever he is dreaming."

(3:11) "The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound. He depends for his power on his ability to make other people powerful."

(2:46) "My job is to awaken possibility in other people."

(1:50) "Definition of success - how many shining eyes do I have around me?"

(0:40) "Vow - I will never say anything that couldn't stand as the last thing I ever said."

TEAM > TEAMMATE > SELF

#MTM #actachieveactualize #professionalism #juice #chopwoodcarrywater
⬈🝚x🝚   #ambitiontoexcel

a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step

The famous quote in the blog title by the ancient Chinese philosopher - Lao Tzu, is probably familiar to you.  It's actually part of a longer quote...

As we embark on our 2020-21 journey, it's important to understand the process, so that we can follow the process.  It is important to follow the training plan and commit to the "easy" and "small" things like rest and recovery, strength-training and mobility, sleep and nutrition.  It's important to take ownership of our progress and to invest in what our team can become.  It is important to bring #professionalism to everything we do and #ambitiontoexcel to every day!

TEAM > TEAMMATE > SELF

#MTM #actachieveactualize #professionalism #juice #chopwoodcarrywater
⬈🝚x🝚   #ambitiontoexcel

peak performance

Hope you are enjoying the break and resting up!  With one more week to go, you can start back with some light cross-training this week.  Late in the week you can start back running with a couple of short, light runs.  However, you can also take the second week off too!  Keep in mind that other than the regular Monday's off, we won't be telling you to take time off again until November.

We are working on new annual volume spreadsheets and notes, along with recommended summer training, to send out this week, but for the next two weeks, it should be pretty simple.  For the first week back, just plan on 3-4 light runs of 3-5 miles. For the second week, plan on 4-5 runs of 3-6 miles.  To keep in sync with our normal routine, plan on Monday's always being one of your off days.  A weekly blog post on Sunday evenings will continue through the summer, so always check back in!  And as in the past, the blog comment section will serve as the way to report your weekly training and we encourage everyone to do that, though you are not required.

Recommended strength-training will also be sent out.  The summer is a great time to work on improving general strength and core strength.  Also, working on mobility and recovery should always be a part of your routine.

Regarding the addition of aerobic cross-training, once training resumes let's commit to a minimum of 60 minutes of cross-training each week.  Aqua-jogging, elliptical, rowing, walking, stair-climbing, swimming, biking...all are good (though they are listed in our order of preference).  Do 60 minutes of one, or do several that add up to 60 minutes.

Take some time also to assess areas of weakness you may have and pick one that you think is most important.  Work intentionally on improving that area so that not only is it no longer a weakness, but it becomes a strength.  It could be physical, such as weak hips or glutes, it could be lagging aerobic ability, or it could be areas such as confidence, mental toughness, dealing with stress or adversity. Research it and work on it intentionally, i.e. with purpose, focus, and correctly.  If you need help with coming up with something to work on, contact your coach(es)!  A great place to start is with the previously recommended book...Peak Performance, by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness.

We look forward to continuing our individual meetings this week!

TEAM > TEAMMATE > SELF

#MTM #actachieveactualize #professionalism #juice #chopwoodcarrywater
⬈🝚x🝚   #ambitiontoexcel

break time

What a last two months it has been!  Even now it all still seems surreal.  But here we are.  As coaches we have been so proud of how you have handled everything thrown your way.  Grades will come in and the results of #TIMETRIALSZN have been recorded.  Even several of the incoming freshman got in on it.  It has been impressive seeing what you achieved in the time trials, and it has been inspiring to see all the great efforts.

Now it's time for a break; time to rest, restore, and recharge.  Over the next two weeks we encourage you to take at least one week of serious down time; no running or intentional cross-training.  In the second week you can begin intentional cross-training and near the end of the second week could begin some short, light running.  Throughout both weeks we reommend that you continue some stretching, mobility, and recovery strategies as part of your daily routine. 

We look forward to our individual meetings with each of you!

TEAM > TEAMMATE > SELF

#MTM #actachieveactualize #professionalism #juice #chopwoodcarrywater
⬈🝚x🝚   #ambitiontoexcel