Summer 2009 - week three

Beginning with week three, everyone should be following the weekly pattern with a fartlek effort on Monday, a tempo/threshold effort on Wednesday, and a long run on Saturday. Some of you already have started those efforts and that's ok. Keep in mind though, that at this point these efforts should be moderate in intensity. Focus right now should be on increasing the volume, keeping the efforts at a relaxed level, running correctly (i.e. midfoot strike), and establishing a routine for yourself (more on this below). Please read though the notes below!

note #1
Just to clarify, post your weekly running to the comments section of this blog entry. At a minimum, post your weekly mileage. Feel free to add more, such as how the week went and encouragement for others, for example. You don't have to email COACH or ASST COACH if you've posted to the comments; remember to identify yourself and on the blog we want to use FIRST NAMES ONLY. However, you can certainly email us, particularly if you want to add more detail or you're seeking some feedback. We really enjoyed the first week of comments and look forward to coming editions.

note #2
It's been a great week here in Fayetteville. Congrats to EC for making it this far! All of you should aspire to make it to this meet. It is truly an absolutly fantastic meet and I always leave here inspired and motivated. It's great to watch the world-class competition and to catch up with many old friends and colleagues. Over the course of the week I had many conversations with coaching friends about one of our favorite topics - the student-athletes we coach. EC and I also had some good conversation. In the many talks I had, one important word kept coming up that is so vital to your success - CONSISTENCY. I know that's not a flashy word, certainly not an exciting word. Through your life though you will begin to find that the things that make a real difference are not 'flashy and exciting'. But consistency in your life will provide you with a solid platform off of which you can reach for excellence. Consistency in your running, your recovery, your nutrition, your stretching and strength-training, your rest and sleep, will pay huge dividends. The athletes at this meet in Fayetteville are not here because they have more talent. They are here because they do the right things consistently, day after day, week after week, and month after month. In the SUMMER NOTES tab of your annual volume worksheet is a quote from one of the great all-time collegiate coaches - Jumbo Elliot of Villanova - "live like a clock". Take it to heart, put it into practice, and your running will take off!

note #3
*NEW FOR 2009-2010* We have decided to offer all of you an opportunity for EXTRA-CREDIT, particularly those of you with lower volume targets! This is your chance to add to your volume levels with supplemental running - running in addition to your scheduled miles. But as with all things in life, this opportunity for extra-credit comes with a catch.

*supplemental running MUST be added as a second run so you cannot add it on to your scheduled mileage for a single run.
*supplemental running must be LIGHT, EASY running. It MUST be run at a slower pace than all of your scheduled running.
*supplemental running is to be run in MINUTES ONLY, not miles, and will be offered in 15 minute increments (i.e. 15', 30', 45'). RUN FOR TIME AND NOT FOR MILES.
*supplemental running CANNOT exceed the level of extra-credit we offer each week.
*while supplement running is light and easy, it is not sloppy running and you should work on good technique.
*lastly, supplemental running must be REPORTED. For example if you ran 44 scheduled miles and a total of 30 minutes of supplemental running, you would report: 44 miles + 30' extra credit.

*** EXTRA-CREDIT OPPORTUNITY FOR WEEK THREE - 2 x 15' ***

In closing, sorry for the long post, I'll try to keep subsequent weeks shorter!

Summer 2009 - week one & week two

Sorry for the late post on week one. Congrats to EC and MK for the advancement to the NCAA East Regional and congrats to EC for advancing to the upcoming NCAA Championships!

Summer 2009 training has arrived! Twenty-seven men and eighteen women begin the conditioning phase for fall semester. One of the twenty-seven men, incoming SR, will compete at his state meet this weekend, then take a short break before starting.

Hopefully, by now, you have read through the spreadsheet tab 'SUMMER NOTES'. If not, please make sure you do as soon as possible. While very similar to previous versions, the NOTES have been updated.

The first two weeks should be easy weeks, just getting back into the swing of things. Don't push the pace on your runs, just get back into a rhythm of training. Your Monday easy fartlek should consist of running your daily mileage with at most a few pace changes, just a few pick-ups or surges. Your Wednesday threshold run should just be at most an uptempo run, don't worry about reaching a true anaerobic threshold pace...yet. And your Saturday long run should be at an easy pace, just get the mileage in.

Finally, to emphasize again, hit YOUR weekly mileage target. And men should email their totals to COACH, while women should email their mileage to ASST COACH.

Happy Running!

footstrike

...came across this picture, the finishing straight of the Olympic 800m final. No heel-strikers here! Click on the picture for an even clearer view.

for the long summer

...home, sweet home...

Just thought I would give you all a little something to carry you through the long summer...for those times when you are missing your second home so much, and need a little fix to keep you motivated! Enjoy the awesome view!

break time!

recommendation:

first week - off
second week - first half of week off, then resume light running

summer schedule will begin on third week and will be forwarded to you soon

if you have not communicated with us about your mileage total for last year, and your input about your mileage for next year, PLEASE DO SO THIS WEEK!

during your time off - STRETCH, and maintain iron supplementation

for Thursday, May 14

***practice time - 9:00AM***

1. 1200j + active stretching
2. very light aerobic recovery
3. light strides
4. static stretching + daily health

for Wednesday, May 13

***practice time - 9:00AM***

1. 1200j + active stretching + dynamic warm-up
2. aerobic recovery according to mileage target
3. light strides
4. static stretching + daily health exercises