Just returned from NCAA's at Austin. As always, the championships did not disappoint. Hopefully you had a chance to watch. From one event to the next, some truly inspiring performances! Everyone of us should aspire to line up at the national championships, which will be back in Austin next year!
With the training spreadsheets having been sent out, below is some additional info...there are no major changes to the spreadsheet from last year. Basically we'll build up to a full volume week, maintain that level with consolidation weeks every 2-3 weeks, and then taper toward championships. The first phase of six weeks consists of a gradual build up to your full volume mileage week. During these first six weeks, run easily as you feel, DO NOT worry about paces, and there are no workouts. One day a week, preferably on Thursdays, do 6-8 strides focusing on being relaxed and running with good technique. Some mobility and stretching should be included both before and after your runs. Lastly, each week should be supplemented with one to two hours of cross-training.
Each week, starting with this one, mileage for the previous week can be reported through the comment section of the blog.
Sleep and nutrition, as always, are integral parts of proper training. Sleep times should be as consistent as possible, with at least seven hours each night, and shooting for that magical nine hours fourteen minutes! Nutrition should always include good sources of carbohydrate, lean protein, and healthy fats. Staying hydrated is obviously very important.
Strength & Conditioning will be sent separately. The summer is a great opportunity to make gains in strength, and also to strengthen weak areas. For returners, you can do the Taurus general strength circuit twice a week and squats once or twice a week.
The pace chart is included as a tab in the spreadsheets that will be sent. We'll begin to focus on the pace chart a little in the next phase, but mostly we will begin to use it extensively once we get back to school and practice starts. The golden rule regarding the pace chart is that we ALWAYS look at it thinking about where our current fitness is...we NEVER use it thinking about what our personal bests are or what our goals are.
Lastly, we'll start up the annual GTTFXC roll call soon, so make sure you take a good pic in something GT that is representative of your summer and send it to us!
