summer days

#MTM #chopwoodcarrywater #lastyearmentality  #WILDDOGS ⬈🝚x🝚 #rememberthegoal

Reminder...

For those on campus, go to MY HOUSING for info on move-in dates and times for your dorm.

Incoming first-year: move-in August 9-10
Returning Students: move-in August 11 or 12

Both the team and GTAA will have functions during the following week before school starts.  Before you make any other plans for this week, make sure you clear with coaches first. If you know of any conflicts, make sure you notify coaches as soon as possible.

Regarding training, for those that are on schedule, the build to full volume is almost here.  For Tue & Fri, this week, one 75% Easy Tempo on Tue, short hill repeats or fast strides on Thursday, one fartlek on Fri of 6-8 x 3' @ Easy Tempo to Tempo, so 75-80% with 1' easy recovery.  And S&C circuit on Tue and Fri.  Simple, but not easy.  Stay the course, be patient.

As always, ask if you have any questions!

summer in full swing

#MTM #chopwoodcarrywater #lastyearmentality  #WILDDOGS ⬈🝚x🝚 #rememberthegoal

Reminder...

For those on campus, go to MY HOUSING for info on move-in dates and times for your dorm.

Incoming first-year: move-in August 9-10
Returning Students: move-in August 11 or 12

Both the team and GTAA will have functions during the following week before school starts.  Before you make any other plans for this week, make sure you clear with coaches first. If you know of any conflicts, make sure you notify coaches as soon as possible.

Regarding training, for those that are on schedule, this week we should add one 72.5-75% Aerobic Threshold/Easy Tempo run for that effort for both Tuesday and Friday.  For those a little behind on the schedule, keep one 72.5-75% Aerobic Threshold/Easy Tempo run on Tuesday.  Make sure you read through the tabs with the annual volume spreadsheet and understand this effort.  Be conservative in determining your paces.  Make sure Thursday contains either some short hill sprints or some fast striding.

Lastly, let's make sure we are starting to complete the designated strength training on Tue and Fri.

As always, ask if you have any questions!

more easy tempo and the important of iron

#MTM #chopwoodcarrywater #lastyearmentality  #WILDDOGS ⬈🝚x🝚 #rememberthegoal

Reminder...

For those on campus, go to MY HOUSING for info on move-in dates and times for your dorm.

Incoming first-year: move-in August 9-10
Returning Students: move-in August 11 or 12

Both the team and GTAA will have functions during the following week before school starts.  Before you make any other plans for this week, make sure you clear with coaches first. If you know of any conflicts, make sure you notify coaches as soon as possible.

Regarding training, this week keep one 72.5-75% Aerobic Threshold run or Easy Tempo run on Tuesday.  Make sure you read through the tabs with the annual volume spreadsheet and understand this effort.  Be conservative in determining your paces.  Make sure Thursday contains either some short hill sprints or some fast striding.

Last week we talked about the importance of sodium.  This week, let's focus on iron...

Almost 40 per cent of US girls and young women have low iron levels

Below is a link to a really good article, for those of you who want to read up on this very important topic...

http://www.runningwritings.com/2017/04/low-ferritin-and-iron-deficiency-anemia.html

For those who don't want to read, because it's summer and all, here are some important bullet points:

*one study showed by the end of a cross country season (i.e. the point in the season where you want to be your best), iron deficiency had increased to 17% of boys and 45% of girls.  And in those who were not classified as iron deficient, the majority had a decrease in their serum ferritin levels.

*the above numbers were found in using the conservative standards for iron deficient serum ferritin levels used in the general population of less than 12 ng/mL.  A case can be made that for endurance athletes, serum ferritin levels less than 40 ng/mL should be considered iron deficient.

*ferrous sulfate, taken with vitamin C, is the weapon of choice to raise serum ferritin levels; while tea, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and antacids should be avoided as they inhibit the absorption of iron. One study showed that simply putting a slice of cheese on a hamburger reduced the amount of iron absorbed by 50-60%!

*because of the above, the iron in a multivitamin is almost useless.

Additionally, an article released last year in Outside magazine (link below), demonstrates not only the importance of iron supplementation, but that supplementing every other day was just as effective as supplementing every day.  Either way, though, you have to be intentional about taking iron and not forgetting!

https://www.outsideonline.com/2415334/iron-increase-methods-athletes

Suffice to say, your serum ferritin levels are very important to your aerobic performance.  If you are not managing your iron intake and absorption, you are putting your performance in jeopardy.

easy tempo time

With the annual volume spreadsheets sent out, make sure you have spent some time reading through all the information.  As mentioned in the email we sent out, reading and understanding this information, then executing it, is paramount to our success as a team.  If you have questions, ask!

We're working on our competition schedule for the fall season, but for now an update on move-in dates. For those on campus, go to MY HOUSING for info on move-in dates and times for your dorm.

Incoming first-year: move-in August 9-10
Returning Students: move-in August 11 or 12

Both the team and GTAA will have functions during the following week before school starts.  Before you make any other plans for this week, make sure you clear with coaches first. If you know of any conflicts, make sure you notify coaches as soon as possible.

Regarding training, this week you can add a 72.5-75% Aerobic Threshold run or Easy Tempo run on Tuesday.  Make sure you read through the tabs with the annual volume spreadsheet and understand this effort.  Be conservative in determining your paces.

Also, with summer officially here, the daily temperatures are on the rise.  A chart was included in last week's blog to help you determine paces.  Make sure you are always paying attention to proper effort.  This means not looking at the pace chart and being beholden to hitting a certain pace per mile.  With high heat and humidity, your daily pace will be slower for a given effort.  THAT IS NOT ONLY OK, BUT IMPORTANT THAT YOU LET IT BE SLOWER.  Training in a hot climate can slow your pace down by as much as thirty seconds per mile.  In fact, there is even new information out that demonstrates how running in direct sunlight will slow you down even further. It is important that you account for the weather conditions.  Trying to hit a certain pace without doing so will take a toll on you through the summer, and will leave you fatigued during the fall season.  SLOW DOWN if the weather conditions call for it!

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, BEFORE and after runs is beneficial.

#MTM #chopwoodcarrywater #lastyearmentality  #WILDDOGS ⬈🝚x🝚 #rememberthegoal

summer running 2025

For those of you that have and are on the training schedule, week two should look like 4-6 light runs totaling 50% of your full volume week.  Add some short hill repeats or strides on Thursday.

Reminder...first, increase the frequency of running... second, increase the duration of runs... and third, increase the intensity of runs.  So early on, run more often.  Run twice a day more often.  Then, increase the durations of those runs.  Continue with stretching, foam-rolling, mobility, leg swings, etc.

As we get into the summer months, don't be afraid of the heat and humidity.  Just slow down and run the appropriate effort.  See below chart on how to adjust pace depending on dew point and temperature...

#MTM #chopwoodcarrywater #lastyearmentality  #WILDDOGS ⬈🝚x🝚 #rememberthegoal

begin again

A lot of momentum was built during the 2024-25 school year.  From the fall cross country season through the indoor and outdoor seasons, so many outstanding efforts, so many personal bests, school records, and so many performances on our all-time top-5 lists!  Beyond the racing, practice was fun and rewarding, and we can't wait until practice resumes again in August.  To those departing our program, you will truly be missed - you are appreciated for all that you gave to our team, and you are loved for who you are.

Now, the road to next year begins!

As you begin training for next year, the progression for the summer should be... first, increase the frequency of running... second, increase the duration of runs... and third, increase the intensity of runs.  So early on, run more often.  Run twice a day more often.  Then, increase the durations of those runs.  We'll get to the intensity part later on, be patient.

Hopefully the 2025-26 annual volume spreadsheets, with summer notes and recommended summer training, will go out soon.  In the meantime, for those who are getting back to training, begin with light runs.  Every day should contain 10-15 minutes of stretching, foam rolling, mobility work, leg swings, etc.  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 night will continue through the summer, so always check back in!  Lastly, 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.

#MTM #chopwoodcarrywater #lastyearmentality  #WILDDOGS ⬈🝚x🝚 #rememberthegoal

river city racin'

#MTM #chopwoodcarrywater #lastyearmentality  #WILDDOGS ⬈🝚x🝚 #rememberthegoal

monday (OFF or on your own):

dynamic wu

+ light aerobic running

+ 6-8 x technique strides on grass
(if OFF, cross-training is encouraged)

+ travel to jacksonville

tuesday (time - tbd)

800j + mcmillan wu

+ (Thu/Fri-NCAA E) workout-tbd

+ (Sat-NCAA E) light aerobic running + strides

wednesday (time - tbd)

+ (Thu-NCAA E) light aerobic running + short reps at race pace

+ (Fri/Sat-NCAA E) light aerobic running + strides

thursday

AM - shakeout - tbd

NCAA EAST (10,000 final)

+ (Fri-NCAA E) light aerobic running + short reps at race pace

+ (Sat-NCAA E) workout - tbd

friday

AM - shakeout - tbd

NCAA EAST (3000SC final)

+ (Sat-NCAA E) light aerobic running + strides

saturday

AM - shakeout - tbd

NCAA EAST (5000 finals)

+ (those not racing) light aerobic running + strides

sunday (time - tbd)

travel to atlanta