The good ones will get serious when it matters.

http://ny.milesplit.us/articles/20440

Bart's a great guy, a friend and a damn good coach. I will ask him what his thoughts are for “indoor aerobic workouts that can be done in a single room.”

Well said and I wish I had said that myself as that statement is accurate and important. The kid that likely had the most “general running” in the winter months was twice the first American runner in an NCAA final. He ran under 8:00 for 3k indoors when that was rare and he was less injured than than some of the other CU athletes.

I keep thinking you should just write the damn blog. You write well and you're comments always make me think.

I hope you're well and I look forward to sharing a run sometime soon.

Jump rope circuits are a seriously overlooked method of indoor winter training with a 3 in 1 aerobic, plyometric and general strength component. Alternate one minute of normal jumping with a minute of fast, skip, one leg, forward, back, side to side, double hop, etc. You could also use a weighted rope from time to time.

Another great option would be Vern Gambetta's DVD, “Circuit Training”. I haven't watched yet because I've been busy taking a look at his plyometric stuff, but I'm sure it's good for some ideas.

we do a lot of circuit training in the cafeteria and do a LOT of stair running. 20 minutes on the stairs (3 stories) give a pretty high level aerobic workout… (with leg burn to boot)

Spring athletes that play basketball are encouraged to run 2-3 times a week… 20-40 minutes on the treadmill or 20 min on the stair master is all I can expect during the winter months…

anyone have good suggestions for indoor aerobic workouts that can be done in a single room…

Perhaps your example doesn't apply everywhere because you're talking about one of the better groups ever to come through CU. Some above-average genetics there. Obviously the Severy family is athletically talented all the way down the line, Tommy is a freak and his brothers only slightly less so, and everything has been said twenty times about Adam. The funny thing is, of the guys whose HS training you detailed (Severy, yourself, Tommy, Gouch, Bat, Borton) it's Batliner (who has an athletic family – his brother can ski better than most and probably kill everyone but CW with his bare hands) who probably ran the most during the winter in HS (at least amongst the future CU guys), ran the slowest (don't think he broke 10:00), but then had arguably the second-best college and post-collegiate career. Makes one scratch their head.
I like your point about general athleticism keeping you guys healthy initially and then wearing off, leading to injury. It's something I hadn't thought of before, and it makes sense, I can see it in other situations as well. However, as far as winter running, I think in some ways it doesn't really matter what HS kids do – 1M/2M is so short unless some kid is doing focused, calculated hard training the cream (inborn talent) is going to rise to the top, at least over the short-term. And in some cases, even training hard doesn't matter. An 18 yr. old who ran a lot (70-80 mpw) is still going to get his ass comprehensively dismantled by a 16 yr. old Garrett Heath type who didn't run a step until mid-March but nordic skiied.
I suppose it may be the long-term where consistent off-season running and running-beneficial activities pay off as far as cumulative volume and injury prevention.

Too often, coaches get so sucked into the running part, that they neglect the basic tenets of athleticism that are taught in other sports. Many college coaches are afraid of the Steeplechase because they think that their runners will get hurt running it–and you know what, they're probably right. Their team is not composed of athletes–they're runners. Events like the 800m, 1500m and Steeplechase require runners to be athletes. They need explosive power, balance, agility and competitiveness; elements that are typically under-coached. Sports such as wrestling and basketball (common winter sports here in California) help in the development of the student’s growing bodies and will assist them in their overall athleticism.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of all though is not a physical benefit to the athlete, but a social benefit. I have seen Cross Country and Track & Field coaches and runners neglect the concept of teamwork, while it is a fundamental concept taught in other sports. Ultimately, that is what sports in general and Cross Country and Track & Field specifically, are: a group of many individuals to working together as one.

-Mike Atwood
Head XC Coach
University of La Verne

http://www.goldwin.co.jp/corp/info/e/history.html

Email me your mailing address and I'll send you a DVD. coachjayjohnson@gmail.com