Here’s the deal – most articles about cross country training plans aren’t that helpful. The training suggestions are too general, and the coach doesn’t explain the “why” behind the workouts.
In this article I’m going to explain exactly what a summer cross country training program should include, with a simple rationale for each workout.
Next, I’m going to explain how cross country...
Transcript - 5 min read time
This excerpt is from the Mental Skills for High School Runners course.
Jay: Your girls just finished second at the 2022 Nike Cross Nationals. What are some of the things you're doing all year long?
Kelly: All year long to make sure that those same girls now...when we go into the track season, can run a really good 1600m. I think so much of the mile is rhythm and cadence and learning how to run a...
Transcript - 6 min read time
This excerpt is from the Mental Skills for High School Runners course.
John O'Malley - MS - 800m Mentality for High School Runners
Jay: I want to start this off with a very simple question: How does the mentality change from somebody who's successful in 5k cross country who's also going to be on a state qualifying or even a state champion 4x800m relay?
John: Well, I think there's two significant...
Here's how you can get an athlete to run fast indoors and outdoors.
It's hard to strike the right balance of training and racing indoors while setting them up to faster outdoors. Do these three things to help kids PR in both seasons.
You know athletes need to:
- Build the aerobic engine
- Strengthen the chassis
- Rev the engine most days
Here's what you need to do for each of those elements to make sure athletes race well...
Read time - 4 minutes
The first 4-6 weeks of training following the cross-country season is a crucial time for serious high school runners.
The reason is two-fold.
First, athletes need to fully recover from a long race season. They need time off if they had a minor injury or a “niggle.” Athletes often need to give their bodies time to recover and regenerate.
Coaches have always (rightly) insisted on some amount...
Injury-free running is more than doing daily pre- and post-run work.
When I was a first-year coach, I was convinced that if I could keep athletes healthy throughout a season, they'd run PRs.
Twenty-three years of coaching have only strengthened my conviction.
Now I have a system that keeps kids injury-free.
I want to share it with you today.
You know that injury-free, consistent runners race faster. But what...
Here’s what you should do after your last in-season meet to get ready for NXR or Footlocker
If you’re running a post-season race – either NXR or a Footlocker regional race – you want to do everything you can to race well.
The problem is most runners try to get back to “normal” training after their last in-season meet. That’s not the best idea.
Why? Two reasons.
1. You’re...
If you’re a serious high school XC runner, then you’re no doubt excited to have your best races of the year in October and November.
Here are ten keys to remember that will help you race to your fitness level in the biggest meets of the year.
1. You Don’t Need an A+ Race
If you want to help your team advance to the next meet, or to place high at the state meet, you don’t need an A+ race. You simply...
Here’s a phrase I love to use with athletes:
If you want to do things you’ve never done before, you’ve got to do things you’ve never done before.
You asked your kids to do things like a new warm-up or new post-run work to run PRs in May.
Now that it’s May you are going to ask them to do things they’ve never done before:
- Go out at a faster pace
- Sit back longer and trust...
Almost every serious distance runner will end the track season saying, “I know I could have run faster.” Even if the season ended with multiple PRs and great races in the final two weeks, serious runners always want to make the next jump in performance, which is why summer training has always been so important for distance runners.
But before athletes start training for cross country, they need to fully recover from the track...
One of the biggest questions coaches and athletes have during the track season is what to do to properly warm-up when the athlete is running two races. Great question!
After they finish the first race of the day, the athlete should take 10-15 minutes until they feel mostly back to normal. They can choose to jog for 2-3 minutes, though this isn’t necessary. What is necessary is the following mobility work, to ensure their body...
What follows is an excerpt from the Geek Out section of my book, Simple Marathon Training. Enjoy!
Use Imagery to Run Your Best Race
I strongly believe that runners need to use mental imagery to run to their potential on race day. Using imagery isn’t complicated. Find a quiet space and imagine yourself going through the race. A quiet spot and 3-10 minutes is all it takes.
I used imagery on and off during my collegiate career. There is no...
