Published October 2, 2024Â
The long run is a staple workout for cross-country runners during most of the year, providing significant fitness benefits from a weekly or bi-weekly long run.
However, in October, this workout should be scaled back or even eliminated. Here's why.
When to Scale Back on Long Runs
When an athlete only has three or four weeks left in their cross-country season, however, the long run should not be a key workout.
“But ...
Published September 25, 2024Â
Quick question: Can an athlete race faster than their fitness level?
While high school athletes often figure out in races that they can endure more discomfort than they have in the past, the technical answer is "no."
If an athlete can’t run better than their fitness level, then their goal should be to run as close to their fitness level as possible.
So the question for you is, "How can I help my athletes I coach...
Published September 18, 2024Â
I’d like to propose that when it comes to your “coaching energy,” you break up the rest of the season in the same fashion. Specifically, a hard push for 5-6 days, followed by a 24-hour break from XC.
Let’s start with the recovery period.
Saturday Afternoon to Sunday Afternoon
Even if you race on Saturday, most of the time you’ll be home by late afternoon or early evening.
Up to this point, you’ve been focused ...
Published September 11, 2024
It’s a big week in Colorado, with several nationally ranked teams racing at the Liberty Bell Invitational, one of the fastest courses in the state. I can’t wait to watch all the athletes on Saturday morning.
Before I dive into today's training topic, make sure to read through the entire email to learn about a special offer I'm excited to share with you as one of my subscribers.
Okay, let’s talk training!
Three ...
Published August 21, 2024
Cross country has begun here in Colorado with races starting this week and I'm fired up to be watching one on Saturday!
Just like coaches in Colorado you no doubt have kids who have put in a great summer of training.
Now the questions in mid-August are
- "Will they be able to race to their fitness level this year?"
- "Will they run their best 3-4 races in the last 3-4 meets of the year?"
Today let's talk about t...
This page has every video and every PDF I reverenced in the two live classes.
Here's the recording of the first class...
I talked about the Car Analogy from Consistency Is Key: 15 Ways to Unlock Your Potential as a High School Runner.
You can get these three chapters from the book, plus three other chapters by sharing your email.
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During the class I touched on the workout we use to "build the aerobic engine." They are...
- Long Runs ...
I sent the following newsletter about fartlek training to high school coaches the first week of April. Ensure you get on my email list here so you don't miss the next email.
What is a fartlek run? Well, Fartlek training is an unstructured training method where you alternate between periods of fast running and slower jogging. The term "fartlek" is Swedish for "speed play."
In the context of cross country running, the version of fartlek workout I...
Sleep is like a secret weapon for runners. While most athletes focus on training plans, nutrition, and gear, the most powerful performance enhancer might be the one we often overlook: a good night's rest.
Consider Sara Hall, one of America's most accomplished marathoners.
With a 2:20 personal record—that's running at a blistering 5:20 pace per mile for 26.2 miles—she represents the pinnacle of distance running achievement. Her journey began in ...
This article is for high school runners who run the 800m or 1600m or 3200m and are "stuck" at a certain time/performance.
I know how incredibly frustrating it feels when you've been stuck at the same PR for weeks or even months. So, here are 12 tips from my 25 years of coaching that will help you break through to a new PR.
Before we dive into the tips, I need you to embrace two ideas.
The first is that you and your coach must agree on what the...
Coaches and parents want middle school cross country training to be fun and to lead to a lifelong love of running. But to do this a coach can’t simply take high school training and water it down. Nor should they expect a sixth grader to demonstrate the same commitment to training expected of a ninth grader. Â
My goal in this article is three-fold...Â
- To explain why a conservative approach to a cross country training plan in the middle school ...
Running under 2:00 (boys) or 2:20 (girls) in the 800 meter event is a significant challenge, but it's also a major milestone for any high school athlete. Helping your runners reach that goal takes a solid 800 meter training plan with specific speed work, though.
The goal of this article is to give you a clear understanding of how to run the 800m, with the splits needed to run 1:59 and 2:19, and to give you an 800m workout that can be used to run...
Cross country running is a simple sport, and so it makes sense that cross country runners need fun cross country workouts that they can do in any environment. Â
I’m going to share the best high school cross country workouts that every cross country runner should run in the summer. Several of these workouts should also be done during the cross country season as well. If you're looking for some guidance on how to train for cross country in high sc...
