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...

For this runner to run a PR at a post-season national meet – be it the New Balance Outdoor Nationals or the Nike Outdoor Nationals – they must be mentally and physically recovered from the state meet.

A common problem – and one we can easily fix – is to make sure the athletes take a few easy days following the state track meet. Physically, they can handle decent training loads the week after state. But there is an emotional letdown after the sta...

The 1600m is a fantastic event for high school runners because it teaches them how to “cover moves” and to accelerate when they’re fatigued, skills that also translate to faster cross country races in the fall. 

But a problem for many athletes is that the third lap is significantly slower than the other four laps. Kelly Christiansen, the coach at Niwot High School in Niwot, Colorado, calls this “the third lap problem.” 

In this article, I’m goi...

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 pace efficiently w...