📌 KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Day 1 for new athletes: 5 minutes of running. That's it.
• Justin Leonard (Southlake Carroll, NXN teams): Starts new athletes with ONE MILE for three days
• Athletes who haven't trained can build engines faster than chassis — that's why injuries happen at 2-3 weeks
• Circuit workouts build aerobic engine while strengthening chassis with minimal pounding
• By extending the aerobic stimulus, a 5-minute run becomes a 25-30 minute...

📌 KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Excellent cross country races in October and November are directly tied to intelligent summer training that keeps athletes injury-free and builds their aerobic fitness.
• Think of the runner’s body as a car: build the aerobic engine (long runs, fartleks, progression runs), strengthen the chassis (post-run strength and mobility), and rev the engine (strides).
• The aerobic metabolism fuels the vast majority of energy in a 5k cross...

📌 KEY TAKEAWAYS

• You don’t need an A+ race — solid B+ performances will produce a great team score, especially since much of the competition will falter by aiming too high.
• Trust running less: the aerobic fitness is built, the “hay is in the barn,” and now is the time for fresh legs and mental readiness.
• Focus on what’s in your control — weather, course conditions, and other people’s energy are not. Bad weather is actually an advantage for we...