Cross Country Summer Training 2005
We accomplished great things in the 2004-2005 season. We were the
only MAC school with three
All-MAC runners in cross country and with two All Great Lakes Region performers.
We are in a fortunate position – we have seen the proof that the effort we put in and the training we do is effective. While we only have to do those things consistently over the course of the summer and the fall to be in a position to compete for our second MAC cross country title, my hope is that we will seek to go beyond that. My hope is that each of you adopts the true runner’s mentality – the mindset that running is a fundamental part of our identity, that it is something we find a way to do each day and overcome the obstacles that less tough, less committed individuals would accept as reasons not to run. With this hope in mind I have changed the summer training template to give you more responsibility for your training. I want us to continue to emphasize our long runs and to keep a Medium Run or LT workout in our weekly training menu. I also want one other quality aerobic workout, “QAW”, each week, but I want you to have the responsibility and flexibility to choose what you want to do. Let’s use this summer to get ourselves physically and mentally prepared for the greatest season and year we can possibly have!
Below I list some of the fundamentals of training. These have not changed significantly from previous versions of your summer training packet, but once again you should read them carefully again.
1) To improve a system you need to challenge it
Not all of your workouts should be done in the comfort zone! You need
to challenge yourself on a regular basis if you wish to improve. In addition,
we need to maintain the speed and speed endurance that you have developed over
the past year. I will discuss the
frequency and intensity of your quality workouts below.
2) Recovery is an essential ingredient for training
Just as you need to do some hard workouts, you also need to do some easy workouts to permit your body to recover and regenerate from your hard days. The training schedule listed below includes a “bonus day” each week, as well as easy runs/cross training to ensure that you have adequate recovery.You have the power to decide what to do on your bonus day. If you need a day off then take a day off. If you would like to do an easy run that is fine.One additional note, our objective is to train optimally. Let’s not mistake training hard with training well. Overtraining is at least as ineffective as undertraining. Have confidence in your training and recognize there are times when taking a day off is the best form of training.
3) Cross training is good
Although running should be the dominant form of your summer training,
it is important to recognize the benefits cross training and to use resources
such as the pool, bike, elliptical, circuit training, etc. in a constructive
way. These low-impact activities reduce the overall stress on your legs,
diminish the risk of injury, and allow you to recover from a running workout
while maintaining a high volume of work. Cross training shouldn’t be done to
avoid running (“It was too hot to run…”), but rather to enable you to run
better. It will serve you well as a
second workout or if you are injured. Those of you who have been in the program
should understand how to wisely integrate cross training into your training
schedule.
4) Train progressively
When you initiate your summer training you will not be in the same shape
as you will be at the end of the summer. Have a realistic assessment of your
initial conditioning and base your workouts on that. As you improve you can
make adjustments to the volume and intensity of your workouts. The workout
schedules below are designed to make the transition into the bulk of your
summer training as efficient as possible. Be prepared to endure a few weeks
of soreness and fatigue. Understand that this is a necessary step and as you
adapt to your training it will pass. Indeed, for most of you, your training
should be superior to what you were able to do last summer. However, it is
equally important that you do not try to force your training. Especially in the first month of training, you
will have to be tolerant and accept the training your body gives you.
5) Communicate with me and each other!
Keep in touch with me on a weekly basis to let me know how your training is going or if you have any problems, questions, or concerns. Feel free to contact me by e-mail (sjones4@uakron.edu), my office phone (330/972-7925), mobile phone (330/571-4191), or stop by the office (178G Rhodes Arena). I will try to keep you abreast of my whereabouts via our website. Also, the best source of motivation and support comes from your peers! I will have a directory of the 2005 team on the website.
Training Progression
Summer Training Components
Long Run (LR) Extended steady run
Easy Run (ER) Steady run
Medium Run (MR) Steady quality aerobic run
Surge Run MR pace run with 45”
surges every 5’
Cross Training (CT) Swimming, Running in the pool, Bike,
Stairmaster, circuits, etc.
Mile Time for your best mile this
track season
3000 Mile pace + 20” (+5” per 400)
5000 Mile
pace + 30” (+7” per 400)
LT Mile pace + 60” (+15” per
400)
MR Mile pace +
90” (+25” per 400)
Our goals for your summer
training include (1) to develop your aerobic running abilities and to elevate
your overall work capacity; (2) to maintain the speed you’ve developed over the
past track season; (3) to put you in position to undertake the training that
you will be expected to do at the start of cross country training in the fall.
A point of emphasis will be on doing more steady runs and quality runs on hilly
courses. We want to continue to build on
the training that we have done over the past year, but to reach the next level
you need to go beyond what you have done in the past.
To strike the proper balance between "challenging" days and
recovery days you should emphasize three workouts per week. The single most important
component of your summer training is your long run. This will be a cornerstone
of your training during the summer and beyond. To succeed as a middle distance
or distance runner you must make the long run a critical facet of your weekly
training. In addition to the long run you will have two other quality days per
week. These will evolve
as the summer progresses.
Two-a-day Workouts
Reviewing the past season it
is clear that the people who consistently did two workouts per day were those
that were the most successful. The summer is the best time to begin this
routine. It enables you to add to your
overall work volume and, perhaps most importantly, it reflects a high-level of
commitment to excellence. Note: your second workout does not have to be a
running workout. In fact, I would
highly recommend doing something like the Akron Circuit two
times per week.
Core Exercises
The summer is an excellent time to work on your
skeletal muscle strength. You should develop a daily routine that includes the
following core exercises. In addition, you should do the Pillar Circuit twice
per week. It is also highly recommended
that you continue to do the pedestal exercises, the overhead series, and other
core exercises on a regular basis.
Core exercises: Pillar
Circuit:
20 Pushups 15
V-ups
15 V-ups 20
Leg Thrusts
20 Back hypers 20
Crunches
30 BW Squats or 6 SL Squats 20
Back hypers
20 Crunches 12
L-overs
Jump Rope 24
Side-ups
10 Double Leg Eagles
60" Low-level bicycle
10 Pelvic tilt isometrics (5
count)
30 Pelvic
tilt leg crunches
Drills
Continue to do the sprint
drills you have been doing as part of your warmup at
least a couple of times per week. Failure to do so will result in soreness when
we begin formal practice in August. It is especially important that you
continue to perform your walking lunges.
Cooldown
Do not neglect your cooldown! Barefoot walking and stretching are essential to avoid
injuries. We have also had much success with the ankle series. The high-volume
training that you will be doing in the summer is stressful. It is imperative that we minimize the amount
of training time lost to injuries.
Strides
Do strides or rhythm 200s on
your easy days. Whenever possible do these barefoot on grass.
Racing
Racing and quality training
are not compatible! A couple of well-chosen road races can be used to augment your
training and provide a break from the training routine. However, do not make
this a
weekly routine. Save the racing for the fall!
Training in the Summer
Be aware that training
during the summer months when the temperature and humidity are high places
additional stresses on your body. To
minimize the effects of the heat and humidity try to run during the cooler
portions of the day, avoid direct sun exposure and adjust your pace
accordingly. It is also
critical that you drink plenty of water before and after your
workouts.
June
The theme for June is to
progressively rebuild your weekly mileage through steady running. In addition
to your Long Run, you should do two other quality workouts. As you can see on the attached training
schedule these can include both track workouts and road runs. On the other days do Easy Runs and/or Cross
Training. Your Long Run initially should be roughly the same duration as those
you were doing during the outdoor track season and they should increase over
the course of the month.
July
The theme for July is to
build on the training you have done over the first 4-5 weeks of the summer. By
July you should be adapted to June’s training (you will have emerged from the “
August
August will be a
continuation of July's workout sequence.
If you haven’t already done so, make sure that you are including some
hilly runs on both your ER days and also on your surge runs and medium runs.
Calendar of Events
August 26 Dorms open
Team meeting, Time and Place
TBA
August 27 First practice Saturday
morning
August 28 Sunday morning practice.
August 29 Classes begin.
September 5 Labor Day Holiday (we will
have practice on this morning!)
September 10 Tommy Evans Invitational,
September 17 ?
September 25 ?
September 30 Notre Dame Invitational,
October 7 All
October 15 Penn State National Open,
October 29 MAC Championships at
November 12
November 21 NCAA Championships at
Tentative 2005 Men’s and Women’s
Schedule
September 10 Tommy Evans Invitational,
(
September 30 Notre Dame Invitational,
(Friday) (TBA)
October 7 All
(Friday) (
October 15 Penn State National Open,
(10:00 am – Women’s 6km race,
October 29 MAC Championship,
(11:00 am – Men’s 8km race,
November 12
(11:00 am – Men’s 10km race,
November 21 NCAA Championships at
(Monday) (
Bold
denotes home meet