WELCOME TO SUMMER RUNNING!
Scroll down for an outline of possible summer workouts. We will email each week as a reminder of meeting days etc., but check here if you are traveling or contact us any time with questions or individual modifications based on other activities.
Mostly, the focus for summer is pretty simple. Run. Be smart about it. Get strong. Don't get hurt. You are building strength and stamina for 5k racing. You have run before but this is the time to build a base. That base will help you avoid injury in the fall and will allow you to do more things like speed and volume for some workouts in the fall. Quality summer running doesn't have to be huge, but doing something is key. A little bit goes a long ways and you will be much happier for it in September especially!
JUNE
Try to be consistent. Pick your days to run. Set some early goals for miles and don't add more than 10% per week. Your longest run each week should max out around 20-25% of your total week. You are building a base slowly over the next 8-9 weeks. Great if you are comfortably running 45-60min by summer's end and for upper returning juniors and seniors, AWESOME if you get to one or two runs of 70-80 minutes.
JUNE
Try to be consistent. Pick your days to run. Set some early goals for miles and don't add more than 10% per week. Your longest run each week should max out around 20-25% of your total week. You are building a base slowly over the next 8-9 weeks. Great if you are comfortably running 45-60min by summer's end and for upper returning juniors and seniors, AWESOME if you get to one or two runs of 70-80 minutes.
Keep some variety. Bike. Hike, etc.. You want to work but also start the season injury free!
JULY and beyond...
For everyone now is a good time to start adding 4-6 strides to the end of 1-2 runs per week. Remember this is 10-15 seconds of accelerated pace. Controlled, but light and quick on your feet. If you are consistently getting in 4-6 days a week of easy running, try adding a little variety with the following extra workout ideas...
EXTRA WORKOUT IDEAS:
Pick one of the following. Do it on Wednesday if you are coming to practices on T, SAT. Otherwise just place it smartly in your mix so that you don't run back-to-back harder efforts.
1.) Hills -- 35-50sec in length. 6-10 reps with a solid warm up and cool down. If you've already been running hills for several weeks, try stretching out the length of the hill -- say 60-90 sec. If you can't hold form or a relatively consistent pace start to finish you are probably going too long, too hard, or doing too many :) Work up to it!
2.) The Step Count Workout -- only for those who have done it previously. Warm up, count steps up and down by 10 from 20 to 80, cool down. On the counting portion you are running with a nice quick stride. 20 quick, 20 easy. 30 quick, 30 easy, 40 quick... etc. Cool down.
3.) Progressive Pace -- A temp-like effort. 6 miles with each mile getting faster 1-5 and then a final cool down mile. First mile, super slow. Second mile, easy. Third mile, med-hard, fourth, tempo (25-30 sec. slower than 5th.), fifth mile, approx. 5k race pace, 6th mile, easy recovery. Depending on mileage needs you can add a little extra at the end.
For everyone now is a good time to start adding 4-6 strides to the end of 1-2 runs per week. Remember this is 10-15 seconds of accelerated pace. Controlled, but light and quick on your feet. If you are consistently getting in 4-6 days a week of easy running, try adding a little variety with the following extra workout ideas...
EXTRA WORKOUT IDEAS:
Pick one of the following. Do it on Wednesday if you are coming to practices on T, SAT. Otherwise just place it smartly in your mix so that you don't run back-to-back harder efforts.
1.) Hills -- 35-50sec in length. 6-10 reps with a solid warm up and cool down. If you've already been running hills for several weeks, try stretching out the length of the hill -- say 60-90 sec. If you can't hold form or a relatively consistent pace start to finish you are probably going too long, too hard, or doing too many :) Work up to it!
2.) The Step Count Workout -- only for those who have done it previously. Warm up, count steps up and down by 10 from 20 to 80, cool down. On the counting portion you are running with a nice quick stride. 20 quick, 20 easy. 30 quick, 30 easy, 40 quick... etc. Cool down.
3.) Progressive Pace -- A temp-like effort. 6 miles with each mile getting faster 1-5 and then a final cool down mile. First mile, super slow. Second mile, easy. Third mile, med-hard, fourth, tempo (25-30 sec. slower than 5th.), fifth mile, approx. 5k race pace, 6th mile, easy recovery. Depending on mileage needs you can add a little extra at the end.
Be smart. Add a little extra work. Focus on getting strong and running miles. Run happy. Feel good!
AUGUST
Coaches have to step away from organized meetings, but keep it rolling and we will hope to rally our captains: Leki Albright, Sandra Hernandez, Aksel Thomson and Kyler Mitchell (and/or other seniors like Will Halpin) to lead a gathering or two per week.
The season starts on MONDAY AUGUST 21st!