Greetings all,
Congratulations on the completion of such an odd and epic year! As a XC team we discovered butte climbs and post-race picnics, we ran frigid 5k races on snow-shoveled tracks, and we found new workout locations or routines that will carry over into many seasons to come.
We missed some of you due to the quirky timing of a Feb-March “official” season, but we were fortunate enough to have both a fall and a spring of experience to build upon, and we look forward to having a newly burgeoning roster in August. By all current understandings, we should be back to a more typical season schedule -- with the official starting date on Monday, August 23rd, just before the start of school.
For now however, THE SUMMER XC SEASON BEGINS THIS TUESDAY!
Summer practices (optional but highly encouraged) will run TUES 6/15 thru TH 7/29. For those of you new to HS sports. We are allowed to coach through the month of July, but then have a short “no contact” period until the official start of the season.
WHEN AND WHERE?:
Practice starts at 8am and should last about 60-80min.
TUESDAYS we will meet at the Winthrop Park (by the barn) and
THURSDAYS will meet at LBHS.
This is the same general schedule as the JRH, although HS practice will use more of the allotted time as we build fitness and run longer.
Each of our summer practice days will involve both running and strength/conditioning work. We meet at 8:00 to facilitate some sleep and to avoid the worst of the summer heat, but it can still be warm. Please dress according to the weather and bring your own water bottle.
SATURDAYS or other team runs?:
We are putting just two days per week on the calendar, but will post/convey information on a week-to-week basis regarding possible additional team runs (Saturday’s or otherwise) in different locations. There are SO many awesome options in the area and it’s fun to run in different spots when we can. We will check-in regarding interest on Tuesdays and announce any extra run day/location on both the team blog and via email.
GENERAL GOALS:
Summer is about building strength and fitness for the fall racing season. The more consistent and regular your summer running, the better you will feel when we start more speed-focused practices in the fall, AND the speed work will be more fun :)
Smart and steady summer running -- days and weeks that build on each other and allow your body to adapt to the sport -- is also the best way to avoid a disruptive injury. Start slow or for lesser amounts of time and build your miles with patience and regular practice. Make sure that your shoes** are not too old and that they are supportive enough for your individual needs.
Some of you will start from scratch -- totally awesome! And others will have a base from spring track/beyond that allows for longer runs or bigger weeks. Both are great and both can be a foundation for excellent seasons later this fall. We will talk to you individually, and will post some general outlines/goals for different kinds of summer mileage to the team XC blog.
And finally, we will, as usual, use both this email list and the blog to communicate. If you are brand new to the team you can bookmark this link for the blog: http://libertybellxc.blogspot.com/ but feel free to reach out via email if you ever have any additional questions or concerns.
Have a great summer and we’ll be excited to see you on Tuesday or whenever we can!
GRRR!
Erik & Sarah Brooks and JRH coaches Liam Daily and Haida Ikeda
** For questions about shoes or an assessment of current footwear, please ask Erik at practice or check in via email etc.. A decent pair of training shoes should last about 300-400miles and for most of you that would mean the bulk of summer and in-season running.
