Coaching Athletics by Fortius Media Group LLC (Running Network)

CA-NEWSLETTER-OctNov_Layout 1 10/18/13 11:17 AM Page 1

Fall/Winter 2013, Vol. 8 No. 4

www.PhotoRun.net

Featuring Magical Moskva Moments 8 Cross Country Mecca 11 Summer Mileage Program 14

Shotputter Ryan Whiting

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By Roy Stevenson

Sponsored by Skechers Performance Division skechersperformance.com • Facebook: @SkechersPerformance • Twitter: @skechersGO Instagram: @SkechersPerformance

Whenever the world’s elite marathoners toe the start line alongside popular U.S. runner Meb Keflezighi, they know they’re in for an honest race. In fact, the Skechers Performance sponsored Keflizighi brings new meaning to the word ‘consistent’, with a remarkably homogenous series of marathon times. Consider Meb’s seasons best times since he took up the 26-miler in 2002: 2:12:35 (2002); 2:10:03 (2003); 2:09:53 (2004); 2:09:56 (2005); 2:09:56 (2006); 2:15:09 (2007); 2:09:29 (2009); 2:09:15 (2010); 2:09:13 (2011); 2:09:08 (2012). There are Kenyans who’d give up their racing flats for this staggering string of times! Some distance runners are known for their fast times and their inability to win or place in the “big show”, but Meb proves you can do both and do them well. His performances—starting with Athens Olympic Silver and NYC runner-up in 2004—and followed by none-too-shabby 3rd (NYC, 2005); 3rd (Boston, 2006); 1st (NYC & US Champs, 2009); 5th (Boston, 2010) and 6th (NYC, 2010); 6th (NYC, (2011); 1st (Olympic Trials, 2012) and 4th (London Olympic Games, 2012) indicate that Meb is always a force to be reckoned with. Not bad performances for one of a family of eleven children, who emigrated to the USA from Eritrea to escape war and pursue an education. Now living in San Diego, California, Meb has returned to his hometown but still plans on going back to Mammoth, California for altitude training. Meb continues to cruise through workouts that would cripple most young runners and looks to continue to "Run To Win" to his last race....whenever that may be. Skechers Performance Division signed another endorsement contract in 2012 with Meb. Relatively new to the running shoe mar-

ket, Skechers Performance is primarily known for their innovative and unusual curved sole that encourages mid-foot strike, versus the standard heel strike. Meb’s NYC victory in 2009 made him the first American to win in 27 years (he was sworn in as a US Citizen in 1998) and now that he has a taste for winning the NYC marathon, he’s eager to repeat his victory. With 2012 Olympic Champion and 2013 World Champion, Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich, committed to running this year’s NYC Marathon, plus super-stars like Boston and NYC record holder Geoffrey Mutai, Chicago runner-up Wesley Korir, and American Ryan Hall, Meb’s going to have to work hard to outpace these guys. But Meb’s solid 4th in last year’s London Olympic marathon indicates he’s still a player. One consistent rule about marathons is that anything can go wrong at any time, even to the favorites. How many times have we seen the pre-race favorite leading by minutes, only to come unglued in the final 1-2 miles, and pull up lame, or be remorselessly passed by a stream of others? If someone is having a bad day, Meb’ll be there, shadowing, watching, and waiting to pounce, with his usual finesse. Meb’s unerring consistency is why he’s still a contender for placing at this years NYC event, and if he pulls out that “big one” that lurks deep inside every marathoner—and all of his spark plugs are firing—he has as much chance of winning as any of the top five seeds. In the last two years, Meb has trained for 6 of the worlds most competitive marathons, when most runners of his caliber average 2 per year. If these miles have not set Meb back, we should expect similar results from Meb in this year's NYC Marathon.

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quarterly

COACHING AT H L E T I C S I want to talk to you about the coaching profession. In my travels, I’m fortunate to meet some of the best coaches in the world. is is not just at the elite level, but also (and maybe even moreso) at the high school and college levels. High school coaches are mentors, confessors, coaches and stand-in parents. If a kid has a problem at home or in school, the coach sees it each and every day. I was fortunate to have coaches who cared about me and who, I believe, changed my life. It wasn’t anything drastic; it was that they cared and they listened. I remember sitting in the coaching oﬃce with Steve Pensinger, the coach at Bellarmine during my junior year. Steve was just a few years older than we were, was a great athlete, and we would have gone through ﬁre for him. He listened to us, he encouraged us, he got the best out of us. And we were the better for it. ere is a story told of Steve Miller, former Nike sports marketing head. When he coached at Kansas State, he was recognized as a coach who could elicit the best from his athletes. Kenny Harrison, the future 1996 Olympic gold medalist in the triple jump, had a lifetime best longjump in the NCAAs right after Coach Miller spoke to him and encouraged him to do his best. Harrison did and he won the title from Ralph Humphries. Not all of us, as coaches, have kids who win state titles, world titles, or set world records. Our daily challenges are to get the kids to run, jump, and throw their best amid more and more complicated lives. Sometimes, those daily acts of our coaches are superhuman.

Larry Eder

Vol. 8, No. 4 Alex Larsen

Publisher’s Note

Group Publisher Larry Eder larry@runningnetwork.com 920.563.5551, ext. 112 Group Editor Christine Johnson christinej.ssm@gmail.com 608.239.3787 Advertising Larry Eder larry@runningnetwork.com 608.239.3785 Writers/Contributors David Hunter Photographers www.PhotoRun.net Alex Larsen Layout/Design, Art Production Alex Larsen

Coaching Athletics Quarterly is produced, published and owned by Shooting Star Media, Inc., PO Box 801, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin 53538-0801. Publisher assumes no liability for matter printed, and assumes no liability or responsibility for content of paid advertising and reserves the right to reject paid advertising. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Publisher.

Proofreader Marg Sumner, Red Ink Editorial Services Editor Larry Eder

Copyright ©2013 by Shooting Star Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in any form without written permission of the Publisher. Coaching Athletics Quarterly is not related to or endorsed by any other entity or corporation with a similar name and is solely owned by Shooting Star Media, Inc.

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Publisher recommends, as with all fitness and health issues, you consult with your physician before instituting any changes in your fitness program.

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M agical Moskva Moments The Top 10 By David Hunter Photorun.net

You know you’ve witnessed a truly spectacular championship when it’s difficult to select only 10 highlights from the abundance of special track & field moments. It wasn’t easy to select these, and reasonable minds could unquestionably choose other great performances not listed below. But here is my Top 10—in reverse order, of course! 10. Kiplagat Repeats It’s never easy to replicate a championship win. And it might be the toughest to do so in the marathon. But Edna Kiplagat did just that, prevailing once again in a midafternoon steambath to successfully defend her marathon title—a feat no woman has ever accomplished at the world championships. After patiently stalking Italy’s Valeria Straneo down the picturesque, antiquity-strewn course that stretched along the Moscow River, Edna e Great unleashed a vicious acceleration at the 40K mark to quickly vanquish the Italian and ensure that she retained her crown. e roars from the crowd that heralded her entrance into Luzhniki Stadium will likely be remembered by the two-time champion forever. 9. Old School East–West High Jump It was an event that conjured throw-back memories. e women’s high jump felt like an old-fashioned East–West Cold War battle as America’s Brigetta Barrett took on a pack of Russians led by Olympic gold medalist Anna Chicherova. You could close your eyes and almost see Valeriy Brumel and John omas straddling the bars and landing in sawdust. An awkward, abortive, and unsuccessful third attempt by Barrett at 2.03m (6' 7¾") relegated her to the silver as a Russian—Svetlana Shkolina, not Chicherova—grabbed the gold. 8. Menkov’s Russian Field Day As it often did throughout these championships, the rabid Luzhniki Stadium crowd lifted one of its own to yet another pinnacle performance. Veteran Russian long jump star Alexandr Menkov—amid a stirring battle with e Netherland’s Ignisious Gaisah—rode crowd inspiration to a ﬁfth-round leap of 8.56m (28' 1"). Menkov’s startling jump was a world-leading mark that settled the aﬀair and gave the Russian the gold. Menkov’s winning leap was the longest since Dwight Phillips jumped 8.61m (28' 2¾") back in July of 2009. 8CA

7. Hammer Time e Russians love their field events and it was never more evident than when the home country’s hammer goddess, Tatyana Lysenko, entered the ring. e Russian, locked in a gripping battle with Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk, was happy to have the crowd’s support. With her adoring countrymen and women roaring their approval with each of her throws, the towering Russian grabbed the lead and the gold medal when she responded with a prodigious fourth-round bomb of 78.80m (258' 6¼")— a championship record throw that has only been exceeded by Germany’s Betty Heidler with her world record heave of 79.42m (260' 6¾"). 6. Oliver’s Hurdle Redemption About three years ago, David Oliver was at the top of his game and on top of the world. e American high hurdler had just completed a magical seaso, dominating his event in a championship-less competitive year. He was rewarded by being recognized as the consensus athlete of the year. But as can happen in this sometimes-cruel sport, Oliver’s performances then drooped. It’s hard to claw back in track & field and for many, such discouragement can douse the athlete’s competitive fire. Not so with Oliver. Never visibly shakened, he stayed with it and worked hard to refine his craft. For Oliver, 2013 turned into the type of year he likely envisioned as he worked on his comeback. After a season of gratifying times and victories at Beijing, Lausanne and London, Oliver secured the ultimate redemption. He turned back the world’s best to win a championship gold in the 110H by one of the largest margins ever. 5. Symmonds Gets His Medal With no championship baubles to show after a consistent career of stellar 800m racing, Nick Symmonds was a man on a mission in Moscow. Running smartly through the rounds, the American blazed an energy-conserving path to the final. Sym-

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monds eschewed his trademark sit-and-kick strategy in the final—forsaking what he believed could be a faster time—for the opportunity to be perfectly positioned for the final 100. It worked. With a clear pathway over the final straightaway, the fivetime national champion at last secured his medal— a silver—finishing just a step behind a fast-closing Mohammed Aman. e slow-motion replay of Symmonds’ focused grimace blossoming into a broad smile just as he crosses the finish line is an image that will linger for a long time.

Photorun.net

4. A Vault Battle for the Ages It is rare, indeed, when a highly hyped athletic showdown lives up to its pre-event expectations. e women’s pole vault did. Jenn Suhr knew she would be dueling in hostile territory. “I’ve never before evoked cheers when one of my jumps failed,” she noted. But the reigning Olympic gold medalist never blinked, she just tired. “By the time we jumped at 4.89m (16' 5"), I was out of gas,” Suhr confessed, in explaining her three misses at that height. Meanwhile, Elena Ishinbaeva—each of her attempts cheered lustily by the raucous partisan crowd—simply wouldn’t be beaten in her home country. e legendary vault czarina, who clearly savors the big stage, cleared 4.89m on her first attempt to cap a stirring winning performance that will long be remembered. 3. Bondarenko Flirts with 2.46m Undaunted by a high jump field that was truly impressive, Bohdan Bondarenko opened high— 2.29m (7' 6")—jumped cleanly and infrequently, saving his best for stunning heights when his competitors were either gone or on the ropes. Once the Russian had the gold medal in his back pocket, the capacity crowd at Luzhniki Stadium was provided a rare treat as the currently peerless Bondarenko fearlessly attacked a would-be world record 2.46m (8' 03⁄4"). Two attempts in front of the hushed crowd were tantalizingly close. And the inability to witness a world record hardly tarnished a high jump performance few will forget. 2. The Bolt Slam Usain Bolt makes it look so easy. But it isn’t, or more legendary sprinters would have done it. Triple golds—in the 100m, the 200m, and the 4x100 relay—don’t come easy. Call it the Bolt Slam. And the legendary sprinter with Muhammad Ali’s confident swagger and broad-based international popCA9

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ularity did it again—with ease. Back in ’08, many track aficionados understandably had to be convinced, they needed to see if Bolt could display longevity. Five nearly blemish-free years later, growing numbers are ready to crown the Jamaican sprinter as the greatest of all time. It’s mind boggling to contemplate, but had Usain Bolt avoided that one brief lapse in concentration in Daegu, he would have pulled off the Bolt Slam on the world stage five consecutive times. 1. Farah’s Distance Double/Double First in the 10,000 and then in the 5000, Great Britain’s Mo Farah found himself with one kilometer remaining in a cluster of world-class runners packed closer than Russian nesting dolls. Both times he found a way to weave through traffic and shift to a gear that none of the others could match. In winning both events in close finishes, Farah matched a world championship/Olympic distance double achieved by only one other—the great Kenenisa Bekele, who held all four golds in 2009. Mohamed Farah has that rare distance running quality that cannot be taught or gained through training. It’s the heart of a lion, that indomitable will that allows an athlete to push to incredible limits to avoid defeat, to ensure victory. And in Moscow, not even a collection of Africans, supposedly working together, could find a strategy that would crack Farah.

Honorable Mention A Personal Pinnacle Moment With St. Basil’s Cathedral majestically illuminated just several hundred meters away, my wife, Margaret, and I took in a late-night al fresco meal on a veranda adjacent to Red Square. While enjoying a drink and conversation, we suddenly realized that the restaurant’s sound system was softly playing “Evening Prayer” from the opera Hansel and Gretel. at gentle piece had served as the processional at our daughter Marie's wedding. I had walked our oldest child down the aisle to that composition just two weeks earlier. As we concluded our meal, the Kremlin Chimes, Moscow’s oﬃcial clock atop the 15th-century Spasskaya Tower that looms over this historic square, tolled midnight. is Red Square moment will not make anyone else’s Top 10 list. But for my bride and me, it was truly magical.

10CA

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Victor Sailer/www.PhotoRun.NET

Perched on

High Ground By David Hunter

Terre Haute Realizes Aspiration as Cross Country Mecca It’s a wonderful development when a city can achieve greatness across the board. But the reality is, there are few cities that really have the right ingredients to be consistently outstanding in all of its endeavors. However, there are a number of emerging, enterprising cities that have created, pursued and achieved a different vision of success—a goal of their own making. ese are cities which, while uninterested in or unable to aspire to achieve greatness on many fronts, have thoughtfully targeted a single pursuit in which they strive to be exceptional. For example, Hartford, CT has been—and remains—a dominant hub for the insurance industry. Sioux Falls, SD has transformed itself into an influential banking center in the niche sector of credit card management. Las Vegas long ago achieved its goal of becoming a peerless leader in gaming and entertainment. Even in our smaller sphere of track & field, Eugene, OR has clearly established itself as one of the world’s leading centers for the sport. ere seems to be a common thread, a single mantra for these cities that have found a way to reach the pinnacle in one particular pursuit: If broad-based greatness is not a desired or realistic goal, a city can nonetheless be extraordinary in a single field. One such city is Terre Haute, Indiana. ere is little reason for this sleepy town of 60,000 nestled in western Indiana to be special. But a handful of local residents embarked on a goal to make it so. eir vision—ambitious, to be sure—was to develop a private–municipal collaboration that would lead to the creation of the country’s first truly national-caliber championship cross country course. e idea originated with LaVern Gibson, a local resident and businessman who owned substantial acreage in the town. Gibson’s 240-acre parcel had previously served Terre Haute in two capacities, first as a coal mine, later as a landfill. In the early 1990s, after the property had undergone complete postlandfill reclamation and a decade of dormancy, Gibson—assisted by his son Max and grandson Greg—launched a plan to retool the property for championship cross country. Now, nearly two decades later, the vision first cultivated by LaVern Gibson is a reality. Poised to host its 10th NCAA cross country championship race this Nov. 23rd, Terre Haute has transformed a former coal mine/landfill into a national-caliber championship venue that hosts weekly cross country races from mid-August until early December, annually attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the town, provides an ongoing, positive economic impact on the greater Terre Haute region, and lifts community morale. “LaVern Gibson’s vision was simply borne out of watching his grandson run. So he endowed the land to what would become the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center that contained the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course,” explains David Patterson, executive director of the Terre Haute Convention & Visitors Bureau and one of the caretakers of the cross country course. e vision got legs in the early 90s when Gibson enlisted the assistance of his grandson Greg, an accomplished distance runner, and two respected cross country coaches, John McNichols of Indiana State University and Bill Welch of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, to create a course not only carefully assembled to host championship meets, but also tailored to elevate the fan experience. “To me, the property looked just perfect for what we wanted to lay out,” recalls Coach McNichols as he reflects on his initial truck ride over the Gibson property. “So we started to sketch out the course. We just took basic ideas.” McNichols drew on his years of coaching experience to anticipate and address shortcomings he had observed in other venues. “We wanted a long

straightaway before the first turn,” McNichols explains, noting his desire to permit a long run out to thin the starting mob before the first turn. “So we set that, and our final result is an initial straightaway of about 940 meters before we turn. Next, we wanted a wide starting line. So we have 106 meters at the starting line, which narrows gradually to the first turn,” he adds. But course development also was driven by the goal to raise the fan experience. “It is always a gripe of mine that cross country typically is not a spectator sport: e runners run away, then you don’t see them. You sit there and wait. Pretty soon they come back by, and then you walk over to the finish chute and watch them finish. And that’s your experience,” laments McNichols. “Typically, consideration of the spectator experience was never in the planning of a cross country course,” MicNichols observes. “So the way to accomplish that [enhanced fan experience] was to narrow the geography. My idea was to have a 3K outside loop with two 1K loops that came in toward the center of the course. With that, you could run any distance—from 3000 meters up to 10,000 meters with that configuration. So we fiddled with the map and got it to work.” Invigorated by his explanation of the planning process, Coach McNichols is soon on a roll. “My other gripe is that you often can’t see the finish. Frequently, a course is set up so that the runners are winding around—out of sight—and then suddenly they come into a small open area and then right into the chute. So it is hard to watch the finish of the race. So we set up our course so that we have this huge, wide-open area to watch the final finishing surge.” But, as the coach notes, effective crowd management is also necessary to ensure the optimum viewing opportunity. “On the finishing straightaway, we first started out addressing crowd control by using ropes to contain the spectators. But the fans would lean in on the ropes. If you are on the rope, you are only going to get a fleeting glimpse of the race. You are going to see the athletes as they get into your sight and then again they disappear because the people next to you are blocking your vision,” he explains. “And if you push out on the rope in an effort to improve your line of sight, then you are CA11

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Officially dedicated in the fall of 1997, the ingenious, purpose-built LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course serves as the crown jewel of the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center, a multi-use facility that sports two gymnasiums, a fitness area, a senior gathering room, a maintenance barn, a concession/restroom facility, a finish line structure, and a finish line building. “We even have a unique Plexiglass crow’s nest structure for media coverage,” Patterson proudly notes.

12CA

distorting the course. So we eventually built fences, and we kept the fans back. So now you stand on the outside of the fence and watch the finish.” And with a smile, McNichols adds, “You can watch the entire 400-meter sprint to chute uninterrupted. You can see the whole thing unfold in front of you.” Wise forethought on course creation wasn’t limited to the start and finish of the race course. McNichols worked closely with the course surveyor to ensure that the entire final layout would preserve critical sightlines. “I regularly told the surveyor who was staking out the course, ‘When you are working on this, you park your truck right here,’” says the coach, with reference to the hill, a remnant of the reclaimed landfill, right in the middle of the 19 acres devoted to course use. He added in his instructions to the surveyor, “Wherever you are on the course measuring this out, make sure you can look back up the hill and see your truck.” e surveyor obeyed. e result? Savvy fans armed with binoculars can now position themselves on the midcourse prominent elevation—Terre Haute’s terre haute (French for “high ground”) if you will—and be able to view 90% of the race. Officially dedicated in the fall of 1997, the ingenious, purpose-built LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course serves as the crown jewel of the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center, a multi-use facility that sports two gymnasiums, fitness area, senior gathering room, maintenance barn, concession/restroom facility, finish line structure and finish line building. “We even have a unique Plexiglass crow’s nest structure for media coverage,” Patterson proudly notes. But perhaps the pivotal development occurred just two years after the course was dedicated. In 1999 the Terre Haute Convention & Visitors Bureau entered into a 30-year agreement with the Sports Center which is calculated to ensure the continued sustainability of the Center and the race course. “We have a maintenance agreement in place which is funded by the Vigo County innkeepers tax—a 5% tax on all hotel rooms in the county,” Patterson explains. “e bond, funded through a portion of the tax, provides capital to the Terre Haute Convention & Visitors Bureau to maintain the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center going forward.” e executive director notes how efficiently the bonded funding works. “We have 20,000 people that come through our town each year just due to cross country. Essentially, we aren’t putting any local money into this maintenance. e innkeeper’s tax is all money derived from those coming in. So it is kind of a self-fulfilling prophesy in that the better we do, the more funding we have to maintain the facility. e tax—and consequently the maintenance—is no local burden.” Patterson says that no precise attempt has been made to measure the positive economic impact the Gibson course has had on the region. “e presence of the championship course has had a tremendous fi-

nancial impact and inspired us to enter into the agreement to maintain this center for the next 30 years,” he adds. “is certainly has had a wonderful impact on our town.” Greg Gibson, who’s still an active runner at age 51, marvels at what his family, Terre Haute, and Vigo County have accomplished through their collaboration. “is thing has turned into much more than we ever expected or hoped. It just amazes me how all over the country I have people say something to me about the cross country course.” With the 20th anniversary of the course dedication in sight, does the city that has dubbed itself Cross Country Town USA have plans to take its love affair with XC to a higher level? “Now you’re talking my language,” Patterson says with a grin. “I’m the guy who wants to just blow this up and make it larger– completely. I have two immediate goals. e first is to engage in some significant redressing work to groom the course. e second is to utilize some limestone pillars and other limestone pieces, which we secured from a hotel reconstruction project, to create a limestone awards stand—a sort of pantheon of medal presentation. And we are certainly going to etch into the awards stand the names, the times, the schools, and the years of every champion we have had,” he adds. “It will be stunning, ADA-accessible, just off the hook. It is going to be so cool. I am really excited about the future.” McNichols is no less optimistic. e coach, who is quick to note that the emergence of the Gibson course and the reputation of its national use, has made a “huge difference” to the ISU programs, also cites the growing, embraced acceptance of the community at large. “It’s an education process within our community. Our high school cross teams are a lot better now. We have pretty good crowds at all of our meets. Slowly but surely, the entire community is coming around. It has even sparked the development of an extensive 36 miles of trails within our town.” McNichols, who acknowledges that there have been some early, tentative discussions with USATF about hosting the USA trials for world cross country in the future, has even bigger plans. “We’ve actually looked into what it would take to host a world cross country championship,” he says. Terre Haute’s dream to raise to an even higher level its overall cross country experience, through enhancement of its facility, attracting international competition, and expansion of its current position of national cross country prominence, will likely promote its share of doubters. But reflection on all that this city has already accomplished—essentially transforming a former coal mine/landfill into the nation’s preeminent cross country venue—suggests that any such skepticism is ill-founded.

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You’re now three months into your cross country training and racing is upon us fast and furious. While we all love to break the tape, there can be only one who does. However, there are other ways to evaluate your progress and successes: your team position, beating your course time, strength of your finishing kick, overall finish place, etc. Be proud of your achievements, identify ways you can improve each time out, and remember to focus. As always, special thanks to our partner, Saucony.

By now, most of you will have raced at least once or twice, and are getting into the racing groove. If you're doing early a.m. runs and need to cut one out, do it. If you're feeling good but not sure about your leg speed, try the change we suggest on Thursday for the next 3-4 weeks. Monday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warm up, 20-minute tempo run, 1-mile cool down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. So if you can run 18:00 for a 5K now, that means a 5:50 pace. Add 30 seconds and your tempo run pace is 6:20 per mile pace. Wednesday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Thursday: 1-mile warm up, 10 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start. Repeat nine more times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yards as easy strikeouts, jogging to start, no rest between; 1-mile easy cool down. Or, if a race happens on Thursday and Saturday, finish up with the 10x150 yards and then do your 1-mile easy cool down. If you need some speed work, try doing the warmup; 6x800 meters at your race pace for the mile split in a 5K. (i.e., if you can run 18 minutes for 5K, your half pace would be 2:45 for 800 meters.) Friday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Saturday: Easy 30-minute run, or a race of 5K for high schools, 8K for college. Sunday: Long, easy run, 65-70 minutes, on grass or dirt with friends.

Early season races are all about getting yourself into racing condition. It normally takes 3–4 races or more to feel ready to race, so don’t worry. The key races are conference and later. Monday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warm up, 20-minute tempo run, 1-mile cool down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. So if you can run 18:00 for a 5K now, that means a 5:50 pace. Add 30 seconds and your tempo run pace is 6:20 per mile pace. Wednesday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Thursday: 1-mile warm up, 10 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start. Repeat nine more times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yards as easy strikeouts, jogging to start, no rest between; 1-mile easy cool down. Or, if a race happens on Thursday and Saturday, finish up with the 10x150 yards and then do your 1-mile easy cool down. Or if you need some speed work, try doing the warmup; 6x800 meters at your race pace for the mile split in a 5K. (i.e., if you can run 18 minutes for 5K, your half pace would be 2:45 for 800 meters.) Friday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Saturday: Easy 30-minute run, or a race of 5K for high schools, 8K for college. Sunday: Long, easy run, 65-70 minutes, on grass or dirt with friends. 14CA

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You're in great shape, and should feel the difference between the early season and where you are now. To add some variety, consider replacing the Tuesday workout with repeat miles (say, 3 miles at 5K pace with 800m jog for HS or 4 x mile with 400m jog for college athletes. Monday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warm up, 20-minute tempo run, 1-mile cool down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. So if you can run 18:00 for a 5K now, that means a 5:50 pace. Add 30 seconds and your tempo run pace is 6:20 per mile pace. Wednesday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Thursday: 1-mile warm up, 8 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start. Repeat seven more times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yards as easy strikeouts, jogging to start, no rest between; 1-mile easy cool down. Or, if a race happens on Thursday and Saturday, finish up with the 10x150 yards and then do your 1-mile easy cool down. Or if you need some speed work, try doing the warmup; 6x800 meters at your race pace for the mile split in a 5K. (i.e., if you can run 18 minutes for 5K, your half pace would be 2:45 for 800 meters.) Friday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Saturday: Easy 30-minute run, or a race of 5K for high school and college. Sunday: Long, easy run, 65-70 minutes, on grass or dirt with friends.

After this week, we'll provide a three-week championship training program, where we'll cut back a bit on hard days. Monday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Tuesday: 1-mile warm up, 20-minute tempo run, 1-mile cool down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. So if you can run 18:00 for a 5K now, that means a 5:50 pace. Add 30 seconds and your tempo run pace is 6:20 per mile pace. Wednesday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down Thursday: 1-mile warm up, 8 hill repeats (run 200 yds uphill, turn, jog downhill to start. Repeat seven more times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8x150 yards as easy strikeouts, jogging to start, no rest between; 1-mile easy cool down. Or, if a race happens on Thursday and Saturday, finish up with the 10x150 yards and then do your 1-mile easy cool down. Or if you need some speed work, try doing the warmup; 6x800 meters at your race pace for the mile split in a 5K. (i.e., if you can run 18 minutes for 5K, your half pace would be 2:45 for 800 meters.) Friday: Warm up; 45–50 minutes easy running; 8x150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down. Saturday: Easy 30-minute run, or a race of 5K for high schools and college. Sunday: Long, easy run, 65-70 minutes, on grass or dirt with friends. We’ll be wrapping up with a 3-week championship program in our next issue and at www.runblogrun.com

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