Youth Runner Magazine May-June 2017

TIPS FOR BOOSTING YOUR SPEED MAY-JUNE 2017 $4.95

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LEGENDARY COACH PAT TYSON ANSWERS DISTANCE QUESTIONS

AIDAN PUFFER WORLD RECORD BREAKER

XAVIER SIMPSON

SPRINTING TOWARDS ANOTHER NATIONAL TITLE

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YOUTH RUNNING™ | YOUTH TRACK & FIELD™ | YOUTH XC™

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1 | MAY/JUNE 2017

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YR MOMENTS IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PERFECT HANDOFF It’s The Shockwaves vs. The LA Jets in this relay battle at the Phoenix Invitational.

SMOTHERMAN IMAGES 2 | MAY/JUNE 2017

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 3

YR CONTENTS: MAY-JUNE 2017

READY.SET.GO

Vol. 22 Issue 2

SAM GEHRKE

SPRINTER

XAVIER SIMPSON 8

FEATURE

CHECK IT OUT

AIDAN PUFFER

SPECIAL

16-17 FAN SHOTS

RECORD 13 WORLD BREAKER

18-19 MEET HIGHLIGHTS

20

22 SPEED BOOSTING TIPS

KEEPING UP WITH YR ATHLETES

26 RATING YOUR EFFORT

TRAINING

29 SUBMIT AN ATHLETE 29 COMING UP

24

LEGENDARY COACH PAT TYSON

MORE

2-3 YRMOMENTS

6

LETTER FROM THE GUEST EDITOR:TARA DAVIS

BLOGGER CHASE 7 YRD'ALLESANDRO

14-15 POSTER YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 5

YR

EDITOR

VOL. 22 ISSUE 2 | MAY/JUNE 2017

Smotherman Images

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Dan Kesterson

Tara Davis, HS Senior Long Jumper-Hurdler

LETTER FROM THE

GUEST EDITOR Hi my name is Tara Davis, I’m 17 years old and live in Agoura hills Ca. Track has been part of my life for about 15 years now, and every second of it has been amazing. I started off long jumping when I was 4 years old, watching my older sister do it. I fell in love instantly. Hurdles and triple jump fell into play, as I got older. With all my hard work and sacrifice I earned a track scholarship to University of Georgia.

One of the most recent and valuable memories I have in track is competing against America's best at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Competing with most athletes I watch on T.V. and athletes I have been inspired by. That experience pushes me to do my best, having that feeling of knowing you are as good as them makes me know that all the hard work and sacrificing really does pay off. In all the years I have been running track one word has basically defined track for me, and that is “sacrifice.” For me sacrifice

EDITOR'S NOTES 6 | MAY/JUNE 2017

means giving up something to achieve something better. I learned about sacrifice when I was about 8 years old, when everyone else got to swim in the pool on a hot day in the summer, and I couldn't because I had track practice either before or a meet the next day. It was hard to understand that at such a young age and as I got older I finally understand what my parents meant by it. Without sacrificing I wouldn't be where I am today in my career.

So far in this 2016-2017 season I recently broke the 36-year-old national indoor record with a jump of 21’11. After the jump I had no clue it was even that far, it felt like a lower jump than that. I accomplished that jump due to hard work and dedication. The biggest goal this season is breaking the long jump outdoor record, and qualifying for the World Outdoor Championship in London.

My advice to young athletes is to have fun with the sport, yes take it seriously during competition and your training, but don't get stressed over it.

If you don't have a good practice one day, that's okay there's always tomorrow to come back at it even stronger.

TARA WAS ON THE COVER OF THE MARCH-APRIL 2014 ISSUE SO IT’S SPECIAL FOR US THAT SHE’S COME BACK TO BE THE GUEST EDITOR.

EDITOR AT LARGE Ian Kesterson GUEST EDITOR Tara Davis CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & BLOGGERS Ciara Martinez, Kenan Pala, Pat Tyson, Bob Williams, Jesse Lambrecht, Chase D’Allesandro, Zane Fodge, Faith Martinez, Ethan Vargas, Espen Lehnst, Mick Grant, Cregg Wienmann, Taitum Schaap ART DIRECTOR Sean Kesterson CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Eric Skelton CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Klotz Images, Sam Gehrke, Smotherman Images, PSImages, Eric Ward, Photo Run, Dingo Images, Peter Maksimow, Rebecca Joelsen, Collen McCambridge Thompson, Marcie Taylor, Kaitlinn Emmerling, Instagrammers, Fans WEBSITE-DIGITAL-VIDEO Sean Kesterson

THANKS TO: Ocean Breeze, Blue Goose Productions, East Bay Esplanade, Ralph Greene, Volunteers everywhere ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIPS dank@youthrunner.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES US One Year: Print $14.95 Subscribe at www.youthrunner.com Digital Subscription $9.95 Get the App at all app stores PUBLISHED BY: Youth Runner Magazine is a registered trademark of GoSportz Media LLC. Published 5 times a year by GoSportz Media, LLC Copyright 2017 all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. Editorial contributions are welcome, submit queries to editor@ Youthrunner.com. Gosportz Media LLC and it’s publisher assumes no liability for the content or opinion of it’s writers or advertisers and reserves the right to reject any advertising at it’s own discretion. Youth Runner recommends that you consult with your coach and your physician on any changes with your training, fitness and health issues.

YOUTH RUNNER

BLOGGERS CHASE'S FAVORITES

Spikes

Chase D’Allesandro 7th Grade Avalon, Florida

CHASE D'ALLESANDRO:

YR BLOGGER & TRIATHLETE My name is Chase D’Alessandro and I’m a 7th grader at Avalon Middle School in Orlando, FL. I am Distance Captain for my school track team and run for a club team I have been with for the past three years called the East Orlando Track Club (EOTC).

I have always loved running since even before I was in school. When I was 5 years old I ran a mile as part of my Pre-K school field day and I beat the gym teacher. My parents who were friends with her confirmed that she was fully trying to beat me. I ran in the mile youth races at events that my parents participated in. When I was 8 years old I did my first triathlon, and have done USAT Triathlons since then including St. Anthony's Meek and Mighty, Tampa Bay Kids Triathlon, and the Heartland Triathlon. I also cycled for the Colavita FL and have participated in the Tour De Cure to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. I completed my first Century Ride (100 miles) in 2015.

Two years ago I was running at a meet and started feeling pain in my knee. I ended up having stress fractures in my kneecap.

I was on crutches for six weeks and during that time I developed the same injury on the other knee and missed the remaining track season. Due to my injuries I could not participate in track during my 6th grade year so I was excited to run for my school this year. I started training before the season to make sure I was ready and made the team with my first 1600 PR at 5:27. I have since reduced that to 5:09 and with EOTC my current 1500 PR is 4:47.

Follow his sports journey on Instagram at @chase_this_43

App

Bike

Movie

WHAT ARE CHASE'S

FAVORITES? Running Shoes - ASICS Spikes - Nike Distance Series App - Running: Strava, Social: Snapchat School Subject - Civics Pre-Race Meal (Night Before) Spaghetti and Meatballs Before Race - Banana Racing Bike - FOCUS Running or Triathlons - Running Movie - Race (Jesse Owens story) Triathlete - Gwen Jorgensen

Triathlete

TAG PHOTOS #YOUTHRUNNER

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8 | MAY/JUNE 2017

XAVIER SIMPSON NATIONAL CHAMPION SPRINTER

NATIONAL 100M CHAMPION LIKES HIP HOP AND IS INSPIRED BY HIS MANDARIN CLASS AT SCHOOL.

Q&A WITH XAVIER:

Xavier, tell us all about the experience of the Junior Olympics and becoming National Champion in the 100m and 2nd in the 200m.

The experience at Junior Olympics for me was very amazing! I met new friends from different states, different track teams and also got closer to people on my track team that I didn’t think would even be my friend at the beginning of the year. Lastly I really got to tell how good the coaching staff was by seeing how they trained me during my warm ups and how they gave me motivation. On winning the 100-meter dash and taking second place in the 200 meter dash at the Junior Olympics was amazing. I got lots of cheers, lots of pictures with people, lots of “congratulations Xavier” and lots of just positive energy from people like my family, my friends, and even people I don’t know.

Did you get any sleep the night before the Finals?

The night before the finals I got lots of sleep because I ate steak and mashed potatoes and broccoli. Also that night, I took an ice bath so I was full of food and relaxed so therefore I was ready to go to sleep early in order to have a good race the next day.

What about race day? Nervous or just another 100 meters down the track for you?

SAM GEHRKE

The day of my race I wasn’t too nervous, because everyone was giving me confidence that I was going to win, but at the same time I was a little YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 9

nervous because all the pressure was on me to win.

How do you prepare for a big race?

I prepare by training hard in practice the day before the big race, and work on the things that I still need to improve more during practice. Also later on, on those days when I would get home and I would watch YouTube videos to improve any way I can.

What advice did your coach give you on that day?

On race day at the Junior Olympics for the 100 meter the advice my coach gave me was to get out the blocks fast and run like you never have before.

How is your training looking like during May and how will it change closer to nationals?

In May I train hard but I still have fun with it. By the time nationals start getting closer I train very hard and I focus on my time, my technique, my stamina, my blocks and just other things that I need improvement on.

"MY GOAL THIS SEASON IS TO RUN AN 11.6 IN THE 100 METER DASH"

Do you remember who your toughest competition was?

My toughest competition was when I was running at Junior Olympics in 2015 when I was 11 and he was 12 and he was way bigger than me and stronger than me and I had a chance to race him and try my best.

What are your goals for this season?

My goals for this season are to run a 11.6 in the 100-meter dash and run a 23.5 in the 200-meter dash. And also to meet new friends on my track team and get a better relationship with them and also my coaches.

Do you train with your club or on your own?

I train with Tigard youth track not on my own.

How did you get started in running and track?

I got started running track when I was 8 years old and my mom signed me up to run for Foot Traffic, which is a local track team in Portland and ever since then I have been running track.

Do you remember your first race?

My first race was when I was 8 and I ran the 60-meter dash.

Did you know right off you were a sprinter or did it take you awhile to figure that out?

When I started track I knew right away that I was a sprinter because I didn’t have as much endurance as I do now, and I wasn’t into running for a long distance

AGE

DISTANCE

10 YEARS OLD 1 1 YEARS OLD 12 YEARS OLD

100 13.16 100/200 12.23/24.91 * 100/200 11.82/24.08

*STATE RECORDS

10 | MAY/JUNE 2017

TIME

because I would get tired, so I figured out at a young age that I was a sprinter.

Besides Nationals, is there one race you would call a highlight?

One race besides nationals I would call a highlight would be when I ran at the University of Oregon and got a personal record of 11.71. I also ran and won Hershey Nationals in Pennsylvania.

What about off the track, what are your other interests?

Off the track some of my interests are basketball, and football, and school.

Best school subject?

My best school subject is social studies because I know a lot about my history.

Which one of your classes inspires you the most?

My most inspiring school subject is Mandarin because I’m improving at it.

Any role models or people you look up to?

Role models I have in my life are people like my brother, my dad, my mom, my grandma, and my grandpa and other people like that who are close to me.

Advice for other kids that would like to be sprinters?

Work hard and have a positive attitude.

FAVORITES: Music: Hip Hop Book: Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan.

Track: University of Oregon’s track.

Pre Race Meal (night before): Steak and Mashed Potatoes.

Track Spikes: Gold Nike Track Spikes.

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 11

Saturday

m

p 0 1 7 | 7 1 0 2 June 10th,

e u g a e l h t u o y N W O TRACKT p i h s n o i p cham

t s a c d a o r b ;live watch at

om .c e u g a e L h t u TrackTownYo

Presented bY:

YOUTH RUNNER

WORLD RECORD HOLDER

AIDAN PUFFER

AIDAN BROKE HIS SECOND 5K WORLD RECORD THIS SPRING

On April 15, 2017, 12 year old Aidan Puffer of Manchester, CT ran 16:44 at the Boston Athletic Association 5k, breaking the 12 year old world record of 16:48 set by Xander Black in 2015. Aidan also holds the 11 year old 5k track world record with a time of 17:06.05. Aidan is coached by Tom Schwartz (coach of Drew Hunter and Grace Ping).

Aidan is a member of the Central CT Jaguars youth Track Club in Bloomfield, CT. Last month Aidan was 2017 AAU Indoor National Champion for his age in the 3000m, at the AAU Indoor National Championship in Landover, MD. Aidan was 2016 USATF All American in the 11-12 Boys 3000m and 1500m events for both indoor and outdoor seasons.

Aidan was trying to beat the record before he turns 13 on May 19th.

Xander (who's record he broke) has two 5k records, 16:45 at age 11 and 16:48 at 12, so Aidan said he wanted to run 16:44, which he did. Last year he beat Declan Wright's 5k track record by under a second too.

Recently, Aidan's been running about 30 miles per week and is looking forward to his track and field season.

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 13

ARCADIA INVITATIONAL 3200 METER RUN COOPER TEARE WINS THIS COMPETITIVE RACE IN 8:41.46 WITH AUSTIN HINDMAN & CASEY CLINGER CLOSE BEHIND.

SMOTHERMAN IMAGES

14 | MAY/JUNE 2017

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 15

INSTAGRAM

FANPAGE

KIDS RULE THE WORLD! WE JUST SHOWCASE THEM! HERE ARE SOME OF YOUR BEST SHOTS THIS SEASON! WANNA SEE YOUR OWN PHOTOS IN THESE PAGES? IT'S EASY! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS HASHTAG #YOUTHRUNNER WHEN YOU POST TO INSTAGRAM!

16 | MAY/JUNE 2017

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 17

MEET HIGHLIGHTS USA XC NATIONALS This is the championship for the Juniors and Elite athletes and the qualifier for the World Championships. Held in Bend, Oregon under snow.

Photos by Klotz Images

LEPRECHAUN RUN This one was in Colorado Springs, CO. Jumping into a Shamrock Run is a great way to kick off spring running.

Photos by Peter Maksimow 18 | MAY/JUNE 2017

AAU INDOOR NATIONALS This meet was in Landover, MD. If you compete in AAU and compete in Indoor Track this is a meet for you.

Photos by Eric Ward

NEWPORT MESA SPIRIT RUN This run supports the local schools and is one of the coolest kids runs in Southern California.

Olympian Steve Scott comes to meet the kids and sometimes runs the mile with them.

Photos by Marcie Taylor

ARCADIA INVITATIONAL

As a high school athlete you should aspire to compete in this meet. It is mostly California schools but the best of the best from around the country come to prove themselves.

Photos by Smotherman Images

IT’S MAY and we’re in the thick of it. State meets are coming up. Post season meets like the Brooks PR and the New Balance Outdoor Nationals are in June plus AAU & USATF Junior Olympic qualifiers. And, school will be out. Wahoo!

IAAF WORLD XC CHAMPIONSHIPS If you moved on from USA XC Nationals this is where you went.

Kampala, Uganda was hot and a challenging course. The land is flat but they dug ditches to go through, hills, and lots of curves. Our best in the Junior Men’s was Paul Roberts. He placed 33rd in a time of 25:31.

At the Arcadia Invitational, one of the most competitive high school meets in the country, we saw 17-year-old Sydney McLaughlin set a new national prep record of 38.90 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles Invitational Heat. It was great for the crowd to watch after recognizing her from the Rio Olympics.

Our own photographer Steve Klotz made the trip again to the World Cross Country Championships, which were in Kampala, Uganda. He interviewed the USA Junior Team and came home with lots of race photos, which are on youthrunner.com.

Look for us at the youth track meets, including the Track Town Youth League and school visits with the National Run a Mile Days in May.

Photos by Klotz Images YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 19

KEEPING UP WITH

YR ATHLETES, BLOGGERS, & EDITORS WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO LOOK BACK AND SEE WHAT SOME OF THE ATHLETES THAT HAVE APPEARED IN YR ARE DOING THIS SEASON.

Photo by Rebecca Joelson

GALEN RUPP

Guest Editor as a High School Senior

ANTHONY ROBINSON Anthony is 13 now and an 8th grader at Hughes Middle School in Long Beach, CA. He is the All-City Champion for the 100m, 200m and the 4x100 relay this year for the entire school district.

He is preparing for High School next fall and plans on playing basketball, football and running track.

Photo by Photo Run

On the Cover July-August 2014

In just his 3rd marathon ever Galen took 2nd place in the Boston Marathon. His coach Alberto Salazar won Boston back in the day and Galen had his sights on winning but 2nd isn’t so bad. I’m sure Galen is already thinking about his next Boston Marathon.

RILEY NEDROW Featured Athlete in March-April '16 Riley has been running in local 10k's around the North Texas area and training with Lake Cities XC and his Coach Brad Lutz. His goals are to win district and regionals in AAU for both the 1500m and 3000m. From there he wants to return to the AAU Club Championships and the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Michigan with goals of winning both the 1500m and 3000m.

Good Luck Riley!

20 | MAY/JUNE 2017

AVERY LEWIS

Featured Athlete March-April 2016

Photo by Kaitlin Emmerling

Avery had a fantastic indoor season. She won the 200m at the Colgate's woman's games for the Elementary B division in record time (25.99). She also participated in the USATF Hershey Indoor Nationals, and set new national records for the 11-12 age group in the 200m (25.73) and Long Jump 17'1/2" respectively. She was also apart of the 11-12 year old record setting 4x200 relay team. She had a great indoor season and is training for outdoor track now. She is continuing to have fun doing what she loves to do, run and jump.

THOMPSON BROTHERS We first met Thompson Brothers when they were in grade school competing in youth meets. When one brother would set a PR the next brother would set out to break it. They are still running and competing. Here’s where they are at now.

CAMERON

(left)

He is now a junior at Central Catholic High School. He placed 14th and 10th at the state XC meets sophomore and junior years contributing to the team wins, and placed 15th at state in the 1500m in track his sophomore year. He is currently getting ready for some big races and more PRs in track as the season starts to wind down.

KYLE THEN NOW

Photo by Colleen McCambridge Thompson

(middle)

In high school, Kyle was a member of two state champion teams and individually won the 6A state title 2 times. In track he placed 11th, 2nd, & 13th at state in the 3000m, and placed 7th, 4th and 7th in the 1500m.

He is currently running for Gonzaga University.

DANIEL

(right)

His HS Team won Cross Country State all four years of high school. He was a member of the NXN qualifying team his sophomore year. He placed 23rd, 12th, 32nd, & 15th individually in XC and was 14th at state in the 1500m in track his senior year. He is also attending and running for Gonzaga University and made the Dean's List his 1st semester at GU. He redshirted his freshman XC season and had a nice PR (8:34) in the 3k indoors. This season in track he is trying something new and concentrating on the Steeple Chase.

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 21

3FORTIPS BOOSTING YOUR SPEED BEFORE YOUR NEXT RACE

by Kenan Pala

Kenan is a guitarist, triathlete, trumpeter, traveler, poet, and martial arts enthusiast. At 12 years old, he’s juggling his education and his passions for music, entrepreneurship, and staying active. Triathletes, as well as his entrepreneurial parents, inspire Kenan.

When I was younger, I thought training was very frustrating. I’d work as hard as I could, but I just wasn’t getting any faster. On top of that, I kept making silly mistakes, like forgetting to inflate my bike’s tires before a triathlon.

My frustration transformed into passion after I came across this quote from legendary basketball coach John Wooden: “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”

Now, I’ve stopped putting myself under so much pressure. I’ve learned that when you train — whether it’s for a marathon, a 5K, or a triathlon — your effort must come from your heart.

It cannot be forced. You have to have passion.

Recently, at the Laguna Niguel Triathlon, I saw with my own eyes how pressure can hurt a young runner. I competed against a kid whose dad is a very good triathlete, and you could tell he expected his son to win the race. I could sense the huge amount of pressure my fellow competitor was under and how stressed he was. Then, I watched him come in second place — behind me!

Young runners should not be afraid of failing.

In fact, embracing the fact that not every race will be your best is an important way to train.

We can always learn from our struggles and come back stronger, smarter, and even more passionate.

22 | MAY/JUNE 2017

“

HILLS ARE A GREAT WAY TO INCREASE LEG STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE.

Put on Your Speed PANTS Let’s dive into the five biggest reasons why young runners have trouble improving their speed — something I like to call “PANTS”: ‘P’ is for Passion: As I mentioned before, the most important ingredient is passion. Deep down, you have to want to improve, and you have to know you can improve. You must believe in yourself.

‘A’ is for Age: Age is a factor that requires patience. As you get older, your muscles will develop more and more, and you will naturally become faster. Sometimes, you just need to stick with it and wait for that day to come.

‘N’ is for Nutrition: Your diet is what fuels your running, so it’s crucial to eat healthy. That means skipping junk food in favor of a balanced diet filled with proteins, fruits, vegetables, and carbs — plus, plenty of fluids.

‘T’ is for Time: Time management is a struggle for just about everyone, and young runners are no exception. To make sure you’re regularly exercising to improve your speed, create a schedule

filled with all your obligations, including training, homework, and extracurricular activities. Put that schedule in writing, and stick to it.

‘S’ is for Sleep: Sleep gives your body time to repair itself and build up energy you can use to train. Even adding a few hours of sleep can improve your athletic performance. Don’t take my word for it, though: A study tracking the Stanford University basketball team proves it.

When players slept for an additional two hours a night, they saw an increase in speed and shooting accuracy.

Once you get your PANTS in order, focus on these three tips when you’re training: 1. Perfect your posture.

You know those side cramps you get?

Poor running posture is likely the culprit. Proper running form can not only reduce your side cramps, but it can also maximize your energy. Good running form means standing tall, yet relaxed, with your shoulders back. Make sure you swing your arms forward and backward, not side to side.

2. Hit the track for drills.

Running on a track is a great way to

improve your speed. My favorite drill is called the “pyramid drill” — it helped me drop my 5K time below 20 minutes. In this drill, you run one lap, then two laps, then three laps, then four laps, then three laps, then two laps, and, finally, one lap. It’s a total of four miles. I suggest you run a few 100-meter sprints beforehand to get your heart and body warmed up.

3. Run to the hills.

Hills are a great way to increase leg strength and endurance. The following hill repeat drill has helped me improve my endurance, placing my half-marathon time just above two hours.

First, find a fairly steep hill that’s around 100 meters long. Then, run up it at about 80 percent effort. Walk back down, take a brief break, and then do it again three or four more times. Add this drill to your training twice a week.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t immediately see results. Having a strong support group, like I do with my running club Breakaway Training, can be really helpful for keeping your spirit and motivation level high. Running can be frustrating, but with passion and perseverance, you will improve your speed!

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 23

ASK A

COACH

DISTANCE RUNNING ADVICE:

BOUNCING BACK FROM INJURY, TAPERING, AND PLANNING FOR INTENSE DAYS Pat Tyson is a coach at Gonzaga University and was one of the winningest high school coaches ever while at Mead HS in Spokane, Washington. Coach Tyson went to the University of Oregon and was a roommate with Steve Prefontaine. You may also have seen his book " Coaching Cross Country Successfully" by Human Kinetics.

QUESTION FROM AN ATHLETE:

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE LEAD RUNNERS ON MY TEAM BUT I RECENTLY HAD A BAD RACE AND HAVING A TOUGH TIME BOUNCING BACK. WHAT DO I DO?

COACH TYSON: As a runner myself, when I

had a bad race I would beat myself into a bad place. Mentally I would lose sleep and positive energy and go downhill. So what I’ve learned as a coach is that I tell my athletes that they have permission to feel as bad as they want for five minutes.

That’s it. Then I want you to get over it, smile, and say I can’t wait for the next race to come. Then do some workouts and show they’re ready. Go back to your 24 | MAY/JUNE 2017

training log and find something good that was going on. Just don’t let that one bad race define who you are. Jump back on the horse and go.

QUESTION FROM A COACH:

DO YOU THINK MOST ATHLETES CAN HANDLE THREE HARD EFFORTS IN A WEEK OR DO YOU FIND THAT TWO HARD EFFORTS IS MORE COMMON?

COACH TYSON: Two is more common. In the

perfect world if you race once a week, and sometimes kids are racing twice a week, the race itself could be one of the intensity

Coach Pat Tyson

days, a workout race. So, you have an intense workout then make sure you have a 3-4 day window before your race.

If we race on Saturday then that intense workout is on Tuesday the way I would coach it. Tuesday is the hard day and Thursday is a tune up day, then Saturday is race day. You can see we had only one intense day, one short tune-up day, and one race day. If we don’t race on Saturday we have a simulation day that goes over all the things you need to do in a race.

Three intense days a week is probably not going to work. In all my years of coaching, two has worked well.

QUESTION FROM A COACH:

USING YOUR PATTERN OF TWO HARD EFFORTS A WEEK, WHAT WOULD BE A “TAPER” LEADING UP TO A STATE MEET?

COACH TYSON: I’m a little superstitious but I learned a lot

about tapering when I was a coach at the University of Oregon. I took a lot of those elements and brought those to the teams I’ve coached. Here was a perfect taper that we used at Mead High School and it worked for us so we always did it.

If it’s a two day meet on Friday & Saturday, then I’ll go to a hard day on Monday, tune up on Wednesday and Tuesday & Thursday are recovery runs.

If we raced on a Saturday, the hard day is Tuesday and tune up was on Thursday. Mon-Tues-Weds are light runs.

Monday - Go for a 40-50 min run relaxed. I call it conversational running.

Coach Tyson with Steve Prefontaine during their days at the University of Oregon together.

Tuesday - Keep it fun. For XC we do a two-man relay. Run a 400m 8-10 times on a grass loop. Make the pace crisp, fun, relax and focus on form but not all out. Attitude is that the hay is in the barn, we’re ready, just keep what you have, stay healthy, and be good to go.

Tapering too much will make you stale or rusty.

For track it could be five crisp 400’s. It might be pretty fast under 60 for a 1600-3200-800 meter runner but I would pick how much rest time, may be 5 minutes depending on what I’m seeing.

Wednesday - 40-50 min recovery run.

Thursday - Tune up, one of my favorites is 500-400-300200-100-100 totaling 1600m. I don’t even put a watch on it. Want them to visualize their race. So if they run an 800m have them visualize the last 300-200-100.

Have them feeling good about everything.

Friday - Travel day, jog the course if it’s cross country, starts and finishes, no coaching, stay calm. All coaching is done well in advance. If a track meet jog their event distance easy, start to the finish, visualize with good form.

Light strides and be ready to go.

We do taper off mileage-wise but not so much that you feel stale or rusty.

As a coach, find something that works for you and stay with it.

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 25

ASK A

COACH

RATING YOUR PERCEIVED EFFORT Have you ever wondered what it means when your coach says to go out and run at 50 percent? If you’ve been guessing all this time here’s the answer, it is called the perceived effort of your workout. Coach Bob breaks it down so it’s easier to understand.

Coach Bob Williams

“Perceived Effort Tool” was developed by Master Coach Dick Brown from Eugene, Oregon.

RPE

V02%

DEGREE OF CHALLENGE

RATE OF BREATHING

ABILITY TO BREATHE

1.0

50-59%

very light

very easy

very comfortable

2.0

60-65%

very light

very easy

very comfortable

3.0

66-70%

light to moderate

light challenge

easy

4.0

71-80%

moderate

moderate

comfortable

5.0

81-85%

moderate

challenging

mild discomfort

6.0

86-88%

stronger

deeper

moderate discomfort

7.0

89-92%

more difficult

deeper-doable

difficult but manageable

8.0

93-96%

very strong

much deeper

very difficult

9.0

97-99%

close to maximal

very deep

nearly impossible

10

100-105%

maximal effort

near breathless

nearly out of breath

First column is rating of 1-10 Second column is the level of your VO2 max.

1-4 rating will be 90% of your training - light to moderate.

5-8 is the other 10% of training – moderate to difficult.

Never go to 9-10 in training. That is saved for your racing.

26 | MAY/JUNE 2017

Learning how to manage your discomfort and your easy training with light running is critical to your future running success.

Most athletes can get in two vigorous sessions a week and maybe another half session. That’s about it. Which is why learning how to run easy days is so critical to get the most out of your heavy days.

Example: If you go for an out and back in 20 minutes easy and come back that would be a 5-6 that is moderate to hard training.

That is one way to learn to how to push your body moderate to get real value out of it and get a feeling for your “Perceived Effort.”

What is VO2 Max? Or maximal oxygen uptake, which is one factor than can determine a runners capacity to perform sustained aerobic efforts.

SEE MORE: Check out the replay and answers to more questions from the Youth Runner Coaching Series with Bob Williams and Pat Tyson here. www.crowdcast.io/youthrunner

SUBMIT AN

ATHLETE

AJANAE THOMPSON AGE 11, ROOSEVELT SCHOOL, PLAINFIELD TSUNAMI TC

Ajanae has been running since she was seven years old and is part of the Plainfield Tsunami Track Club. At the USATF Hershey Indoor National Championship Ajanae won the 11-12 girls 55m hurdles and set a new record. She is the top New Jersey girl competing in the 55m dash, the 200m dash and the 55m hurdles.

For outdoor track she has her sights set on becoming champion in the 80m hurdles and aspires to be “Athlete of the Year.” She also started training for the 200m hurdles, which is a new event for her.

She also loves to draw, plays soccer, loves being a leader and helping anyone she can.

MORE OF AJANAE’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2017 ARMORY YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS 1st place, 55 meter 7.83 seconds (season best) 2nd place overall 55 meter hurdles 1st place overall 200 meter dash 27.1 seconds (season best) 2017 USATF NORTHEAST ZONE YOUTH INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 1st place, preliminaries, 55 meter hurdles, 8.84 seconds PB 1st place overall, finals, 55 meter hurdles, 8.64 seconds 1st place overall, 55 meter dash, 7.88 PB 6th place overall 200 meter dash

TOP DOG OF THE MONTH

LONG JUMP AND HURDLES CHAMP

10K RUNNER

Christopher Keefe, 13 Nashua, New Hampshire

Tia Taylor, 14 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lucia Rodbro, 11 Oxford, Ohio

Chris won gold in the 1500m & 3000m plus a silver in the 800m at the AAU Indoor Nationals.

He is now a 2 time National Champion, & All- American. He also runs cross country, plays baseball, & has a goal to run a sub 4:40 mile this year.

Indoor season was good for Tia she won the 200m Hurdles and the Long Jump at AAU Indoor Nationals. She is also a 2017 Colgate Women’s Games Scholarship recipient of $1000.

Great work Tia!

Recently Lucia ran the Crescent City Classic 10K in New Orleans. Her time was in 41:19 & was 1st in the 14-under age group.

Her mile pace was 6:40.

Way to Go Lucia!

ARE YOU A YR-KID? Smotherman Images

YOUTH RUNNER TOP DOG OF THE MONTH

Let us know what makes you a Youth Runner.

Submit an Athlete at: youthrunner. com/events/ athlete/submit

READ THE FULL STORIES ABOUT THESE ATHLETES AT YOUTHRUNNER.COM YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 27

ELITE MIDDLE

SCHOOL

CAMP

AUGUST 13-18, 2O17 OPEN TO BOYS & GIRLS ENTERING 6TH-8TH GRADE THIS FALL FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO: YOUTHRUNNERCAMP.COM

LIMITED SPACE MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETES SCHOLARSHIPS MAY BE AVAILABLE EMAIL CAMP@YOUTHRUNNER.COM

REGISTER NOW AT: YOUTHRUNNERCAMP.COM PHOTOS BY SAM GEHRKE

COMING UP! HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETS YOU’LL WANT TO ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR. FOR MORE DATES, CHECK YOUTHRUNNER.COM.

AAU JUNE 29-JULY 2ND | WEST COAST CHAMPIONSHIP |RENO, N5 JULY 7-9th | PRIMARY NATIONALS | ORLANDO, FL JULY 10-15TH | CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP | ORLANDO, FL JULY 20-23 | NORTHERN NATIONAL INVITATIONAL | DECATUR, IL JULY 29th - AUG 5TH | AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES, EMU | YPSILANTI, MI

YOUTH-USATF JULY 24-30TH | USATF NATIONAL JUNIOR OLYMPICS | LAWRENCE, KS

FOR MEET DETAILS AND REGISTRATION LINKS, GO TO YOUTHRUNNER.COM

INVITATIONALS MAY 6TH | NJ YOUTH TRACK INVITATIONAL | EDISON, NJ MAY 7TH | FLYERS-FLASH TRACK CLASSIC | NEW FAIRFIELD,CT. MAY 13TH | YOUTH VALLEY CHAMPIONSHIP | CLOVIS, CA MAY 13TH | LINCOLN YOUTH TC | NEBRASKA WESLEYAN MAY 13-14TH | 3M INVITATIONAL | UNION CITY, CA MAY 20TH | GET FIT IN MAY 5K | EXETER, NH MAY 20TH | NASHVILLE TRACK CLASSIC | NASHVILLE, TN MAY 20TH | INDIANA STATE YOUTH T&F | TERRA HAUTE, IN. MAY 20-21ST | BOYS & GIRLS CLUB INVITATIONAL | ATLANTA, GA MAY 21ST | NJ STRIDERS INVITATIONAL | MAHWAH, NJ MAY 21ST | COLUMBUS T&F CLASSIC | COLUMBUS, OH MAY 26TH | FLYERS THROWS FESTIVAL | OMAHA, NE MAY 26TH WINGS OF EAGLE | SEATTLE, WA MAY 26TH-27TH | RISING STARS | PANAMA CITY, FL MAY 26-27TH | NORTHWEST FLYERS | KLEIN, TX MAY 26-28TH | LA JETS INVITATIONAL | HARBOR CITY, CA MAY 27TH | KTCCCA ELEMENTARY STATE | GOSHEN, KY MAY 27-28TH | ATLANTA GEORGIA RELAYS JUNE 3RD | UAGTCA CHAMPIONSHIP | PHILADELPHIA, PA JUNE 3RD | KTCCA MIDDLE SCHOOL STATE | LOUISVILLE, KY JUNE 3RD | STARLIGHT RUN | PORTLAND, OR JUNE 10TH | TRACK TOWN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP | EUGENE, OR JUNE 10-11TH | PORTLAND TRACK FESTIVAL | PORTLAND, OR JUNE 17TH | BROOKS PR INVITATIONAL | SEATTLE, WA. JUNE 16-18TH | NB NATIONALS | GREENSBORO, NC

YOUTHRUNNER.COM | 29

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