Updated Thursday, May 8, 2008,
2008.
Our 2008 cross country
schedule is below. All times are
unofficial, but usually accurate. Things
sometimes change due to weather, or things out of human control, but not often. Bus times will be given when practice starts. Our tentative practice schedule is below as
well. The summer running schedule will
be posted at this site prior to the end of May.
You are encouraged to be there as often as possible, and bring a friend.
2008 Cross Country Information
Our first practice is Monday, August 18th at
6:15 am. We will meet at the track. Prior to that time you will need to have
your physical completed, and turned in. Be at practice prior to 6:15 as we
start on time. Be sure to provide me with an email address that you check
regularly so you can be updated should we cancel any summer runs. Always check
your email the night before to see if cancellations have been made.
You can access our practice schedule at www.wrhs.net.
On the school home page you see “other websites.” Click on cross country and it
will take you to the site. You can view our meet schedule and practice,
schedule though the first two meets.
Below is our summer schedule runs start at 7:30 and are
done by 8:30. Be there as often as possible.
M 7-14 Crestview T 7-15 Th. 7-17 McDonald’s F 7-18 Crestview M 7-21 Gage Park Zoo
parking 1-t T 7-22 Crestview Th 7-24 McDonald’s F 7-25 Crestview M 7-28 T 7-29 Crestview Th 7-31 McDonald’s F 8-1 Crestview M 8-4 McDonald’s T 8-5 Crestview Th 8-7 WRHS track 7pm Relay; Pizza run
M 6-16 McDonald’s
Tu 6-17 Crestview
Th 6-19 Gov. Manson
Fr. 6-20 Crestview
M 6-23 Gov Manson
Tu 6-24 Crestview
Th 6-26 McDonald’s
Fr. 6-27 Crestview
M 6-30 Crestview
Tu 7-1 Gov Manson
W 7-2 McDonald’s
Th 7-3 Crestview
M 7-7 Crestview
T 7-8
Th 7-10 McDonald’s
F 7-11 Crest View
Notes: If there is lightning
at the time you need to leave to come to a run, then don’t come. We run in
light rain, not heavy rain or lightning.
McDonald’s- Always @ 29th
and Wanamaker
Crestview- Always @ community
center parking lot
Gage park- Zoo parking lot.
LEVEL LOCATION TIME
Sat 09/06/08
Sat 09/13/08
Sat 09/27008 Community
Sat 09/27/08 Rim Rock Classic JV/V/C Rim Rock Farm 8:00 AM
Sat 10/04/08 Seaman Inv. JV/V
Sat 10/11/08 City Meet JV/V Washburn Rural 10:00 AM
Sat 10/18/08
Sat 10/25/08 Regionals Varsity TBA TBA
Sat 11/1/08 State Varsity Rim Rock 9 a.m..
You must have a
physical prior to our first official practice.
We will meet on the track at WRHS on Monday, August 18th, at 6:10 a.m.
If there is lightning at the time you need to leave for practice we will meet
at 3:30 in room 165 prior to practice.
Practice
Schedule:
Monday
Aug. 18 6:10
a.m./ 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday,
Aug. 19 6:10
a.m./3:20 p.m.
Wednesday,
Aug. 20 6:10
a.m./3:20 p.m.
Thursday,
Aug. 21, 6:10
a.m./3:20 p.m.
Friday,
Aug. 22, 6:10 a.m./ 3:20 p.m.
Monday,
Aug. 25, 6:10 a.m./ 3:20 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 26 6:10 a.m./3:20 p.m.
Wednesday,
Aug. 27 6:10 a..m.
Thursday, Aug. 28 6:10 a.m./3:20 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 29 6:10 a.m./3:20 p.m.
Saturday,
Aug. 30 8:00
a.m. Team Time Trial
Monday,
Sep. 1, Labor day, No Practice
Tuesday,
Sep. 2 6:10
a.m./3:20 p.m.
Wednesday, Sep. 3 6:10 a.m./3:20 p.m.
Thursday,
Sep. 4 6:10
a.m./3:20 p.m.
Friday,
Sep 5, 6:30
a.m.
Satruday, Sep. 6
@
Monday,
Sep. 8 6:10
a.m./3:20 p.m.
Tuesday,
Sep. 9 6:10
a.m.
Wednesday,
Sep. 10 6:10
a.m./3:20 p.m.
Thursday,
Sep. 11 6:10
a.m./3:20 p.m.
Friday,
Sep. 12 6:30
a.m.
Saturday,
Sep. 13 @
Thoughts on distance running:
“Excellence is doing common things in uncommon ways.” Booker T. Washington
These are my thoughts based on this question: if two athletes have similar physiology, why might one run much faster on race day than the other???? Below you will find my thoughts on many issues.
I. Shoes: make sure the shoe is at least 1 finger length from the end of the shoe to avoid short shoe syndrome. Always try on the shoes you may buy.
Counter Durability-(heel) Must be durable and can’t be pressed down into the sole of the shoe with moderate pressure. Stay away from “air” shoes as they are unstable and wobble. This forces lower leg muscles to work to stabilize the wobble, resulting in shin splints and stress fractures.
Bend at widest point-push the shoe together on both ends. Did the shoe bend at the widest point. If not, put the shoe down.
Don’t buy any shoe you have not put on your feet first. Mail order, internet- not.
Buy two pair if possible. Shoes last 250 to 300 miles. If you alternate shoes they will last longer in terms months.
Lace/unlace shoes when putting them on and taking them off. Don’t simply pull them off. It will ruin your investment, and decrease stability.
Lace shoes correctly. If you have pain on the top, middle of the foot, lace around that to reduce pressure.
II. Avoid: sandals without heel support,
A 2” heel is maximum
Worn out shoes.
Cowboy boots.
III. Orthotics- did your podiatrist watch how your feet hit the ground while running? It is different that when you are walking.
Shoes to consider
Boys-Asics, Brooks, Adidas, Nike Pegasus.
Spikes-Asics, New Balance
Girls-Asics, Saucony, Mizuno,
Spikes- Asics, New Balance
IV. Nutrition:
No pop. When deciding best things to eat, ask “does it swim, fly, run or grow? If yes, then it is good for you. Eat whole grains, dark green vegetables, fruits, chicken, and fish. Eating a healthier diet does cost a bit more, but long term health effects are worth the savings in medicine and doctor’s bills. Drink 100% juice, water, milk, Gatorade when in season. You must still be careful with juice as it does contain a lot of natural sugars. Walk into a grocery store. Walk around the perimeter of the store. That is usually where you will find the things you need to eat the most of. Down the aisles are where you will find all of the boxed, processed items. Fish is fantastic, but not the breaded stuff you find in a box. Eat about 4 oz. of red meat each week for iron and zinc, which are important for a healthy immune system.
I highly recommend you start bringing your lunch to school. If you need a place to put it, I have a refrigerator. Our school lunches do not provide the type of nutrition that leads to a healthy lifestyle. Stay away from the pop machines.
If you feel a cold coming on, according to some studies, people who took zinc tablets reduced the severity and length of the cold. 60-70 % of a runners diet should be from complex carbohydrates. It is particularly to have complex carbohydrates right after practice. Bananas, fruits, whole grains are good. Complex Carbohydrates immediately after workouts cause regeneration 3 times faster than without. A very small amount of caffeine would be okay, but caffeine is a diuretic, making you go to the bathroom, which will cause you to wash out vitamins, etc. Bring some healthy snacks, nuts, banana, fruits, whole grain bread with peanut butter.
Drink plenty of water. Gatorade is a good alternative, but remember, it too contains sugar, so stay away from it when not in season as unused sugar will turn to fat. This should be used during and after workouts, not before.
Don’t weigh yourself. A hungry runner is going to be a tired runner, who doesn’t sleep well, performs poorly, sleeps in class, and hates running.
Try to eat every 3 to 4 hours. Bring good snacks like fruit, nuts, pita bread, whole grain cereals, whole wheat bread.
During the season you should probably eat a minimum of 2000 calories.
10 servings of grains = 1 slice of bread
7 servings of fruit(6 oz. of orange juice=1 serving fruit)
4 servings vegetables
2( 30 oz. servings of lean meat(turkey, chicken, pork, fish)
3 servings low fat milk/cheese
Baked goods are bad- flour, sugar, etc.
Water- 70 % of our muscles are water. Water aids cell function and regeneration. Dehydration is a major cause of poor performance due to poor cell function.You need to drink a bunch of it.
V. Sleep- Growth hormones are emitted during sleep and exercise. Athletic teens need 9 hours of sleep per night. Several studies show an 11% reduction in cardiovascular performance due to poor sleep. If you run a 5:00 mile, that is 300 seconds. Poor sleep could easily cause you to run 5:30-35. Poor nutrition coupled with poor sleep. Think of the differences you can see if you have good nutrition and sleep.
VI. Our goal should be to put you on the starting line in the best possible mental and physical condition we can. You need a well rounded life, just like your nutrition. Staying up late, eating poorly, and various other things lead to poor self-image and reduced performance. Similar athletes can do the same workouts, but one may do far better than the others in a race. Why??? Think about sleep, eating, and mental preparation.
VII. Running cues- You should practice this when you workout. When people run they can get into a rut where they are at the same pace all the time. In an 800 meter race a cue might be the line at the end of the first lap. Focus on that as a point in which you will increase you tempo. Focus on the top of the curve, 150 meters from the finish as a second cue to increase tempo. It takes practice, and if it doesn’t work in the beginning, fake it til you make it.
If you are running the mile, you might pick cues such as the 1000 meter mark, the flag pole, the score board, or something else.
Road runs are the same. Pick spots in which you are consciously attempting to pick up the pace.
It takes practice to be able to do this.
VIII. One size does not fit all. Each runner has to learn their body. When your body is done, you must talk to the coaches. Check your resting heart rate right after you wake up and record it. Do it everyday for a week. Record it. We will be using this to help us figure maximum heart rates, recovery periods, etc.
IX. A stop watch would be good. You need to be able to gauge your pace. A heart monitor would be excellent for our recovery days. If you should not be above 140 b.p.m. on your recovery day, 2 people may be running the same pace, one is at 140 b.p.m., the other at 155, one is recovering, the other is not. Monitors are good ways to see what your recovery pace should be. Remember, illness, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, can all be contributors to that fact you are running slower paces with higher heart rates. Additionally, if you take care of the things mentioned above, you will see greater performance than otherwise.
A.T.P. is the basic unit of energy at the cellular level. It brings oxygen to the muscles. As your exercise intensifies, you move into aerobic production of A.T.P. Oxygen combines with glucose to create A.T.P. As exercise intensifies after this point your body doesn’t produce enough A.T.P., and your body switches to anaerobic production of A.T.P. This is a much less efficient way of producing A.T.P., and its byproduct is lactic acid. As cells become more acidic the oxygen delivered to your muscles decreases, and you slow down. Lactic Acid is that stuff that makes you feel muscle soreness the next day or two. When working out, the ideal rest is jogging. If that isn’t possible then walking, but not standing. Jogging and walking help the body return to aerobic production of A.T.P. and milk the lactic acid from the body.
Long runs are important in developing your body’s aerobic ability to produce A.T.P., including capillaries that allow oxygen to be delivered to the muscles. Interval training, such as 400 meters, with a jogging rest, work the heart to its upper aerobic threshold. If you went any faster, or further, you would move into anaerobic production of A.T.P. Most rests will be in the 2-3 minute range.
You will normally go to only one track meet per week. Usually you will run not more than two distance races. Sometimes an 800 runner may run 4x800, 800, and 4x4.
You will receive goal times and distances based on known times and distances that you have run. We really like to know your best timed 1600 meters. There are many days we will work on aerobic development, and you will run many more repetitions at slower times. Other days we will reduce the repetitions but increase the speed, working the lactic acid, or speed development aspect of your body.
There are many sources of information about the science and chemistry of running. I am just giving you a synopsis so that you might begin to understand some of the things we do in practice and how they relate to race performance.
You have to be at practice every day, attempting what is asked. My personal idea of coaching is to tell you what you need to do in order to improve. Additionally, you can’t continually tell a runner what they are bad at and hope they will get better. We will work to maximize your strengths and improve on your weaknesses. Therefore, it is important you are here everyday. When you do the right things with the right approach, life seems easier, so does running. Develop a positive mental approach to everything you do. Coming to practice everyday, doing your best on a daily basis, being a good workout partner and team mate all contribute to good feelings you have about yourself on race day.
Our practice schedule is designed by working back from the State meet. Time is a nonrenewable resource, so missing practice is not in your best interest or that of the team. Track and Cross Country are viewed by many as individual sports. Someone is watching you that you aren’t aware of. There is somebody who wants to be like you. Alumni also pay attention to how we are doing. Make them proud. Do your best and times will take care of themselves.
X. SET Performance goals-
Performance goals might be to lower your p.r. in the 1600 by 6 seconds. Usually you can see a 1 to 3 % improvement from season to season. An outcome goal is to finish 4th at the league meet. If you run your best 1600 by 7 seconds, but finish 5th, did you fail???? Set performance goals. These should be focused on successes. For example, not finishing last is an unacceptable goal. It focuses on something you aren’t going to do.
When setting goals, be realistic, specific, measurable. Have short term and long term goals, and a dream goal. You might not even share this one with anyone.
Remember that after a goal is reached you need to set a new goal. Additionally, goals may need to be adjusted due to illness or injury.
XI. Visualization
Make this part of your preparation. It takes much practice. Do it every day, 2 – 3 times, and several minutes each time. The mind can’t tell the difference between what you imagined and what really happened. You must recall things that put you in a positive state of mind. Imagine how something felt, smelled, sounded. One reason we have been going to Rim Rock is so athletes get accustomed to big meet atmospheres. You can imagine it, then experience it, and it feels like you have been there before. The mind does control the body.
XII. Ice- recommended after practice every day to help heal micro-tears that develop below the skin surface.
XIII. Balanced life and getting better. Instead of being great tomorrow, just be a little bit better everyday.
XIV. Keep a training diary. Share it with me. Minimum Mileage recommendations:
Boys Girls
9th 35 30
10th 40 35
11th 45 40
12th 50 45
XV. Strength training
This will often be part of the p.m. practice early in the season. There are a number of different things we will be doing that incorporate running with exercises, plyometrics, and other things.
Recommended lifts:
Squats with as much weight as you can safely handle, with spotters. 3 sets of 10
Lunges, with barbell, or holding a weight in both hands. 3 sets of 10
Bent over rows with weight you can do 8-10 reps. 3 sets of 10
Presses with hand held weights- 40-50 reps.
Trunk twists with weight. 3 x 10
Toe raises with weight. 3 x 10