MileSplit50 Girls Team Rankings Countdown

Training over the past few years has seen some modifications. We spend most of the summer and early fall focused on "building the engine" (i.e. aerobic capacity ) of our runners. Lots of "training run" days. We changed our terms from hard run and easy run to "training run" for most every day during the off season. Truth be told, they simply need to gradually increase their volume of running and run the best pace they can each training run. Nothing we were doing in the past during the summer, or now during the summer, is so hard that they really need easy recovery days (jogging days). This change in language has helped kids focus on "building the engine." More scientific words would be to raise their anaerobic threshold. The goal is to get to the point they can run a 5-7 mile training run at a pace within 20-30 of goal 5k pace. When they maximize that, we turn the corner and start doing more specific anaerobic, and VO2 max type of training.  Much of it is done in a fartlek format for XC.

"Our focus is on process. We have committed ourselves to embracing the lifestyle of being an athlete and a runner. Doing the right things each day and believe in the end this will give us the greatest satisfaction and the best opportunity to be at our best at the right time of the season."

 Others challenging for Varsity

• Olivia Silenzi
• Zoe Quach
• Greta Anderson

Our focus is on process. We have committed ourselves to embracing the lifestyle of being an athlete and a runner. Doing the right things each day and believe in the end this will give us the greatest satisfaction and the best opportunity to be at our best at the right time of the season. Not lots of talk about placing, but that's an unspoken goal to do very well at state/regionals/ and hopefully at NXN.

Nothing specific to share here. Each team is different. Our girls are older and more experienced while the boys are younger.  As I described earlier, much of the season will be spent on building the engine. Tempo running, threshold workouts. Mid- and late-season we will introduce some interval workouts in the form of fartlek training.  And we will not shy away from the track during XC season. We will do some quality training right on the track, even though it is XC season.

"We have created a culture where runners want to be part of "the pack"/"the clan"/ "the family"

• 1. Make Personal contact with each athlete each day
• 2. Teach Independence in your athletes
• 3. Be organized and prepared each day; never "wing it." Have a reason/purpose for every workout, every day.
• 4. Share your passion for this great sport. If you lack the passion, go find something else you have passion for.

Paying attention to the little things between practices that will help us maximize our improvement each day at practice--sleep, stretching, roll recovery, hydration, diet, etc.

Learning how to execute "our" race plan in the midst of a pack of 200 talented runners and staying focused on how we race best. Not getting distracted by focusing on other runners and teams. Focus on ourselves and our execution.

Wow. That is a huge question. My simple answer is: We have created a culture where runners want to be part of "the pack"/"the clan"/ "the family"... you choose the term. Younger kids see the team (the "dirty dozen"  "the committed crew") and they want to be part of that and are willing to do what is necessary to get there. The answer is simple: SHOW UP!!!! daily and get better.  We look to find 12 boys and boys girls each year who have "bought in" to the lifestyle.   

• Improve daily
• Do the little things between workouts to be ready.

 The results will take care of themselves if we do this.

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