Cross Country Training - Boosting Your Immunity System While In-Season
The immune system plays a pivotal role in a runner's overall health and performance. As runners, we rely on our immune defenses to keep us in top shape for our training and races. To better understand how this complex system functions in the context of running, let's break it down into two key components:
The Innate Immune System: For runners, the innate immune system is like our first line of defense. These immune cells act as swift "first responders," leaping into action within 96 hours of encountering an infection. Unlike the adaptive immune system, the innate system lacks memory, meaning it treats all threats equally.
The Adaptive Immune System: As runners, the adaptive immune system is our second line of defense. Although it responds more slowly than the innate system, it possesses a valuable memory that enables it to target specific pathogens or antigens the body has encountered before. This memory-building process is what we refer to as immunity.
Now, let's dive into how stress affects a runner's immune system:
Stress and Its Impact on Runners' Immune Systems: Stress, whether from the pressures of daily life or the physical demands of running, can significantly impact a runner's immune system. Chronic stress can weaken the immune response, making the body less effective at identifying and combatting infections. Elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, can interfere with immune cell function, impairing the body's ability to defend itself.
Exercise, while generally beneficial for the immune system, can also induce stress. For runners, this stress often arises from intense training sessions and endurance activities like marathons and cycling. Even with proper rest and recovery, there's a period after exercise, lasting from a few hours to up to 3 days, during which the body produces fewer antibodies, leaving runners more susceptible to illness.
In particular, high-intensity workouts and prolonged training can reduce levels of key immune components such as lymphocytes, neutrophils, and antibody production within just one hour of exercise and for up to 72 hours post-workout. This temporary dip in antibody production leaves runners vulnerable to respiratory infections, a common concern for athletes.
Another unique challenge for runners, especially long-distance runners, is the risk of exposing the respiratory tract to harmful particles through open mouth breathing during intense exercise.
To safeguard your immune health while pursuing your running goals, here are some essential strategies to consider:
Prioritize Rest and Recovery: Make sure to incorporate sufficient rest and recovery into your training schedule. Allow your body the time it needs to bounce back after challenging workouts.
Maintain a Balanced Diet: Fuel your body with a well-balanced diet that supports immune function. Proper nutrition is vital for overall health and resilience.
Consider Immunity Supplements: Consult with a healthcare professional about immunity supplements that can help your immune system recover after demanding training sessions, allowing you to maintain consistency in your running routine.
In conclusion, as a runner, you need to be acutely aware of the impact of both physical and lifestyle stress on your immune system. By taking proactive steps to manage stress and support your immune health, you can stay on track with your training and perform at your best on race day.
Sample Nutritional Plan To Boost Immunity
A well-balanced diet is crucial for runners looking to boost their immunity during training. Here's a sample diet plan that incorporates immune-boosting foods and nutrients to help you stay healthy and perform at your best:
Breakfast:
- Oatmeal: Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh berries, sliced banana, and a sprinkle of flaxseeds or chia seeds. Oats provide complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, while berries are rich in antioxidants.
- Greek Yogurt: Enjoy a side of Greek yogurt with honey for added protein and probiotics, which support gut health and immunity.
- Orange Juice: A glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice provides vitamin C, known for its immune-boosting properties.
Morning Snack:
- Almonds: A small handful of almonds offers healthy fats and vitamin E, which can enhance immune function.
Lunch:
- Grilled Chicken Salad: Create a hearty salad with grilled chicken breast, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and a vinaigrette dressing made with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Chicken is a lean source of protein, while vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals.
Quinoa: Add a side of quinoa to your salad for extra fiber and protein, promoting muscle recovery.
Afternoon Snack:
- Carrot Sticks and Hummus: Carrots are high in beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, an important nutrient for immune health. Pair them with hummus for a satisfying and nutritious snack.
Dinner:
- Salmon: Grill or bake a salmon fillet for dinner. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties and support overall health.
Steamed Broccoli: Serve steamed broccoli as a side dish. Broccoli is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that boost the immune system.
Brown Rice: Enjoy a serving of brown rice with your salmon and broccoli to provide complex carbohydrates for sustained energy.
Evening Snack (if needed):
- A Cup of Herbal Tea: Wind down with a cup of chamomile or ginger tea. Herbal teas can have calming and anti-inflammatory effects.
Hydration:
Throughout the day, remember to stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Proper hydration is essential for overall health and optimal immune function.
Additional Tips:
Consider incorporating lean protein sources like beans, tofu, or lean cuts of beef or turkey into your meals to support muscle repair and growth.
Include a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet to ensure you get a wide range of vitamins and antioxidants.
Limit processed foods, sugary snacks, and excessive caffeine, as they can potentially weaken the immune system.
It's important to note that individual dietary needs may vary based on factors such as training intensity, duration, and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or nutritionist to create a customized nutrition plan tailored to your specific running goals and immune-boosting needs.
Track and Field Nutrition
Track and Field Nutrition 101
“Good nutrition accounts for 50% of my performance, with 40% being mental and 10% being physical.” - Five-Time Canadian Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser
Proper nutrition and hydration have a major impact on young athletes’ health and sports performance across all levels of training and competition. When athletes want to improve their physical skills – whether it is strength, speed, endurance, or power – they need to train well and eat well. Athletes who invest time to plan for healthy eating and hydration get more out of their training, perform better during competition, refuel their bodies faster, and have less illness and injury.
As a young athlete, proper nutrition is more important than ever. You must eat well to support both healthy growth and optimal sports performance. Following a well-balanced approach to eating includes healthy amounts of fluid, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and other key nutrients. In this article I will highlight the importance of each of these nutrients.
*Grain Products
High in carbohydrate which is the best source of fuel for athletes who need to supply more blood sugar to the brain and muscles during activity. When an athlete doesn’t eat enough carbohydrate, they are at much greater risk of tiring quickly, having too little energy to train, or performing poorly during competition. Athletes should enjoy whole grains as often as they can because they contain more nutrients, such as B vitamins and fiber.
Milk and Milk Alternatives
Promotes bone growth and prevents bone damage. The teen years (ages 11–17) are a key time for building healthy bones.
Best sources of calcium and vitamin D, which help build strong bones, muscles and nerves.
Source of carbohydrate and protein. Protein helps build and maintain muscles and other body tissues.
Meat and Meat Alternatives
Best sources of protein and a good source of other nutrients such as iron. Iron helps the body to use and carry oxygen to active muscle.
Meat alternatives include kidney beans, brown beans, chickpeas, lentils, and split peas, to name a few, which are high in fiber, low in fat, and a source of carbohydrate, protein, and vitamins and minerals.
It is a good idea to include a source of vitamin C to increase the amount of iron absorbed from the meat alternatives mentioned above.
Vegetables and Fruits
Provide many vitamins and minerals. Orange vegetables such as carrots, yams, and spaghetti squash are high in beta carotene which can help protect the body’s cells from damage. Green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and snap peas are high in folic acid which helps make red blood cells and repair tissue.
Most vegetables and fruits contain carbohydrates that provide the body with energy.
Many vegetables and fruits provide vitamin C which helps protect and repair body cells that are broken down by intense physical activity.
Vitamin C is found in oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli.
Fluids
Transports nutrients to muscles and tissues, and helps controls body heat through sweat.
When an athlete has lost as little as two percent of body weight during activity, mental and physical performance are greatly impaired.
Athletes must consume enough fluids before they begin an activity and then continue to drink during and after activity.
The use of sports drinks is best reserved for training days when you are sweating a lot for over an hour.
As a young athlete, the foods consumed in your diet are used to provide the body with enough energy and specific nutrients to fuel an activity and maximize performance. Athletes have different nutritional needs than the general population in order to support their vigorous activity levels in both practice and competition. Athletes also have individual and unique needs of their own. I specialize in working with young athletes to find the performance diet that is right for them.
USE DISCOUNT CODE FTR25$ BEFORE 12/01/2022 TO RECEIVE $25 OFF
FTR SPORTS NUTRITIONIST, Shannon Moore is a nutrition consultant, certified health coach and former youth and collegiate rowing coach. Over the past 25 years , she has worked with high school and college athletes to both contribute to the success of their team and to level up in pursuit of college recruitment and National Team pursuits.
She was once an elite athlete (rower), that transitioned into being an NCAA rowing coach and has transitioned back to being a nutrition consultant and health coach.
Shannon holds a BSc in Nutrition from The Ohio State University where she was also an NCAA athlete (rowing) and a MSc in Applied Physiology and Nutrition from Columbia University where she was an Assistant Women’s Rowing Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
Recover Faster From These 3 Common Running Injuries
THE 3 MOST COMMON RUNNING INJURIES
- Shin splints are often the result of exercising too much — specifically an overload of force to the shin or lower leg. If you have shin splints, you’ll notice pain, tenderness, and soreness along the shin or tibial bone.
What causes shin splints?
Shin splints are caused by an overload of forces to your legs. In other words, you might get shin splints if your muscles, bones, and fascia (the connective tissue around your muscles) are having trouble absorbing the impacts that happen during your exercise. Running is a high-impact activity, so the wrong kind of impact can do damage pretty fast. This overload to your legs can be caused by many things. For example, it can be caused by muscle imbalances, having a high arch or flat foot, or a sudden increase in the intensity, frequency, or volume of your training. Bad shoes, a poor warm-up, and running on hard surfaces can also increase your risk.
- The iliotibial band (IT band) is a bundle of fibers that stretches from your hip to the outside of your knee. When your IT band gets inflamed or tight, you might notice swelling or pain, usually around the attachment site in your knee. Often the pain gets so bad that you can’t run at all.
What causes IT band syndrome?
During activity, the IT band moves back and forth across the outside of the knee. If your muscles aren’t pliable, this movement can cause friction, create pain, and inflame the knee area. Runners and cyclists are most prone to IT band syndrome because of how often they flex and extend their knees.
Besides overuse, other factors can put you at a higher risk for IT band syndrome. For example, you might be more likely to develop IT band syndrome if you lack pliable tissue or have a muscular imbalance at the hips or glutes. Poor technique, bad form, or an asymmetric body can also increase the risk of ITBS.
- At the bottom of your foot, fibrous tissue stretches from your heels to your toes to support the muscles and arch of the foot. When this tissue gets tense, tight, or inflamed, you start to feel pain in the bottom of your foot. This inflammation is called plantar fasciitis, and it can make walking or running difficult.
What causes plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis, like ITBS and shin splints, can be caused by a lack of muscle pliability. Other factors that can put you at risk for plantar fasciitis include the following:
• Low arches (flat feet) or high arches
• Increased or decreased mobility in the bones of the foot
• Dense fascia or tight muscles in your calves
• Poor form
• Worn out shoes with too many miles on them
• Improper gait
If you already have these problems, how can you recover?
To recover from any of these conditions, you need to take three important steps:
- Roll your muscles.
- Hydrate.
- Eat well.
We’ll talk about all three below
1. Roll your muscles
As you’re rolling, spend extra time on the target muscles or in the area of pain or discomfort. Doing this will maximize tissue pliability and decrease tension in the symptomatic areas. While taking time to roll your entire leg is important, you should target these areas in particular:
• Shin splints: Roll the front of the shin, the back of the lower leg (calf), and underneath the foot.
• Iliotibial band: Roll the glutes, IT band, quad, hamstrings, groin, front of the shin, and calf.
• Plantar fascia: Roll underneath the foot, along the calf, and the front of the shin
2. Keep your muscles hydrated by drinking enough water
As a rule, drinks half of your body weight in fluid ounces of water every day. Water can help your joints, muscles, and improve your pliability, which in turn helps your muscles to work better together. Hydration also contributes in the battle against inflammation, aids tissue repair and growth, transports nutrients to your cells, and helps with the removal of waste. Hydration is essential for preventing running injuries.
3. Eat a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet
Most of the injuries we just talked about are caused by inflammation through the repetitive forces involved in running. Therefore, minimizing inflammation in your body may help to reduce symptoms as your body heals. You can do this by changing what you eat. Minimize pro-inflammatory foods (dairy, processed foods, and gluten). Maximize anti-inflammatory foods (vegetables, fruits, and nuts). Each meal should be half colorful vegetables, half lean protein and whole grains. Limit refined sugars and trans fats.
If you’re healthy right now, how can you avoid injury?
The best way to maintain pliable muscles and limit muscle tightness is to do pliability work before and after your run. To maintain muscular symmetry, balance, full range of motion, and core strength without overloading the joints, spend time training with resistance bands. To help you get started, listed are some exercises below.
5 Exercises for Fighting Common Running Injuries
You can improve your pliability, mobility, and stability by adding the right exercises to your routine. Incorporate these five exercises into your workout to protect your body against shin splints, IT band syndrome, and plantar fasciitis.
1. Glute Bridge
2. Glute Medius Side Plank with Straight Leg Hip Abduction
Here’s what you do: • Lie on your side with your lower knee bent. • Distribute your weight between your lower leg and and elbow. • Lift your upper leg and upper arm in the air and hold both steady while contracting your core and glutes. • In a quick repeated motion, lift your upper leg straight into the air and lower it back down. Keep the rest of your body still. • Continue for two minutes, and then repeat for the other side.
3. The 90/90 single-leg balance
Here’s what you do:
• Hold your arms like you’re a field goal post — 90 degrees in each elbow, hands straight up. • Raise one leg and bend your knee at a 90-degree angle. (You can see why we call this exercise 90/90.) Your quad should be parallel to the ground. • Hold your balance in this position. Do not lean to either side or tap your raised leg to the ground. If you need to regain balance, try hopping on your plant leg instead. • Keep your glute flexed by “pushing” your plant foot into the ground. • Switch to the other side and hold balance on your other leg.
4. Four-Directional Toe Touches
Here’s what you do:
• Stand upright and balance on one leg. • Tap your elevated foot straight out to your side. • Then, tap that same leg back and diagonal from your body. • Then, tap your foot straight behind your body. • Finally, cross your elevated leg behind your planted leg. • Repeat this motion continuously for 2 minutes, and then switch to the other leg. During this exercise, it’s important that you keep your plant leg stable and keep your knee still
5. Anterior Reach
Here’s what you do:
• Stand upright on one leg to start. • Hinge at your hips and lean forward with your upper body. • Extend your arms overhead and lean until your upper body is parallel with the ground. • At the time time, elevate and extend your non-plant leg. • Return to the starting position, repeat for two minutes, and then switch to the other leg. During this exercise, it’s important to keep a straight back. Keep your plant leg stable YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Nutrition Guidelines for Track and Field Athletes
A healthy diet is a balanced diet. No matter your activity level, if you’re not fueling your body with healthy foods and adequate nutrition, you’ll never let your body function at its peak. That’s why you should emphasize eating a local, seasonal diet and prioritizing nutrient-rich, whole foods because you can’t train or recover well if you deprive your body of the right nutrients. Food is your body’s fuel, and you’ll only get as much out of your body as you’ll put into it. With the right amount of nutrients, fluids, and electrolytes, you can keep your mind and muscles working at their best all day long.
Here’s a few important aspects of nutrition and performance to consider.
EAT REAL FOOD, FIRST.
The nutrients we need should come from real food, first. Pills and powders have their place, but shouldn’t be relied on as a primary source of nourishment. Food is a key part of a healthy lifestyle and optimal athletic performance. I suggest that you shop the perimeter of your local grocery store and skip foods that contain ingredients you can’t pronounce. As a rule limit or avoid foods in packaging.
Below you will find seven key aspects of functional nutrition to start incorporating into your daily routine.
#1: EAT VEGETABLES
It will be a challenge but work everyday to eat as many vegetables as you can. Try to add them into other food sources such as smoothies, pizza, stir-friy and egg scrambles. Make an attempt to eat them each meal meal. Try to “eat the rainbow”. Different colored foods tend to have different nutrient profiles, so “eat the rainbow” means eat a variety of them. Pay attention to the color of fruits and vegetables you eat, since the color of food can often tell you a lot about the vitamins and minerals it provides. For example orange carrots are rich in Beta Carotene, while green spinach is packed with Vitamin K, and yellow peppers are loaded with Vitamin C.
#2: REDUCE THE SUGAR
Sugar is the biggest problem in our diets today because the food industry puts it in everything. I suggest greatly limiting pre-made or processed grocery store foods like cookies, cakes, sauces, dressings and such. By doing so you are limiting inflammatory food. A major part of the easting for optimal performance is learning to manage your inflammatory response. While we’re not saying to avoid the following foods altogether, research shows that added sugars, refined carbs, processed meats, and fried foods all drive inflammation. In general, try to eat them as infrequently as possible.
#3: FULL-FAT EVERYTHING
Include essential fatty acids (Omega-6 and Omega-3) in your diet. The Average American consumes roughly fifteen times more Omega-6s than Omega-3s. Aim for a healthy ratio closer to one-to-one to help regulate inflammation, improve cell function/structure, relieve muscle stiffness, and maintain a healthy heart. Try to include fish, seeds and nuts to your diet. Avoid low-fat versions of food. It’s not real food.
#4: NO REFINED CARBS
Eat unprocessed, natural grains because they contain more protein, vitamins, healthy oils, fats and fiber to keep you full for longer, plus you know how they were made. You don’t know, however, where the bleach for the all-purpose flour came from or what that does to your body.
#5: PROTEIN IS KING OR QUEEN
Protein should be such an important part of your diet because as an active person you will want to repair and build healthy, lean muscles. Protein also helps keep you more full throughout the day because it digests slower than most carbohydrates. Healthy protein sources include: lean animal meats and eggs, beans, quinoa, lentils, nuts, seeds and Greek yogurt.
#6 HYDRATION IS KEY
Hydration is a core tenet of optimal athletic performance. As a rule of thumb, try to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces daily.
#7 SUPPLEMENT ACCORDINGLY
While I suggest 100% real food first, it can be a challenge to meet all your nutritional needs — even if you eat fresh, organically grown food at every meal. The right supplements won’t replace a proper nutritional regimen, but they can ensure you get what your body might be lacking. Supplements to consider include: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Vitamin B Complex, Omega Complex
Easy To Incorporate Supplemental Exercises For Every Runner
Runners are really good at moving in one direction, but this overload often leads to poor hip stability and glute facilitation. Over the long term these deficits can lead to compensations in movement patterns and eventually an injury. The exercises below will help to facilitate the glute, core, and single leg dynamic stability that is crucial for any runner. As always do not forget to foam roll before and after.
Lateral Band Walks
- 2×15 steps each side
This exercise helps to facilitate your gluteus medius muscle which is the muscle that helps to keep your hips level as you run. By facilitating your gluteus medius you will improve your dynamic hip stability allowing you to run with better form.
Step-Ups
- 3×12 each side
This exercise works your all your glute muscles especially your gluteus maximus the biggest muscle in your body. By strengthening your gluteus maximus it will improve your running power and endurance.
Anterior Reach - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPplqZEq7M4
- 3×6 each side
The anterior reach facilitates core, spine, and hip stabilizing muscles, while also working on your single leg balance. This exercise is a must have in any runner’s repertoire, and will help you feel more control and stability while running.
Front Plank - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoflPzSrdKc
- 3×30 seconds
Having a strong core is what allows you to stay upright during runs especially long runs when you get tired. The front plank works the core abdominal muscles as well as your back extensor muscles that help you maintain good posture. Building up your endurance with the front plank is a great way to help maintain good running form for long distance runs.
Heiden Hops - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0UVekBvpWA -
- 3×8 each side
Think about it, running is just a series of forward single leg hops. The heiden hop helps to train the hip and knee stabilizing muscles that are used during running but in a different way since heiden hops are done side-to-side. This will help you keep good knee position and level hips while running.
Passing Through Your “Valley of Disappointment” and Getting Back on Track!
All great athletes have gone through periods of time when they feel the effort and sacrifice being made are not worth the outcomes they are experiencing. The gap between what one thinks should happen and what is actually happening is often responsible for discouragement, non-persistence, and negative feelings. It is easy to be positive, train hard and dedicate yourself to the task at hand if the fantasy you play over and over in your mind coincides with your reality. However, when you find yourself in your own personal “Valley of Disappointment “ it is imperative that you stay the course.
Over my thirty-year college coaching career, I observed many unimagineable breakthroughs occur when the “Valley of Disappointment” was traveled through. Conversely, I wonder how many such breakthroughs awaited one’s arrival on the other side only to be disappointed to learn the individual’s journey had been discontinued.
A few suggestions on how to survive your journey follow.
Enjoy the Process
“The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. The ride is a lot more fun that way.” ― Phil Jackson, Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success
James Clear states, “We often expect progress to be linear…people feel discouraged after putting in weeks and months of hard work without experiencing any results”. Track and Field is a numbers driven sport. Its’ participants live and die by inches and hundredths of a second. Oftentimes, arbitrary numbers are dreamt up and a goal is set. When that arbitrary number isn’t actualized the journey is considered a disappointment. I would suggest (as do many, many others) to focus on the process and to enjoy the moment at hand. For instance, you are training and competing alongside your best friends. The moments shared in a pre-race huddle will accompany you for the rest of your life. As a coach, I would often encourage my athletes to stop and take it all in, to fully grasp how cool what you are experiencing really is.
Don’t Over Analyze
“When the mind is allowed to relax, inspiration often follows.” ― Phil Jackson, Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success
There is an old Indian Proverb that states, “If you live in the river you should make friends with the crocodile”. It is imperative to realize that the sport of track and field and cross country will be filled with ups and downs, each quickly passing and reappearing. One of the most challenging aspects of my personal coaching career was managing the emotions of such. A PR and Ivy League upset win by one of my hardest working athletes would be soon followed by a false start by my best athlete moments later. As an athlete – don’t over analyze the journey through your "Valley of Disappointment". Just keep putting in the work, remaining positive and allowing yourself the opportunity to succeeed.
Focus on Small Incremental Wins
“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” - ZEN PROVERB
As the season progresses without your goals becoming actualized, it becomes increasingly more common to become even more outcome-focused. Athletes become fixated on splits, PR’s or qualifying marks. Instead, focus on small, daily winnable goals – improve 1% each day. The difference small daily improvements can make over time is astounishing. Focus on relaxation techniques before the race or a small aspect of your race that you can fully control.
As Stoic philosophers so often stated, “We should always be asking ourselves: “Is this something that is, or is not, in my control?” Meet conditions, field sizes, trips and falls, wet rings and headwinds will always exist. Focus on what you can control and eagerly await for your moment. Your work, commitment and positive attitude will not be wasted. Your breakthrough has already happened somewhere in your future and it awaits your arrival. Do not disappoint it by not showing up!
800m - 1500m Training - How We Trained The Week of Penn Relays
800m - 1500m Track Training
Here is a look at what we did the year we won the Penn Relays 4 x 800m.
1500m Runners
Monday 50 – 65 minutes easy + 6 x 100m strides + weights
Tuesday 2 x Mile in 4:44 w/ 3’ rest + 2 x 800m in 2:12 w/ 90" - rest 3' + 4 x 400m in 62 w/90", 1 x Mile in 4:20
Wednesday am 0 - 30 minutes easy pm 50 minutes easy + weights
Thursday 35 minutes easy or am 0 - 30 minutes easy pm 50 minutes easy
Friday PENN RELAYS or 35 minutes easy
Saturday PENN RELAYS or 50 minutes easy
Sunday 1:30 – 1:45 easy
800m Runners
Monday 50 minutes easy + 6 x 100m strides
Tuesday 4 x 800m in 2:14 w/ 2’ rest + 400m 28/25
Wednesday 50 minutes easy + weights
Thursday 30 minutes easy + 2 x 200m in 28
Friday PENN RELAYS
Saturday PENN RELAYS
Sunday 75 – 85 minutes easy
Columbia University 4 x 800m - 2007 Penn Relays
Written By: Liam Boylan Pett, Lope Magazine
“We’ve got Kansas, Oral Roberts, Mississippi State, LSU, Michigan, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova all in this mix. But it’s Columbia, in the light blue, leading.”
That’s what Mark Floreani, announcing for FloTrack, said on April 28, 2007, when Erison Hurtault handed me the baton with a five-meter lead in the Penn Relays College Men’s 4×800 Championship of America. Our first leg, Mike Mark, handed off in third before Jonah Rathbun kept us in the race through two exchanges, handing off in fourth. Then Erison unleashed an unruly kick, passing seven runners on the final turn, and there we were: with two laps to go, Columbia University was in perfect position to win the 4×8 at Penn.
As noted by Floreani, who listed off eight other schools in tow, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Columbia hadn’t won a relay at Penn since 1938, and hadn’t won the 4×8 since 1933. No Ivy League school had won at the relays since 1974.
But there I was, leading in front of 46,363 spectators at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field. It didn’t last long — 200 meters into the race, Prince Mumba of defending champion Oral Roberts, who had run more than three seconds faster than me in the 800, sprinted past me and into the lead. I hung as tight as I could, but by the final turn, I had slipped to third behind Mumba and Michigan’s Andrew Ellerton, who had finished second in the 800 at the NCAA Indoor Championships a month earlier.
“This is a great last 150 it’s gonna turn out to be,” Floreani said as we rounded the turn. “Ellerton and Prince Mumba, and Columbia is holding on there in third. This is a great run for Columbia.”
It seemed like that would be the last time Floreani would mention Columbia — and why would he as the two stars battled for victory? With 70 meters to go, Ellerton inched past Mumba, and entering the home straight, it seemed like that was it. Ellerton was poised to sprint away from Mumba for the win.
“Ellerton is on the shoulder of Prince and it looks like Ellerton”—then Floreani stopped. Just then, I moved to the outside and shifted gears, passing Mumba and pulling up on Ellerton’s right shoulder. With 60 meters to the finish line, I was even with Ellerton.
Floreani couldn’t contain the surprise in his voice as he interrupted himself: “But here comes Columbia.”
Pole Vault Training
Check out Part One of Coach Steve Rippon’s Pole Vault Clinic. Steve is part of Fast Track Recruiting’s Coach Network. Coach Rippon is among the most respected Pole Vault coaches in the world having coached for several countries including Australia, Finland and the U.K.
High School Cross Country Training: Are you running enough?
The discrepancy in high school cross country training is immense. I have coached individuals who maxed out at 30 miles per week in high school and others who exceeded 80 miles per week. There are so many different thoughts on mileage, staying healthy and avoiding burn-out. The key is to find the optimal volume to ensure you reach your full potential as a runner. You need to identify the proper balance between enough and staying healthy – the edge. Approach it, but don’t cross over it.
I reached out to one of the top high school boy’s cross country coaches in the country, Coach Paul Vandersteen to take at closer look at the type of mileage the boys at Neuqua Valley High Schools are logging over the summer.
Freshman Boys: 35 – 40 miles per week
Sophomore Boys: 50 – 55 miles per week
Junior Boys: 60 – 65 miles per week
Senior Boys: 70 - 75 miles per week
*** However, their weekly mileage rarely exceeds 65 miles per week once school starts.
High school girls who want to follow this program’s volume philosophy should adjust accordingly:
Freshman Girls: 25 – 30 miles per week
Sophomore Girls: 35 – 40 miles per week
Junior Girls: 45 – 50 miles per week
Senior Girls: 50 - 55 miles per week
For more information about our personal coaching programs CLICK HERE
What To Do After The Last Cross Country Meet Of The Season
Cross Country Training
I have been asked numerous times over the past couple of weeks what to do in regard to training after the cross country season is over. Obviously, you will need some downtime to ensure you physically and mentally recover from the season. However, you need to balance this with not losing the fitness you acquired over the past several months. I used to give our runners two weeks completely off and then would spend the next six weeks ascending to full volume. Over the years, I learned that if we stayed active during the first couple of weeks after the xc season that our runners stayed healthier and maintained greater levels of fitness. It always seemed that our runners would start experiencing pains and/or developing injuries while we were in the middle of complete rest. It just never seemed to work effectively for us. So, I changed the phase name from Rest & Rejuvenation to Active Rest. I would prescribe a small shakeout run the day after the last meet and then have them take 2-3 days off. After that, our runners would run 30-35 every other day to finish out the week – the pace assigned during this period of time was embarrassingly slow. To transition out of light running every other day, we would run two days in a row – then rest one day, run three days – rest one and then start up again. Our first week after our Active Rest phase was typically 50% of their goal volume with two days of easy strides – around 10k pace-ish at the fastest.
Below is our first two weeks after the conclusion of XC
WEEK ONE
Monday 30 minutes easy
Tuesday off
Wednesday 30 - 35 minutes easy
Thursday off
Friday 30 - 35 minutes easy
Saturday 35 minutes easy
Sunday off
WEEK TWO
Monday 35 minutes easy
Tuesday 30 minutes easy + 3 x 100m strides
Wednesday 35 minutes easy
Thursday off
Friday 35 minutes easy + 4 x 100m strides
Saturday 40 minutes easy
Sunday 35 minutes easy
Cross Country Training: How To Peak At Your State Meet?
Photo Credit - http://www.dyestat.com
Cross Country Training
I have received several emails and texts recently asking me how to peak at the State Cross Country Championships. Because the State Meet is often the defining factor for your entire season, it is important that you have an understanding of what is required to ensure you are at your best in November.
As a college coach, my focus was always on the Conference Championships, Regionals, and the NCAA National Meet. I spent 25+ years trying to perfect the process.
Here a few suggestions that will give you the best chance to be at your best when it matters most.
1. Maintain your Long Run throughout the season. Do not let this go. Prioritize it through the month of September and keep it in your training schemes through the month of August.
2. Maintain your mileage. Don’t allow your mileage to drop too much or too often throughout the season. Constantly remind yourself that you are training for the State Meet. Meets in September and early October are ultimately meaningless and quickly forgotten if you don’t run well at States.
3. Keep longer intervals in your training deep into the season. Avoid the temptation of running all of your intervals at significantly faster paces over shorter distances. As the season progresses reduce the quality of your longer intervals and utilize them to maintain your strength.
4. Choose your moments of being “jacked up” wisely. You only have so many times that you are able to dig deep into your emotional well. Don’t waste any of them in September. Don’t waste them on course records or hitting a certain time. Be business like in your approach until it is time to be jacked up!
5. Similarly limit the times to dig deep into your physical well as well. You only have so many bone crushing, heroic performances in you. Never waste one in practice or at a “donkey” meet no one will ever remember. Choose your Herculean moments wisely.
6. Realize that if you line up at your State Meet physically, emotionally and mentally ready to compete that you are worlds ahead of the majority of runners lining up next to you who have spent everything they have weeks ago and find themselves completely fried.
I hope this helps and good luck with the remainder of your season.
Need help with your off-season winter training? Want to train like Kyle Merber, Johnny Gregorek, Ed Cheserick and numerous other NCAA All- Americans and Olympians? We offer personal coaching – CLICK HERE for more information.
What I Learned in Peru This Summer
By Charlie Teeter - High School Runner
Training at altitude is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. For the first two days in Peru, nobody ran. We just took this time to get used to the lack of air. At this point, I didn’t notice any difference in the air when I was doing daily activities. The next afternoon we went for our first run. Things felt weird. I did 4 miles at about 8-minute mile pace, but I was breathing as I normally would running 6:50s on my easy runs back home. As the trip went on, we began doing some pretty taxing service work throughout the community in Pisac. One day, I spent an entire morning carrying dirt, fertilizer, and roofing up a mountain to help a local farm relocate to a nearby school. I must have made fifteen to twenty trips up and down within a few hours. This was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. We had about twenty people in our group helping out the three or four people who worked the farm. We saved them countless hours of work by coming to help, and it was clear how genuinely grateful they were (I also got an amazing workout out of this, so that never hurts). Our running gradually increased in intensity as well. At about two weeks in, I did an 11 mile run at 7:45 pace, and I was holding back a little bit to stick with the group (I would’ve liked to drop the last 3ish miles closer to 7:15 pace to push myself a little). I was really happy with this run, considering we had only been at altitude for a little over two weeks.
There were sometimes when I worried about not getting good enough training. Every run we went on was pretty easy paced, and we only did one or two workouts while I was there. (EDITOR’S NOTE – See Flotrack workout video where CU Buffs legendary Head Cross Country Coach urges his men and women to keep the pace easy on a scheduled long run because the hills and altitude would provide the workout). I was forgetting that just sleeping at 10,000ft is good training for your body. I was more worried going into our last week of the trip because we weren’t really going to have the chance to run at all during our four- day trek to Machu Picchu. I thought I was missing out on four days of training, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Over the course of four days, we covered about 50 miles, reaching a high point of 15,300 feet above sea level. We climbed up and over multiple mountains, and my legs were absolutely destroyed from so much walking. (EDITOR’S NOTE – Most Elite Kenyan runners include long walks into their early training phases. It is not untypical for Kenyan runners to conduct three long walks of over 2 hours in duration into their early season conditioning programs). I don’t think I’ll be having much trouble with hills this cross country season after this experience.
Traveling to get back home was tiring. I took a bus and four planes to get home over the course of about 22 hours. As one would expect, I was very tired when I finally got to my house. I had a good dinner with my family and got some energy back, so I decided to go for a little shake out run that night. This is when I noticed the effects of being at altitude. My legs didn't feel great, but my three-mile run felt easy at 6:35 pace. It’s incredible how much air there is closer to sea level. It was almost as if I was taking in something that I didn’t know was there. It just felt good to be going a little faster again.
This experience has taught me so much about myself, running, and life as a whole. Spending three weeks practicing another language, getting to know local market workers and their children, immersing myself in another culture, and making new lifelong friends is something I’ll be forever grateful for. I’m excited to use this knowledge to reach new heights on the cross country course this year. Thank you, Peru.
TO SIGN UP FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE TRAINING ABROAD PROGRAMS CLICK HERE
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON KENYAN TRAINING CLICK HERE
CU BUFFS – WORKING HARD VIDEO CLICK HERE
Arkansas Track and Field Recruiting - Class of 2022 - Men
College Track and Field Recruiting
Are you wondering what it takes to run compete in the SEC? See how stack up with the University of Arkansas incoming track and field recruiting class -
Vernon Turner, High Jump | Yukon, Okla./ Yukon High School / University of Oklahoma
Event: High Jump
Personal Best: High Jump – 7’7.75”
Tre’Bien Gilbert, Hurdles | Converse, Texas / Judson High School
Events: 110-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles
Personal Bests: 110-meter hurdles – 13.53, 300-meter hurdles – 36.18
Rashad Boyd, Sprints | Houston, Texas / Alief Hastings High School
Events: 100-meters, 200-meters
Personal Bests: 100m – 10.61 (10.55w), 200m – 20.93
Accolades: TSU Relays 200-meter champion, 200-meter state qualifier, Texas Relays 100-meter finalist
Boyd on Arkansas: “What gets better than the Arkansas track team?”
Boyd was the twelfth-fastest high school 200-meter runner in the United States during 2018. He placed sixth in the 200-meter final at Texas 6A State Championship and was the Texas 6A Region III runner-up in 200m. His brother, Rakeem Boyd, is an Arkansas football signee.
Travean Caldwell, Sprints and Hurdles | Crossett, Ark. | Crossett High School / Arkansas Baptist College
Events: 400-meters, 400-meter hurdles
Personal Bests: 200-meters – 21.69, 400-meters – 47.30, 400-meter hurdles – 52.77
Kevin Wilkinson, Middle Distance | Moorpark, Calif. | Bishop Alemany High School / Arizona State University
Events: 800-meters, 1500-meters
Personal Bests: 800-meters – 1:50.91, 1,500-meters – 4:00.81
Trey Grayson, Middle Distance | Glenpool, Okla.| Glenpool High School / Oklahoma State University
Events: 400-meters, 800-meters
Personal Bests: 800-meters – 1:51.49, 1,600-meters – 4:16.10, 3,200-meters – 9:43.63
Carl Elliott, Sprints and Hurdles| Fort Pierce, Fla. | Fort Pierce Central High School / Edward Waters College
Events: 200-meters, 110-meter hurdles, triple jump
Personal Bests: 200-meters – 21.66, 110-meter hurdles – 14.24, TJ – 45’1.25”, LJ – 21’7”
Kyle Costner, Multi-Events | Brentwood, Tenn. | Brentwood High School
Event: Decathlon
Personal Bests: 100-meters – 11.41, 400-meters – 50.2, 110-meter hurdles – 14.81, LJ – 22’1”, TJ – 42’5”, HJ – 6’2”, PV – 13’, SP – 40’, DT – 114’, Decathlon – 6,309-points
Brittan Burns, Multi-Events | Prior Lake, Minn. | Lakeville South High School
Event: Decathlon
Personal Bests: 100-meters – 11.85, 400-meters – 52.99, 1,500-meters – 4:52, 110-meter hurdles – 15.24, LJ – 21’8.75”, HJ – 6’4”, PV – 12’6”, SP – 38’1”, DT – 109’4”, JV – 117’8”, Decathlon – 5,873-points
Daniel Spejcher, Multi-Events | Bloomington, Ill. | Lake Park High School
Event: Decathlon
Personal Bests: 100-meters – 11.2, 200-meters – 22.3, 400-meters – 53.2, 110-meters hurdles – 14.99, LJ – 22’11.75”, HJ – 6’3”, PV – 10’6”, SP – 45’4”, DT – 127’6”, JV – 125’8”, Decathlon – 5,715-points
Connor Holzkamper, Multi-Events | Keller, Texas | Liberty Christian School
Event: Decathlon
Personal Bests: 100-meters – 10.90, 200-meters – 22.48, 400-meters – 55.18, HJ – 5-6
Jon Conley, Sprints/Jumps | Fayetteville, Ark. | Fayetteville High School
Events: 100-meters, Long Jump
When To Start Nudging Our Young Track and Field Athletes Toward Greatness
MIDDLE SCHOOL TRACK AND FIELD TRAINING
Parents of track and field athletes
In a recent conversation with a parent of an elite 7th Grade runner from Massachusetts, I was asked when would be the best time for her to start getting serious about her training. I realized that despite my thirty years of NCAA I Head Coaching experience, I had never given this subject matter a great deal of thought. In my role as a college coach, I was accustomed to dealing with older runners and had never really given much thought to the beginning of the process.
We often read about college coaches signing multi-million dollar contracts, and yet the men and women in the trenches of creation – the coaches out there helping plant the seeds of determination and skill development are typically volunteering parents. As a result, it is easy to assume that the system works and that the most talented athletes will eventually rise to the top. However, it is quite possible that this “wait-for-the-fire-to-ignite-within” approach to skill development and commitment levels in the sport of track and field is selling our future elite athletes short.
Imagine a young musician, artist or scientist delaying the development of their skill-set simply to avoid burnout. As coaches and parents, we oftentimes sit back, waiting for the young athlete to find their passion – as if it is sleeping within simply waiting to be awoken. A new joint study by researchers from Yale- Singapore and Stanford University states that “the ‘find your passion’ mantra may be a hindrance, distracting the individual from the actualization of their potential.”
In that study, researchers asked the question, “Are interests there all along, waiting to be revealed or must a spark of interest be cultivated through investment and persistence?” From the results of this study, it appears that developing and nurturing passion can be highly effective, particularly when compared to taking a wait and see approach. With more deliberate action, it becomes the responsibility of the participant and their network of support to help grow that “passion” through a systematic plan of logical progression and pedagogy.
So, how does this apply to your elite junior high track and field athlete? Maybe, it is time to rethink the traditional model in our sport of waiting for that inner fire to ignite or for the tangible line in the sand to be crossed at a particular age. Perhaps, with a sound training plan and the right encouragement – we can develop these middle school athletes into highly successful high school, collegiate and post-collegiate runners by getting them started earlier.
We must ask ourselves how do we start developing this passion in a healthy manner. A former runner of mine at Columbia University and highly touted author, David Epstein (See – The Sport’s Gene) suggests that positive feedback is linked to higher performance. He cited research by sports psychologist
Christian Cook in which subjects performed better and were less likely to repeat mistakes when they were given positive feedback at an early age of participation. “I don’t know if it’s counterintuitive that positive feedback works, but it’s not the intuitive way for [coaches] to act,” Epstein says, explaining that coaches naturally identify what’s wrong and instruct athletes how to improve. “If you had to choose between needing feedback when we did something wrong or when we did something right, I’m convinced now it’s when we did something right. And that’s when people don’t give feedback,” he says. “They pay attention to what’s wrong.” So, during this time – clap before correcting. There will be plenty of time to correct in the future.
Epstein’s thoughts were reiterated in a recent article by Jenny Anderson entitled, “ Parents: Let Your Kids Fail. You’ll Be Doing Them a Favor”. She lists three ways in which we can help younger athletes develop their passion and succeed:
1. Praise efforts, not outcomes (clap before correcting)
2. Cheer like a grandparent, not a parent. (clap before correcting)
3. Realize the coach is your partner, not your adversary.
For a tangible example of how effective helping younger athletes develop their passion can be - look no further than this year’s World Cup. According to Troy Engle (former USMA Head Track and Field Coach and current Director of Coach Development for Sport Singapore), Belgium and France have “Two of the greatest sporting systems and coaching development programs in any sport in the world. Hardly a coincidence that they are among the four remaining team…there is a lot for all of us to gain from their best practices”
To answer the initial question of when is the logical time to get started with a more formalized plan for younger runners hoping to become elite runners. I would suggest somewhere between ages 11-13.
How To Train Like A State Champion – An Inside Look at Dustin Horter’s Championship Season Training Schedule
How To Train For the Mile
Want to run fast at the end of the season? Below you will find the final 13 days of Dustin Horter’s incredible high school running career. Four things to take away from Dustin’s running log:
1. Stay with what got you there – remain consistent.
2. Do not taper too much
3. Don’t press - stay controlled and comfortable during quality work.
4. Communicate with your coach about everything.
His Final Two Weeks:
Sunday – 9 miles @ 6:20 pace. Slower than usual but getting ready for States.
Monday – 6 miles @ 6:23 pace + 4 x 150m in 20-21. Smooth and relaxed run with coach.
Tuesday – 1.5 mile w/u jog – 8 x 400m in 65 w/ 60-90 seconds rest – 2.5 mile cool down. I felt really good and strong. I did not feel like I was pushing myself at all
Wednesday – 6 miles @ 6:24 pace + 4 x 150m in 20-21. Slowly drawing back on intensity, but keeping mileage consistent. I felt very relaxed.
Thursday – 1.5 mile warm up +8 x 200m in 29 – 1.5 mile cool-down. I spiked up for this one. This workout was the easiest I have felt all week.
Friday – 4 miles at 6:49 pace at 7:00 am to get as much rest as possible before tomorrow + 4 x 150m in 20-21.
Saturday – Ohio State Meet – 4:06.96 (1st), 9:05.88 (3rd)
Sunday – 6 miles @ 6:21 pace. Staying consistent with what we have been doing to get ready for the national meet. Kept things pretty chill – no long run this week as my coach and I decided not to consider mileage this week at all. We decided to supplement harder workouts for missed mileage.
Monday – 1.5 mile easy + 400m in 58, 2 x 300m in 44, 600m in 1:28 – 800m recovery jog – 4 x 200m in 26-27 – 1.5 mile cool down. Overall this was a great day for me and a confidence booster going into the weekend. I felt comfortable and controlled!
Tuesday – 6 miles @ 6:11 pace + 4 x 150m in 20-21. Pretty easy day.
Wednesday – 1.5 mile warm-up -8 x 200m in 29 – 1.5 mile cool-down. This is basically my go to tune-up before big races (see above). Felt great, other than it being so hot out.
Thursday – 4 miles @ 6:40 pace . Nice jog with some friends out in Seattle – a lot of talking and laughing. Followed run with 4 x 150m.
Friday – Brooks PR Invitational – 4:04.68 (1st)
How They Trained In College
Johnny Gregorek
2017 World Championship 1500m Finalist - USA
Cross Country Prep - Sophomore Year
July 2011
Monday - 9 miles at 6:50 pace
Tuesday - 8 miles at 7:15 pace + 4 x 100m strides
Wednesday - 10 miles at 6:30 pace
Thursday - 8 miles @ 6:22 pace
Friday - 2.5 miles easy – 6 sets of 3 minutes on (xc pace) / 2 minutes easy + 2.5 miles easy
Saturday - 10 miles at 7:15 pace
Sunday - 14 miles at 6:15 pace
The History of the United States According to the Women's Steeplechase
Below is an excerpt from Liam Boylan-Pett's amazing historical look at the evolution of the steeplechase. It is this month's feature article in his newly created Lope Magazine - a magazine devoted entirely to providing eye-opening stories from the track. road and trail.
"This is the hurdle Emma Coburn has been waiting for—the final water jump of the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2017 World Track and Field Championships. She is in medal contention with less than two-hundred meters to go, but she is not focused on that right now, or the fact that fellow American Courtney Frerichs is also in position for a medal. Coburn is dead set on one thing: Nailing this final water jump."
"To understand how we ended up in this situation—how the United States, who had won only one global medal in the women’s steeplechase (not to mention, only eleven on the men’s side since 1900), had two runners leading the 2017 world championships with less than one-hundred-fifty meters to go—you have to go back to 1991, when American women finally had a chance to race for a national title in that odd, nearly two-mile event made for horses with immovable hurdles and water jumps."
Check out the archive section of Lope magazine to read more about “We’ve got Kansas, Oral Roberts, Mississippi State, LSU, Michigan, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova all in this mix. But it’s Columbia, in the light blue, leading.” - perhaps my and Liam Boylan-Pett greatest sport's moment. - https://lopemagazine.com/2018/05/14/columbia-penn-relays-4x800-upset-liam-boylan-pett/#about
To learn more about Liam Boylan-Pett and other former athletes I coached click here - https://www.fasttrackrecruiting.com/athletes-i-have-coached/
Training with Olympic Gold Medalist William Tanui and Fast Track Recruiting
Want to train like an Olympic Gold Medalist from Kenya? If so, William Tanui has provided Fast Track Recruiting with unmatched access to the inside through an open discussion about how he trained. Below is a summary of the Kenyan training philosophy and practices following the conclusion of their outdoor season.
NOTE: William Tanui was the 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 800m and placed 5th in the 1500m at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Tanui has PR’s of 1:43.30 in the 800m, 3:30.58 in the 1500m and 3:50.57 in the Mile.
Phase I – rest
You need to fully recover, both mentally physically, from your previous season. I suggest a complete shutdown. Use this time to ensure that you are completely recovered and fully prepared to resume training.
Editor's Note: Kenyan runners place a high premium on rest - "complete rest". It is imperative that you incorporate this phase into your summer training as it is equally as important. In the US system, we are often extremely impatient and rush back to training and quality running way too quickly.
Phase II – General Preparation - During this phase, your focus should be on leisurely low-end aerobic work. I suggest focusing on very easy running and cross training during this phase – swimming, biking and strength training. Everything should be performed at a low intensity. In the prime of my career, I would perform five two-hour sessions per week. I would advise that you start with a much lower goal duration.
Editor's Note - The Kenyans use this time to develop a massive aerobic base with low-intensity work. Many of the top collegiate programs loosely adhere to this same philosophy as most good programs avoid quality work as they ascend to full volume.
Phase III – Early Season
During this phase, we start to increase the intensity. At this point, you should start doubling when appropriate. You should focus on high-end aerobic work during this phase through progression runs, runs at a steady pace and hilly runs ( Editor's Note - read Run With The Buffaloes or research old-school Arkansas training). This is a great time to focus on hill repeats to strengthen your quads. We also perform two days of strength work a week to strengthen our arms for the push to the finish line.
Phase IV – Late Season
This phase will be the most intense period of your training. We do traditional interval work two days a week, if not racing. We do a great deal of ladder work, often including short speed reps toward the end of the session. We also did a fartlek session once a week in a wide open field where the focus was on very fast running.
Look for future articles from William Tanui about coaching, international recruiting and other subjects related to running and track and field.
See how 2017 World Championship 1500m FInalist, Johnny Gregorek trained over the summer while in college here: https://www.fasttrackrecruiting.com/training-blog/2018/1/18/how-they-trained-in-college