Please check with coach Moon for the shared Google Calendar. You must use a gmail account to access it.
Descriptions of Terminology Used in RRHS XC Training Program
Tempo Runs: Run that ramps speed up slowly for 5 or 10 minutes of warm up running to a hard middle plateau of speed, holds that plateau of steady speed for 5-10 minutes or so, then gradually settles down in pace to a gentle finish. Plateau speed is a solid sustained effort, just shy of 10K race pace or a couple notches slower than 5K race pace, and is sustainable without blowing up. The last 5 minutes should be comfortable, easy pace. A graph of effort for a Tempo run would look like ⤴PLATEAU PACE⤷
Interval Training (IT): Includes running time or distance repeats with an easy interval of running, walking or resting recoveries. The point in the intervals is not in how you do the interval of rest, but how close you can hit your target times and stay to plan on recovery times.
Generally we will concentrate on intervals between 400M to 1000M and will try to do them on a softer surface or ideally the district/state cross country course.
Fartlek* (speedplay): A non-stop, multi-paced run that is similar to interval training but allows flexibility in course and trains runners to “shift” gears, experience race like conditions, and develop speed. Fartlek ntervals can either be on a timer or left up to runners to run “by feel”. Runners surge for prescribed times then recover and repeat or simply go by gut. Pace during surges should be at race pace or top speed dictated by feel. Fartleks should always start with 5-10 min easy before begining the surges and end with about 5 min of easy running.
*Swedish coach Gösta Holmér developed fartlek in 1937, and, since then, many physiologists have adopted it. It was designed for the downtrodden Swedish cross country running teams that had been beaten throughout the 1920s by Paavo Nurmi and the Finns. Holmér's plan used a faster-than-race pace and concentrated on both speed and endurance training.
Long Runs (LR): Weekend runs that should total about 15- 20% of your weekly distance and should never peak at more than about 75 minutes. The pace on LR’s should be conversational as these are meant to better endurance fitness and aerobic fitness by making you more efficient. Pace should be fast enough that you are not shuffling or changing your natural stride and you should be able to run steady the whole time without slowing or walking. If you blew up during your run then you are running too far and need to begin the next weekend at about 5 min shy of where you blew up… Add no more than 5 min or 10% of last weeks distance to each subsequent week until you are solid.
I also like to run the last 2-3 miles dropping pace from conversational to 5-10 seconds drop per mile to finish harder. The takeaway is learning to run hard and turning the legs over even when you feel tired. These should be fun and can be done on road or trail.
Rest/EZ day: Easy days that should include no hard running. It can include running, but the EZ rest days are essential to allow your body to recover. Cross training is fine on these days as well.
EZ days should be easy, hard days should be hard. Without rest, sleep, and nutrition your body will either break and sideline you or you will not improve as well as you would otherwise. More is not more.
Racing: After two seasons of racing (and for some three if they did indoor track) I don’t encourage anyone to race through summer. You need time to recover physiologically and mentally from all of the races and intensity so that you are not drained when the cross season begins. Having said that, a local 5K once in a while for fun is fine and sometimes a great way to motivate yourself to train. Our summer program ends with a 2 mile cross-country race that will be the first race of your season.
Tempo Runs: Run that ramps speed up slowly for 5 or 10 minutes of warm up running to a hard middle plateau of speed, holds that plateau of steady speed for 5-10 minutes or so, then gradually settles down in pace to a gentle finish. Plateau speed is a solid sustained effort, just shy of 10K race pace or a couple notches slower than 5K race pace, and is sustainable without blowing up. The last 5 minutes should be comfortable, easy pace. A graph of effort for a Tempo run would look like ⤴PLATEAU PACE⤷
Interval Training (IT): Includes running time or distance repeats with an easy interval of running, walking or resting recoveries. The point in the intervals is not in how you do the interval of rest, but how close you can hit your target times and stay to plan on recovery times.
Generally we will concentrate on intervals between 400M to 1000M and will try to do them on a softer surface or ideally the district/state cross country course.
Fartlek* (speedplay): A non-stop, multi-paced run that is similar to interval training but allows flexibility in course and trains runners to “shift” gears, experience race like conditions, and develop speed. Fartlek ntervals can either be on a timer or left up to runners to run “by feel”. Runners surge for prescribed times then recover and repeat or simply go by gut. Pace during surges should be at race pace or top speed dictated by feel. Fartleks should always start with 5-10 min easy before begining the surges and end with about 5 min of easy running.
*Swedish coach Gösta Holmér developed fartlek in 1937, and, since then, many physiologists have adopted it. It was designed for the downtrodden Swedish cross country running teams that had been beaten throughout the 1920s by Paavo Nurmi and the Finns. Holmér's plan used a faster-than-race pace and concentrated on both speed and endurance training.
Long Runs (LR): Weekend runs that should total about 15- 20% of your weekly distance and should never peak at more than about 75 minutes. The pace on LR’s should be conversational as these are meant to better endurance fitness and aerobic fitness by making you more efficient. Pace should be fast enough that you are not shuffling or changing your natural stride and you should be able to run steady the whole time without slowing or walking. If you blew up during your run then you are running too far and need to begin the next weekend at about 5 min shy of where you blew up… Add no more than 5 min or 10% of last weeks distance to each subsequent week until you are solid.
I also like to run the last 2-3 miles dropping pace from conversational to 5-10 seconds drop per mile to finish harder. The takeaway is learning to run hard and turning the legs over even when you feel tired. These should be fun and can be done on road or trail.
Rest/EZ day: Easy days that should include no hard running. It can include running, but the EZ rest days are essential to allow your body to recover. Cross training is fine on these days as well.
EZ days should be easy, hard days should be hard. Without rest, sleep, and nutrition your body will either break and sideline you or you will not improve as well as you would otherwise. More is not more.
Racing: After two seasons of racing (and for some three if they did indoor track) I don’t encourage anyone to race through summer. You need time to recover physiologically and mentally from all of the races and intensity so that you are not drained when the cross season begins. Having said that, a local 5K once in a while for fun is fine and sometimes a great way to motivate yourself to train. Our summer program ends with a 2 mile cross-country race that will be the first race of your season.