Summer Training Guidelines
The purpose of your summer training is to prepare you to train during the cross country season. Ideally, you should begin the season strong enough to train hard without risking injury and aim to have your peak performances during the last 2 weeks of the fall season. A solid mileage base and a good foundation in strength training are the keys!
What are your goals for the upcoming Cross Country Season? Once you know the answer to this question, you can set some goals for the summer. The key is to strike a balance! The most important aspects of your summer training are to develop a solid mileage base and improve your strength. While doing this, you need to listen to your body and avoid overtraining and injury. The training guidelines below are fairly general. If you are hoping/planning to score points for the team and be a part of the Interschols Team (7 Varsity, 7 JV, up to 2 alternates), you should move into the August plan earlier in the summer (by mid-July). If you are just beginning to run (or beginning again), then you should work up to the June and July plans gradually and possibly not get to the August plan until the actual season begins in September. If you have any questions about what you should be doing, please talk to me.
Training Logs: Training logs are your way of telling me clearly what you’ve done over the summer. They are also a very useful way for you to track your own progress. Please follow the guidelines below carefully. If I’m going to carefully read all of your logs in a short period of time, I really need them BEFORE our first practice, and I need them in the manageable format described below.
I’d like you to log your training throughout the summer. Each day you run keep track of total time run, estimated distance (or pace per mile), type of terrain (flat, hilly, trail, etc), and how you felt. Do the equivalent for cross training. Log your weekly mileage (be clear about how many are running miles and how many are cross training “miles”), your strength training, and any injuries or concerns you have.
I’d like you to give me a summary of your training for both June and July. The summary should include your weekly mileage totals (distinguishing running from cross training) and a statement about what kind of strength training you do. I want the detailed daily log for August. You should give me everything all at once by the start of September. You can mail me a hard copy or send an email, but I must have it in my hands before your first practice. No training logs – no hard workouts – no early races – no exceptions!!!!
I will be away from Andover for most of the summer, but the information below is where you should send training logs and summaries in the first days of September.
Contact Information:
Becky Hession
email: rbogdano@gmail.com (limited email access in summer)
Phillips Academy
Andover, MA 01810
Training Plan:
Note: This training plan is directed toward those with some running experience, primarily at the JV level. Novice runners should refer to the “Start-Up Plan;” returning varsity/preseason runners may be prepared to start with the July schedule.
June/July: Develop a mileage base and build strength
June: Run 3-4 days/week, 10-15 miles/week, typical run = 30-40 minutes
Minimum: 50 situps and 10 pushups each day
Ideal: Strength Training 2-3 days/week
July: Run 4-5 days/week, 15-20 miles/week, typical run = 30-45 minutes
Once a week try to run on a hilly terrain
Minimum: 75 situps and 15 pushups each day
Ideal: Strength Training 3 days/week
August: Increased mileage, some increased pace, build strength
Run 5-6 days/week, 20-30 miles/week
Include one long run (5-8 miles), one hilly run, and one run with pickups (see below)
Minimum: 100 situps and 25 pushups each day
Ideal: Strength Training 3 days/week
Pace:
Try to vary your pace a bit in August. Your training pace should not be faster than your 5K race pace and you should not do more than one mile at the increased pace. I recommend “pickups.” On a 3-6 mile run add some race pace pickups. Each pickup should be in the 100-500 meter range (or 30 seconds to 2minutes) with plenty of rest in between. A run might have anywhere from 2 to 5 pickups. Try not to imitate workouts we do in-season. One of the reasons our in-season training works is because it is a change to your routine! Note: “Race pace” is hard to determine, but you should be aiming for the pace you can run for a 5K (3.1mi) race.
Hills:
We will train hills hard next fall. It is not necessary for you to do many (if any) hill repeats over the summer. Instead, choose some of your runs over hilly terrain and to gain strength and confidence without risking injury. When you are running hills, think “strong and steady” going up and push through the crest of the hill!
Strength:
At the very least, do some situps and pushups. I strongly recommend that you do some strength training over the summer (top priority is core strength training, the next priority is overall strength training, including legs and upper body!). The best thing to do is go to a gym or fitness center, unless you have equipment like a stability ball, weights, resistance bands, and a medicine ball at home! Anything you can do to improve your core strength, along with upper body and leg strength - without overdoing it of course – will improve your running. Include information about your strength training in your summaries and logs.
Stretch! Hydrate! Fuel your body with healthy food! Wear good running shoes! Have fun!