Cross Country Information Meeting Scheduled

If you are interested in joining the Valley Christian Cross Country team this fall please fill out a brief questionnaire so you and your parents may be added to our team distribution list: CLICK HERE

TEAM MEETING: Thursday, August 14; All athletes meet at Track @ 3pm

FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE: Monday, August 18; Grades 10-12 meet at Track @ 3 pm

FRESHMAN FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE: Friday, August 22; Grades 9-12 meet at Track @ 3 pm

Hard to believe that vacation is now behind us and in a few short days we will be back to school.  I hope the summer has been restful and you have spent quality time with friends and family as well as enjoyed some great runs while getting your summer mileage in.  At this time varsity runners (who have aspirations of competing at the CCS and State level) should have logged between 300-350 miles over the past 6 weeks.  Please note that it is important that your summer mileage log is current and up to date.  We as a coaching staff will use the data to assess where we are at as a team and where you are as an individual and adjust the training plan accordingly.

The base phase is perhaps the most important part of training for cross country as it is your “aerobic engine” that will be doing the brunt of the work when racing the 5k distance over hills and trails.  It is also vital to the success of peaking in November and will help you be consistent in your races throughout the season.  So what does that mean for you? The current plan is to build upon our current mileage goals through the first 4-6 weeks of the season.  That means we may not be as sharp come some of the early season races but that we will be stronger in October and November when we need to be running our best. The practice schedule and training plan will be discussed Thursday at the team meeting.

In regards to training this week it is always a bit challenging with all the things going on to get ready for school.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are “on your own” days.  Team members are encouraged to organize times to meet up and get your training in but we will not have formal practice until Friday.  

Below you will find the training schedule for the week of August 11.  

BEGINNERS

High School runners with 1-3 years running experience who are new to the sport or just getting started with their training.

Monday-

• Easy 30 min run or cross training (strength, HPC, swim, bike, etc.)

Tuesday-

• Fartlek: 10 min run @ normal pace; 4 x 1 min “on" (tempo effort) / 1 min “off” (normal training run effort); 10 min run.  All continuous.  

Wednesday-

• Easy 30 min run or cross training (strength, HPC, swim, bike, etc.)

Thursday-

• Team Meeting, 3 pm @ Track; followed by 10 min run; 1 x 2k straights & bends; 10 min run

Friday-

• Easy 30 min run or cross training (strength, HPC, swim, bike, etc.)r)

Saturday-

• Long Run: 6 miles

Sunday-

• Rest Day

ADVANCED

High School runners with 2+ years running experience.  This is geared toward those who have put in a solid summer of base training and will compete for a varsity spot.  The training below is an example of what it will take to be a competitive runner at the varsity level at the league, section and state level. It will get harder, it will take commitment and consistency.

Monday-

• am:  7-9 miles over hilly trails (i.e. Quicksilver)
• pm:  Easy 30 min run or cross training (strength, HPC, swim, bike, etc.)

Tuesday-

• Fartlek: 15 min run @ normal pace; 10 x 2 min “on" (tempo effort) / 1 min “off” (normal training run effort); 10-15 min run.  All continuous.  

Wednesday-

• am:  7-9 miles over hilly trails (i.e. Quicksilver)
• pm:  Easy 30 min run or cross training (strength, HPC, swim, bike, etc.)

Thursday-

• am: 30 min easy run or cross training (pool running or strength)
• pm: Team Meeting, 3 pm @ Track;  followed by 10 min run; 1 x 2k straights & bends; 10 min run

Friday-

• 7-9 miles over hilly trails (i.e. Quicksilver)

Saturday-

• Long Run: 12 miles

Sunday-

• 30 min shake out run or Rest Day