WEEK OF JULY 27 – AUG. 2

Well, this is it! The last week of the summer that a coach can have contact with team members. Before you know it XC will be here, and we’ll be rolling right along into the sweet  autumn season.

Please be certain to have your physicals completed prior to Aug. 12th. For the beginning of the season we will practice first thing in the morning as we are this summer – until school begins. Remember that the dates of camp have changed, and I regret that this unfortunately fouls up some plans. My fault, I hope we can work it out as best we can for everyone.

Remember that the Golden mile is going on this Saturday – downtown. We’ll need to have at least 12 guys there to help put it on. I would hope that we would have more than that who would want to be there to see this. Many very good runners. One on the womens’ side is Geena Gall; who just graduated from U of M. 2 time NCAA 800 meter champion, now turned pro. From Grand Blanc, and qualified for the World championship at the USATF meet. She’s coming up here to help sharpen herself for the world’s. Our workers will need to be at the downtown Running Fit at 6:15, the womens’ race is at 7:30 pm & the men’s is 7:40 pm. The 5k starts at 8:00 pm, and we are asked to have our workers help out with that as well. I will be there timing or something, but it will be dead time, so I won’t be attempting to be in direct contact.

Here’s the workout directive:

We’re doing a 4th week in this cycle, that will work out better for the season. So this week is a building week yet again.

Mon July 27 – A – 8 miles – hilly run, seek hills.

B – 5 miles, same

Tues – 28 – A — 11 – 12 miles, steady run

B – 7 miles – steady / comfortable

Weds – 29 – A – 6 miles EASY RUN _ RECOVERY

B – 4 miles – same

Thurs 30 – A – 8 miles, done with warmup/20 min fartlek/cooldown – 3 speed

B – 6 miles, warmup / 12 min fartlek (3 speed) / cooldown

Fri  31   A – 12 – 14 miles steady run, purely about adapting to  distance.

B – 7 miles, steady run

Sat August 1 – A – 6 – 7 miles – recover run

B – 5 miles, recovery day

Sunday – off

WEEK OF JULY 20 THROUGH 26

Welcome. I have just 2 more weeks that I can have contact with team members before the “dead” period from Aug. 1 thru the 11th. Then our season begins on Aug. 12th. Rolling right along as usual I would say.

I was just informed a couple of days ago that the annual coaches meeting is to be held Aug. 9th, right when I had figured to hold the team meeting. This has continued to become more awkward, so I have made the executive decision to move the dates for our team camp back to the following week. Camp will now begin Tuesday Aug. 18th and run through Sat. the 22nd. I’m hoping that doesn’t upset too many plans. This puts us back to the usual Tuesday start to camp, which works well for getting into DH Day. Too much seemed to be in the way of starting right out by going directly to camp the first day, not enough opportunity to have team members fully informed and prepared. This way we’ll accomplish that easily. We may even hold practice on the first Saturday the 15th.

We have set a long thought of; yet first ever parent party for Saturday Aug. 8th. This is for parents only, as a chance to meet each other, talk with the coaches, etc. Also it is an opportunity for us to be certain that you are informed prior to the season starting, in an informal way. This gathering is going to be hosted by LuAnn & Don Innis, and the details will be coming to you soon. So please mark that on your calendars, and plan to join us.

A hearty thank you again to Alex Hawke, Jonah Laursen, Trevor Painter and Ray Innis, for helping me with my roofing project on Saturday. They worked impressively hard, learned a few things, and saved me about 3 days worth of backbreaking labor as I strive to get a large part of my roof done before the season starts.

The duck sales did quite well, netting close to $400, good work all of you who peddled ducks! We will supply crowd control workers for the golden mile to be held Aug. 1. There has been a deal struck with a local hotel, so it looks like there won’t be a need for housing after all. Thanks to those families that had volunteered.

You can tell that the season is getting closer when the messages get longer…

HERE’S THE PLAN FOR THIS WEEK:

REMEMBER, QUALITY WHEN THE PLAN CALLS FOR IT, LIGHT OR COMFORTABLE WHEN INSTRUCTED. EASY ON THE RECOVERY DAYS, AND SUNDAYS ARE MANDATORY OFF DAYS. DON’T MIX IT UP, DON’T REINVENT. FOLLOW THE PLAN, IT WORKS. GOING LIGHTER WILL HAVE YOU LESS PREPARED, BUT DOING MORE, OR WORKING HARDER, ORRR NOT ALLOWING YOURSELF TO HAVE REST AND RECOVERY WILL CAUSE OVER-TRAINING, ILLNESS OR INJURY. DO IT RIGHT, NO EXCUSES! IT’S ALL LAID OUT FOR YOU. FOR THOSE WHOM I HAVE SPOKEN TO THAT ARE READY FOR IT – SECOND WORKOUTS MAY BE DONE ON MON – TUES. – THURS.- OR FRI. THAT’S IT, AND NEVER MORE THAN 5 MILES AT A STEADY PACE FOR THOSE RUNS.

Mon – July 20 – A  - 7 miles , add some hills

B –  5 miles as above

Tues 21 –  A – 10 miles steady pace, attempt to have a slightly faster pace at the end

B – 6 miles aas above

Weds 22 – A – 5 miles EASY

3 to 4 miles EASY

Thurs 23 – A – 7 miles – after warmup, ~ 15 min. done as a fartlek, cool down for 10                                 — 15 min.

B – 5 miles, add some fartlek work (speed play – changing gears) ~ 10 min

Fri 24 – A – 10 to 11 miles, steady pace

B – 7 miles, start easy and build to steady pace

Sat 25 – A – 6 miles recovery

B – 4 to 5 miles recovery run (easy)

Sunday 26 – off

Remember that it isn’t too late if someone you know would like to start training with you or the rest of the team. Far better now than when the season begins, or even when school starts. Encourage others, sometimes that’s all it takes, and you end up with a great team mate.

WEEK OF JULY12 – 19

Hey there, welcome to the post-festival reality. Here’s the line up for this week. Now is the crunch time, this is really when those of you who haven’t done much yet, can’t afford to give away any more preparation time. From here on out the conditioning for this conditioning dependent sport is critical to the success of the individual, and ultimately the whole team.

Do you ever think of it in that way? That the work that you put in is not just for you? It’s an investment in yourself of course, it is also a commitment to being at your best for the rest of the team. The same group that you want to be making the same level of commitment.

Speaking of, I was glad to see several of you out at the races Saturday. I was surprised by our contingent in the 15k, I guess they wanted to up the challenge?

“The giants of the race have been men of concentration, who have struck sledge-hammer blows in one place until they have accomplished their purpose. The successful men of today are men of overmastering idea, one unwavering aim, men of single and intense purpose.”            - Orison Swett Marden

This is the time, beginning this week when two a day workouts begin to separate the men from the boys. Don’t worry, they aren’t for everyone. Some of you wish to do them though, and now is the time to begin to choose: Mon, Tues, Thurs, or Friday. Those are the days to accomplish the maximum of 5 miles in a second workout. This is to be done in a simple steady run. Let the quality be done in the primary workout. If you are looking to do this try doing one early in the week and one late. Two in the first week that you do it. build from there, up to as much as 4 times each week. Keep Weds. and Sat. as 1 run days for recovery, that is very important. Sunday is to be kept an off day for recovery as well.

For those that run at least 1 second run this week, and do the “A” workouts, you’ll accomplish the ideal of 50 miles. That’s good mileage, a very good amount of time spent on conditioning yourself. You will feel the benefit in Sept. and Oct.

Here it is:

Mon July 13  - A – 7 miles,  finish at a faster pace.

B – 5 miles,  Same

Tues 14    A – 9 miles as a steady / comfortable run

B – 7 miles – same

Weds 15   A – 4 easy / jog

B – 3  same

Thurs 16   A – 7 – 8 find some hills at some point of the run.

B – 5  Add some hills in this as well.

Fri 17          A – 8 – 9  miles, steady run

B – steady

Sat 18           A – 7  EASY run

B – 4  easy run

Sun 19 – 0 – off

Cherry Fest. week, 7-5 -> 7-11

Hello all, I’m sure everyone is wrapped up in their summer by now. I made a quick tour through the car show his morning, and wow! with that and the arts & crafts fair, ++ going on, there must have been a lot of potential for ducks down there. Hopefully there was some success. Thank you again to the XC Task Force for running that whole show. I have been enjoying getting things done at home that have needed it for a long time. It’s nice to have the time to do those things.

This is the 4th week of training toward the upcoming season. That makes this a recovery week, so breath easy. Everything takes a step back from what it had built up to last week. The first cycle is finished, and on to the next.

I believe that I missed putting up a quote last night. So I’ll dredge up 2 for today.

“Opportunities have an evanescent quality about them. The stock market builds and builds, finally reaching a crest and then hesitating for a moment, plunges downwards….A coveted painting appears at auction. The bidding takes place, the gavel falls and it disappears from sight perhaps for generations. Opportunities are usually for the moment, and as they pass by there is often only a brief moment to grab them.”

- Eugene Griessman

” To venture is to risk anxiety, but not to venture is to lose yourself.”

- Kierkegaard

“He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.”

- Confucius

“The difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.”        - Don Juan

So with that here is the line up for this week. Many of you may be thinking of running  the Cherry Fest. races this Sat., if so I recommend the 5k. 15k gets very long when you aren’t used to it, and it can be too much with the heat that we often have at that time. Otherwise have fun.

I’m looking forward to getting back to the practices starting on Tuesday, see you then!

Sunday July 5 – 000

Monday 6, – A – 7 miles, steady run. No big push this week, make it easier, save it for the weekend.

B – 4    steady run

Tuesday 7,  A – 7 -8 miles, comfortable run

B – 5 miles comfortable

Wednesday 8,   A – 4    easy day

B – 3

Thursday 9,  - A – 7 miles  - steady

B – 4 miles steady

Friday 10,  -  A –  5 miles moderate

B –  3   easy

Saturday 11,  - A –  8  total

B – 5   total

2 for 1

” The fight  is won or lost far away from witnesses. It is won behind the lines, in the gym and out there  on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”

= Muhammad Ali

“For me. winning isn’t something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream.”

-Emmitt Smith

7-1

“Begin difficult things while they are easy.

Do great things when they are small.

The difficult things of the world must have once been easy.

The great things must have once been small.

A thousand mile journey begins with one step.”

- Lao-tzu,  Tao Te Ching

“CHAMPIONS AREN’T MADE IN GYMS, CHAMPIONS ARE MADE FROM SOMETHING THEY HAVE DEEP IN SIDE THEM – A DESIRE, A DREAM, A VISION.”

-Muhammad Ali