Stretch/Flex Information

I attended a Stretch/Flex/Conditioning session at Brooke on May 30th with other coaches. I would like to let you guys know that if you have a flex band (giant rubber band) you can get your body conditioned before the season starts. YOU CAN DO IT!

The activities we were shown take some time to learn. However, what I want you to know is this:

Our instructor said the difference between track teams in the region is pre-season conditioning.

I am going to scan the documents he gave us and share them with all of you so you can practice.

If you hit up YouTube and type in “Flex Conditioning” or something similar you can learn some of the techniques we learned.

Those with the goal of a visit to the State Meet as a competitor should pay careful attention & get on the ball. I can’t hold your hand on this and very few people have the time. You have the time and the ability. Any questions, please leave a comment & I’ll respond.

Brief Comment About Achilles Tendonitis

We’ve had some issues with our Achilles tendons. I’d like to address those problems briefly:

Pain in the ankle region arises from several sources. The irritation could be from improper stretching of the calf, ankle, or hamstring. The problem may be from increasing the physical demands on the body too quickly. Specifically we’re talking about running too fast too soon, doing hill work, and not cooling down after workouts. Pronation can also cause ankle tendonitis.

Knowing this, how can it be cured or even prevented? Ease into workouts with proper stretching and warmups of the calf, hamstring, and ankle. If the workouts are too intense, back down the intensity, gradually increasing the workload while correctly cooling down. Adding ice and anti-inflammatory medications to the mix should speed recovery.

Summary: It is ESSENTIAL we warm-up, stretch thoroughly, and cool down accordingly in order to remain healthy. I’m going to reassess our workouts to see if they are too intense.
Achilles Tendonitis and Running

Vibram FiveFingers Shoes

Ok, this is totally cool! I learned about these shoes from the guys/gals at Elite today. They’re the ultimate for people who want to run/walk/climb/hike/etc. and not worry about shoes. KG would benefit from these shoes greatly since he can jump 19 ft. barefoot; freakin’ nut.

Word of advice: Go to a store that sells them. Use store locator on the FiveFingers website. (Vibram FiveFingers) Elite Runners is the closest you can get from our location. Next closest would probably be Morgantown, WV.

Garmin Page

I’ve added a new page to the blog. It’s titled “405 Route Images”. I’ll be adding more as time goes so you guys can find some different locations to run & more accurately log your times/distances. Plus you’ll see my training & get on me if I’m slacking.

End of the 2009 Season – Keep on Battling the COUGAR!

I’d like to thank the entire team for their gift to me at the banquet. I wasn’t expecting anything more than a heartfelt “Thank You”. I appreciate all you have done.

Freshmen, I want this directed at you in particular: Read up on training for T&F/CC. The little tidbits you pick up will come in handy. That’s the way I learned to run & have attempted to put that into your heads this season. Stay conditioned year round. I know several of you play other sports. Please take time off to recover. Don’t feel like you MUST play every game. REST is VERY important. It allows the body time to heal. If you pencil REST into your other sports, especially those this summer, you’ll see you have plenty more than you thought.

OVTC & the Pegasus summer track leagues are options for the die-hard T&F people. Spread the word about these groups.

Veteran runners: Stay conditioned in the off-seasons. CC training should follow whatever program your coach has given you. If nothing has been set in stone I suggest ladies work for a weekly mileage of 40-50 miles. One-two days should include either speed (400m repeats all the way up to 1600m repeats and including a couple workouts of 3×3200m repeats at various paces) or hill repeats. The BHS CC course hill by the baseball fields and the Tennis court hill as well as the Band practice field hill are excellent locations if you can’t find any near your home. Men should do the same speed/hill workouts and have a mileage of at least 50-60.

Long run days should NOT exceed 10 miles for either group once every two weeks. Eight (8) miles is probably a good long day for the weeks you aren’t doing the 10 miler. Race a few 5k runs & make sure you KEEP A LOG of your training & race times so you can show your CC coach what you’ve been doing. THIS IS A MUST FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO REACH THE STATE CC MEET!!!!!

People whose focus is the T&F state meet should consult the workouts we did in 2008 & 2009, which you can download from the blog. I would recommend 3-4 long days of a duration of 45-80 minutes for each long day. I can help you plan a schedule if you’d like the assistance.

DEFINITELY KEEP A LOG, otherwise your coaches will not know how to plan workouts to suit your pre-season conditioning level. VERY IMPORTANT!!!!! I have provided links to online running logs on this blog. However a simple spiral notebook will do the job well.

ALL DISTANCE RUNNERS SHOULD CONTINUE DOING CRUNCHES & PUSH-UPS. These will improve your upper body & allow you to run faster & more comfortable.

Stay focused on your goals & tell the upcoming runners to follow your lead. I don’t want to see another runner get injured simply because they were “too lazy” to get motivated and TRY! Running is just like any other sport. It requires focus, discipline, respect (for coaches, other athletes/teams, yourself, and desire to be better at life & running). Battle the COUGAR!

Thank you!

Region I AAA Results from PrestonAthletics.com

Region I AAA Results from RunWV.com

2009 Distance Workouts

I’ve completed the 2009 season workouts & have them posted here for download. They are in PDF form. Make sure you have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to view the document. It is eleven (11) pages in length covering from March 2 until May 17.

Print a copy for yourself & put away for future use.

4A OVAC Results

Here are the OVAC Class 4A results.

Running Tangents

I’m very proud of you distance runners! You have learned well how to run tangents in a race. Here’s a few articles to further illustrate the point if anyone ever tells you “You’ll get disqualified if you don’t cut in at the break line.” or anything remotely similar.

http://runcolo.com/blog/running-the-tangents-short-course-prevention-factor-usatf/

http://runninginjuryfree.org/2008/10/run-tangents.html

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GOING OFF ON A TANGENT

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By Woody Green
If you have been running races or hanging around those who do for any length of time, you have probably heard the term
“running the tangents.” The concept is to run the shortest distance possible on a race course by hugging the turns and
running straight from the tangent on one turn to the tangent on the next.
For example, let’s say you have just turned right, running close to the curb on a road race course, and ahead you see
an upcoming left-hand turn. Ideally you would want to run as straight as possible to the curb of the upcoming turn,
running diagonally across the street to reach that point. Some people understand the concept, but don’t put it into
practice so well. As an example, in an 800-meter race on the track, runners normally run the first turn in a lane,
then they are permitted to cut to the inner lane. All too often the runner in the outside lane zips quickly across
the track into lane one, thinking they are quickly getting into position to run the shortest distance. Any geometry
student can tell you, however, that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. That means a runner
in an outside lane should point themselves in a straight line for lane one AT THE END OF THE STRAIGHTAWAY. The
correct approach is to slowly make their way across the lanes and only get to lane one as the track bends at the
end of the straight.
The same concept applies to turns in road races. Still, there are exceptions. Sometimes there are so many runners
in a race that there is a traffic jam on the inside path of the turns. At these times it may be best to run a little
farther by going wide around the turn and thus missing the human pile-up. Also, consider the surface. It is often
faster to run a little farther and stay on a firm, dry surface rather than to take a shorter route that is slick,
muddy or unstable. Try not to “zone out” when running a race. Many runners forget what they are doing and simply run right down the middle of the street. Running the tangents and avoiding obstacles can mean many precious seconds cut from your
final race time. http://www.toucantrackclub.net/November98.html

Workout for April 9, 2009

Be prepared to go “hunting” tomorrow. The person with the most Easter eggs will be in charge of practice next week.

You will select workouts from a list provided by me on Monday.
If you have a workout idea, you must put it in writing and explain your reason(s) for the activity.
The person with the most eggs will be the coach. I will only be there as mediator.

Happy Easter.

What to Do During a Bad Day of Running

Here are some ideas for things to help turn that long run day that just doesn’t add up to “fun” into an adventure:

Estimate how many steps it will take to get home. Eat your favorite goodie as a “victory trophy” if you are within 300 steps of your estimate.

Kick a bottle or rock as many times as possible before it is knocked into the median strip.

Imagine you are stuck on Jupiter and trying to get back to Earth via running.

Walk back to that punk who yelled, “Run, Forrest, Run!” and punch him/her in the gut repeatedly until you feel like running again.

Count the number of empty cigarette packs you see along the shoulder of the road.

Pretend you are in a wind storm and there is a cheeseburger (or favorite food) within inches of your reach.

“High-five” imaginary spectators as you win the Olympic Marathon in World Record time.

Swear to a higher power to never gorge on food like that ever again.

Barf the Alphabet in its entirety. (AAAAAAAcccccccch! BBBBEeeeeeeeeeelahch! CCCCeee! DEEEEah! etc.)

Count backwards from 10,000.

Discover the meaning of life.

Hitch a ride home while jog/walking.

Throw “gestures” at people who scream annoying sounds at you from their car while you struggle that extra step.

Sprint because there is a vicious dog on your tail.

Think of all the many ways to get back at your coach for saying, “Take today as an easy day.”

Stop at McDonald’s and get yourself a bite to eat. Proceed to call for a ride. Tell them your blood sugar was low & there’s a Big Mac in it for them if they come pick you up.

Last but not least:

Remain in your pajamas, eat that candy, watch TV/a movie, go back to sleep, and remember how nice it is to remain inside and rest for a day.

Then go out the next day and ATTACK!