Week 6 Training Plan, 9/28-10/4

Rescheduled Frank Kelley Invitational Interest poll

Twilight Invitational Interest poll

Remember, if you answer yes to one of the above polls, you're answering no to the other one.

Mon 9/28 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by progressive long run. The plan for today is for everyone to head towards the Wayland/Framingham border on the Hultman aqueduct, passing through the Avalon neighborhood of Framingham on Meadow Street Extension. What happens from there will depend on how far you're going.

Level 1: 36 minutes (12 minutes easy - 9 minutes fresh - 9 minutes good - 6 minutes easy)
Level 2: 48 minutes (16 minutes easy - 12 minutes fresh - 12 minutes good - 8 minutes easy)
Level 3: 60 minutes (20 minutes easy - 15 minutes fresh - 15 minutes good - 10 minutes easy)
Level 4: 72 minutes (24 minutes easy - 18 minutes fresh - 18 minutes good - 12 minutes easy)

Tuesday 9/29 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate effort level. We will be doing hill drills (high knee running, skipping, bounding) on the Hultman aqueduct where it crosses Pine Ridge Road. 

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Wednesday 9/30 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a short length run incorporating 3 short sets of short repeats. These short repeats will happen on top of the aqueduct. 

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Thursday 10/1 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate effort level. Upon your return to the school we'll be doing high stepping run throughs (high knees) and bounding over cones on the softball field and a few short race speed runs incorporating turns. 

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Friday 10/2 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a medium length run at an easy effort for those who will be attending the practice in Lincoln tomorrow OR

Level 1 and 2: 5x1 minute at 75% effort, 30 second recoveries. 4 minutes recovery then 5x1 minute at 85% effort, 1 minute recovery. Cool down back to the parking lot.

Level 3 - 6x1 minute at 75% effort, 30 second recoveries. 4 minutes recovery then 6x1 minute at 85% effort, 1 minute recovery. Cool down back to the parking lot.

Level 4 - 8x1 minute at 75% effort, 30 second recoveries. 5 minutes recovery then 8x1 minute at 85% effort, 1 minute recovery. Cool down back to the parking lot.

Sat 10/3 - Rescheduled Frank Kelley Invitational for those that choose it, or 

Either a medium length run at an easy effort for those who did the repeat workout yesterday  OR 

9 AM optional practice at Lincoln Station, warmup to Mt. Misery field loop followed by 

Level 1 and 2: 5x1 minute at 75% effort, 30 second recoveries. 4 minutes recovery then 5x1 minute at 85% effort, 1 minute recovery. Cool down back to the parking lot.

Level 3 - 6x1 minute at 75% effort, 30 second recoveries. 4 minutes recovery then 6x1 minute at 85% effort, 1 minute recovery. Cool down back to the parking lot.

Level 4 - 8x1 minute at 75% effort, 30 second recoveries. 5 minutes recovery then 8x1 minute at 85% effort, 1 minute recovery. Cool down back to the parking lot.

Sunday 10/4 - off 

Week 5 Training Plan, 9/21-9/27

Frank Kelley, and more Frank Kelley

Monday 9/21 - off if you're observing the holiday, otherwise a short length run on your own as follows:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes 

Tuesday 9/22 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a cyclic long run (CLR). The total time of this run will be broken down into 12 equal segments. The first segment is run at an easy (40% or so) effort. The next is run at a "fresh" (60-65% or so) effort, and the one after that at a "good" (80-85%) effort. Then this easy-fresh-good cycle is repeated three more times. If your watch has a countdown timer function, it's a good way to keep track of these time segments. Total length of the run as follows:

Level 1: 36 minutes (12x3 minute segments)
Level 2: 48 minutes (12x4 minute segments)
Level 3: 60 minutes (12x5 minute segments)
Level 4: 72 minutes (12x6 minute segments)

Wednesday 9/23 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES and strides on the track followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate effort level. Upon your return to the school we'll be doing high stepping run throughs (high knees) and bounding over cones on the softball field and a few  accelerations incorporating turns. 

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Thursday 9/24 - Team warmup including BURPEES, followed by a short length run incorporating 3 short sets of short repeats. These short repeats will happen on top of the aqueduct. 

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Friday 9/25 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES then the following "tempo run" style workout. In this case, "tempo" pace is considered to be somewhere in the 75-85% effort level if you're running on feel (which you will be). After the team warmup the workout is as follows:

Level 1: 6 minutes @ 70-75% effort, 4 minute break, 6 minutes @ 80-85% effort (warmup and cooldown of 5-6 minutes apiece)
Level 2: 8 minutes @ 70-75% effort, 5 minute break, 8 minutes @ 80-85% effort (warmup and cooldown of 5-6 minutes apiece)
Level 3: 10 minutes @ 70-75% effort, 6 minute break, 10 minutes @ 80-85% effort (warmup and cooldown of 6-8 minutes apiece)
Level 4:  12 minutes @ 70-75% effort, 7 minute break, 12 minutes @ 80-85% effort (warmup and cooldown of 8-10 minutes apiece)

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Sat 9/26 - Frank Kelley Invitational has been postponed alas. 

Sunday 9/27 - off 

Dual Meet #1 results - vs. Boston Latin, 9/16/26

On a warm and sticky afternoon, the first of three dual meets for the WHS teams was contested on the home course. The racing was as hot as the temperature, with a combined JV race going off the line first. This was a large and crowded field with over 50 finishers. Many of them were 7th and 8th graders from Boston Latin, a school which includes grades 7-12. The winner on the boys side was WHS 9th grader Henry Vukson, who picked up where he left off from last week's race. Behind Henry, a parade of Wayland runners came through, with many bunched in the top 10 overall. This group included Wyatt Ciccarelli, Griffin Jorgensen, Caleb Grace, David McLaughlin, and Drake LeBaron who finished within six seconds of each other. 

The next race was the girls varsity, with the visiting Boston Latin runners doing their best to take control of the race in the early stages. Despite (or perhaps because of) this early effort, as the race wore on and the runners climbed up and then down from the aqueduct, the positions started to change with the Wayland duo of Ava Miller and Ivy Robertson taking over the top two spots. Miller went on to win with a storming finish to the line. Behind the Wayland top two an intriguing race developed with Latin taking the next three spots, while Henrietta Schoeffler and Brynn Andrus secured 6th and 7th place. Latin's next 3 runners came across after that, with their sixth runner displacing Wayland's fifth who was senior co-captain Cordia Wang. Rookies Lily Hage and Anya Brown completed Wayland's top seven with senior co-captain Ainsley Jay rounding out the WHS group. When the meet score was tallied it was Wayland who came out on top by a score of 27-29. It was a closely contested race.

Finally, the boys varsity race was the last event of the day. In this case, the Latin runners hung back in the first few minutes before attempting to assert themselves as the field approached the mile mark. Meanwhile Brandon Hopps was leading all comers as the course went up to the top of the aqueduct behind the school. This part of the course is where the Wayland runners used the home course to their advantage, moving up in the field and winning key battles within the race. With Hopps winning from Latin's top runner and Ryan Foley in a strong third, Latin put three of the next four runners across the line. Ryan Young was able to break up these three getting in front of Latin's fourth runner, and then Wayland took the next three spots with Archie Baker, Elliot Hopper and Reese Migdal securing key places. As the 6th finisher for Wayland Migdal finished ahead of Latin's fifth thus displacing him and adding a point to their score. 9th grader Evan Hopps was Wayland's final member of the top seven in an impressive performance against experienced competition. The WHS group was rounded out by Grady Spence, Daniel Sondey, Thomas Conley and 9th grader Henry Tharpe as well. The team score was just as close as in the girls race, in fact it was the exact same results with Wayland taking the win 27-29. Scoring 27 points is a guaranteed win in a dual meet, but it indicates a very close contest. 

splits and times for WHS athletes - apologies to JV runners I was unable to be at the mile mark to take split times due to leading the course tour for the varsity runners when the JV race started. 

Dual Meet #1 vs. Boston Latin School, 9/16/26

Suggested warmup protocol - you may have to adjust this somewhat, particularly if you're entered in the JV race.

Meet Site: Wayland High School. The first of two home meets this season.

Start Time: First race 4:30 PM unless you hear different from me. Please arrive no later than 3:15. We may need help setting up the course. There will be three races as follows:

1. Combined JV race (short course) - 

boys - Alappatt, Choi, Ciccarelli, Doxopoulos, Garcia-Rivera, Grace, Hill, Jorgensen, LeBaron, Markey, McLaughlin, P. Sondey, Stack, Tripp, Versteeg, Vukson

girls - Davids* 

2. Varsity girls race (long course) - Andrus, Brown, Jay, Hage, Miller, Robertson, Schoeffler, Wang

3. Varsity boys race (long course) - Baker, Conley, Foley, Hopper, B. Hopps, E. Hopps, Migdal, D. Sondey, Spence, Tharpe, Young

note: the top 7 finishers in the varsity boys race will earn credit toward a varsity letter.  

* TBD based on injury status

Course Maps: 

short course (JV race)

 

long course (varsity races)

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Partly cloudy, temperatures in the mid to high 70s with SW winds 5-10 mph. Bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform.

• Before the first race of the day there will be separate course tours of both the short and long courses. Anyone racing at WHS for the first time will join the course tour.  

 • Don't forget your assigned dual meet bib number. At the conclusion of your race, please remove the bib number from your jersey and return it to the large ziploc bag where the bib numbers will be stored between meets. Leave the safety pins on the corners of the bib number.

 • Be prepared to help out with setting up and/or breaking down the course before and after the meet. This mostly involves the placement or removal of cones and small flags. You may be asked to help by one of the coaches or one of the captains. 

• Team members who aren't competing can help out with finish line tasks or serving as course marshals. This help is greatly appreciated by your teammates and the coaching staff.  

• Don't forget about the team picture at 3:30! Say cheese…

Week 4 Training Plan, 9/14-9/20

Will Jackson (WHS Class of 2025), NCAC Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week 

This week the first of three dual meets will be held, with Wayland hosting the Boston Latin School on Wednesday. The long run will be done on Monday and the other major workout of the week will be either Friday (for those who can't make it to the practice Saturday morning) or Saturday (for those who can). The Saturday practice will meet at the Lincoln Station parking lot.  

Mon 9/14 - Practice 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by progressive long run, broken down as follows:

Level 1: 36 minutes (12 minutes easy - 9 minutes fresh - 9 minutes good - 6 minutes easy)
Level 2: 48 minutes (16 minutes easy - 12 minutes fresh - 12 minutes good - 8 minutes easy)
Level 3: 60 minutes (20 minutes easy - 15 minutes fresh - 15 minutes good - 10 minutes easy)
Level 4: 72 minutes (24 minutes easy - 18 minutes fresh - 18 minutes good - 12 minutes easy)

The route for today's run will be along the Weston Aqueduct heading west towards Framingham to start. For some the run will be an out and back along the aqueduct while others will make a loop and return via the Hultman Aqueduct and Carol Getchell Trail.

Tue 9/15 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including CURTSIES followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate effort level. Upon your return to the school we'll be doing high stepping run throughs (high knees) and bounding over cones on the softball field and a few runouts next to the softball field incorporating turns.

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Wed 9/16 - Dual Meet #1 vs. Boston Latin. More information on this meet will be forthcoming in a subsequent post. Today is a medium length day in terms of how much running you should be doing overall:

Level 1: 28-32 minutes
Level 2: 36-40 minutes
Level 3: 43-47 minutes
Level 4: 52-56 minutes

Depending on what level you're training at, this may mean either a very short or rather long cooldown jog after your race.

Thu 9/17 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES, followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity. In addition we'll be doing hill drills on the Hultman Aqueduct between Cedar Crest and Pine Ridge road.

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Fri 9/18 - Practice at 3:30.  Warmup including CURTSIES followed by timed progression repeats of 3 minutes in length, followed by a separate set of 200 meter repeats with a 200 meter jog recovery. Each 3 minute repeat should follow this pattern: first minute 70% effort, next minute 80% effort, last minute 90% effort. The recovery after each repeat is 2.5 minutes of very easy jogging/fast walking. After finishing the last 3 minute repeat, take about 5 minutes break for water and then a series of 200 meter repeats at race pace effort. Number of reps as follows: 

Level 1: 3x3 minutes, 3x200 (warmup and cooldown of 5-6 minutes apiece)
Level 2: 4x3 minutes, 4x200 (warmup and cooldown of 5-6 minutes apiece)
Level 3: 5x3 minutes, 5x200 (warmup and cooldown of 6-8 minutes apiece)
Level 4: 6x3 minutes, 5x200 (warmup and cooldown of 8-10 minutes apiece)

OR

Warmup followed by a short run at an easy to moderate pace for those doing the workout at Lincoln Station tomorrow.

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Sat 9/19 - Optional practice 9:00 AM at Lincoln Station- Timed progression repeats of 3 minutes in length, followed by a separate set of 200 meter repeats with a 200 meter jog recovery. Each 3 minute repeat should follow this pattern: first minute 70% effort, next minute 80% effort, last minute 90% effort. The recovery after each repeat is 2.5 minutes of very easy jogging/fast walking. After finishing the last 3 minute repeat, take about 5 minutes break for water and then a series of 200 meter repeats at an intense (faster than race pace) effort. Number of reps as follows:

Level 1: 3x3 minutes, 3x200 (warmup and cooldown of 5-6 minutes apiece)
Level 2: 4x3 minutes, 4x200 (warmup and cooldown of 5-6 minutes apiece)
Level 3: 5x3 minutes, 5x200 (warmup and cooldown of 6-8 minutes apiece)
Level 4: 6x3 minutes, 5x200 (warmup and cooldown of 8-10 minutes apiece)

OR

Warmup followed by a short run at an easy to moderate pace for those who did the timed repeat workout yesterday.

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Sun 9/20 - Off.

DCL Kickoff Results - 9/9/26

Meet results  

Meet schedule overview

On a cloudy and warm afternoon, a group of WHS athletes visited Bedford High School for a non-scoring scrimmage style meet on a 3 kilometer (1.87 mile) course. In addition to the hosts, Newton South and Westford Academy also took part. All of the Wayland runners were making their season debut, with many running their first high school race. Despite this, the sound racing tactics were impressive from Wayland runners. The course, which lacking much in the way of vertical relief, still required some discipline early on. 

The first of two races contested by WHS athletes was the boys JV race, with almost 100 finishers (over half of those from Newton South). In these crowded conditions the first three Wayland finishers were all 9th graders, led by Henry Tharpe in the top 20 with Connor Thomas and Henry Vukson in the top 30. Not long after, a group of 10 runners that included 11th grader Caleb Grace and 9th grader Rhys Hill crossed the line within six seconds of each other, packing that is normally seen only at large invitational meets. 9th graders Dylan Stack and Peter Sondey were part of another clump of runners (six finishers in five seconds) fighting to the finish line. Rounding out the Wayland contingent were 10th graders David McLaughlin and Drake LeBaron and 9th graders Daniel Alappatt, Anthony Choi and Cesc Garcia-Rivera. LeBaron, as the only Wayland runner with prior experience with high school cross country, was the grizzled veteran of the group. 

 In the girls varsity race, the 10th grade pair of Ivy Robertson and Brynn Andrus established a competitive position early and made it stick at the end, with both finishing in the top 10. While Robertson has experience from the track team last year this was an impressive effort for her first cross country race.  

The next race on the schedule is next Wednesday, which is the first of two home meets this season. This will also be team picture day. As can be seen from the meet schedule overview linked above, there are nine meets remaining on the schedule. While no one on the team will be competing in every single one of them, there are plenty of opportunities to race between now and the end of the season. 

DCL Kickoff Scrimmage - 9/9/26

Warmup protocol 

Schedule overview for 2026 season 

Meet Site: Bedford High School, 9 Mudge Way 

Bus leaves at 2:45

first race 4:30

Order of races and lineups:

JV boys - Alappatt, Choi, Garcia-Rivera, Grace, Hill, LeBaron, McLaughlin, P. Sondey, Stack, Tharpe, Thomas, Vukson

JV girls - none

varsity girls - Andrus, Robertson

varsity boys - none

Any girls that complete the race and the seven fastest boys on the day will receive credit towards a varsity letter as outlined on pages 6 and 7 of this document.

Course Map:

The course begins and ends on a baseball field next to the high school, with an out and back portion on the other side of Railroad Street (there will be a crossing guard). The course is a mix of grass with some pavement along the road. If you have spiked shoes it might be a good idea to put 1/8" elements or blanks in them.

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Overcast, temperatures in the high 70s with S winds 5-10 mph. Bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform. You won't be allowed on the bus if you don't have clothes to wear besides your uniform.
• You'll need to wear your assigned bib number for this meet and the upcoming three dual meets. After your race and before you leave, please return this bib number to the ziploc bag that holds the bib numbers and safety pins.
• There's no team scoring at this meet.

• There will be a course tour sometime soon after we arrive, which might be led by Coach Mayall.

• As noted in a previous communication, those athletes who raced on Sunday at the Vineyard Invitational won't be racing at this meet. The plan is for them to come along on the bus and do the day's workout (as laid out in the Week 3 Training Plan on this website) on the Reformatory Branch rail trail which passes just to the south of the middle school playing fields. This path, which is an unpaved former rail bed, can be located at the southernmost part of the race course on the map above. The run will be an out and back heading west towards Concord along this path, returning halfway through to Bedford High School. Take particular care at all road crossings, especially Concord Road (route 62) if you reach it. Stop, look both ways and wait for a safe opportunity to cross. 

 What to Bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• plastic bag to store clothes and backpack/duffel bag
• water bottle - including a larger (24-32 oz.) bottle if you have one
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

for parents:

• From what I can tell, there's parking near the Bedford Public Library next to the high school, but the lot behind John Glenn Middle School (next to tennis courts) might be a better option as the race course passes directly by this spot.