Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Dual Meet #3: at Newton South with Waltham - 10/1/14

Meet Site: Cold Spring Park, 1200 Beacon Street, Newton MA. The meet is NOT held at Newton South High School! 

Bus Time: 2:30

Start Time: First race will be 4:00 at the earliest.

There will be separate JV races. Order of races is as follows:
• JV boys - Bartick, Brewton, Butler, Chase, Comettant, Daley, Dowling, Dutton, Estrada, Gold, Jacobs, LaRochelle, Nealley, Pachter, Pak, Porter, Talukdar, Watkins, Xu
• varsity girls - Butler, DeRubeis, Henning, Jofe, Kiefer, McCarthy, Provost, Schwartz, Sheffres, Tully
• varsity boys - Bucher, Cocce, Galang, Greenwood, Kay, Last, Luo, McCarthy, Moody
• JV girls - Barrow, Bauerova, Burke, Comettant, Moran, Pineault

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: temperatures in the high 50s, overcast with a chance of showers, winds 10 mph from the NE. A big change from Saturday's meet, much cooler and with the wind blowing it will feel raw. No one will be allowed on the bus wearing nothing but their uniform. You'll need to have your arms and legs covered during the course tour and warmup as well as the cooldown.
• You'll need to wear your assigned DCL bib number for this race; afterward, please return it to one of the coaches for future use.
• This is a "double dual" meet in that there are three teams contesting three separate dual meets: Wayland vs. Newton South, Wayland vs. Waltham, and Waltham vs. Newton South.
• I've sent a map of the course to everyone on the mailing list; it's a two loop course in the woods with a much smaller loop at the beginning around the soccer fields. UPDATE: the boys will be running a different course from the girls. The girls course is 2.7 miles long, the boys course will be 3.1 miles long.

What to bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• water bottle - BRING YOUR WATER BOTTLE, it does you no good sitting on a shelf at home!
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Challenge)
• folding chair if you want something to sit on while changing shoes

Information for Parents:

• The course is NOT located at Newton South High School; please see above for the address of Cold Spring Park where the meet will be held.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Training Plan for Week 5: 9/29-10/5

On the heels of last week's reduction in training volume, the next two weeks will be the highest volume of training you do for the entire season. Training may take some other form than running if nagging injuries require it; an elliptical machine or aqua jogging in a pool would be the best options, with riding a bike next on the list, followed by swimming. The training pattern for the week is C-A-B-A-B-C where A is a shorter run C is a longer run and B is somewhere in between. 

Many people on the team have come down with a cold that seems to be going around the school. Keep in mind that the best ways to avoid illness are:

• washing your hands thoroughly and regularly, including before eating and after using the bathroom
• sleeping 8-9 hours a night
• avoid touching your face
cover your coughs and sneezes--by doing so into your elbow, preferably

Finally, the plank at the beginning of the warmup has been bumped up to 60 seconds. 

• Mon 9/29 - 45-75 minutes easy. If you feel up to it, pick up the pace the last 10-15 minutes or so. Core circuit after the run.

• Tue 9/30 - 30-45 minutes incl. 6-8x100 meters at race pace at the end of the run. Hill drills after the warmup. 

• Wed 10/1 - Dual Meet #3 vs. Newton South and Waltham. This meet will be held at Cold Spring Park; more information will be posted Tuesday on this website. The overall amount of running you do today, including warmup and cool down, should be in the 40-60 minute range. 

• Thu 10/2 - 30-45 minutes easy, with a modest increase in pace the last 5-10 minutes. Core circuit after the run. 

• Fri 10/3 - 10 minute warmup, timed pickups, 10 minute cool down. Hill drills after the warmup. There are two options, either 9-7-5-3-1 or 8-6-4-2-1 minutes, starting out at slower than are pace and ending with the last two pickups at race pace. Recovery jogs of 4-3-2-1 minutes after each pickup. This can be done on the area of the home course.

• Sat 10/4 - 60-90 minute easy long run. Today's optional practice will be at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge instead of the Lincoln trails. The time is the same, 9 AM. The address for the main entrance is 680 Hudson Road, Sudbury MA. We'll be meeting at the visitor center on Winterberry Way, which is just under half a mile from the entrance. More information in a future post. 


• Sun 10/5 - off. 

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Frank Kelley Invitational Results

We had some very impressive results today at the Frank Kelley Invitational. Results can be found here. We ran in the Division II races. It turns out my warning in the previous post about the conditions was if anything an understatement. The attrition rate was much higher than usual. In addition to the abnormally hot temperatures, at one point I think I saw Tom Joad packing up his things and heading for California.

Despite all this, many people on our teams raced quite well. We had four medal winners who finished in the top 25 in their respective races:

Erica Sheffres - 25th, girls JV
Zhenyang Luo - 16th, boys freshmen
Graham Macklin - 20th, boys varsity
Sarah Tully - 3rd, girls varsity

the boys varsity finished 12th out of 17 teams. I'm sending out a spreadsheet with split times and average pace for everyone on the mailing list; if you're not on the list and would like to receive this and other results for the rest of the season send a note to llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com and I'll put you on the list.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Frank Kelley Invitational at Wrentham Developmental Center - Saturday 9/27/14

Meet Site: 
Wrentham Developmental Center. The address is 131 Emerald Street, however the race course is located a little further down the road, in the large field at the intersection of Emerald Street and Shear St. This is across the street from the William A. Rice Recreation Area.

Bus time 10:15

Race Schedule and Entries:

12:15 JV boys - Brewton, Butler, Comettant, Dowling, Dutton, Gold, Jacobs, Kay, Moody, Nealley, Pachter, Porter, Talukdar, Xu
12:38 JV girls - DeRubeis, Henning, Jofe, Kiefer, Moran, Provost, Schwartz, Sheffres
1:05 Freshman boys - Chase, Estrada, Luo
1:20 Freshman girls - none
1:38  Varsity boys - Bucher, Cocce, Galang, Greenwood, Last, Macklin, J. McCarthy
2:00 Varsity girls - A. McCarthy, Tully   


Meet Information:

Weather forecast (IMPORTANT): Sunny with temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s at race time, with light breezes. It will be hot, and you'll be running at the hottest time of day. This will affect how you prepare for your race and how you run it. In fact, the weather will surely be the dominant concern for everyone who's racing. It's imperative that you stay out of the sun as much as possible before starting your warmup routine, which should be 45 minutes to an hour before your race starts. Stay hydrated. Bring and use sunscreen. Be prepared to back off your pace goals by 5-10 seconds/mile if the coaches think it would be advisable. There will be athletes who struggle in the weather we'll be experiencing Saturday; do what you can to ensure that you're not one of them. 
• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked that athletes who aren't racing NOT wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number.
• The meet staff has asked that no one do their warmup or cooldown among the buildings of the Wrentham Developmental Center, where patients are housed. Aside from the course itself, you can warmup and cooldown on the fields across the street. • A map of the course can be seen here. It's basically flat, with some gentle roll in places. The course is entirely on grass. The freshman race ends after the second lap (3k versus 5k). JV and varsity run three laps. 
• Medals will be given to the top 25 finishers in each race.
• There are 68 teams and over 2,300 athletes entered in the meet.
• The large school races will be run in the morning (we're in the small school division). 
• Time cutoffs: varsity boys 22 minutes, varsity girls 26 minutes, JV boys 25 minutes, JV girls 28 minutes, freshman boys 16 minutes. The chute will be closed when the cutoff time is reached.


What to Bring:

• Uniform
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them
• Warmup clothes including a hat with a wide brim for shade
Sunscreen
• Water bottle - BRING YOUR WATER BOTTLE, it does you no good sitting on a shelf at home!
• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Challenge)
• Lunch - food will be sold at the meet but it won't be particularly good or nutritious; my advice is to pack a lunch and bring it with you.

For Parents:

• A parking fee of $5 will be collected for each car.
• We hope to return to WHS around 4 PM. 

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Dual Meet #2 results

We took our lumps today at Bedford, with the varsity girls falling 18-45 and the boys 15-46. Both JV races went to Bedford 15-50. Nevertheless, it was a valuable experience running on a mostly flat 5k with smooth footing. In fact, this describes most of the courses we'll be racing on from here on out this season. I've sent a spreadsheet with the split times for everyone who raced today, if you'd like to receive this but aren't yet on the e-mail list send a note to llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Dual Meet #2: at Bedford - Tuesday 9/23/14

Meet Site: Bedford High School

bus time: 2:30

First race 4:00 PM unless you hear different from me

Girls will be followed by boys; one race for each gender

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: temperatures in the high 60s at race time, with light breezes from the west. Quite similar to last week's home meet. You'll want to wear more than just your uniform while warming up and cooling down. The temperature will start to drop by the time the meet's wrapping up. It's worth a reminder: bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform.
• Once again you'll be required to wear your DCL bib number. After the race, don't forget to return it to me and I'll hold on to it until next week's meet.
• The Bedford coach says the tour will take no more than 30 minutes. 
• A map of Bedford's course can be seen here. It's quite flat, and about a third of it is on pavement. Start and finish are on the track encircling the football field. 

What to Bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• sunscreen
• water bottle - BRING YOUR WATER BOTTLE, it does you no good sitting on a shelf at home!
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Challenge)

for parents:

• The best (only) place to watch the race apart from the start and finish at the track is along Railroad Ave., near the middle school parking lot. See the course map linked above. 

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Training Plan for Week 4: 9/22-9/28

This week the pattern changes from what it's been up to now. Hopefully, the amount of running you've been doing has been gradually increasing since practice officially started. This week, the average amount of running you do on a daily basis will drop by about a third from what it's been the past week or two. Put in simple terms, if you've been averaging 60 minutes of running a day, this week you'll average 40. If you've been averaging 45 minutes per day, this week you'll average 30. This doesn't mean every day is the average; some days will be less and others will be more. The pattern of the runs will be A-B-A-(B)-A-(B) where A is shorter and B is longer; note that there are no C (longest) runs for the week. The higher training volume will return next week but this week, with two meets on the schedule for many people, it's a good idea to pull the cord. 

Also worth noting this week is the observance of Rosh Hashanah on Thursday. As a result there's no school or organized practice on Thursday. Also, there's no organized practice on Friday even though school will be in session. Depending on whether or not you're observing the holiday on Thursday you can run on your own if you want. On Friday, I'd like you to do basically the same thing we're doing on Monday. You can get together amongst yourselves to do that if you like. 

Mon 9/22 - 20-40 minutes. Hill drills between the warmup and the rest of the run. In the last ten minutes of your run I want you to run 4-5 times from the far corner of the football practice field to the start/finish line of the home course at race pace. And not faster. Jog back to the other end as recovery. This stretch is flat, has smooth footing, is basically straight, and just under 200 meters so we can easily put a time goal and get a sense of what race pace effort "feels like" on a flat course. Worth doing given that both courses this week are mostly flat with smooth footing. I'll also explain Bedford's course and our approach to this meet given its place in the season. 

Tue 9/23 - Dual meet at Bedford, 30-60 minutes total including warmup and cool down. Check this website during the day Monday for a post with meet info including a link to a map of Bedford's course. Think flat with a lot of pavement. 

Wed 9/24 - 20-40 minutes. Core circuit after the run. Since this is the last time we'll meet before Saturday's meet it's important that we go over some things about the meet before you leave for the day. 

Thu 9/25 - off. No organized practice today, if you're not observing the holiday and are interested in going for a run on your own you can do something in the 30-60 minute range. 

Fri 9/26 - same as Monday. Including the same 4-5 runs at race pace on the stretch of course I described in Monday's entry. 

Sat 9/27 - Frank Kelley Invitational at The Wrentham Developmental Center. 30-60 minutes total including warmup and cool down. Check this website for more information on Thursday or Friday. The large school races (not us) are in the morning; the small school races begin at 12:15. Note that there are time cutoffs for each race; this has forced me to hold certain people out of this meet. 


Sun 9/28 - off or an easy run in the 30-60 minute range if you took Thursday off.  

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Website upgrade - Volunteer opportunity this weekend - Frank Kelley Invitational next weekend

Three things to note:

• I've added a sidebar to the website with useful links. One of them is a link to results of DCL dual meets, uploaded by the Weston coach for everyone's benefit. So far our meet with Latin and the Bedford/Westford/Weston double dual are up.

• The Dudley Pond Association 5k will be held this Sunday at 1 PM. They're looking for volunteers, specifically people to call out mile splits and help direct runners on the course. Graham has helped out at this race in the past and can explain what it's like but it sounds like a good time. You can earn community service credit for volunteering at this race as well. If you're interested let me know at practice or send me a note at llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com

• Next Saturday September 27th is the Frank Kelley Invitational at the Wrentham Developmental Center. This is the same site as two of the big meets in November.  It's a good opportunity to experience the course in advance of the championship meets, as well as run against a large number of other schools. I need to submit entries by this Saturday, so I need to know if you're interested in running. As with the volunteering for the Dudley Pond 5k, let me know at practice or send me an e-mail if you want to race this meet. Important note: Due to the establishment this year of cutoff times in the various races at this meet, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to enter every team member who wants to go.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Dual Meet #1 Results

We had a lot of good performances today on the home course for our first (and only) home meet of the season. The boys won both the varsity and JV races, while the girls race was won in convincing fashion by Sarah Tully. I was impressed with how our team approached running our course, which requires the right mental approach in order to have a good race. I saw many people come out of the sandpit having passed people who were ahead of them going in. The way people helped out in both setting up the course and cleaning things up when the meet was done is much appreciated.

If you're on the e-mail list, you've received copies of the results and split times; if you're not yet on the e-mail list, send a note to me at llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com and I'll add you to the list.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Dual Meet #1: home vs. Boston Latin - Wednesday 9/17/14

Meet Site: Wayland High School!

First race 4:15 PM unless you hear different from me

Girls will race first, followed by boys

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: temperatures in the high 60s at race time, with light breezes from the west. Compared to last week at Franklin Park, maybe just a bit warmer. Nevertheless, you'll want to wear more than just your uniform while warming up and cooling down. The temperature will drop by the time the meet's wrapping up. It's worth a reminder: bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform.
• You'll receive a bib number that you need to wear for this and all subsequent DCL meets (i.e. weekday meets). After your race and before you leave, please return this bib number to me and I'll hold on to it until next week's meet.
• Be prepared to help out with setting up and/or breaking down the course before or after the meet. You may be asked to help by one of the coaches or one of the captains. 
• You're more than welcome to join the course tour before the first race of the day: it's not restricted to the visiting team.
• The varsity result will be determined by the first seven finishers from each team. 
• The JV result will be determined by finishers 8-14 from each team.

What to Bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• sunscreen
• 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 Challenge)

for parents:

• a map of the course can be seen here. If you stand near the start/finish line (just off the corner of the student parking lot, near the JV baseball field) you can watch most of the first mile and the last half mile of the race.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Team Dinner Tuesday!

There will be a team dinner Tuesday after practice at captain Maddy Schwartz' house (60 Highland Circle, off Draper Road). The dinner will start around 5:15, right after practice so you'll have time to do your homework as well. I'm told there's going to be spaghetti, and that no one goes home hungry.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Training Plan for Week 3: 9/15-9/21

This week features the first dual meet, which is also our only home meet. It's also the first race you'll be running that is longer than 2 miles. The training pattern will closely resemble last week, with a longer run Monday, shorter runs Tuesday and Thursday, meet Wednesday, a fairly substantial workout on Friday, long easy recovery run Saturday, and day off Sunday. Ideally, the amount of running you've been doing has gradually increased since the pre-season. That trend should continue through this week before we pull it back next week, when two meets are on the schedule.

• Monday 9/15 - Longer run of 40-70 minutes. Core circuit after the run and before stretching. Start out today at an easy pace, and gradually pick it up over the course of the run, such that the last 5-10 minutes are at close to a race pace effort. Also, after the warmup I'll explain how dual meets are scored in cross country. 

• Tuesday 9/16 - Shorter run of 25-45 minutes. Hill drills after the warmup and before the rest of the run. In the last 5-10 minutes of today's run, do 4-5 short pickups of 40-60 meters in length on the field loop of the home course. For anyone that wants to see the home course again, you can do the first part of your run (or all of it) as a course tour with the coaches and/or captains.

• Wednesday 9/17 - First dual meet vs. Boston Latin. With the warmup and cool down, you'll find that your total time spent running will be in the medium range, anywhere from 40-60 minutes. Both before and after the race itself, we'll need your help in both setting up and removing cones and course markings. Also, you will need to wear a bib number with your assigned DCL competitor number. Our number range is 701-799. When your race is over please return your bib number to me with the safety pins attached to each corner. I'll give it back to you before our next dual meet at Bedford next week.

• Thursday 9/18 - Shorter run of 25-45 minutes. Core circuit after the run and before stretching. Take it easy today after yesterday's race and before tomorrow's workout.

• Friday 9/19 - Track workout. Hill drills after the warmup The specifics of the workout will be explained, as there will be different options. However, in general the structure will be a longer repeat at a speed somewhat slower than race pace, followed by a 200 meter jog recovery, then a shorter faster repeat of 100 or 200 meters, followed by another recovery jog. At this point the cycle starts over with the longer repeat again. Overall, people will run anywhere from 10 to 20 laps, repeats and recovery jogs combined. 

• Saturday 9/20 - Long easy recovery run, 45-80 minutes. Take it easy today, particularly at the start. There'll be an optional practice in Lincoln meeting at 9 AM, otherwise you can do this run on your own. 


• Sunday 9/21 - off. 

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

DCL Small Division Relays/ W-Day

The inaugural edition of the DCL Small Division Relays went well for us today at Franklin Park. The boys' A-team (aka "This Is Not Basketball") won the race, with the B-team ("Is This Football?") taking third place. Throughout the lineup there were strong performances as well. I've sent out a spreadsheet with the split times of everyone who raced today. If you're not on the mailing list and would like to receive it, send a note to me at llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com.

In the W-day "race within a race" the boys Varsity (A+B) and JV (C+D) teams topped Weston, while their girls' Varsity and JV returned the favor. So we're even on that score. The remainder of the W-day contests in the other fall sports will take place on Saturday September 27th at Weston HS. After we return from the Frank Kelley Invitational at Wrentham that day, you might want to head over to watch.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

DCL Small Division Relays - Wednesday 9/10/14

Meet Site: Playstead Field at Franklin Park, Boston.

Bus Time: 2:30 PM

First race 4 PM until you hear different from me (could be 4:15)

Girls will race first, followed by boys

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: temperatures in the high 60s at race time, with winds from the east about 10 mph. Much more pleasant conditions than last Saturday in Newburyport. With the breeze, you'll want to wear more than just your uniform while warming up and cooling down. Let me repeat that: bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform.
• The race course will be the 5k (3.1 mile) course broken up into three equal chunks. A baton will be passed from one runner to the next in each three person team.
• The first runner on each team is responsible for getting a baton from me before their race; the last runner on each team is responsible for returning the baton to me. Unlike the relay meet on Saturday, we are providing our own batons for this one.
• After running your race and catching your breath and before the cooldown, you'll do 4-8 repetitions of 20 seconds hard followed by 40 seconds jog using the timer function on the team wristwatches. 
• Return time to WHS is approximate, but we should be back by 6:30 or so.

What to bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• sunscreen
• 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 Challenge)

for parents:

• There's a small parking lot at the corner of Circuit Drive and Pierpont Road; there's also a larger lot further down Circuit Drive, as well as on-street parking on Circuit Drive.
• If you're going to be at the meet and would like to take your child with you when their race is over, please send me an e-mail. My address is llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Training Plan for Week 2: 9/8-9/14

With the first meet in the books, the next two weeks will each follow a similar pattern. In terms of volume, the pattern will be C-A-B-A-B-C, with A being the shortest length runs and C being the longest length runs. Note that on days with a workout or race there will be a warmup and cooldown, and the time you spend on those is counted in toward the total time. A cooldown jog of at least 8-10 minutes is an important part of your race day routine. Barring a medical situation it's not something to be neglected or skipped.

A couple of logistical notes before we get to the schedule:

• per athlete request, the warmup will now begin at 2:45. This is moved up from the previous 3 PM start time.

• the duration of the plank at the start of the warmup is now 45 seconds. Congratulations! You've leveled up.

• there will be a team picture taken on Thursday. Time and place TBA. The AD informed me that you're all supposed to be uniform for that picture, even though we have a meet the day before. I'll explain how we'll deal with that.

The week:

• Monday 9/8 - 40-70 minutes easy including a tour of the home course, followed by 3-6 x 200 meters on the track with varying length recoveries. Cooldown after the 200s are done, then core circuit before stretching. After the warmup, the captains will lead the rest of us on a tour of the home course in preparation for next week's home meet. Upon completing this tour, some people will go directly to the track to run the 200s. Others will run a bit more wherever they like and then head to the track. On the track, the 200s should be run at a pace similar to what those of you who were at the meet on Saturday ran. The recovery after the first repeat is a 300 meter jog; after the second, a 200 meter jog; after the third, a 100 meter jog. If you're doing more repeats than that, the recovery cycles back to 300 meters after the fourth repeat. And so on.

• Tuesday 9/9 - 20-45 minutes. Start out easy today, if you're feeling good pick up the pace later in the run, if not don't. Hill drills between the warmup and the run.

• Wednesday 9/10 - DCL Small Division Relays. This meet will be held at Franklin Park in Boston. The bus leaves at 2:30. As of this writing I'm not sure exactly when we should be back, but more information will be forthcoming in a future post on this blog. For this meet the standard 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) course will be broken into 3 equal chunks of just over a mile. Three person teams will pass a baton from one chunk to the next. For Wayland and Weston this meet will also serve as W-day, wherein the Wayland and Weston teams in each fall sport square off against each other. The rest of the teams will be doing this on September 27th; we'll be racing at an invitational in Wrentham that day, so it was decided to use this meet instead for W-day. Both varsity and JV results count towards the overall W-day scoring. The combined times of each school's A and B teams will be compared to determine the varsity winner. The combined times of the C and D teams will be used to determine the winning JV team. It should be fun. After running your race and catching your breath and before the cooldown, you'll do 4-8 repetitions of 20 seconds hard followed by 40 seconds jog using the timer function on the team wristwatches. Then a cooldown jog. Overall the amount of running you do today should be between what you did yesterday and what you did on Monday.

• Thursday 9/11 - Same length run as Tuesday. It doesn't have to be the same route however. After the run we'll do the core circuit. It's possible some people will be taken to the town beach today for aquajogging in lieu of running.

• Friday 9/12 - 10 minute mild progression jog, then 4-9 sets of 3 minute pickups with 2 minute jog recoveries. Hill drills afte the warmup and before the workout. For this session you'll run in groups that are assigned by me based on race results; the idea is that you'll be able to train with people of a similar fitness level. The pickups and recoveries will be measured using the timer function on the team watches; each group MUST have at least one watch with this function enabled. Every minute, the watch will beep. For the pickups, the idea is to pick up the pace after one minute has elapsed, and then again after two minutes have elapsed. Thus, starting out at a reasonably hard but not all-out effort is crucial. The pickups will be run on the school grounds, basically the area of the home course. However you don't have to follow the exact layout of the home course. Once the final pickup is done, cooldown 10 minutes.

• Saturday 9/13 - 45-80 minute easy run. There'll be an optional practice at 9 AM in Lincoln where you can do this, or else on your own. This run should be at a comfortable, conversational pace as you'll be recovering from yesterday's workout. If you feel up to it you can pick it up in the last 10 minutes or so but this is by no means mandatory. If the pace is too fast today you'll end up sabotaging the beneficial effect of yesterday's workout session.

• Sunday 9/14 - off.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Clipper Relays Results

Some good results for us on a hot and humid day:

Boys

Girls

As you can see from these links, only the school name and time are listed. I've generated a spreadsheet with individual split times which I'll be sending out to the team e-mail list momentarily. If you're not on the team e-mail list and would like a copy of this spreadsheet sent to you, send a note to me at

llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com



Friday, September 5, 2014

Clipper Relays - Saturday 9/6/14

Meet Site: Maudslay Park, 74 Curzon Mill Road, Newburyport MA

bus time: 7:00 AM

girls race: 9:15
boys race: 10:10

Meet Information:

• The current weather forecast is for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid 70s to low 80s at racetime, with light winds from the SW. It will likely be somewhat humid as well.
• When we arrive, the girls will begin warming up for their race; the boys will assist in setting up the tent.
• On each 3 person team, only the runner who goes last will wear a number; a baton will be passed from one runner to the next.
• Meet shirts will be sold for $25; there will also be a concession stand.
• While the boys are cooling down after their race, the girls will assist in breaking down the tent.
• Once the boys are done, we'll leave and stop for lunch at the Port Plaza on Storey Ave (rt. 113). There are various restaurants here including Panera, Papa Ginos, D'Angelo, and McDonalds.
• If all goes well, we'll leave Newburyport sometime around 1 PM and arrive back at WHS sometime around 2-2:30 PM.

for parents:

• There's a $2 fee for the parking lot. This fee is levied by the Mass DCR, not the meet management.
• If you're going to be at the meet and would like to take your child with you when their race is over, please send me an e-mail and cc the athletic director. My address is llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com, the AD is stephen_cass (at) wayland.k12.ma.us

What to bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• light warmup clothes
• sunscreen
• 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 Challenge)
• money for lunch

Thursday, September 4, 2014

2014 Captains

The captains of this year's girls team are Sophia Butler and Maddy Schwartz.

The captains of this year's boys team are John Cocce, Nick Galang, and Nick Greenwood.

Congratulations to them and thanks to all who expressed an interest in being a captain. Coach Lehmann and I are looking forward to a great season for everyone!

-Coach Mayall

Monday, September 1, 2014

Training Plan for Week 1: 9/1-9/7

The season begins in earnest this week with the beginning of school and the first meet. Also, this week will feature the first timed, structured workout, on Wednesday. Note that the temperatures will continue to be on the hot side this week; as such, there will be visits to the town beach on Thursday and possibly Tuesday as well. In terms of training volume, the pattern for this week from Tuesday through Saturday is A-B-C-A-B where A is a shorter run, B a medium length run, and C a longer run. For workout and race days, the overall time of everything added together--warmup, workout/race, cooldown--should fall in the appropriate time range.

Also worth noting, when a run is indicated as "easy" it means you should be able to carry on a conversation with your training partners/teammates without getting out of breath! Running too fast on days that are intended for recovery will sabotage your fitness gains. Knowing when to push it and when to back off is key in this sport.

Finally, we will be distributing uniforms and voting for captains this week so it will be busy.

• Mon 9/1 - last day of Labor Day weekend. As per the instructions in the previous post, this was either a day off, a medium length run, or some form of cross training.

• Tue 9/2 - 25-40 minutes easy. Hill drills between the warmup and run, core circuit after the run and before stretching. It's going to be hot today, so omit the 5 minute jog from the warmup and go straight from the lunge matrix to line drills. If your run is long enough and you want to go to the beach to cool off as part of an out and back run you can do so. Also, after doing the hill drills we will be playing the ever-popular game "What's In the Box?" which will hopefully educate people on the importance of proper post-workout recovery nutrition.

• Wed 9/3 - 5-10 minute mini-progression jog, then 6, 8, or 10 x 400 meters with a 100 meter jog recovery. 10-15 minute easy jog cooldown. This is an example of interval training, i.e. bursts of faster running interspersed with recovery periods. While most people on the team who've run competitively have done repeat 400s, perhaps you haven't done them with this kind of short rest. How many repeats and how fast they should be done will vary from person to person but in general the repeats shouldn't go any faster than your 5k race pace, and likely will be a bit slower particularly if the forecast for hot weather holds. Best to start conservatively at a speed you know you can hold for the entire length of the workout and if that feels totally controlled think about picking it up later on. Don't forget tonight is the Spike Night at Marathon Sports in Wellesley (225 Washington St.), after practice until 8 PM. If you're planning on going please arrive by 7:30 at the latest.

• Thu 9/4 - 40-70 minutes easy with 10-15 minutes of aquajogging mixed in. Core circuit before leaving the beach. This is the longest run of the week. Don't overdo it on the pace today. Some people will be driven part of the way to and possibly from the beach, but everyone will be getting there. You might want to wait to take off your shoes until you've reached the dock if it's still there or the water's edge if the dock's gone. That way you can avoid having to walk in sand to get back to your shoes and socks afterward. Just saying!

• Fri 9/5 - 25-40 minutes easy, with 4 sets of (30 seconds race pace/90 seconds jog) near the end on the fields near the school. Hill drills between the warmup and the run. Again, easy. The days of jogging 15 minutes the day before a meet simply because it's the day before a meet are over, for reasons that I'll explain. Also, captains will be announced today.

• Sat 9/6 - Clipper Relays at Maudslay Park in Newburyport. Between the warmup (which will be a jog of the 2 mile course for most people), race and cooldown you should total somewhere in the 35-55 minute range. Be at the school at 7 AM to meet the bus. We should be back by 2 PM at the latest. More information about the meet will be forthcoming on this blog later in the week. The bus time is definitely quite early, but please don't plan on sleeping on the bus for the trip there as you'll still be groggy when it's your turn to toe the line, which of course has a negative impact on your ability to race well.

• Sun 9/7 - off unless you took Monday off, in which case do a shorter length run (25-40 minutes) on your own.