Friday, September 30, 2016

MSTCA Frank Kelley Invitational - POSTPONED to 10/2/16

The meet has been postponed to Sunday 10/2 due to weather and safety concerns


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 10:30

Race Schedule and Entries (time cutoff in parentheses):

12:15 - JV boys 5k (25 minutes): Matta
12:38 - JV girls 5k (28 minutes): Adelman, Kiesman, Walsh
1:05 - 9th grade boys 3k (16 minutes): Nagalingam
1:20 - 9th grade girls 3k (18 minutes): Kelemanik
1:38 - Varsity boys 5k (22 minutes):  Ahearne, Chan, Chase, Dawson, Dussault, Luo, Macklin 
2:00 - Varsity girls 5k (26 minutes):  McCarthy, McNamara, Tully

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Overcast, temperature around 60 degrees with winds from the NE about 5 mph.
• Those entered in the varsity races will be responsible for setting up the tent; the tent must be anchored to the ground with the stakes.  
• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back side which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked athletes who aren't racing NOT to 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. Finally, if you're wearing a stopwatch while racing, putting your arm up to hit the button on the watch while crossing the finish line can cause the chip to be blocked by your arm, and your finish might not be recorded. In other words, don't press the button on your watch when crossing the finish line.
• The meet staff has asked that no one do their warmup or cooldown running 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 mostly 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.
• The timing system will be turned off when the cutoff time is reached for each race. Their idea, not mine. 
• Those running in the JV races should bring a lunch and eat it after their race; those racing later on in the day should have something to eat before leaving for the meet and bring a large snack/small meal for after their race later in the afternoon.

What to Bring:

• Uniform - both singlet and shorts
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them
Warmup clothes including long sleeved shirt and/or jacket as well as pants
• Water bottle - bring it already filled
• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• 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.
• Dogs aren't allowed except for service animals
• We hope to return to WHS by 4:00.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Dual Meet #3 Results - 9/28/16

Splits and time comparisons

A lot of fast racing today against a quality opponent on a breezy if not downright windy day. With continued training and some refinement to our warmup routine the improvement should continue through the rest of the seaon.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Dual Meet #3 - Home vs. Concord-Carlisle 9/28/16

Meet Site: Wayland High School

First race 4 PM unless you hear different from me
Athletes should arrive no later than 2:30 PM
Girls team meeting at 2:30
Boys team meeting at 2:45 
meetings will take place near the start/finish line

Order of races and lineups:

Girls:
Adelman, Comettant, de los Reyes, Freedberg, Kelemanik, Kiesman*, McCarthy, McNamara, Tully, Walsh
Boys:
Chan, Chase, Daley, Dines, Dussault, Goren, Kunen, Luo, Matta, Nagalingam, Pak, Puckett, Reese, Stafford, Talukdar*, Zhu

* meet day decision

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Overcast, temperatures in the high 50s with winds from the NNE 10-12 mph. Warmup clothing, including pants and some sort of long sleeved top, is imperative. A windbreaker would be a good thing to have as well. The wind will make for conditions that feel chilly when you're not running. You'll want to wear more than just your uniform while warming up and cooling down. Bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform.
It's expected that during the race you will wear the full uniform assigned to you. This includes jersey and shorts.
• Once again people will wear the assigned bib number for all DCL meets (i.e. weekday meets). After your race and before you leave, please return this bib number to the plastic bag where they're stored.
• Be prepared to help out with setting up and/or breaking down the course before or after the meet. This involves the placement of cones where the course goes around turns. We'll also need help setting up and breaking down the tent near the finish line. You may be asked to help by one of the coaches or one of the captains. 
• When Concord-Carlisle arrives, there'll be a tour of the course. If you have any questions about the layout of the course, feel free to join the tour.
• Once the course tour has begun, all balls, frisbees, etc. will be put away for the duration of the meet.

 What to Bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes - long sleeve shirt, pants, windbreaker
• 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 Festival)

for parents:

• a map of the home 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

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Week 5 Training Plan - 9/26-10/2

This week there are two meets for the first time since week 1. Unlike the shorter relay style meets that we did then, these meets are of a more typical course length. As such, the training volume is decreased somewhat to get through the week in one piece.

Mon 9/26 - 10-15 minute job warmup, circuits, 10-15 minute cool down. Like last week, we'll be using the outside perimeter of the soccer field that's located beyond the tennis courts. Today's workout will be done in groups of similar ability based on recent results. If you'd like to warmup or cooldown on the elliptigo bikes let us know.

Tue 9/27 - 30-40 minutes including 8x10 second pulses at faster than race pace with 60 second recovery jogs after each one. This will likely be the final visit to the town beach of the season. The short pickups should be near the end of the run. We'd like to get four people riding the elliptigo bikes today, in pairs taking turns.

Wed 9/28 - Dual Meet #3 vs. Concord-Carlisle. This is the second and final home meet. CCHS has large teams for both genders, so there will be separate JV races for boys and girls--the boys JV race will be the first of the day, followed by girls varsity, then boys varsity, and finally girls JV. In addition, the JV course will be the same course as the varsity. Regardless of when you're running, take the time beforehand to do a thorough warmup incorporating most of what we do on a daily basis at the start of practice. After your race at least 10 minutes of light jogging is expected, and your legs will thank you for it over the next few days. Don't forget there's an assigned bib number for each member of the team.

Thu 9/29 - hill drills followed by 40-55 minutes at a low to moderate intensity heading west along the Weston aqueduct to the Getchell Trail. This trail runs along the Sudbury river between the Weston aqueduct and Saxonville. From Saxonville there are multiple options for how to get back to the school. The intensity level of this run should start at a 3 or 4 out of 10 and progressing to 6 or so for the trip back to the school. If the weather permits, we'll be looking for volunteers to ride the elliptigo bikes. As we did last week, sharing the trip such that two people make the trip out and two more make the trip back.

Fri 9/30 - 10-15 minute warmup, 8x100 "fresh" with 50 meter recoveries, 4x150 "hard" (race pace) with 150 meter recoveries 10-15 minute cool down. The purpose of today is to get a feel for what your pace will be tomorrow if you're entered in the meet. We'll probably end up doing these somewhere on the fields near the school.

Sat 10/1 - MSTCA Frank Kelley Invite or 45-60 minutes on your own. More information on this meet will be forthcoming in a separate post; the time schedule can be seen at this link. Wayland is in Division 2 for this meet, so the first race that involves us is at 12:15. I will be sending e-mails to those who I've entered based on their ability to meet the established time standards for this meet. If you're one of those people I need to know whether or not you'll be able to make it to the meet, please respond to the e-mail if you get one from me.

Sun 10/2 - off

Friday, September 23, 2016

Wayland XC Festival - Volunteer Opportunities

Two weeks from this coming Sunday WHS will host the Wayland XC Festival, a popular and long-running event that allows the general public the opportunity to race on the same fields and hills that we use in our home meets. This event was founded by Eric Bucher, parent of a recent WHS XC alum, and it serves as our fundraiser. The team watches we use to time workouts, the chocolate milk you drink after races, and most recently the elliptical bikes that are ridden as a supplement/substitute for running are all things that the XC Festival has paid for.

The reason I'm posting about this meet over two weeks ahead of time is that we need to coordinate volunteers. Simply put, the event couldn't come off without your help. This is an opportunity to experience a cross country meet "from the other side" i.e. not as a participant but as part of the meet management team. There's a lot that goes into ensuring things run smoothly and in fact I just received a list of volunteer openings from TJ Unger, the meet director. The list he shared with me is copied below with the number of slots needed for each role and the time commitment required:

• 2-3 Course Marshals - direct the athletes the correct way on the course (9-11:30 AM)
• 1-2 Parking - direct those that are arriving into the various parking areas as they fill up. (7:30-9:30)
• 3 Finish Line - help move people through the finish chute (9:30-11:30)
• 1 Registration - sign in athletes and distribute bib numbers (7:30-10)
• 1 photographer (9:30-11)
• 3-5 Post-race cleanup (10:30-11:30)

These slots will be filled on a first come, first served basis. As the slots are filled, the number of openings left will be updated in the list above. The best way to let me know which slot you'd like is to e-mail me with your preference.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Dual Meet #2 Results - 9/21/16

Both the girls and boys split our first double dual of the season on a sticky afternoon at Cold Spring Park in Newton, beating Waltham and dropping the meet to Newton South. We last visited this course in 2014. The boys swept the top five spots against Waltham while the girls took four of the top five places against Waltham. Overall I saw some very smart tactical running in both the varsity and JV races. The times for all Wayland runners and meet scores are available here.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Dual Meet #2 - vs. Newton South, Waltham at Cold Spring Park 9/21/16

Meet Site: Cold Spring Park, 1200 Beacon Street, Newton MAThe meet will NOT be held at Newton South High School! 

Bus Time: 2:15

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 - Daley, Dines, Goren, Kunen, Matta, McGonagle*, Nagalingam, Pak, Puckett, Reese, Stafford
• varsity girls - de los Reyes, Kelemanik, McCarthy, McNamara, Tully, Walsh
• varsity boys - Ahearne, Chan, Chase*, Dawson, Dussault, Kay, Luo, Macklin, Zhu
• JV girls - Adelman, Comettant, Freedberg, Kiesman

*meet day decision

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: partly cloudy with temperatures in the low 80s, light winds from the WNW. No one will be allowed on the bus wearing nothing but their uniform. 
• 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.
• There are two different courses in use at this site; the boys will run a 3.1 mile course, while the girls run a 2.7 mile course. This is a decision made individually by each of the Newton South coaches (there are separate coaches for boys and girls at NS). Each course starts with a small loop on the soccer fields near the entrance to the park, then go into the woods for two loops. As you might expect, the loop in the woods for the boys course is longer. Both courses finish on the soccer fields. 


• There will be separate course tours for the separate boys and girls courses; make sure you attend the appropriate tour for the course you'll be racing. 

What to bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• water bottle
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• 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 18, 2016

Week 4 Training Plan - 9/19-9/25

If you're experiencing déja vu looking at the plan below, it's understandable as the week will follow the same pattern as last week. Next week will be different as there are two meets on the schedule for much of the team. On Wednesday, we travel to Newton for the second of four dual meets, a double dual with Waltham taking part as well.

Mon 9/19 - 10-15 minute job warmup, circuits, 10-15 minute cool down. Like last week, we'll be using the outside perimeter of the soccer field that's located beyond the tennis courts. Today's workout will be done in groups of similar ability based on recent results. If you'd like to warmup or cooldown on the elliptigo bikes let us know.

Tue 9/20 - 30-45 minutes including 8x10 second pulses at faster than race pace with 60 second recovery jogs after each one. This will likely be the final visit to the town beach of the season. The short pickups should be near the end of the run. We'd like to get four people riding the elliptigo bikes today, in pairs taking turns.

Wed 9/21 - Dual Meet #2 vs. Newton South and Waltham at Cold Spring Park in Newton. Bus time 2:15. With three teams participating the meet will be a "double dual" format, i.e. three separate dual meets contested at once. With three teams present, it's most likely that there will be separate varsity and JV races for each gender. In this case, the boys JV race is first, followed by girls varsity, boys varsity, and girls JV. Regardless of when you're running, take the time beforehand to do a thorough warmup incorporating most of what we do on a daily basis at the start of practice. After your race at least 10 minutes of light jogging is expected, and your legs will thank you for it over the next few days. Don't forget there's an assigned bib number for each member of the team.

Thu 9/22 - hill drills followed by 40-60 minutes at a low to moderate intensity heading east along the Hultman aqueduct. To access the Hultman, cross Old Connecticut Path at the end of the school driveway, take a right, then left on Maiden Lane. Follow Maiden Lane straight up to where it meets the aqueduct. The intensity level of this run should start at a 3 or 4 out of 10 and progressing to 6 or so for the trip back to the school. We'll be looking for volunteers to ride the elliptigo bikes. As we did last week, sharing the trip such that two people make the trip out and two more make the trip back.

Fri 9/23 - 10-15 minute warmup, short interval sets on the Weston Aqueduct, 10-15 minute cool down. The specific composition of the various sets will be different today than last week. We'll use the same stretch of aqueduct as last week, starting where the Weston aqueduct meets Herland Road.

Sat 9/24 - 45-90 minutes. Start out easy today and if you're feeling tired or worn out from this week keep it easy. For those that are interested we'll meet at the Lincoln commuter rail parking lot at 9 AM.

Sun 9/25 - off

Friday, September 16, 2016

Saturday 9/17 optional practice at Lincoln

For those that are interested and able to get there, we will be meeting in Lincoln at 9 AM Saturday. The address where we meet is 145 Lincoln Road which is a shopping center next to the MBTA Fitchburg Line Commuter Rail. In fact, this serves as the Lincoln stop on the Fitchburg Line. There are various parking lots near the shopping center; the one where we meet is the commuter lot which is set back a bit from the road, alongside the railroad tracks and has numbered spaces. If you are using these spaces after 12 PM, the parking fee that commuters must pay is waived. Bring a water bottle and snack for after the run. Bathroom facilities are available in the nearby supermarket.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Dual Meet #1 Results

The racing went well yesterday afternoon after weathering a passing squall that came through before the meet started. Weston visited our course for the first time since 2013, and Wayland won the boys varsity race 26-33. The girls dropped a tight race 27-32. Conditions were a bit sticky with some slippery spots underfoot after the rain that came through, which made for tactical racing at the front of the pack. Congratulations to Sarah Tully and Graham Macklin for winning the varsity races, and Alex Zhu for being the first boy across the line (and first overall) in the combined JV race. Times, splits and meet scoring can be found at the link below:

Dual Meet #1 Splits

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Dual Meet #1 - Home vs. Weston 9/14/16

Meet Site: Wayland High School

First race 4 PM unless you hear different from me
Athletes should arrive no later than 2:30 PM
Girls team meeting at 2:30
Boys team meeting at 2:45 
meetings will take place near the start/finish line

Order of races and lineups:

Combined JV Race:
Adelman, Comettant*, Daley, Dines, Freedberg, Goren, Kiesman, Matta, McGonagle, Nagalingam, Pak, Puckett, Reese, Shapley, Walsh, Zhu
Girls Varsity:
de los Reyes, Kelemanik, McCarthy, McNamara, Morales, Tully
Boys Varsity:
Ahearne, Chan, Chase, Dawson, Dussault, Kay, Luo, Macklin, Stafford, Talukdar

 *meet day decision

NOTE: The boys and girls JV races have been combined into one race that will take place prior to the varsity races

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Partly cloudy, temperatures in the low to mid 80s with winds from the west 10-12 mph. You'll want to wear more than just your uniform while warming up and cooling down, if only for protection from the sun. At the team meeting you'll be required to show that you have at least a t-shirt to wear besides your uniform. Those that have only their uniform to wear will be sent home to get more clothing. Bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform.
It's expected that during the race you will wear the full uniform assigned to you. This includes jersey and shorts.
• 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 one of the coaches.
• Be prepared to help out with setting up and/or breaking down the course before or after the meet. This mostly involves the placement of cones. You may be asked to help by one of the coaches or one of the captains. 
• When Weston arrives, there'll be a tour of the course. If this is your first time racing on the home course, you will join the course tour as well.
• Once the course tour has begun, all balls, frisbees, etc. will be put away for the duration of the meet.

 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 Festival)

for parents:

• a map of the varsity course can be seen here. The JV course is a similar layout but about a mile shorter. 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.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Week 3 Training Plan - 9/12-9/18

This week is highlighted by the first dual meet of the season on Wednesday when we host Weston. This is the first of two home meets on the schedule. Other than that, the most notable things about this week are the more structured somewhat intense sessions on Monday and Friday, and the continued drive to gradually increase overall training volume during the rest of this month. You should be keeping track of how far you're running/training each day; even if it's a modest bump, the total time spent running/training for the entire week should be trending up until we get to October. Here's how the week breaks down:

Mon 9/12 - 10-15 minute job warmup, circuits, 10-15 minute cool down. Instead of doing this workout on the track as we've done in the past, we'll be using the outside perimeter of the soccer field that's located beyond the tennis courts. No more rubber chips from the (fake) turf field stuck to every square inch of exposed skin! Note that today's workout will be done in groups that have been set up based on the results of Saturday's Clipper Relays. Finally, four volunteers are needed, two to warmup on the elliptigo bikes and two more to cool down on them.

Tue 9/13 - 30-45 minutes including 8x10 second pulses at faster than race pace with 60 second recovery jogs after each one. This run will be out and back along the Weston Aqueduct heading west towards Framingham. The short pickups should be near the end of the run. We'd like to get at least four people if not six riding the elliptigo bikes today, in pairs taking turns. After practice feel free to join us in tidying up the course, mostly in the sandpit area. If you have a rake it's not a bad idea to bring it to practice.

Wed 9/14 - Dual Meet #1 vs. Weston. There will be three races today, a combined JV race followed by the girls varsity and finally the boys varsity. Maps of the varsity and JV courses are available online. All JV runners and anyone at all unfamiliar with the course should tag along for the course tour. Regardless of when you're running, take the time beforehand to do a thorough warmup incorporating most of what we do on a daily basis at the start of practice. After your race at least 10 minutes of light jogging is expected, and your legs will thank you for it over the next few days. Please arrive no later than 2:45 PM for today's meet. There's an assigned bib number for each member of the team which you'll need to get and there's also some work that goes into setting up the course as well.

Thu 9/15 - hill drills followed by 40-60 minutes plus 10-15 minutes aqua jogging in Lake Cochituate. The intensity level of this run should be moderate at best, starting at a 3 or 4 out of 10 and progressing to 6 or so for the trip back to the school. Walking the entire way to or from the beach is not acceptable. We'll be looking for volunteers to ride the elliptigo bikes. As we did last week, sharing the trip such that two people make the trip out and two more make the trip back.

Fri 9/16 - 10-15 minute warmup, short interval sets on the Weston Aqueduct, 10-15 minute cool down. The specific composition of the various sets will be different today than the last two times we've done this style of training. In addition, instead of using the stretch of aqueduct behind the school we'll meet on Herland Road which is a dirt road that goes between Old Connecticut Path (route 126) and  Cochituate Road (route 27). The aqueduct crosses Herland and this spot will be the starting point.

Sat 9/17 - 50-90 minutes. Start out easy today and if you're feeling tired or worn out from this week keep it easy. For those that are interested we'll meet at the Lincoln commuter rail parking lot at 9 AM.

Sun 9/18 - off

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Clipper Relays Results

For the fourth year in a row, Wayland was well represented in the Clipper Relays at Maudslay Park in Newburyport. Each member of each three person team, named by the people on it, ran once around a rolling 2 mile loop. The top teams for both girls (Top That!) and boys (Spiked Knights) put up the best overall times for any Wayland trio in the four years the school has been attending this meet. Weather was overcast and a bit more humid than originally forecast; overall slightly less favorable than last year but better than two years ago for those who were racing then.

Girls official results

Boys official results

Split times - I timed the same loop for each of the three legs for comparison purposes; as the final leg had an extra 80 meters or so beyond the end point of this loop to finish off the race, the overall finish time doesn't match the sum of split times. 


Friday, September 9, 2016

Clipper Relays - 9/10/16

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

bus time: 7:00 AM, please arrive 5-10 minutes early so as not to miss the bus!

girls race: 9:15
boys race: 10:20

Meet Information:

• The current weather forecast is for partly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s at racetime, with light winds from the E. Humidity should be at a comfortable level.
• When we arrive, the girls will begin warming up for their race; the boys will assist in setting up the tent.
• The races consist of 3 person teams, each person runs the same 2 mile course. If we have a number of runners not divisible by 3, the leftover runners can run the course as well. Be sure to tell the coaches your team's name.
• 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, and 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, which includes cooling down after the race, 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 according to plan, we'll leave Newburyport sometime around 1 PM and arrive back at WHS sometime around 2-2:30 PM.

for parents:

• There's a $5 fee for the parking lot. This fee is levied by the Mass DCR, not the meet management. Carpooling isn't a bad idea if you know of other parents that plan on attending.
• If you're going to be at the meet and would like to take your child with you when their race is over, please let one of the coaches know.

What to bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• sunscreen
• water bottle - ideally a larger (24-32 oz.) bottle if you have one, and bring it already filled
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Challenge)
• money for lunch

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Spike Night Thursday 9/8

Thursday after practice will be "Spike Night" for the Wayland cross country teams at Marathon Sports. In a nutshell, anyone affiliated with the Wayland team will get a 20% discount on all purchases at the store. Of particular interest would be shoes, which is the most important piece of equipment in our sport. A major reason we do this each year is their selection of racing shoes, which are a specialized type of footwear not easily found at typical sporting good stores. They also carry a wide variety of training shoes which are the type that are worn for everyday use. The store is located at 255 Washington Street in Wellesley; they close at 8 so it would be best to show up no later than 7:30. This isn't a mandatory event; if you're set for shoes and gear you can give it a pass.

Monday, September 5, 2016

DCL Relays - 9/7/16

Meet Site: Playstead Field at Franklin Park, Boston.

Bus Time: 2:15 PM

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

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Cloudy with showers. Temperatures in the mid 70s with winds from the east at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. With the wind you'll want to have warmup clothes to wear.
• The proposed race course will be a loop that's roughly 3k in length. This is just under 2 miles. On this map, the course is the red and blue loops. As of this writing, there's some confusion over exactly what the course will be; stay tuned as we're trying to get this nailed down.
• The girls will run first, followed by the boys. Girls need to begin the team warmup including jogging the course as soon as possible after arriving.
• The runner who goes first on each three person team is responsible for getting a baton from the coaches. The final runner is responsible for returning the baton to one of the coaches as soon as they've finished the race. This is particularly important at the end of the girls race so the boys have batons. 
• before running your relay leg, I want you to jog the entire course.
• After running your relay leg, be sure to do a thorough cooldown jog of 15-30 minutes. This is your chance to see more of the park if you like. 
• 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

What not to bring:

• footballs, soccer balls, frisbees, etc. Leave them at home.

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 let one of the coaches know.

Week 2 Training Plan - 9/5-9/11

Week 2 is shortened a day for our purposes by the Labor Day weekend. In addition, there are two meets on the schedule. As will be explained in further detail at practice on Tuesday, the meet on Tuesday isn't a full-fledged meet and should be approached as more of a dress rehearsal or scrimmage if you prefer. This is particularly necessary since at this early stage of the season it's inadvisable to be racing all-out twice in the same week. Saturday morning's meet shares the same relay format, and will have more of an emphasis placed upon it in terms of determining the state of your fitness as the season gets going in earnest. Please let the coaches know if you're able to attend the meet this coming Saturday by the end of the day Wednesday, as we need to determine what transportation option will be used to get you to and from Maudslay Park in Newburyport. For both meets, there'll be a forthcoming blog entry devoted to each meet in turn the day before they happen.

In terms of training, the existence of two meets on the docket does nothing to change the overriding emphasis at this early stage, which is to continue to accrue more training volume. Tuesday's workout will be very similar to last Tuesday for those who were there for it. Later in the week, the forecast is for higher temperatures which will make aqua jogging more inviting. In addition, hill drills will make their first appearance of the season on Thursday. Which is also the day of Spike Night, where any Wayland XC athlete gets a 20% discount on shoes and apparel at Marathon Sports in Wellesley (255 Washington St). This will be going on after practice that day.

Mon 9/5 - part of the holiday weekend, which included one run of average length, one day of cross training for 30-60 minutes, and one day off.

Tue 9/6 - 5-15 minute warmup, mixed short interval sets on top of the Weston Aqueduct behind the school, 5-15 minute cool down. This workout will follow the same plan as last Tuesday, and there will be an elliptigo orientation after practice for those that are interested.

Wed 9/7 - DCL Relays at Franklin Park. The bus is scheduled for 2:15, please be on time. I'd like for us to have a chance to adequately warm up, use the facilities, and see the course. Assuming a two lap course similar to last year (stay tuned on that front), I'd like everyone to run the full course as both a warmup and cool down. Some may want to tack on more time to that; this can be done in other sections of the park, talk to me if it applies to you.

Thu 9/8 - hill drills followed by 40-60 minutes plus 10-15 minutes aqua jogging in Lake Cochituate. In deference to both the length of the run and the expected forecast of high temperatures, the intensity level of this run should be moderate at best, starting at a 3 or 4 out of 10 and progressing to 6 or so for the trip back to the school. Walking the entire way to or from the beach is not acceptable. We'll be looking for volunteers to ride the elliptigo bikes, sharing the trip such that two people make the trip out and two more make the trip back. Don't forget about Spike Night at Marathon Sports tonight.

Fri 9/9 - 25-45 minutes plus 10 minutes of aqua jogging. In the second half of the run, do 8-10 pulses of 10 seconds at a "hard" intensity followed by a minute of jogging mixed in. Assuming the forecast holds, we'll be going to the Town Beach again, and some people will want to arrange for pickup from there directly.

Sat 9/10 - Clipper Relays at Maudslay Park, Newburyport. Bus time is 7 AM; do everyone a favor and show up 5-10 minutes early so we can get on the road in good time. The race course is a 2 mile loop that each person will run once as part of a three-person team--i.e. the same format as the DCL Relays earlier in the week. There are miles of other trails in the park however, and I'd like the people who have been putting in more training volume to take advantage of them on the cool down. For everyone, the warmup should include an easy jog of the race course. More instructions will be given out on the bus and at the park if need be. As in years past we'll be stopping for lunch at a nearby shopping center before heading home. Make sure your 3 person team has a name and that the coaches know what it is. For some of you this will be the highest volume day of the week.

Sun 9/11 - off.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Friday September 2nd Practice

As I'm sure everyone is well aware, there's no school on Friday September 2nd. For those that are interested and able to get there, we will be meeting in Lincoln at 4 PM. The address where we meet is 145 Lincoln Road which is a shopping center next to the MBTA Fitchburg Line Commuter Rail. In fact, this serves as the Lincoln stop on the Fitchburg Line. There are various parking lots near the shopping center; the one where we meet is the commuter lot which is set back a bit from the road, alongside the railroad tracks and has numbered spaces. If you are using these spaces after 12 PM, the parking fee that commuters must pay is waived. Look for my car when you arrive, perhaps even with me standing next to it.

Why meet in Lincoln to go running? There are miles upon miles of trails there that stretch into neighboring Concord and the Walden Pond area. Here's a small sample:








Here's a video clip (a glorified ad for New Balance) showing members of their elite women's running group training on the Lincoln trails. I'll be sending out maps of the Lincoln trails via e-mail as well, there are also maps available at this link