Clipper Relays 9/7/19

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! The bus needs to leave on time so that the girls have time to warm up.

girls race: 9:15
boys race: 10:30

Meet Information:

• The current weather forecast is for rainy, windy conditions with temperatures around 60 degrees at race time. Winds from the north around 25 mph. Dress appropriately for the conditions, it won't be pleasant if you show up in just your uniform and a t-shirt. An up to date forecast for Newburyport can be seen here, keep checking as the meet approaches.
• When we arrive, we'll have to cross the street to get from the parking lot to the park. Be courteous to park attendants and follow their instructions when crossing the road.
• After crossing the street, the girls will begin warming up for their race; the boys will assist in setting up the tent.
• The course is a loop through the woods (approximate map here) with a downhill start before a couple of climbs in the middle stages leading back to the field where the loop started. The course is marked with both white paint on the ground and yellow plastic tape tied to trees.
• The races consist of 3 person teams running relay style such that each person runs the course in order. 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 for $20, and there will be a concession stand as well.
• From the meet director: "do not let your runners swim in the river this is a huge liability issue for the park. Hate to have to deal with this but we are constantly being threatened with the loss of use of the park. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated."
• 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 and the SAM circuit, we'll leave and stop for lunch at the Port Plaza on Storey Ave (Route 113). There are various restaurants there including Panera, D'Angelo, Wendy's 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:

• The usual parking fee is waived thanks to the generosity of the meet host, but the parking area isn't large. Carpooling is a good idea if you know of other parents that plan on attending. There will be a donation table at the meet where spectators can donate towards the cost of parking, which is not insignificant. The meet host appreciates any help in defraying this expense. 
• 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 - pants, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, windbreaker, etc. Cotton clothing will get wet and you'll be miserable standing around in it.
• plastic bag for storing wet clothes
• dry change of clothes for after the race
• 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 Festival)
• money for lunch

Week 2 Training Plan, 9/2-9/8

This week features the first meet, on Saturday in scenic Newburyport at Maudslay State Park. This event has a unique relay format; more details will be forthcoming in a subsequent post. With the meet coming up, we will need to distribute uniforms. This process will begin on Wednesday and hopefully wrap up by Friday. Parents, please remember that your child's user fee must be paid before they can be issued a uniform. There's a waiver process if this is a hardship and a family cap on user fees as well. The link to the online payment portal for user fees can be found here.

Each day's workout is listed below. Note that compared to last week (and the rest of August for that matter), the length of time for some of the runs has changed. The short runs and long run are slightly longer, while the medium length run remains the same length. 

Monday 9/2 - Optional practice at Lincoln, 9 AM. For this workout, we meet in the commuter rail station parking lot near the small shopping center. If using GPS to find the place, use the address 145 Lincoln Road, Lincoln MA. The workout will be to run at an easy pace over to Walden Pond which is a couple of miles away. Once there, aquajogging for 15 minutes (1 minute on, 30 seconds off). Following that, back to where we started, hopefully a little quicker than the trip out.

For those not able to attend this practice, the day's workout is a medium length run, if you have access to a body of water or pool feel free to do the aquajogging as well:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 34-38 minutes
Level 3: 43-47 minutes
Level 4: 52-56 minutes

Tuesday 9/3 - Practice at the high school @3:30. Warmup including burpees followed by a medium length run that will incorporate timed pickups of 1 minute in length, at a "race pace" (90%) effort. In between the race pace pickups is a recovery of 1 minute, ideally run at a 60% effort (this is not a slow jog). This will be followed by a few pickups of 30 seconds in length at a speed faster than race pace, with the same 1 minute recovery. Level 1 athletes may find it more realistic to jog the recovery interval or even walk the first 30 seconds of each recovery interval. Everyone will begin and end their run today with a warmup and cooldown that are at an easy pace, with the timed pickups sandwiched in between. Time for today's run is as follows, with number of pickups indicated as well:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes: 4x 1 minute pickups, 4x30 second pickups (warmup and cooldown 5-6 minutes each)
Level 2: 34-38 minutes: 6x 1 minute pickups, 4x30 second pickups (warmup and cooldown 8-10 minutes each)
Level 3: 43-47 minutes: 8x 1 minute pickups, 6x30 second pickups (warmup and cooldown 10 minutes each)
Level 4: 52-56 minutes: 8x 1 minute pickups, 6x30 second pickups (warmup and cooldown 12-15 minutes each)

Wednesday 9/4 - Practice at the high school @3:30. Warmup and then a short, easy active recovery run.

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

Thursday 9/5 - practice at the high school @3:30. Warmup including burpees, then a progressive long run (PLR) as follows:

Level 1: 40 minutes (14 minutes easy - 10 minutes fresh - 10 minutes good - 6 minutes easy)
Level 2: 54 minutes (18 minutes easy - 13.5 minutes fresh - 13.5 minutes good - 9 minutes easy)
Level 3: 66 minutes (22 minutes easy - 16.5 minutes fresh - 16.5 minutes good - 11 minutes easy)
Level 4: 78 minutes (26 minutes easy - 19.5 minutes fresh - 19.5 minutes good - 13 minutes easy)

Friday 9/6 - practice at the high school @3:30. Warmup and then a short run culminating with 3 sets of short repeats atop the Weston aqueduct behind the school. These repeats are meant to be a way to become familiar with the feel of different speeds without overly taxing either the legs or cardiovascular system.

Level 1: 22-26 minutes (head directly to top of aqueduct after warmup)
Level 2: 26-30 minutes (jog around fields then up to top of aqueduct)
Level 3: 32-36 minutes (10 minute warmup then up to top of aqueduct)
Level 4: 42-46 minutes (15 minute warmup, 10 minute cooldown after finishing atop the aqueduct)

Saturday 9/7 - Clipper Relays @Maudslay State Park, Newburyport. There will be more details forthcoming on this meet in a later post. For now it's worth mentioning that the bus will be leaving at 7 AM (which means you should arrive a few minutes before that) and we should be returning early to mid afternoon after having lunch in Newburyport. The girls race at 9:15, the boys at 10:30. It's relay style with teams of 3 people carrying a baton around the course. Incomplete teams (1 or 2 people) are allowed to run as well. This should be a medium length day meaning including your warmup and cooldown you should come in around the following time totals:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes (warmup and cooldown will be quite brief)
Level 2: 34-38 minutes
Level 3: 43-47 minutes
Level 4: 52-56 minutes

Sunday 9/8 - off

Week 1 Training Plan, 8/26-9/1

This is the first post outlining the scheduled training for the upcoming week. Each weekly training plan begins on Monday and covers up to the following Sunday. Typically the plan will be published by the previous Sunday evening, but certainly no later than lunchtime Monday. Remember that while the plan is a good outline of what we will most likely be doing, there are sometimes unforeseen factors that cause changes. When this happens we'll do our best to get the word out quickly. In addition, note that there's a wide variation in the length of the length of each day's run among the different levels. This is because we have a diverse group of athletes on the team with a wide range of experience and incoming fitness levels. If you have any questions about how far or how hard to go on a particular day don't hesitate to ask one of the coaches.

Monday through Thursday practice will be at 3:30. Friday there's no school and practice will be held at 8 AM. Check each day to see where practice is held, either at the school or at the Town Beach.

Please hand in your summer training log (optional for new athletes, required for returning athletes) by the first day of school (Wednesday) at the latest. Rewards will be distributed once the coaching staff has tabulated all the logs, hopefully no later than next Tuesday September 3rd. That will be a big day.

Finally, speaking of big days there will be an optional day trip to Western Massachusetts on Saturday. We'll be taking one of the school's booster buses leaving at 7:30 AM and returning around 9 PM with a full day of running and other fun on tap. If you're interested let the coaches know. There's room for up to 13 people on the booster bus and as of this writing I've heard from 6 people already.

With all that out of the way, here's the plan:

• Mon 8/26 - Practice at WHS @3:30. Warmup including burpees followed by a short length run broken down as follows:

Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-32 minutes
Level 4: 38-42 minutes

Ideally the pace will pick up gradually towards the end of the running portion of the day. Today's run will end with 6x100 yard pickups at 80-90% effort on the practice football field with a recovery jog back between each. The time it takes to complete these pickups (6-8 minutes) should be included in the length of your run.

• Tue 8/27 - Practice at the Town Beach @3:30. Warmup followed by a medium length run that will incorporate timed pickups of 1 minute in length, at a "race pace" (90%) effort. In between the race pace pickups is a recovery of 1 minute, ideally run at a 60% effort (this is not a slow jog). Level 1 athletes may find it more realistic to jog the recovery interval or even walk the first 30 seconds of each recovery interval. Everyone will begin and end their run today with a warmup and cooldown that are at an easy pace, with the timed pickups sandwiched in between. If you like, the cooldown can be done in the lake in the form of aquajogging. Time for today's run is as follows, with number of pickups indicated as well:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes, 6-8x 1 minute pickups (warmup and cooldown 5-6 minutes each)
Level 2: 34-38 minutes, 8-10x 1 minute pickups (warmup and cooldown 8-10 minutes each)
Level 3: 43-47 minutes, 8-10x 1 minute pickups (warmup and cooldown 10-12 minutes each)
Level 4: 52-56 minutes, 10x 1 minute pickups (warmup and cooldown 16-18 minutes each)

• Wed 8/28 - Practice at WHS @3:30. Introductory circle after the first day of school, then warmup including burpees, then a medium length run which will be the same length as yesterday's run but without any pickups. In fact, you should cover less distance on today's run than yesterday's because today is meant to be an easy active recovery day. The elliptigo bikes are available for use as well today.

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 34-38 minutes
Level 3: 43-47 minutes
Level 4: 52-56 minutes

• Thu 8/29 - Practice at WHS @3:30. Warmup followed by a cyclic long run (CLR). The total time of your 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. The countdown timer function on your watch is 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)

• Fri 8/30 - Practice at Town Beach @8 AM. Warmup including burpees and then a short, easy active recovery run. If you like you can do up to half of the length of the run in the lake in the form of aquajogging but do not get in the water without a coach present on the dock.

Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-32 minutes
Level 4: 38-42 minutes

• Sat 8/31 For those not coming along for the Western Mass. day trip, either:

- a cross training workout of 30 minutes to an hour plus (depending on what the activity is)

- a run of 25-45 minutes with the last 5-10 minutes being run at about a 75-80% effort. Up to that point, take it easy.

Regardless of which workout you choose to do, please remember to do the warmup routine beforehand and SAM afterward. The specifics on these can be found in the "Training Links" sidebar of the team website.

Sun 9/1 - off

First days of practice, 8/22-8/24

Pre-season practice begins this Thursday 7:00 AM (note change in time) at the high school. In the past we met by the "snack shack" near the football field. Alas, the snack shack has been demolished as part of the renovation of the athletic complex at WHS. Instead, we'll meet just below and next to the upper parking lot. For those that have been on the team before, this is very near the start/finish line for the home course.

The first couple days tend to take a little longer as we learn (or re-learn) the team warmup and get to know each other, but things should be wrapping up by around 9 AM on Thursday.
  
Please remember you have to be registered with an up to date physical (within the last 13 months) on file with the school nurse. More registration information can be found at

http://whs.wayland.k12.ma.us/athletics/registration/ 

You should bring the following to Thursday's practice:

• running shoes

• comfortable clothes in which to work out. You might also want to wear a hat. 

• running watch, either your own the one you borrowed from the team supply. If you don't have a watch one will be assigned to you from the team supply.

• sunscreen

• water bottle - very important item. Please bring a water bottle which you can use during breaks in practice and after practice has ended. It's best to bring your water bottle already filled.

• towel for drying off after aquajogging (Friday and Saturday)

• extra change of clothes if you'd like for after practice. I'm not 100% positive about the status of the locker rooms but they should be open, if not bathrooms will be available at the very least.

For the early season practices, everyone will at some point be meeting at the Town Beach which is at the end of Parkland Drive. Some will be running there from the school, others will meet there directly. The purpose of meeting at the Town Beach is to spend some time "aquajogging" in the water as a way to increase training time without putting extra pounding on joints and muscles. That being said no one will be forced to go in the water.

Here's the training plan for the first three days of practice:

• Thursday 8/22 - meet 7 AM at the high school, brief introductions, demonstration of warmup routine, followed by an out and back run along the Weston aqueduct.

Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-32 minutes
Level 4: 38-42 minutes

Ideally the pace will pick up gradually towards the end of the running portion of the day. Today's run will end with 6x100 yard accelerations on the practice football field with a recovery jog back between each. The time it takes to complete these accels should be included in the length of your run.

• Friday 8/23 - meet 3:30 PM at Town Beach (26 Parkland Drive), warmup on nearby softball field, then a medium length run as follows:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 34-38 minutes
Level 3: 43-47 minutes
Level 4: 52-56 minutes

The route for today's run is negotiable and we'll discuss various options after the warmup is done. If you so desire, the final 10-12 minutes of your run can be completed in the lake in the form of aquajogging. No one is required to do the aquajogging if they don't want to. Don't get in the water without first being briefed by Coach Mayall, and don't get in the water unless Coach Mayall or Coach Pesaturo are on the dock.

• Saturday 8/24 - meet at Town Beach at 9 AM, warmup on nearby softball field, then a progressive long run (PLR) 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)

Today's run will be an out and back mostly along the Hultman aqueduct, which can be accessed where it crosses either Sycamore road or Cochituate Road. There will be at least two water stops during the run. If you like, the final segment of the run can be done in the lake in the form of aquajogging but this isn't a requirement.

Next week (the last week of August) we'll be meeting for practice Monday through Thursday at 3:30. There will be practice on Friday August 30th, time TBA. Saturday August 31st there will be an optional trip to Western Massachusetts, something we did last year that was well received. E-mail Coach Mayall if you're interested in that.

Heat notice, registration link and summer training log format

Hope your summer is going well. Three things worth noting:

• Please be aware that the hottest weather of the summer is forecast for this coming weekend. If you're in the area be aware that on really hot days your training should be done in the morning when it's the coolest. If that's not an option, wait until after 6 PM when the worst of the day's heat has typically passed. In general, do not attempt to run when the heat index is 100 degrees or more; if the heat index is over 90 degrees be careful and take it easy on that day (i.e. no timed repeats or long run). Of course, training indoors is always an option on hot days if that's available to you. For more information on the heat index please visit this link.

• The FamilyID registration link is up on the WHS athletics website, that can be accessed here. There are already some people who have registered--there's no rush yet, but do remember that you (or your child) can't practice with the team beginning August 22nd without being registered and having an up to date physical exam on file with the school nurse.

• Finally in the "better late than never" department I have come up with a simple spreadsheet format for use as your summer training log. If you have a google docs account you can create a copy of this format and fill it in with the training you've done up to this point and keep filling it in going forward for the rest of this summer. The format can be seen here.

When you access this format, be sure you're logged in to your google docs account. Then, from the "file" menu choose "make a copy" and rename the spreadsheet "<your name> summer training log". In other words, replace the word "generic" in the title with your name. DO NOT start filling in your training on the original generic format--make a copy of it, rename it, and then fill out the copy with your own training! If you have a day with more than one type of training (running and biking for example) list them both under type of exercise and list the time spent on each as well. I wish I had come up with this back in June but again, better late than never.

Summer use of Elliptigo bikes

One final post on this site before the summer gets going in earnest. This regards the use of the two elliptigo bikes that were purchased in 2016 for use by members of the team. "Elliptigo" is a brand name for a type of bike that doesn't have a seat and whose pedals are set up in such a way that the rider has a more upright posture than on a standard bike. This makes it a useful tool for runners who want to train more without too much pounding, or who are unable to run due to certain types of injury.

This year I thought it would be good for athletes on the team to use these bikes during the summer months when the bikes would otherwise be sitting idle in a storage shed. To facilitate this, we have two team parents who have graciously agreed to host the bikes at their home during the summer. Lori Aidala (Ava's mother) and Renu Gehring (Jason's mother) are the bike hosts. I've provided their contact information in an e-mail sent out to the team mailing list. At their convenience, you're welcome to contact them to schedule a time to stop by and use the elliptigo for training. My hope is that we could have two or three people sharing the bike by having one person on the elliptigo while the other(s) ride a standard bike, and take turns on each. There's safety in numbers making it preferable to ride with a buddy or small group.

Speaking of safety it's important you follow these guidelines. Much of the information here comes from links in the "Elliptigo related items" sidebar on the right side of this website. Please take note:

• Read the entire "Rules for Riding the Elliptigo" document before riding and follow these rules when riding.
• All athletes must take and pass the quiz even if they've taken it in the past. Note there's an answer key for the quiz; please consult the key after taking the quiz and not before.
• Whether you've ever ridden the elliptigo before or not, the first time you ride it this summer you must spend the first 10 minutes riding it only around the block on the street where the bike is being hosted. In other words, don't leave the local neighborhood until you've become reacquainted (or acquainted) with how to successfully get on and get off the elliptigo, use the brakes, and change gears.


The next post in this space will most likely be in August regarding online registration for the team and the start of practice. Between now and then feel free to contact me via e-mail with any questions. Have a great summer!

-Coach Mayall

June 10th meeting items of interest

If you were at the meeting on June 10th, here are some links (taken from the sidebars on the right side of the web version of this page) that are worth looking at:

Team Policies and FAQ

Summer Training Guidelines

Summer Training Spreadsheet

If you have any questions feel free to contact me, my e-mail address is contained within the Team Policies and FAQ  as well as the Summer Training Guidelines documents.

- Coach Mayall