Welcome to the 2023 season! This is the first post outlining the
scheduled training for the upcoming week. Each weekly training plan covers Monday to Sunday.
Typically the plan will be published by the Sunday evening before the start of the week,
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 (mainly weather) that can change
things. 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 each day's run among the different training 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.
Because this is the first
week of the season, there's a lot to go over here besides the daily
workouts which are listed below. For the rest of the season, this
"preamble" section of the weekly training plan will usually be much shorter.
You should bring the following items with you to 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, should hold 32-48 ounces (1-1.5L). Please bring a water bottle which you can use during breaks
in practice and after practice has ended. Bring your water bottle already filled.
Week
1 of official practice is also week 11 of the summer training period I
outlined in the summer training guidelines. The training pattern for the
week reflects this fact. There are six runs total, three shorter length
efforts, two medium length days (one of them with timed pickups), and
one long run. If you haven't been training much or at all over the
summer, start at Level 1.
We'll also employ cross training options, open
to anyone, that can be done as a supplement or in place of running as
need be. These include the elliptical bikes, or
riding your own bike if you have one and can bring it to practice. If
you haven't been running consistently over the summer, it's best to
avoid jumping right into 5 or 6 days of running per week. Cross training
is the best way to accomplish this. Regrettably, aquajogging isn't an option this year due to the cyanobacteria bloom in Lake Cochituate, where we've done aquajogging in the past. If you have access to a pool and would like to do aquajogging on your own please let me know.
Monday through Friday, practice will be held at WHS, while Saturday's practice will be held at the Free Public Library in the center of town alongside the Wayland-Weston section of the Mass Central Rail Trail. The meeting point at the high school is under the large trees next to the field house,
this is on the southwest side of the field house. If you walk around the outside perimeter of the field house you'll find us.
The time of the weekday practices this week is
determined by the forecast heat index. The default time is 3:30 PM. If
the predicted weather warrants it we'll go at 6:45 AM. Based on the
upcoming week's forecast, we're planning on holding practice in the
afternoon.
Please hold off on handing in your summer training log (optional for new athletes,
required for returning athletes) until the end of this week. Rewards will be distributed once the coaching staff has
tabulated all the logs, hopefully no later than Tuesday September 5th.
With all that out of the way, here's
the plan:
• Mon 8/21 - Practice at WHS @3:30 PM. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a medium length run broken down as follows:
Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 34-38 minutes
Level 3: 43-47 minutes
Level 4: 52-56 minutes
The pace of the run today should be easy on the whole, if you feel up to it it's ok to pick up gradually towards the end of the run.
•
Tue 8/22 - Practice at WHS @3:30 PM. Warmup followed by a short
length run that will incorporate hill drills (springing AKA bounding
for height and high knee running). For those that have been on the team
in the past, we'll be using the same hill along the Hultman aqueduct that we used for hill drills last year.
Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-35 minutes
Level 4: 38-45 minutes
•
Wed 8/23 - Practice at WHS @3:30 PM. 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 50-60% effort (this is easy but
not a slow
jog). Level 1 athletes may find it more realistic to 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, 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)
•
Thu 8/24 - Practice at WHS @3:30 PM. Warmup followed by a short run. Most if not all of the run should be done
at an effort level of "easy," perhaps progressing to moderate ("fresh")
in the last quarter of the run if you feel up to it.
Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-35 minutes
Level 4: 38-45 minutes
• Fri 8/25 - Practice at WHS @3:30 PM. Warmup including BURPEES
and
then a short easy run followed by run throughs (accelerations) and bounding over cones. The run throughs are short accelerations building
up to 95% or so of maximum speed.
Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-35 minutes
Level 4: 38-45 minutes
•
Sat 8/26 Practice at Free Public Library @9:00 AM. Abbreviated team warmup next to the rail trail, 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 along the Wayland/Weston section of the MCRT.
There will be a water stop set up along the trail. Level 1 athletes should stick to the rail trail itself, while Level 2-4 athletes can visit the trails of the Jericho Town Forest in Weston if they choose. These trails are mostly north of the rail trail and to the east of Plain Road. As you're heading out (east) along the rail trail past Plain Road you can see trails on your left heading off into the woods. Anyone who would rather use the elliptigo today should meet me at WHS at 8:30.
Sun 8/27 - off (no running), if you like you're welcome to go for a bike ride or hike on your own.
