Alumni Update - Sarah Tully

Over the weekend, WHS alum and current junior at Williams College Sarah Tully finished off her cross country season by placing 29th at the NCAA Division 3 National Championship race in Louisville, Kentucky on a muddy chewed up 6 kilometer course. She was the second finisher for her team which was third overall. By placing in the top 40 she earned All-American status. This caps off a fall campaign that was a success from beginning to end and included being named NESCAC All-Conference and NCAA Divsion 3 New England All-Region (Williams was the team champion at both of these).

meet results

recap from Williams College website

Awards Night and Varsity Lists

This coming Thursday November 14th there will be an end of season celebration held in the Commons at 6:30. We'll recognize the recipients of team-specific awards including Most Improved, Rookie of the Year, and MVP. Varsity letters/pins will be distributed as well as JV certificates. Plus we'll be having the annual dagashi blowout, always a highlight of this event, as well as giving out chocolate milk to whomever wants it (there was some left over at the end of the season). We hope to be done by 8.

While on the subject of recognition, the athletes listed below have earned varsity status for this season. An explanation of what it takes to make varsity in what is a no-cut sport can be found on page five of the team policies and FAQ document which, as ever, can be found under the "Useful Links" sidebar on the right of this page.

Girls:
Nadia Calder
Silvija Grava
Maleeha Javed
McKenna Kelemanik
June Kim
Ava Korzeniowski
Sofia Menyalkin

Boys:
Dylan Bonanno
Billy Caddoo
Kyle Chen
Liam Duffy
Simon Goode
Owen Jay
Yiran Li
Dravin Nagalingam

MIAA Eastern Mass. Division 4 Championship Results

The season wrapped up for WHS cross country yesterday at the EMass Division 4 Championships. Held on the Wrentham Developmental Center course, the conditions were clear and cold but not as severe as originally forecast. The ground, which had absorbed rain from two storms within the previous five days, was soft and in places chewed up by foot traffic from the previous divisional races held on the same course earlier in the day.

The boys team capped off a season of across the board improvement by finishing 7th overall out of 26 teams. The team was led by co-captain Kyle Chen who joined the sub-18 minute club, one of only nine WHS athletes to have done so since the current course was established in 2010. Keys to the team success were smart pacing early on with the soft footing and the narrow time spread of just over 30 seconds between the first and fifth scoring runner. This result is the first time the boys team has finished in the top 10 at the EMass Championship since 2004, when the Wayland boys also finished seventh. The point total of 250 is the lowest since 2003.

The girls team, led by co-captain McKenna Kelemanik finished 18th of 22 teams. The team's point total of 403 was the lowest since 2012; the average time for the top five finishers was the fastest since 2013 and the time spread between the first and fifth runner was the smallest since 2012. McKenna wrapped up her high school cross country career by finishing 20th overall.

Overall Results
Splits for WHS Athletes
All time performance list for WHS athletes at Wrentham Developmental Center
Historical list 1997-present of WHS results at DCL Championship and EMass D4 Championship

MIAA Eastern Mass. Division 4 Championship - 11/9/19

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 11:45

Please arrive a few minutes early so we can get on the road in good time. 

Race Schedule and Entries:

Boys Race 1:45
Girls Race 3:10             

 Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Partly cloudy, temperature around 40 degrees with SW wind 5-10 mph. An up date forecast for Wrentham can be seen here. While not that strong, the wind will still have some bite to it. Dress appropriately including layers to wear when you're either waiting for your race or after having completed your cool down.  
• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before your race is scheduled to start; keep your sweats on until the meet officials at the starting line tell you to remove them. Warmups will be placed in the laundry basket which will then be brought to the tent.
• 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. Finally, don't press the stop button on your wristwatch as you cross the finish line, since doing so might interfere with the RFID chip and your hand and wrist will obscure your bib number from view by the backup camera.
• The meet staff has asked that no one do their warmup or cool down among the buildings of the Wrentham Developmental Center, where patients are housed. Aside from the course itself, you can warmup and cool down on the fields across the street. 
• A map of the course can be seen here. 

The course is basically flat, with some gentle roll in places. The course is entirely on grass. 
• Medals will be awarded to the top 15 finishers. 

What to Bring:

• Uniform, including both jersey and shorts
• spare change of clothes so you can return your uniform when we return to WHS
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them
• Multiple layers of clothing including clothes to wear while warming up and cooling down, in addition to dry warm clothes for after your race. Also, bring clothes to change into if you're returning your uniform after this meet.
• Water bottle (filled)
• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• Folding chair
• Blanket

For Parents:

• A parking fee of $5 will be collected for each car.
• We hope to return to WHS around or a little after 5 PM.
• Dogs aren't allowed on or near the course, best to leave them home.
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label.  

Week 11 Training Plan, 11/4-11/10

This week is the culmination of the season from a team perspective. The hope is to put your best foot forward on Saturday at Wrentham. Everything leading up to Saturday in practice is intended to help make that possible. We're not reinventing the wheel here, so no major changes are afoot other than a further reduction in training volume. You've all made positive strides throughout the season and all signs point to You can improve your chances of doing well on Saturday by getting to bed at a reasonable hour, drinking water regularly throughout the day (to the tune of around 48 ounces a day), and eating a nutritious balanced diet. Note that like the last two weeks, there's a scheduled day off during the week, however this week that day is Thursday and not Wednesday as it's been previously.

Monday 11/4 - Warmup including burpees followed by a PLR of either 36 or 48 minutes. The PLR will then be followed by 6x150m at faster than race pace with a 150m jog recovery.

36 minute PLR - 12 minutes easy, 9 minutes fresh, 9 minutes good, 6 minutes easy
48 minute PLR - 16 minutes easy, 12 minutes fresh, 12 minutes good, 8 minutes easy

Tuesday 11/5 - Warmup followed by a short length run with hill drills. The total length of the run should end up being in the neighborhood of 35-40 minutes.

Wednesday 11/6 - Warmup including burpees followed by a 12-15 minute jog, 3x400 at 5-10 seconds faster than race pace, mile at race pace, 3x400 at 5-10 seconds faster than race pace. Wrapped up with a 10 minute cooldown. The recovery between each 400 is 60-90 seconds, with 4.5 minutes before and after the mile. The site of this workout is TBD, my hope is to have it done on a track. If this is the case we'll meet in the parking lot and travel in one of the booster buses.

Thursday 11/7 - off

Friday 11/8 - 10 minute warmup, three sets of short intervals on top of the aqueduct, 10 minute cooldown.

Saturday 11/9 - MIAA Eastern Mass. Division 4 Championship at Wrentham Developmental Center. More details in a forthcoming post. Note that the teams will be traveling separately and leaving at separate times as the girls race is scheduled 90 minutes after the boys.

Sunday 11/11 - off

Frank Mooney Invitational Results

Earlier today a select group of Wayland runners wrapped up their season at the Frank Mooney Invitational, held at the Wrentham Developmental Center. On a day with good weather for fast running there were many notable performances, including seasonal and lifetime bests. Congratulations to all who finished up their season today.

Overall results can be seen at the following links:

9th grade girls race
9th grade boys race
11th and 12th grade boys race

Splits for WHS athletes

All time performance list for WHS athletes at Wrentham Developmental Center
(the course was established in 2010)

Frank Mooney Invitational - 11/2/19

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 11:45 - note change in bus time

Arrive a few minutes early so we can leave on time.

Race Schedule and Entries (start times are approximate):

1:00 pm Division 2 10th grade Girls 5K - none
1:29 pm Division 2 10th grade Boys 5K - T. Jay
1:55 pm Division 2 9th grade Girls 3K - Mente
2:14 pm Division 2 9th grade Boys 3k - Creavin, Frank, Morris, Mui
2:31 pm Division 2 Junior/Senior Girls 5k - none
2:58 pm Division 2 Junior/Senior Boys 5K - Marto, Nagalingam, Schilp, Weling
                    
Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Sunny, temperatures around 50 degrees with light winds from the south. You can check the weather forecast for Wrentham here as we get closer to the meet.
• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before your race is scheduled to start; keep your sweats on until the meet officials at the starting line tell you to remove them. There are no assigned places on the starting line so it's first come first serve.
• Remember to give your uniform to one of the coaches. If you're leaving with a parent do this before leaving WDC (porta-potties can be used as changing rooms); if you're on the bus back to school you can do this when we return.
• 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 printable map of the course can be accessed here. Click on the image below to see an enlarged version of the map on your screen:

It's basically flat, with some gentle roll in places. The first "perimeter" loop is shown on the map in red. The second and third "hairpin" loops are shown in blue and yellow. The course is entirely on grass. The 9th grade race ends after the second lap (red, then blue). 10th grade race and 11th/12th grade race use the full three lap course. 
• Medals will be given to the top 50 finishers.
• A canned food drive is held in conjunction with this meet, if you're coming please remember to bring a non-perishable food item with you. I'll collect all items and turn them in at registration.

What to Bring:

• Uniform
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them
• Multiple layers of clothing including clothes to wear while warming up and cooling down, in addition to dry clothes for after your race. 
• Plastic bag for storing wet clothes
• Plastic bag for keeping dry clothes dry 
• Water bottle
• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• Folding chair
• Blanket

For Parents:

• A parking fee of $5 will be collected for each car.
• We hope to return to WHS by 5 PM. 
• Dogs aren't allowed on or near the course. 
• Grills, open fires and drones are also prohibited.
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label.

Week 10 Training Plan, 10/28-11/3

This week features the Frank Mooney Invitational on Saturday, a meet for the 9th graders and upperclass athletes not in the top 7. Note that the workouts are different on certain days of the week for the people racing on Saturday and those who aren't. Don't forget to vote for the Golden Microphone winner if you haven't done so already.

Mon 10/28 - Warmup followed by a cyclic long run. The length of this week's long run (the last CLR of the season) is the same as last week's PLR.

Group A: 36 minutes (3 minute segments)
Group B: 48 minutes (4 minute segments)
Group C: 60 minutes (5 minute segments)

Tue 10/29 - Warmup including burpees followed by a short length run including hill drills

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes

Wed 10/30 - off

Thu 10/31 - Warmup including burpees followed by a medium length run including timed repeats as follows:

those racing 3k on Saturday: 10 minute warmup, 2 sets of 3x400 meters on top of the aqueduct with the first set at race pace and the second set 1-2 seconds per rep faster than race pace. 200 meter recovery jog after each repeat with 4-5 minutes recovery between sets. 10 minute cooldown.

those racing 5k on Saturday: 10 minute warmup, 2 sets of 4x400 meters on top of the aqueduct with the first set at race pace and the second set at 1-2 seconds per rep faster than race pace. 200 meter recovery jog after each repeat with 4-5 minutes recovery between sets. 10 minute cooldown.

those not racing on Saturday: 10 minute warmup, 2x400 at 1-2 seconds faster than race pace with 90 seconds recovery between them and 4 minutes after the second. This will be followed by 2 reps of the first mile of the course at race pace with 5 minutes recovery after each. Finally, 2x400 at or just faster than race pace with 90 seconds recovery.

Fri 11/1 - Warmup followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes

Sat 11/2 - Frank Mooney Invitational. More information will be forthcoming in a subsequent post. Those not racing today should do a medium length run at an easy to moderate intensity, with 5-6 pickups of 15-20 seconds in the second half of the run.

Sun 11/3 - off

DCL Championship Meet Results

The final phase of the season got underway in earnest yesterday afternoon at Franklin Park in Boston with the DCL Championship Meet. It was a good day for racing and this was reflected in the times and overall depth of competition. This has been one of the strongest years in recent memory for the league as a whole. For WHS athletes there were many excellent performances and for those who are veterans of this course, some noteworthy improvements as well. Results can be seen at the links below:

Results and splits for WHS athletes
Results at Franklin Park for WHS athletes, 1997-present

Girls varsity overall
Girls JV overall
9th grade race
Boys varsity
Boys JV overall

On the bus ride home, the sixth edition of the always popular Golden Microphone competition took place, with three entries stepping up to give their best rendition of popular songs. Team members should take a moment to fill out this brief survey to vote for their favorite performers. Please, one vote per person. The results will be announced at practice on Tuesday.

DCL Championship Meet - 10/25/19

Meet Site: Playstead field, Franklin Park. 

Bus Time: 1 PM. You should leave school in time to change before getting on the bus, i.e. around 12:45. This time is near the end of fourth period; teachers have been provided a list of students who are attending the meet and you should touch base with your 4th period teacher before Friday to let them know you'll need to leave early that day. You are of course responsible for any work missed that day in the final class periods.

NOTE: Only those listed below in the lineups are on the dismissal list that was submitted to the Athletic Director. If you're not listed below in the lineup you must remain in school for the afternoon blocks or be marked absent from those classes. 

Meet Schedule and Lineups:

2:00 PM Team Buses arrive and park
2:20 PM Course walk through for those who need it
2:30 PM Coaches Meeting
2:40 PM Volunteer Meeting
3:00 PM JV Girls - Han, Shine
3:30 PM Varsity Boys - Bonanno, Caddoo, Chen, Duffy, Goode, O. Jay, Li
3:50 PM 9th Grade Girls and Boys 3K- Creavin, Frank, Mente, Morris, Mui
the 9th grade girls and boys will race at the same time, scoring and places are then compiled separately by gender
4:20 PM Varsity Girls - Calder, Grava, Javed, Kelemanik, Kim, Korzeniowski,  Menyalkin
4:50 PM JV Boys - Levin, Marto, Nagalingam, Schilp
5:15 PM Award Presentation

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Cloudy, temperatures in the low 60s with light winds from the north around 5 mph. 
• All races except for the 9th grade race will be run on the 5k course. The 9th grade race will be run on the 3k course which is the first two loops of the 5k without the third loop in the Wilderness.  
• Upon our arrival, once we've found a spot for our bags, Coach Mayall will lead a jog/walk tour of the Wildnerness loop for those athletes who are racing 5k and have never been to Franklin Park before. Note we won't be covering the entire course, just the Wilderness loop which is the third mile of the 5k. This is where athletes have gotten lost in the past. 

• Race protocol:
a. Runners must report to the start line 10 minutes prior to start
b. Runners will be asked to remove sweats 5 minutes prior to start
c. Runners will be warned with one minute prior to start and again at 30 seconds
d. Command for start will be “Runners Set” and then the horn or starters pistol 
• Awards will be given to the top 15 finishers in the varsity race, the top 8 JV finishers, and the top 7 9th graders. 
• Face paint and hats are not allowed.
• If this is your final meet of the season, bring an extra change of clothes and after we return to Wayland you can change out of your uniform in the field house and return it to one of the coaches. 

What to bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes including: long sleeved shirt, pants, windbreaker, gloves, hat
• water bottle
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival). If you're running in a later race, bring a snack to have when we first arrive at the park to tide you over until your race. 
• folding chair if you want something to sit on while changing shoes
• blanket to lie on under the team tent 

Information for Parents:

• The course starts and finishes between White Stadium and Pierpont Road, just north of the zoo. Parking is available at the corner of Pierpont and Circuit Drive, as well as at other lots on Circuit Drive and along the side of Circuit Drive as well. While there is parking along Pierpont right next to the zoo, it's doubtful these spaces will be open to the public and if they are they'll fill up first. 
• The race can be seen multiple times from the small rise just beyond the finish line. Binoculars come in handy when viewing the racers from the other side of the field. 
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label. 
• We hope to be back at WHS by around 7 PM.

Week 9 Training Plan, 10/21-10/27

This week features the beginning of championship season with Friday's DCL Championship meet at Franklin Park. More information will be forthcoming on this meet which will require an early dismissal from school. In addition, with the end of the season drawing near, we've entered the final phase of our training. The proverbial hay is in the barn and from here on out it's a draw down of training volume achieved in two ways:

• a reduction in the length of most daily runs
• a reduction in the number of days per week with running workouts planned. This is achieved by taking one more day a week off from practice. This week that day is Wednesday.

I'll explain in more detail at practice Monday how this tapering process will proceed. In the meantime here is the plan for this week:

• Mon 10/21 - Warmup followed by Progressive Long run as follows:

Group A: 36 minutes (12 minutes easy, 9 minutes fresh, 9 minutes good, 6 minutes easy)
Group B: 48 minutes (16 minutes easy, 12 minutes fresh, 12 minutes good, 8 minutes easy)
Group C: 60 minutes (20 minutes easy, 15 minutes fresh, 15 minutes good, 10 minutes easy)

• Tue 10/22 - Warmup including burpees followed by a short length run with hill drills.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes

• Wed 10/23 - off

• Thu 10/24 - Warmup including burpees followed by a short length run with two sets of short reps at the end on top of the aqueduct.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes
• Fri 10/25 - DCL Championship Meet @Franklin Park. The first race (JV Girls) will be at 3 PM which means we have to arrive in time for those athletes to adequately warm up. More information forthcoming. This is a medium length day, including warmup and cooldown running it should add up to the following:

Group A: 32-36 minutes
Group B: 40-44 minutes
Group C: 48-52 minutes

• Sat 10/26 -Short length run on your own at an easy to moderate intensity.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes
• Sun 10/27 - off

MSTCA Bob McIntyre Twilight Invitational Results

WHS returned to the always popular Twilight Meet after a year's absence with many fast times on the multiple loop course. With clear and cool conditions and light breezes it was a good day to run fast. The race fields were large to say the least. Top individual place was McKenna Kelemanik finishing 29th in the varsity girls race, with a time well under 20 minutes. The boys varsity team ran credibly in a race that had over 300 finishers and 45 scoring teams, coming in 21st as a group. Times and splits for WHS athletes can be seen here, please note it was difficult to pick out some of the boys varsity runners at the mile mark due to how crowded the field was at that point in the race. Overall results can be found on the MSTCA website.

Next up is the DCL Championship at Franklin Park next Friday. The training plan for the upcoming week will be published later on today.

MSTCA Bob McIntyre Twilight Invitational - 10/19/19

Meet Site: Cape Cod Fairgrounds, 1220 Nathan Ellis Hwy (rt. 151), East Falmouth, MA 02536

Bus Time: 2:30 PM. Arrive at the school a bit before this time so that we can be on the road promptly, it's a long ride!

Meet Schedule and lineups:

5:00 - 9th grade girls - none
5:25 - 9th grade boys 2.1 miles (17 minutes) - Creavin, Morris, Mui
5:45 - 10th grade girls - none
6:25 - 10th grade boys - none
6:40 - JV girls 3.1 miles (28 minutes) - Javed, Korzeniowski
7:10 - JV boys 3.1 miles (25 minutes) - Nagalingam
7:35 - Varsity girls 3.1 miles (26 minutes) - Kelemanik
8:00 - Varsity boys 3.1 miles (22 minutes) - Bonanno, Caddoo, Chen, Goode, O. Jay, Li

The time in parentheses after each race is the cutoff for that race. Athletes who don't make the cutoff won't be recorded in the official results.

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Clear, temperatures in the mid 50s upon arrival, dropping to the low 50s by 6 PM and then to the high 40s by 7:30. Winds 5-10 mph from the SW. With the lack of cloud cover the temperature will drop as the sun sets.
• The top 25 finishers in each race win medals, which will be given out in the chute.
• MSTCA will be using Chip timing. Athletes who are not competing and are by the finish line should not be wearing their bib with tag because it can be picked up by the transmitter. This will cause issues in recording places.
• The course is a loop of just over a mile that's repeated twice for the 9th grade race and three times for all other races. Course map. Sections of the path are paved; this may affect your spike length choice, so be sure to check it out in advance.
• There will be a karaoke contest on the bus ride back from the meet. Contact me if you're interested. 

What to bring (IMPORTANT):

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• full set of warmup clothes including: long sleeved shirt, pants, windbreaker, gloves, hat
• water bottle
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• folding chair
• blanket to lie on under the team tent
• flashlight/headlamp
• DINNER for after your race. We won't be leaving the meet until sometime around 9 PM; dining options on the trip home are few and of low quality. Not to mention if you visit any restaurant near the fairgrounds that's still open, you get to wait in line for a good hour or so with 2 or 3 other teams that have also just left the meet. Long story short we won't be stopping for food on the trip back to Wayland! There is food for sale at the meet if that's your type of thing; otherwise I'd recommend preparing something in advance and bringing it with you in a small cooler or lunch bag. 

Information for Parents:

• Parking costs $5 per carload, carpooling is suggested.
• Dogs and grills are prohibited. As are drones, so leave those at home.
• The area near and next to the start/finish line area is the best area to watch the race.

Dual Meet #4 Results

The dual meet season came to a close earlier today with the lone home meet of the schedule for this season. Both teams showed good racing sense on what is, according to conversations overheard among members of Bedford's team after the race, an intimidating course. The boys team won after taking the top three places to finish the dual meet schedule at 3-3 while the girls fell to a larger and deeper Bedford team to end up with a 1-5 record overall.

The splits and times for WHS runners in today's race can be seen here. With the regular season now in the books the focus turns to this weekend's Twilight Invitational. That's followed bya series of championship meets to conclude the year.

Dual Meet #4 vs. Bedford, 10/16/19 (rescheduled)

Team Store: Before getting into the details of tomorrow's rescheduled meet, the captains have set up an online team store for ordering warmup gear and even a backpack. Note that the deadline for ordering is next Monday October 21st at midnight.

Meet Site: Wayland High School

First race 4:15 PM unless you hear different from me. WHS Athletes should arrive no later than 2:45 PM. Boys race will precede girls.

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Cloudy, temperatures in the low 60s with ESE winds 5-10 mph. If the current forecast as of this writing holds, the rain that's predicted to come through won't be arriving until after the meet is over. It's still imperative that you bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform.
• You'll receive a bib number that you need to wear for this, the final DCL dual meet. After your race you can keep the number or discard it, I don't need it back. I would appreciate getting the safety pins back.
• 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. 
• Course map: Please note the location of the starting line will be shifted slightly from where it was last year, i.e. the start and finish lines are not in the same spot. This is to avoid a bottleneck at the start where the port-a-johns have been set up during construction. The overall length of the course is unaffected by the construction.

• When the teams from Bedford arrive, there will be a tour of the course. If you're new to the team and have never raced on the WHS course, you should join us on this 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
• plastic bag to store clothes and backpack/duffel bag
• water bottle - including a larger (24-32 oz.) bottle if you have one
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

for parents:

• If you stand near the start/finish line area (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. Due to construction it's a little bit complicated to cut across from the north side of the course (start/finish area) to the south side, but you can cut through the field house to do so.
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label.

Week 8 Training Plan, 10/14-10/20

Thanks to the postponement of last week's dual meet to this Wednesday, this winds up being the second week of the season with two meets. Please note there is a practice on Monday, 9:30 AM at the high school for those who are in town. Also note that Friday's run will be very short, not just short.

Mon 10/14 - Warmup followed by Cyclic Long Run. The length of the run is the same as last week, and will be reduced again next week.

Group A: 48 minutes (4 minute segments)
Group B: 60 minutes (5 minute segments)
Group C: 72 minutes (6 minute segments)

Tue 10/15 - warmup including burpees followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity. At some point in the second half of the run (but before the very end), you should do 4-5 20 second bursts at race pace effort.

Group A: 28-32 minutes
Group B: 34-38 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Wed 10/16 - Dual Meet #4 vs. Bedford. More information will be forthcoming. As of this writing there is rain in the forecast but most of it is predicted to fall after the meet would be over and done with. Remember today is a medium length day, meaning that including your warmup and cooldown your day should come in at around the following:

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 46-50 minutes
Group C: 54-58 minutes

Thu 10/17 - warmup including burpees followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity.

Group A: 28-32 minutes
Group B: 34-38 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Fri 10/18 - warmup followed by a very short length run. The last 10 minutes or so of the run will be done on top of the aqueduct with two sets of short repeats.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 30-34 minutes
Group C: 36-40 minutes

Sat 10/19 - MSTCA Bob McIntyre Twilight Invitational at Cape Cod Fairgrounds.
More information will be forthcoming in a subsequent post. Remember this is a medium length day overall, including warmup and cooldown your overall volume should come in at the following:

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 46-50 minutes
Group C: 56-60 minutes

Sun 10/20 - off

Week 7 Training Plan, 10/7-10/13 and Wayland XC Festival Volunteering

This week includes two meets held on the WHS campus. The first, on Thursday, is our fourth and final dual meet of the season, versus Bedford. The second, on Sunday, is the Wayland XC Festival, an event open to the general public that serves as the fundraiser for the WHS cross country program. Each year members of the WHS cross country teams help put on this event by volunteering in various capacities listed below. The proceeds are then used to purchase items that can be used by the team in the future. This includes chocolate milk after races, elliptigo bikes, tent and tent related upgrades, the folding benches we bring to meets, etc. If you're around this coming Sunday you should sign up to help out at the meet in some capacity. I'll be sending out an updated list of remaining volunteer positions towards the end of the week.

Volunteer opportunities for the Wayland XC Festival are listed below. The number in red is the number of openings as of this writing. If you're interested in a particular task send me a note confirming your interest.

• Registration - sign in athletes and distribute bib numbers (7:45-10 AM)  1

• Course Marshals - direct the athletes the correct way at turns or other points of potential confusion along the course. This job can be split between pairs of people into an early shift and late shift if need be. (8:45-10:30, 10:00-11:45 AM)   2 late

• Split timers - stand at the mile mark (2 mile mark as well for the 5k) and read out the elapsed time as the runners pass by. This job can be split between pairs of people into an early shift and late shift if need be. (8:45-10:30, 10:00-11:45 AM)  1 early / 2 late

• Water stop - prepare and pass out water at the aid station. This job can be split between pairs of people into an early shift and late shift if need be. (8:45-10:30, 10:00-11:45 AM)  1 early

• Photographer - take pictures of the races for the event website  (8:45-11:30 AM)  1 or 2

• Sweeper - follow behind each race on a bike making sure no one gets lost (2 slots, 8:45-10:30, 10:00-11:45 AM)  1 early/ 1 late

• Food/water table - keep the table near the finish line stocked and clean (9:00-11:30 AM)  1

• Course cleanup - help clean up the course of cones, stakes, etc. (11:00 AM-12:30 PM)  1

As for the training, note that this week the long run returns on Monday at a shorter length of time for most people. The weather forecast is for rain so dress appropriately and have a dry change of clothes ready for after the run. There's no organized practice when there's also no school in observance of Yom Kippur. You may run on your own if you like or do the run later in the week instead.

Mon 10/7 -  Warmup followed by progressive long run (PLR). The pattern we follow for the PLR is first third easy, next quarter "fresh"/moderate, next quarter "good" and the final sixth easy again. In practice it will shake out as follows:

Group A: 48 minutes (16 minutes easy - 12 minutes fresh - 12 minutes good - 8 minutes easy)
Group B: 60 minutes (20 minutes easy - 15 minutes fresh - 15 minutes good - 10 minutes easy)
Group C: 72 minutes (24 minutes easy - 18 minutes fresh - 18 minutes good - 12 minutes easy)

Tue 10/8 - Warmup including burpees followed by a short length run including hill drills. The length of today's run is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Wed 10/9 - No organized practice. If you're not observing the holiday you can do a short length run on your own at an easy to moderate intensity. If you're observing the holiday you can do this run on Sunday instead.

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Thursday 10/10 - Dual Meet #4 vs. Bedford has been postponed to Wednesday 10/16 due to the amount of rain forecast to fall on the home course (shown below) in the 24 hours leading up to the race.

With the meet postponed, practice will consist of the following: warmup including burpees followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity. The first half of the run will be outside, on sidewalks preferably, the second half will be done in the field house.

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Fri 10/11 - Warmup including 8-10 minutes of jogging followed by

Group A: 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 2 minutes 1 minute with 2.5 minute jog recoveries.
Group B: 2 sets of 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute repeats with 2.5 minute jog recoveries.
Group C: 2 sets of 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, 1 minute repeats with 2.5 minute jog recoveries.

The 4 and 3 minute repeats should start at a good pace and end at a hard pace (race effort). The 2 and 1 minute repeats should be run at a hard pace (race effort). NOTE: assuming the forecast holds and it's still raining Friday afternoon, it's likely we'll do this workout in the neighborhood near the school that includes Charena Road. This neighborhood consists of a few streets which together form a rectangular shape.

Sat 10/12 - Medium length recovery run at an easy to moderate pace. The previously scheduled Saturday practice at Lincoln Station has been canceled.

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 46-50 minutes
Group C: 56-60 minutes

Sun 10/13 - off unless you took Wednesday off in which case a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity. Today is of course the day of the Wayland XC Festival for those volunteering.

Dual Meet #3 Results

Both teams had a successful meet yesterday in rainy conditions at Waltham High School. The boys raced first and the top seven runners took places 3-9 with a controlled measured effort, finishing as a tightly bunched pack. The scoring ended up as follows:

Wayland 25 - 3+4+5+6+7 (8) (9)
Waltham 36 - 1+2+10+11+12

On the girls side the effort was just as impressive, as the team showed good racing strategy for the rolling course. In fact Wayland was losing the meet at the mile mark but turned that around decisively in the second half of the race to wind up taking places 1,3,4,6 and 7. This gave the Wayland girls 21 points (anything less than 28 points in a dual meet is a winning score). Getting the overall win was McKenna Kelemanik.

Splits and finish times for WHS athletes can be seen here. The conditions were such that getting the results in writing at the finish line was a difficult task for the meet hosts, as such the boys results in particular are sketchy at best. If you know of any discrepancies in the order of finish relative to your teammates let me know and I'll try to sort through what I was given. 

Dual Meet #3 @Waltham, 10/2/19

Meet Site: Waltham High School, 99 Jacks Way. Waltham

Bus leaves at 2:45

Two races--Boys will race first followed by girls. Boys will race no earlier than 4 PM.

Course Map:

The course begins on the turf field just down the hill from the high school building. Upon exiting the field, runners climb the hill on Jacks Way before entering the woods on the left. The course then follows a loop in the woods (pay attention on the tour to which trail is the course and which trails are not) before returning to Jacks Way and then the turf field where the race finishes.

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Cloudy, temperatures in the low to mid 70s with N wind about 10 mph. Temperature on the warm side but overcast and wind will keep it from feeling that hot. Bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform. In addition, bring a plastic bag to keep your clothes and bag dry when not being worn.
• It's expected that during the race you will wear the full uniform assigned to you. 
• The Waltham coach reports that the course is not suitable for spike elements in your racing shoes. If you have spiked racing shoes the spike elements should be replaced with blanks or 1/8" pyramids. If you wore longer spike elements in your racing shoes this past weekend at Wrentham, remove them Tuesday evening before going to bed. Do not wait until the bus ride Wednesday, after we arrive at Waltham, etc.
• You'll need to wear your assigned bib number which is the same number you wore in last week's meet . After your race and before you leave, please return this bib number to the ziploc bag that holds the bib numbers and safety pins, which is in turn kept inside the large red duffel bag.
• There will be a course tour sometime soon after we arrive.

 What to Bring:

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

for parents:

• the field where the course starts and finishes is down the hill from the parking lot next to the school building.

Week 6 Training Plan, 9/30-10/5

Two items of note for this week:

1. There is no organized practice on Monday. For those observing the holiday the plan is to go for a short length run on either Sunday 9/29 or Sunday 10/5. For those not observing the holiday, you can do this run on Monday or either of the two Sundays listed above.

2. The number of training levels has been reduced from 4 to 3, henceforth known as Group A, B and C. Group A is the former Level 1 and 2 combined; Group B is the former Level 3; Group C is the former Level 4.

Mon 9/30 - See #1 above. A short run for each group is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Tue 10/1 - Warmup including burpees followed by a short run incorporating hill drills. In all likelihood we'll do the drills on Keith Road which is just off Route 27 between the Hultman Aqueduct and the middle school. Total length of the run today is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Wed 10/2 - Dual Meet #3 @Waltham. More information on this meet will be forthcoming. Today is a medium length day in terms of training volume as follows:

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 44-48 minutes
Group C: 52-56 minutes

Thu 10/3 - Warmup including burpees followed by a short length recovery run at an easy to moderate intensity. The length of the run today is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Fri 10/4 - Warmup followed by either a medium length run for those going to practice in Lincoln tomorrow, or the following workout:

Group A: 6-8 minute warmup jog, 10 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%), 4x400 hard (race pace) with 200 meter jog recoveries on top of the aqueduct, 6-8 minute cooldown
Group B - 6-8 minute warmup jog, 12 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%), 6x400 hard (race pace) with 200 meter jog recoveries on top of the aqueduct, 6-8 minute cooldown
 Group C - 10 minute warmup jog, 14 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%), 8x400 hard (race pace) with 200 meter jog recoveries on top of the aqueduct, 10 minute cooldown

The good effort portion of the workout can be done anywhere on the flat portion of the school campus including around the school buildings if you like. Stay out of the parking lot however. Arrange this portion of the workout such that you finish it somewhere near the sandpit, as the break between this and the repeats is a jog/hike to the top of the aqueduct.

Sat 10/4 -  A medium length recovery run for those who did the repeat workout yesterday (Group A: 36-40 minutes, Group B: 44-48 minutes, Group C: 52-56 minutes) or the following workout at Lincoln Station (145 Lincoln Road, Lincoln MA):

Group A: 6-8 minute warmup jog, 10 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%), 4x400 hard (race pace) with 200 meter jog recoveries on top of the aqueduct, 6-8 minute cooldown
Group B - 6-8 minute warmup jog, 12 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%), 6x400 hard (race pace) with 200 meter jog recoveries on top of the aqueduct, 6-8 minute cooldown
 Group C - 10 minute warmup jog, 14 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%), 8x400 hard (race pace) with 200 meter jog recoveries on top of the aqueduct, 10 minute cooldown

The 400s will be done back and forth along a measured stretch of the field loop next to Mt. Misery.

Sun 10/5 - see #1 above. If you ran either last Sunday or Monday, take today off.