Week 2 Training Plan, 8/30-9/5

 This week features the start of school of course. With the resumption of classes we hope to get in to the regular routine of practice starting at 3:30 in the afternoon. Based on the current long range weather forecast this should be doable. 

The pattern of this week's practices is overall similar to last week with a maximum of six runs that includes three shorter runs, two longer runs, and a long run. One of the two medium length runs, on Monday, will also include a series of timed pickups.

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 the logs, hopefully wrapping up by Friday.

Finally, 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 5:30 PM with a full day of running and other fun planned. If you're interested let the coaches know. There's room for up to 13 people on the booster bus.

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

• Mon 8/30 - 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)

• Tue 8/31 - Warmup followed by a short, easy active recovery run. Following the run will be a series of run throughs over cones, both quick stepping and bounding. This will be done in the softball outfield. Today is also a day for those who have a bike and haven't done as much running over the summer to bring their bike to practice for a cyclocross-style ride around campus instead of running.

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

• Wed 9/1 - Introductory circle after the first day of school, then warmup including BURPEES, then a medium length run which will be the same overall length of time as Monday's workout but without any pickups. In fact, you should cover less distance on today's run than Monday because today is meant to be an easy active recovery day.

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

• Thu 9/2 - 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)

We will discuss a route for today's run at the start of practice. 

• Fri 9/3 - Warmup including BURPEES and then a short, easy active recovery run. We will be doing hill drills as well, possibly on Wallace Road.

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

• Sat 9/4 - Western Mass. day trip (assuming sufficient interest). 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 9/5 - off

Week 1 Training Plan, 8/23-8/29

The 2021 season is here!

Practice begins this Monday at 3:30 PM at the high school. We'll meet at the area near the bleachers on the north side (home side) of the turf field. Looking ahead to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with high temperatures in the forecast the plan is to hold practice starting at 6:45 AM on each of those days. Friday the start time will be at 3:30 PM again. Saturday's practice, which is optional but strongly encouraged, will start at 9 AM and we'll meet at the Wayland Free Public Library.

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 6 PM on Monday and Friday, and by around 9:15 AM on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and by around 11 AM on Saturday.
  
Please remember you have to be registered with an up to date physical (within the last 13 months) on file. If your physical has been submitted but isn't showing up as approved, please e-mail a copy to the Athletic Director. More registration information can be found at

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

You should bring the following to practice:

• running shoes
•  comfortable clothes in which to work out. You might also want to wear a hat with a bill that keeps the sun out of your eyes. 
• 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.
•  mask to wear in case we go in the field house
• sunscreen
• water bottles - very important items (note the plural). Please bring a primary bottle you can use during breaks in practice, and a backup to use when you empty the first one. Ideally each bottle should have a capacity between 16 and 32 ounces. Bring them filled.
• 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.

Laid out below is the training plan for the week. Please note that the format for this week follows the guidelines laid out in the summer training spreadsheet for the August training block. In fact, this week is considered to be the final week of the August training block. It is still August after all. There are three short runs, two medium runs and a long run. Some athletes will sub in a cross training day on Thursday. 

Training logs will be collected starting next week; continue to keep track of your training in your log through this week of practice. If you haven't been keeping a log please do so this week. See one of the coaches at practice or send me an e-mail if you have any questions about this. 

• Monday 8/23 - Meet 3:30 PM at WHS, brief introductions, demonstration of warmup routine, then a medium length run out and back run along the Weston aqueduct as follows:

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

• Tuesday 8/24 - Meet 6:45 AM at the high school, brief introductions, team warmup, BURPEES for the first time this season, followed by a short run as follows:

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

 

there will be a series of short runs and bounds over cones (new for 2021!), either after the warmup or after the conclusion of the run.

• Wednesday 8/25 - Meet 6:45 AM at the high school, team warmup followed by a medium length run that will incorporate timed pickups of 1 minute in length, at close to a "race pace" (80-90%) 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. 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)

• Thursday 8/26 - Time TBA at the high school, warmup, then a short run as follows:

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

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. For those athletes who haven't trained as much over the summer we're looking into doing an alternate form of exercise today, namely riding mountain bikes if you have one. If you don't have a mountain bike but do have a road bike, bring that and we'll find a place to ride instead. More details on this as the day approaches. If you have your own bike feel free to bring it to practice today.

• Friday 8/27 - Time TBA at the high school, BURPEES, then a short run that will incorporate hill drills, most likely on Wallace Road. The total length of the run is as follows:

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

• Saturday 8/28 - meet at Wayland Free Public Library parking lot (5 Concord Road) at 9 AM, warmup on 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 mostly along the rail trail. For some the run can include a side jaunt into the trails of the Jericho Town Forest, just over the town line in Weston. You can see these trails leading off into the woods from the paved rail trail east of the rail trail's intersection with Plain Road. There will be at least two water stops during the run.

• Sunday 8/29 - off