Where to go on the elliptigo

As people are "certified" to ride the elliptical bikes off campus, the obvious question is where to ride them. I mention in the orientation that we'd like to avoid riding on roads with a great deal of car traffic. Recently the abandoned rail bed that runs through Weston and Wayland has been paved, with a stretch of almost 4.5 miles between the Wayland Public Library on one end and the Weston/Waltham border on the other end. This is the best riding around, with no cars, smooth, straight and basically flat.

There are a few other options in the immediate area where there are side streets with fewer cars around. Mostly these areas are to the south and west of WHS, in Framingham and Sudbury. I've taken some screenshots with these areas highlighted, which are included below. For each of these three screenshots, study the layout and note the location of the school and Old Connecticut Path (aka route 126) which is the main road that runs in front of the school. Click on the screenshot to see an enlarged version.

To start with, very close to the school are a few cul-de-sacs where you can ride safe in the knowledge that the only cars are from those who live on the actual street. These spots aren't extensive and putting in any kind of time means doing lots of loops or going back and forth repeatedly, but could still be a good option for your first few trips beyond the campus:

The next area is further afield from the school and includes the part of Framingham just west of the Sudbury River (which is the Wayland/Framingham town line in this area). In addition there are side streets that branch off Potter Road in Framingham to the southernmost part of Sudbury. Note here that Stonebridge Road in Wayland becomes Potter Road in Framingham, and Elm Street in Framingham becomes Landham road in Sudbury:

Heading south on route 126 from the school, there are a few neighborhoods directly off the road as well as the Framingham section of the Cochituate Rail Trail. The rail trail is a flat straight paved walking and biking path that was formerly the site of a railroad bed. It's not that long (1.2 miles) and it's split in two by route 126 but there are zero cars on it. Please note when looking at this screenshot that WHS isn't on the map, it's about a mile or so further north along route 126:

 

 

Pre-season practice details and training plan

Pre-season practice begins this Thursday 3:15 PM at the high school. We meet near the track, in the area between the track and field house. We're looking forward to seeing both new and familiar faces and getting the season off to a great start! 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 between 5:30 and 6 at the latest.

Please remember you have to be registered with an up to date physical (within the last 13 months) on file with the school nurse. See this post from last week for a link to the familyID registration portal.

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. 

• 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.

• running log - if you were at the interest meeting in June you heard me speak about the importance of logging your training, be it running or some other cardiovascular activity. If your log is in writing on paper, please make a copy and bring it to practice. If you've stored your training log on your computer or online (preferred method on my end), please send me the file or the link to your online log.

• towel for drying off after aquajogging

• sunglasses for cutting down the glare of the sun on the water while aquajogging

• extra change of clothes if you'd like to change 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 me 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. If swimming in deep water is not something you want to do, let me know at practice on Thursday and we'll make other plans.

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

• Thursday 8/25 - brief introductions, demonstration of warmup routine, followed by 20-45 minutes of running and 10-15 minutes of aquajogging. Ideally the pace will pick up gradually towards the end of the running portion of the day. The route today will be heading to the Town Beach; some people will be running back as well, others will get a ride back. After practice has ended there will be an orientation for the elliptigo bikes which should take about 20 minutes. Anyone new to the cross country team should find out from me whether or not they'll be meeting at the school or the town beach tomorrow.

• Friday 8/26 - Either

• warmup, 30-60 minutes of running and 15-20 minutes of aquajogging. Today's run will include 6-8 x 20 second pickups with 1 minute recovery jogs in the second half of the run. Those doing this workout will meet at the school at 3:15.

• wamup, 10 minutes of alternating 15 seconds faster running with 45 seconds easy jogging, then 15-20 minutes of aquajogging. Those doing this workout will meet at the town beach at 3:45. 

If there's sufficient interest there might be another elliptigo orientation at the end of today's practice.

• Saturday 8/27 - meet at Town Beach, 50-80 minutes gradually picking up the pace the second half of the run, 15 minutes aquajogging. Today's run will be an out and back mostly along the Weston aqueduct, which we'll access where it meets Sycamore Road. There will be at least two water stops during the run. 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

As promised back in June at the interest meeting, we have acquired two Elliptigo Arc model elliptical bikes for use by the WHS cross country program. They were purchased through the Wayland Boosters using funds raised via the Wayland XC Festival. These bikes will give team members the opportunity to cross train in a way that closely resembles running without the impact and pounding. The hope is that this training option will supplement the running that we do, and in a pinch serve as a substitute for those who are unable to run consistently without aggravating certain types of injuries. Here they are, outside the softball shed where they'll be stored for the season:

Team members will be able to ride the elliptigo upon completion of a brief orientation and riding test. The idea is that each bike will be ridden by multiple people each day in shifts. Also stay tuned for more information on a naming contest for these bikes which will take place during the first week of practice.

First week Practice Schedule and Registration reminder

With less than a week to go before the start of practice next Thursday 8/25, I wanted to put out the schedule for the "pre-season" practices (i.e. before the start of school):

Thursday 8/25 - 3:15 PM at WHS

Friday 8/26 - 3:15 PM at WHS or 3:45 at Town Beach (some will meet at WHS, others at the beach)

Saturday 8/27 - 9 AM, Town Beach

Monday 8/29 - 3:15 PM at WHS

Tuesday 8/30 - 3:15 PM at WHS or 3:30 at Town Beach

Wednesday 8/31 - First day of school, practice begins at 2:45

 If you're unable to make any of these practices let me know so I can give you an alternate workout to complete on your own.


Of course, you won't be able to practice without having registered first. Information on registration and a link to the familyID website can be found at

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

As of this writing there are 10 boys and 10 girls that have completed at least part of the registration process; note that all registrations must be approved and athletics user fees paid (or arrangements for a waiver made) before an athlete can participate in practice.

See you next Thursday!

Coach Mayall

Training in hot weather

While the temperature has been high previously this summer, the next few days promise to be the hottest and most humid of the season. With that in mind, here are some recommendations (taken from this link) that might be of assistance, plus a bonus piece of advice from me:

1. If at all possible, run at the coolest time of day, which is usually just before sunrise.
2. If at all possible, avoid running during the middle of the day which is usually the hottest time.
3. Plan shady routes and/or routes with water fountains.
4. Wear loose fitting, light-colored, tech clothing (i.e. not cotton) that wicks away sweat and dries quickly. Leave the tights and yoga pants in the closet.
5. Consume adequate amounts of water and sports drink. "Adequate" in this case would be 4-6 ounces just before starting out, another 4-6 ounces for every 20-25 minutes or so of exercise, and 12+ ounces upon finishing. The longer the run, the more you'll want to drink afterward.
6. Use sunscreen. Among the many reasons to avoid getting sunburned is that injured skin loses its ability to sweat, making cooling less efficient.
7. Examine any medications you may be taking because some can increase your sensitivity to heat.
8. Slow your run pace down to adjust for heat and humidity.
9. Run by feel or perceived exertion level rather than pace. If a run feels hard, it is hard regardless of actual pace. 
10. It's fine to use the treadmill for some runs when the weather is really bad. 

I would add to this list that cross training, especially aquajogging, is a good way to stay cool. Combining running with other forms of exercise, especially aquajogging, will allow you to get in more time training without overheating. Cross training isn't just for runners who are injured.

Information for 8th graders (and their parents)

Welcome to the team website (or blog if you prefer) for the WHS cross country teams. This site serves as the primary mode of communication between coaches, parents and athletes during the season. On the right side of the page are various sidebars, including a proposed 2016 schedule and useful links. Within that list of useful links you'll find a general FAQ which will hopefully answer any questions you may have about the team and how things are done. In addition, there's a document outlining guidelines for training during the summer months in advance of the official start of practice.

The website will be updated later on in the summer with links and directions on how to register with the Athletic Department. Registration is a requirement before being allowed to practice with the team. Look for that to be posted sometime soon. Until then, have a great summer. Coach Lehmann and I are looking forward to the start of the season on August 25th. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me, my address is

llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com

- Head Coach Mark Mayall

Pre-season Interest Meeting - Monday June 13, room B244 @2:30 PM

It's that time of year again--time to think about preparing for the upcoming cross country season which begins in late August. As such we'll be having a meeting next Monday June 13th for anyone interested in joining the cross country teams this fall. This includes those who have been team members in the past as well as anyone who hasn't participated in the past but would like to give the sport a try this fall. I encourage those of you who were on the team last fall to bring a friend. Better yet, bring two!

The meeting will be in Coach Lehmann's classroom which is room B244 at 2:30 after school on Monday. The meeting should last 30 minutes at most. If you'd like to go but can't due to a previous commitment, let me or Coach Lehmann know. Remember, my e-mail is llayam (at) hotmail (dot) com.

See you June 13th!

-Coach Mayall