WEEK #3 OF SUMMER TRAINING

After years of driving by the Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow exit off  I-287 in New York, I decided to take a few hours to visit the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery there this past weekend.  It was well worth the trip . . . I even caught a glimpse of the Headless Horseman on the Headless Horseman Bridge!  But wherever I go, XC "lurks" in the background.  I am reminded this is the 3rd week of our summer training plan.  The reality is some of you have not yet started training while others have already exceeded recommended training levels.  The L84 Track and Field Manual, the bible for Track and Field which also translates extremely well to XC, includes a segment on establishing a training philosophy for coaching distance runners, which you will find below.  It points out that what a Coach does is not nearly as important as what you do to train properly.  Pay particular attention to the phrase,"if an athlete has been overtrained or undertrained by the time the championship season begins, there is not much the coach can do to remedy the situation."  If you have not yet started your training . . . Get out there!  If you have started, Don't overtrain!  You'll need some of that energy come Championship time!

 

 

A Philosophy for Coaching the Distance Events In some aspects, training distance runners may be the easiest coaching assignment in track and field. Basically, if a coach can get his or her athletes to run reasonably hard distance training every day they will be somewhat successful; however, it can also be the most difficult event area to coach due to the fact that if an athlete has been overtrained or undertrained by the time the championship season begins, there is not much the coach can do to remedy the situation. Training distance runners is not the same as with coaching a technique event, such as the pole vault or discus throw, where the coach and athlete can go out to the track and analyze and correct a problem in one or two training sessions. Therefore, coaching distance runners requires a great deal of thought and preparation.  A coach must truly understand the demands of the events and the capabilities of the athletes under his or her care, along with possessing a sound philosophy that will help all achieve the goals set forth by the athlete, coach and team.
 
Creating a distance philosophy is not easy; in fact, it may be one of the most difficult tasks a coach may undertake, but if well thought out and carefully followed it can be the cornerstone of years of success.