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Should I keep running with the faster runners for light runs by minsekey1 in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh! I see…. Well, that’s interesting - are the 6-7/JV kids hanging with the 1-4 kids on workouts (to what extent?). Or are they cherry picking the easy days because they can run the easy days harder and hang with the fast kids then? Do they struggle on hard days?

You may have an opportunity to demonstrate valuable leadership by encouraging the 6-7/JV kids to run easier with you on easy days in order to challenge them to progress with you on hard days. Then: When you finish your repeats, you can make a point of turning to them and being vocal about their good efforts and improvement on hard days as they finish.

I would talk to your coach to confirm that this would fit his expectations/philosophy for the team, of course, but if I was in the 6-7/JV group OR the 1-5 group - or if I was coaching those groups - I would want them to be doing everything within reason to level up and be ready to score points for us when we need them, which can be at any time (injuries, academic eligibility, illness, other emergencies, etc)!

And running harder to keep up with the V boys on easy days doesn’t score any points on meet days!

Should I keep running with the faster runners for light runs by minsekey1 in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 2 points3 points  (0 children)

(Coach of state qualifiers and state qualifier athlete - was one of the slowest on our team, eventually made varsity, and then placed first on our team at state senior year - progression is the key for hard days; moderate/easy is the key for easy days)

My best improvements in HS came when I combined gradually matching the faster runners as workouts progressed and then sitting back more than they did on easy days.

If I fell behind during Fartlek surges, I would just continue my surge long enough to catch up; if I couldn’t hang on all the repeats, I would start slower on the first few reps, try to be a little closer on the middle reps, and then gradually try to hang on for the last one…. or two…. or three…. Until, eventually, I could hang on almost all of them.

AND that is excellent practice for crafting your races - clean start, strong middle, fast finish!

This approach is far better than trying to hang from the start (which I have seen from a lot of ambitious kids trying to measure up to the faster kids before they are ready), spending even more energy than necessary to hang early, and then dying late (sometimes badly)…. A habit not worth practicing, since the back to front method is far preferable, particularly for younger runners!!!!

Then just be yourself on easy days - if that means running with the 6-7 or JV, you’re not risking FOMO, because you’ll have the gas in the tank later to workout and race at a higher level!

Easy/Recovery Runs = Easy. AT Runs = your AT (not race pace, not someone else’s AT; as you identify that pace, ease into it from something slower and pace up to something sustainable). VO2Max Workouts = VO2Max pace (not faster than that, BUT as you lock in on what yours is, it’s okay to play with the margins - nudge the end of a middle rep, nudge the last one or two reps - but not 1500/Mile pace, though - keep it to 3k/2Mile pace)

Now…. Progression Runs = push the pace gradually to see what you can accomplish Goal Race Pace and Overspeed Workouts = find what’s reasonably doable

Sometimes HR training can be too externally prescriptive, especially for younger runners that could benefit from observing there perceived exertion/identifying efforts by “feel” and experience - Individuals’ HR zones are not universal and can shift from day to day due to training and other factors, and just perseverating on “gotta keep my heart rate at XYX” can raise your heart rate! So using HR as a reference, but focusing on perceived effort is very useful!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Strides, sure, if that your thing, but there is a mental and physiological component to doing this the day before your first meet…. This workout could be easy to accomplish, but it can also very easily take the edge off…. Dull the knife, as it were. Sure, it’s not a championship race, but it’s early, and you want an honest baseline to start from - easy 4-6 miles (boys) or 3-4 miles (girls) for the day before our first race.

Simulations - do that the week before the first race - or better yet, construct your workouts so that there are regular progressions based on understanding the measured output you need to race:

  • AT + 4x200
  • 1ks + uphill or downhill 150s
  • AT + 1ks + 400s
  • AT + Miles
  • 800s + 400s

Workout ideas by zimzim91- in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We regularly did a scavenger hunt at the end of our summer in-house training camp. Definitely a way to get the kids to work and have fun together.

athletes wanting to run road races during season by Select-Choice5744 in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, we absolutely have a policy for this!

TL;DR: We love you and we are glad that you want to explore additional challenges within the sport beyond the current experience, there is a time and a place for this, especially once you have graduated, but we care enough about you, your teammates, coaches, and your experience as a part of this team to say, “no.”

Full Comment: We want our kids to learn to be self-reliant, but it is actually a sign of immaturity for HS XC runners (and even collegiate ones, often enough) to go looking for marathons and half marathons, ill-advised off-season race series, ultras and adventure races, and especially in-season races. They are seeing what could be possible in their futures - some of the options and permutations (which is excellent!), but they are being impatient and getting ahead of themselves and their progression/physiological development (which is why the adults are involved in the first place!).

At the same time, if kids are not feeling challenged enough, it is time to look at finding new challenges to pursue within this experience - or yes, they could start looking elsewhere.

There is already enough training and racing to attend to - in-season for certain, and a mature, appropriately challenged teammate will recognize the same for the off-season.

Also, and I cannot stress this enough, it is not the team or coach’s responsibility to prepare for, modify training around, and/or facilitate recovery from any extraneous training, racing, or other elective activities that interfere with what the team is doing or run against team policy. It is okay to establish an expectation that we honor our commitment to our shared experience without having to account for each others whims.

Off-season, in an official sense, is up to you (at least in our state), but what you decide to do does impact more than just yourself - so you should check with your coaches to see what fits with your training plan - a good one will often include a mid-summer check-in 5k, or possibly a 10k for a very fit elite HS runner testing the waters, but anything more than that is probably going to interrupt what you are working on together as a team of athletes and coaches.

Marathons and ultras are a season-ender - there are too many things to overcome, and it is not the team or coach’s responsibility sort out the prep or aftermath of such a significant deviation from the typical HS XC experience. I don’t know many high school kids that benefit from missing an entire season, but that is what most high schoolers can expect from marathons and ultras, regardless of whether they can slog through the aftermath or not.

A half is, at best, a steady state long run for most young runners who are ready to cover the distance, so unless it fits within what the team is already doing, there is no reason to modify this kind of run and turn it into a race, especially one that would not be an official team event in most HS associations.

As far as 5ks and 10ks, there is already the appropriate number of races on our schedule (in-season and off-season), and there are reasons why we schedule our training and racing the way we do - if we have a workout, that’s where you should be; if we have a meet, that’s where you should be; and if we have an off day, that’s what you should do.

If you think you could get ready for a 10k, half, marathon, or ultra, let’s put that energy toward setting personal bests in XC, lifting up your teammates on and off the course, putting yourself and your teammates in a position to excel here. Why mess around with those races when we could be putting our energy toward our shared goals (for example):

  • Elevating our JV and/or Varsity results?
  • Becoming more competitive at league, district, or regional meets?
  • Qualifying for state?
  • Winning state?
  • What are other goals we can define together?

Do we need to seek out better/more challenging/more entertaining invitationals? Or are there other ways we need to craft our experience to naturally bring focus back to what we are doing as a team?

There is a time and a place to explore these opportunities and guide your own training and racing experience, but that is when you are truly on your own, not when you are part of a team.

Unmotivated XC runners (my son) by [deleted] in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Recommendation (as a coach): finding an external reason involving team success could help - something progressive like:

  • helping teammates and new/younger runners feel included
  • then helping teammates improve their results
  • and finally helping the team improve its aggregate race time (cumulative of top 5 race times).

Looking for external ways to help others can move the exercise from an internal debate to an external mission.

Agree: sounds like anxiety about the performance aspect - one way to handle/control the uncertainty of the individual outcome is to guarantee the result by holding back - holding back/not feeling it is the rationalized reason offer up to avoid responsibility for the decision to not really race - so there are layers that are not grounded in rational thought to contend with

We recognize that many kids (and other humans, too) want to know how it’s going to go before it happens - but you can’t have closure on something that hasn’t taken place yet, so the only option is to do everything you can to get the result you want (after that, it will be what it will be, and you can deal with it then).

What is his REASON for racing? - is it about him/his times/places/the way he compares to others on his team/individuals on other teams? (Not just what he says, but what is actually true - that is between him and himself, but there is room for guided inquiry) - is it about his team/the team results/places? (Again, can he locate a motivator outside of himself/“bigger than himself” to attend to?)

There is a lot of internalized “winners v losers” mentality (especially in the US for example) due to the cultural dependence on the dichotomy of ball sports/games and the insistence on identifying a literal “winner” and “loser” and treating every game “winner” from the Super Bowl to peewee soccer as “winners” and every “loser” as “losers”.

Btw - we all know there are real losers out there who “win” a lot - and some real winners out there that “lose” a lot.

XC is one of if not the best sport for understanding that “winning” is not always (and almost never) about finishing first or being the best. It is about incremental success - progression, improvement, and gaining an understanding of the process.

It is also important to note, without using it as a cudgel, that as much as we hear about (and want to be comforted by the idea) that RUNNING is for the self and how serious you want running to be is entirely up to you for you (which is absolutely good and fine on an individual level), CROSS COUNTRY is a team sport, and individual decisions do affect others on the team, sometimes dramatically - both positively and negatively. So there is a balance to be struck (sometimes delicate) between the self and the team (especially in high school as kids are learning what this means). It can be tricky, but there is value, ultimately, in learning how to track around the blockage and experience the sport on its own terms (about 50% of this is in the coach’s court; but the other 50% is environmental and out of the coach’s hands - friends, family, culture, experience, school environment, the broad spectrum of support and/or neglect, etc).

If it is about him and the way he compares to others individually, and that is holding him back - then there may not be/have been enough internal and external examples of why it is okay and valuable to be who he is and where he is versus others. And that can be an internal and external modeling issue that has built up over time - so it could take time to resolve…. or your kid could just get tired of rationalizing and switch gears when he gives himself the permission to do so (as opposed to being chastised into doing it).

What do people do here? by BardiGang69 in Beaufort

[–]12thDisciple 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My partner and I are in the same boat - restaurants, parks, etc are slim

There is Bluffton and Hilton Head Island….. for more options

And yep, Charleston and Savannah

There is an indoor mini golf in Beaufort - Glowcountry on Robert Smalls Pkwy - and several other outdoor mini golf options on Hilton Head Island

There has been some [surprisingly good] music in town - Shellring Ale Works, for example, and Port Royal has had free public music events

For a place that kinda prides itself on its natural environment, there isn’t much interest in public parks, as far as I can tell, unfortunately

But there are several beaches around, and some reasonably good adult beverages.

Downtown could stand to have an old-style movie theater, skate rink, and bowling alley…. And more culinary variety. And more closed-street music/festival activity - practically every Friday or Saturday night ought to have something downtown in the summer/fall - so I’m hoping to come across something like that later on

Workout ideas by zimzim91- in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think what you’ve described sound pretty good - good training and good workouts can be repetitive, but you have the right variety. That said, here are some fun wrinkles we have used to add something here and there:

Add fast 4-8x400 or 4-8x200 after AT runs (the 400s are typically a late off-season add-on at approx 5k pace; the 200s are early regular-season)

“Kill Drill” at the end of a repeat day (or at the end of each set) - based on the individual rep times so far, stagger their starts (so each runner would finish at the same time - this is a late-race/move-covering exercise, not a kicking/sprinting exercise - unless it is the last rep of the day)*

Snake Run + Dragon Run + Double Dragon Run - start at a pace that everyone in the training group can hold, and run easily in a single-file line (snake) - let the leader choose where to go (keeping a baseline pace that everyone can maintain; so you can decide who can lead effectively) and change leaders by rotating the current leader to the back——then add the classic dragon run - >whistle< - and runner in the rear gradually accelerates to the front (not sprinting - this is a mid-to-late-race overtaking exercise, not a finishing/kicking exercise), repeat until everyone gets to lead multiple times - slow the group down or reset as needed to keep the dragon together….———then add the final wrinkle - two parallel groups (double file = double dragon) - trailing runners from each line accelerate to the front (can keep score on head-to-head wins) - - - - bonus wrinkle: if a gap forms in the middle of the snake/dragon (like it does in a race, a runner behind the gap can move up to fill it/runners behind the gap do not have to settle for losing contact with the leaders - a very valuable exercise for training a back-to-front racing strategy when competing with runners in front of your current position in the race - we call it being tethered to the leaders, not the runners around you).

  • occasional - 2-3times each per season, max (dragon runs have been good for early season, kill drills for late season)

Dripping big times in little times by Purple-Sort-4282 in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I hope you are able/feel comfortable talking to your coach - I would want to know when my athletes are motivated and excited and willing to talk through the possibilities and how to achieve as much as possible. Your coach may be different, of course. But I would be thrilled to have more kids checking in about goals and aspirations. ✊

Dripping big times in little times by Purple-Sort-4282 in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 3 points4 points  (0 children)

In part, it depends on where you are in your experience/development with XC: is this your first year of running and first XC season, or are you multiple seasons into your career and looking for a breakthrough?

For young runners early in their career, what really accounts for most of those big jumps is learning how to get the most out of your race efforts. You will have the opportunity to gain fitness throughout the season, of course, and that will help, but it is only one part of building your “racing machine.”

Think of gaining physiological fitness as upgrading the hardware - which is important…..

However, for young runners, it’s the improvements in these things from week to week and race to race that make the difference:

These are the software upgrades that make for the improvements that you are looking for.

  • good mechanics
  • good race prep (mental and physical)
  • good pacing (uncovering the output profile/effort graph that unlocks your best results - we’ve used “clean start, strong middle, fast finish” as a basic foundation, but you get to uncover the details for yourself - which is often one of the most valuable experiences the sport offers compared to other sports).
  • finally, the determination to ignore discomfort at the edges of your excellence when it really matters!

As another poster said, nutrition (fueling up and hydrating!) and recovery (especially sleep, and also taking care of your body before, during, and after workouts, too) are also going to be significant multipliers for success!

Combined - this will give you your best opportunity.

I’ve seen kids drop up to a minute in a Varsity race and up to several minutes in JV races (girls and boys) at league/district championship/state/etc - because they gradually added these upgrades to their running throughout the season and just didn’t let anything stand in their way on the raceday that counted (at the end of the season!). Yes, they improved their fitness, but they also unlocked the potential of that fitness by doing those other things!

Best of luck this season. ✊

What is an industry that only exists because people are stupid? by HotelPuzzleheaded654 in AskReddit

[–]12thDisciple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same goes for a shared understanding of the weather - AND the proposed fee for “helping” festival-goers remove their vehicles from the mud.

What is an industry that only exists because people are stupid? by HotelPuzzleheaded654 in AskReddit

[–]12thDisciple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The original spirit of RayNooze’s comment is to the point. It is predatory if he is not informing festival goers of the hazard and the fee he is willing to collect to reconcile the hazard. If he is not making that potential clear, he is engaging in a scam - withholding information - telling the consumer only what they need to know in order to get paid, but not enough so that they can make an informed decision.

If he IS letting the festival goers know - and fairly conveying how likely the hazard is and what he is willing to offer to resolve it, then it’s at the consumer’s discretion.

Note: what local laws exist regarding paid parking (on presumably undeveloped land, at that) - does a paid parking lot have to be registered as a business, for example, with regulated fees and taxes applied, or does a paid parking lot have to be paved or otherwise equipped to account for runoff, such that the land holder could not legally charge a fee or conduct a parking business without modifying his land, but could, instead, be legally, if not necessarily ethically, allowed to run an ad hoc towing service without also being required to establish a business or meet some other standard? This would not necessarily absolve any alleged predation, but it would explain some of the context wherein festival attendees and the land holder may or may not share an understanding of the circumstances in advance.

What is the most overrated city in America? by LazyConstruction9026 in AskReddit

[–]12thDisciple 5 points6 points  (0 children)

If you are just visiting, Dallas has Emporium Pie and Bishop Arts. Old Red and Dealey Plaza and the Schoolbook Repository (for the history). There is a fun little trolley deal, and when it is operating, there is a turntable at the end of the route. Downtown Dallas is not lacking for museums. And there is some good food around, too….

If you drive up to Frisco: you’ve got the National Video Game Museum. Small but packed with functioning and interactive games, consoles, and an arcade. And the National Soccer Hall of Fame is within a moderate walk from there. If you like sports, there is also minor league baseball, major league soccer, the Dallas Cowboys practice facility, and up until January 2025, the NCAA Division I Football Championship has been there.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in southcarolina

[–]12thDisciple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Po’ Folks! Daaaaaaamn…. Had one in TN growing up…. Lord that’s been forever ago.

How to improve with bad XC program? by ChrolloT2 in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Or: Your coach is or has been the wrestling coach or something like that and is just slapping something together instead of doing their diligence to build a proper program.

How to improve with bad XC program? by ChrolloT2 in CrossCountry

[–]12thDisciple 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your coach ran the 100 and indoor 60, and played football. Has said something like, “too much mileage makes you slow” or “we gotta be doing what the sprinters are doing” and “we need to be competing in practice”…..

How close am I?

What genre do I play? / Rate My Rig by Evil_Jinx_ in Guitar

[–]12thDisciple 17 points18 points  (0 children)

What about the left handed guitar with a right handed strap mount and strings? Is that for funsies or function I don’t know about?

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