Developing a Middle School Distance Running Program

1
Developing a Middle School Distance Running
Program

• Issues to Consider

2
Know your Culture / Resources

• Are you A middle school coach only?
• 1. Facilities
• 2. Budget
• 3. Assistants / staff
• 4. tradition
• Are you a H.S. coach for boys / girls?

3
Know your Culture/Resources

• Do you coach xc/ track?
• Continuity in training is important
• Share responsibility with older runners
• Familiarity with training is important
• Communicate with xc coach
• -get information about individuals

4
Answer to the previous questions provides your
starting point

• Organize your program based on your needs
• Take time to assess current situation prior to
  track season
• Communicate in pre-season with prospective
  athletes

5
The Big Picture

• Track / Field is a different sport
• Not xc,
• Opportunity to develop individuals
• -work on speed
• -improve form
• -bridge training into a cycle not a season

6
Establish a Timeline

• Modify the m.s. season
• Get varsity started first, 1wk or 2wks
• Allow m.s. to begin on their own
• Send out information to parents
• -educate, inform, practice times, and
  expectations

7
Scheduling

• Know the reality of your resources
• -make season shorter but worth while
• -experience must be fun
• -have a culminating meet to end on.
• -host banquet to honor participants
• -keep records, post results

8
Middle School distance training

• Design training by grouping athletes
• -Beginning runners
• -experienced runners

9
Beginning runners

• Establish workout routine
• -warmup/ stretch/ workout/ cool down
• -begin program conservative, inc. teaching
• -Share big picture of process but take little
  steps
• -allow 2 week adjustment period

10
Beginning runners

• Make practice fun
• -run relays for evaluating strengths
• -do 4x200, 4x400,4x800
• Teach fundamentals during this time
• -handoffs, form on finish, energy output

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Cont. beginning runners

• Allow runners to view a meet before participating
  in one
• Pass out order of event forms
• Recommend 4-6 weeks of practice before competing
• -want experience to be positive, start out 1
  event at first

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Beginners cont

• Allow ms runners to try all events
• -provides fun,in practice and meets
• -provides evaluation opportunity
• -keeps practice interesting
• -prevents athletes from becoming bored

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More on beginning suggestions

• Advocate one race per week, I suggest no more
  than 2 wks of 2 races.
• Schedule can / will influence success
• -over racing beginning ath. will increase
  soreness, injuries and discouragement
• Practice 4 days during week

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How much mileage??

• Goal is to get beginners up to 2 ½-3 for a run,
  not including wmup/ cooldwn
• Encourage a long run but dont require
• -individual discretion
• Point out improvement as miles go up
• Running should leave athlete wanting more

15
Distance Training for M.S

• Key components of your program Three phases of
  training
• -Base / strength training
• -Interval training / pacing
• -Speed work / tapering

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Basic training cont

• M.S. runners should keep mileage below 30 mi.
  per/wk
• Can follow h.s. schedule with modifications.
• Require a day off during week
• Individualize for ability and age.

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Basic training cont

• Mandate warmup as a team with age grouping.
• Ensure that M.S. runners run M.S.
• -use common sense based on ability
• -dont allow them to miss this opportunity
• -save advanced m.s. runners for inv.

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Phase 1. base / strengthtraining. First 1/3
of season

• Get into routine, wmup/stretch/cooldwn
• Use strides as form wk / cond. Jog back
• Allow 2 weeks of running before incorporating
• -hills, fartlek work on track, relays for wkouts,
  indian runs, ultimate frisbee
• -continue to build mileage in this phase

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Sample week of phase 1.

• Mon-800 wm up, stretch, 2-3 mi. 800 cool down
• Tues-800 wmup, stretch,jog 1 mile, 5x hills, jog
  1 mile, 4x110 jog back
• Wed.-off
• Thurs-800 wmup, stretch,4x110 jog bk,2-3 miles,
  800 coo ldown

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Phase 1 sample week cont.

• Friday- 800 wmup, stretch, 2-3 miles, 4x110 jog
  back, 800 cool down
• Saturday-off
• Sunday 800 wmup, stretch, 3-5 easy
• -long runs are optional and need to be based on
  individual basis.

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Phase 2 Intervals/pacing middle 1/3 of season

• Racing is part of the training plan
• One workout and one meet a week
• Set goals for events with all athletes
• Pace is set by what the athlete can handle that
  will enable finishing all of the workout.

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Phase 3. tapering / speed

• Emphasis is on quality not quantity
• Workouts are done faster than race pace
• One meet per week, focus on event
• Make workouts event specific
• Long runs are replaced by easy/shorter runs.
• Strides are faster than earlier in year.

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Sample week Phase 3

• Workout for 600 miler, all days start with a 800
  wmup/ stretching.
• Mon-3xplyometrics, 1x800 100, full rec., 1x400 _at_
  100, full rec,800 wm down, 4x110 _at_80, walk,
  stretch
• Tues-2-3 miles, 4x110 gradual pickup

24
Phase 3 sample wk. Cont.

• Wed- off
• Thurs-3x plyometrics, 1x440 _at_125, 2min rec,
  1x400_at_ 125, 2min rec, 1x200_at_42 sec, 800 cool
  dwn, 4x110_at_75.
• Fri-3x plyometrics,5x110_at_75, stretch
• Sat- concluding meet of m.s. season

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Final thoughts / Suggestions

• Most important Aspects of developing M.S.
  Distance program
• -Planning
• -making experience fun
• -not throwing them to the wolves.
• -educating runners / parents
• -developing / promoting team concept

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Important points to remember

• Be patient allow development to take place
• -hold back sensational athletes.
• -dont get greedy/ over race athletes
• -dont skip training phases
• -emphasize wmups/ cool dwn/ stretching for team
  bonding. Require it!

27
Remember

• No workout program or schedule will work for all
  of your athletes
• -Use common sense ease up for, injuries,illness,
  fatigue
• -Utilize bad weather for educating by use of
  handouts and viewing tapes, use time to learn how
  to do plyometrics/ form wk