The Four-Gear Ladder: A Cross Country Sharpening Workout for October
Our girls ran this workout in four pace groups. I’m sharing full splits from three of our runners, each assigned…
Training Articles for High School XC and Track Coaches
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Threshold Workout for Cross Country: Why 3×6 and 3×8 Minutes Build Better Runners
Every cross country program has a workout it trusts. Ours is a threshold session built on long reps, short steady…
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Seven Runners, One Jersey: Are Elite Meets and Club Coaching Breaking High School Cross Country?
Elite meets and paid club coaching are pulling the best runners off the school calendar. Here is what that does…
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Why Runners Get Slower Mid-Season: 4 Causes for Coaches
Every season I have the same Tuesday. It lands in the third or fourth week of September. The workout is…
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How to Pick Your Varsity Seven in Cross Country
Susie ran 24:34 as a freshman. That was her personal best, set in October, and it put her in the…
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How Long Should Runners Take Off After Cross Country?
Seven to ten days with no running, then one week easy. What the break is for, and the letter to send families the week the season ends.
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How Cold Is Too Cold to Run? A Policy for High School Teams
Wind chill thresholds for high school running practice, why the posted number understates runner meets, and a policy to send your athletic director.
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1000m, 1500m or 3000m: Choosing Indoor Events
Which indoor event each distance runner should race, how to decide with one 400m time trial, and when to commit. Five athlete profiles.
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Why Winter Mileage Jumps Break Tibias
Bone remodels for three weeks after a jump in training load, and it is weaker during that window. What that means for mileage, and bone health.
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The Winter Hill Build for High School Runners
A six-session Lydiard hill circuit for the winter base block. The session, the rep progression, and why hill sprints are an entirely different thing.
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Winter Strength Training for Distance Runners
What the research actually supports: heavy loads paired with plyometrics. Two winter sessions, the movement pairs, and the no-weights version.
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Winter Training for High School Distance Runners
What high school distance runners do between the last cross country race and the first outdoor meet. Two paths, four levels, twenty weeks.
