The following workouts are intended for a runner that has completed summer training with a good endurance base and is currently putting in a minimum of 20+ miles/week training for a 5km peak race in late October. Please amend the workouts as needed given your current fitness level, and as always contact a coach if you have any questions. If you are new to running, do a combination of running and walking, and gradually increase your mileage by no more than 3-5 miles per week.
Before you begin any running workouts, please be sure that you are cleared to do so by a doctor and have completed all paperwork uploaded to dragonflymax.com. Any running is done at your own risk, on your own, under the safety of supervision of your parents/guardians following all CDC guidelines
Everyday should be made up of 3 parts : Warmup, Workout, Cooldown
Warmup: All workouts should always begin with an active warmup. Begin with a 5-minute easy jog on a flat surface. After the easy jog, go into leg swings - hold onto a fence post and swing one leg at a time forward and back 10 times, then side to side 10 times then like you’re riding a bicycle 10 times. Repeat on your other leg. The key is to loosen your body, all the way from your hips to your knees to your ankles. Next go through a series of dynamic stretches – A Skips, B Skips, High Knees, Butt Kicks, Lunges, Karaoke, etc. See the links at the bottom for more ideas on how to warmup before a workout
Workout: See below for daily workout ideas
Cooldown: Following any workout, be sure to hydrate and refuel. Get in a few strides. Then go for an easy 10-minute run followed by static stretches. Remember your body needs a balanced diet to build muscle. Be sure to get in plenty of vegetables, fruits, protein, carbohydrates, and fluids. Stay away from the sugary sodas and fast foods. See the links at the bottom for more ideas on static stretches and nutrition:
Sample Daily Workouts
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Monday 8/24:
Hope you had a great first week of school! Today’s run is a nice and easy distance run. Try to get in at least 45 minutes – or try to match the farthest distance you’ve run so far this season.
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Tuesday 8/25:
Hope you have found your nice “anaerobic threshold” pace. Today’s run is 30 minutes total. Find a nice flat route. Start off with 5 minutes nice and easy – then run for 1 minute at your threshold pace. Alternate this 4 min easy with 1 min threshold for the total 30 minutes.
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Wednesday 8/26:
Today’s run is 60 minutes nice and easy. Get in your distance run today. Focus on a smooth comfortable stride with very relaxed breathing.
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Thursday 8/27:
Think about where you are right now with your training. Have you set your goals yet? What is your primary goal and how are you going to reach it? If you have a 5k time goal, it is now time to try to establish the race pace needed to reach that goal. For instance, if my 5k goal is 21 minutes, that means my mile time needs to be about 6:45 for the entire 3.1 mile race. At this point in the season, you probably can’t keep that 6:45 pace for 3.1 miles. But it’s important, that your body learns to recognize this race pace. Break that goal pace down into 800m repeats; and try to do 4 x 800m repeats at your goal 5km pace. It should be pretty easy – but throughout the season, we’ll increase the distance of the intervals as well as the number of the intervals to get you to that 5k goal.
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Friday 8/28:
Today’s run is a 45 minute easy run followed by a set of strides (20). Today is all about perfect form. What’s going to make you run the smoothest? Arms swinging forward and back – not side to side. Stride length – not too short, not too long, but just right. Head looking forward, not bobbing side to side or up and down. Run tall, and don’t slump. Try not to make noise as your foot strikes the ground. Run softly on your feel. During your stride, stay up on your toes. During your long run, have a nice heel to toe strike.
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Saturday 8/29: “Shake it out” Run
Today’s run is all about letting your body recover and prepare for the upcoming week. Run nice and easy whatever distance your body needs to loosen up and shake it out.
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Sunday 8/30: Off
Take a day off – you deserve it. Great job. Keep it up! Check in with a coach and let them know how you’re doing!
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Resources:
Dynamic Stretches After the Warmup
https://www.therapeuticassociates.com/athletic-performance/running/dynamic-warm-ups-for-runners/#:~:text=Dynamic%20warm%20ups%20increase%20core,used%20to%20cooldown%20after%20activity.
Static Stretches After the Cooldown
https://www.therapeuticassociates.com/athletic-performance/running/dynamic-warm-ups-for-runners/#:~:text=Dynamic%20warm%20ups%20increase%20core,used%20to%20cooldown%20after%20activity.
Cross Country Nutrition
https://www.runnersworld.com/advanced/a20786302/cross-country-nutrition/