Wayzata X-C: With the End in Mind

Bill Miles

Wayzata High School

Mnpreptrack.com 612-220-8455 billmiles78@hotmail.com

Overview With the End in Mind

CompetitivePhilosophical

Overview of our program Our Training Tactics Our Philosophy

Wayzata Boys Cross Country Wayzata is in Minneapolis’ western suburbs. Wayzata High School has about 750/grade. Cross Country is a Grade 7-12 program. The boys & girls programs are separate. We have ~ 200 boy athletes (~80 in Gr. 7 & 8) We have eight coaches (5 paid). Three at the

Middle School and five at the High School. There are two other volunteers who coach the team for the Nike Regionals & Nationals.

Our season starts in mid-August & we offer a summer program.

Most of our athletes run track in the spring.

Training the Athletes

Keep it simple stupid and keep it sound stupid = KISS2

I was a high school history teacher- not an exercise physiologist so my science is either bogus or stolen or both…

Given equal ability the more fit athlete wins. So we need to get more fit.

All things being equal the athlete with more gas in the tank with a kilometer to go wins. So we need to get to the 4K as efficiently as possible.

Principles & Practices Hard – Easy We work hard at recovery Aerobic, Threshold, MV02, ,and Running

Economy workouts (systems or training zones) Phases (Major focus and introduction- an

appropriate time for each ‘system’, but all are touched regularly throughout the season)

Don’t try to do too much or try to be too smart. We want to be at our best late in the race, late in

the season, and late in our career.

Principles & Practices, cont. I like my JV team to race once a week, my

Middle School Team at least once a week and my varsity to race once every two weeks.

We try to get two hard workouts in each week. Our long runs are not judged to be hard, but we try to respect them with recovery.

We get a long run in every ten days or less. No one workout is essential. We pull or hold

kids out all the time. No workout is unimportant. We want to

accomplish something significant every day.

Principles & Practices, cont. We encourage them to take a day off every other

Sunday. Some take off more, some less. We practice six days a week. Twice a day Mon. thru

Fri. from mid-August to mid-October. We run on soft surfaces as often as we can. We finish all non-repeat days with 6x70 yard

barefoot strides on our football field. We do 30+ minutes of yoga twice a week from June

through August and once every two weeks in September & October.

Principles & Practices, cont. In every two week training cycle, we try to

touch each ‘training zone”. Earlier (August) and later (mid-October) in

the season, we emphasize threshold work. September and October we emphasize

MV02, ,and Running Economy work.

Races are our best MV02, workouts. We always jog during rest between repeats.

Training Zones & Workouts Aerobic- we run 40 to 65 miles a week

Our middle schoolers run up to 30 mi/wk.Long Runs are 10 to 14 miles. Medium/Recovery runs are 6 to 8 miles.Taper runs are 2 to 3 miles.Morning runs are 20 minutes.All runs are to be at comfortable pace and we

mock those that try to race the workouts- but some still do.

Training Zones & Workouts Threshold

6 to 8 x Cruise 3:00 runs (loosely use Daniels formulas) on the 3:45

Tempo runs of twenty minutes in the midst of a 7 or 8 mile run

Progressive run of 5 miles (stepping down in 15 second increments- e.g. 6:15, 6:00, 5:45, 5:30, 5:15) in the midst of a 9 mile run.

-continued

Training Zones & Workouts Threshold, cont.

Oslerian pickups- 3 to 5 x 3:00 (1st minute at 10K pace, 2nd minute at 5K pace, 3rd at 3K pace) with about 3:00 of running between each pickup in the midst of 8 to 10 miles

Long Cruise- in the summer or early fall we will run 3x6’, or 3x8’, or 3x10’ at Threshhold on the track with 90 to 120 sec. recovery.

Occasionally we will run a mixed workout w/ both running economy & threshold.

Training Zones & Workouts MVO2 (all with equal recovery)

Races3 or 4 x 1600 or 5 or 6 x 1000

We tell them to run them as hard as they can so that the last is as fast or faster than the first.

Recovery is about equal so the 1600s will be on the 10:00 or 11:00. The 1000s will be on the 6:00.

If we have a group strung out, we will have all stop on the 5:00 or 3:00 rather than the 1600 m. or 1K.

Training Zones & Workouts Running Economy

Typical running form drills before all races and before all MVO2 and 400 workouts.

Stride-outs after recovery & distance runs. Two day taper - 10 x 200 on the 1:45 at 5K pace. 10 to 12 x 400 at 3200 race pace on the 3:30 or so.

Each member of the group leads at least one. After leading they will jog the next 400.

The group is to stay within a second or two of each other. Fast outliers will start a second or two later and work their way up to the pack.

We switch direction we run the loop in the middle.

Training Zones & Workouts Other thoughts

In the summer, we run long once a week, we run hills once a week, and we run threshold on the track once a week.

In the winter, (the athletes that are not cross country skiing, swimming, etc.) will run long once a week on their own and run a very slow (but massive- up to 20x400 @ 4K pace or slower) 400 workout once a week on their own starting in January. (Use open gym space/time in a soccer dome.)

Training Zones & Workouts Other thoughts, cont.

We always tell them that whenever they finish a workout they should feel as though they could do one more of the repeats or run a couple more miles. We are looking for long term and gradual development.

The goal is to stay healthy so that we can have months of continuous training to build on.

The goal is to never run the best ‘race’ of the year in a workout.

End of the season Late in the Season, I talk about “Touching” each

zone or activating each system. I’m afraid of losing what we’ve gained, so we’ll be sure to hit each type of workout at the same pace or intensity as before. However, since we’re trying to freshen up, each workout is at only about 2/3 the volume. So rather than 12x400, it’s 8x400.

“The Hay is in the barn” about 3 or 4 weeks out from our last meet. We feel that we can race near our best beginning two weeks into the taper and if we’re lucky we can hold it for up to another two or three weeks.

End of the Season, cont.

We never talk about peaking- to me that suggests there is a day, a moment that is just right and if you miss it…

Instead, we talk about the Championship phase of the season.

Planning the schedule1. Meet in June with my varsity assistant coach.

2. Place the Meets on the calendar.

3. Then work forward to Griak by plugging in key workouts.

4. Then work backward from the State.

5. Then beginning in August, change things up on a weekly & daily basis as we try to read the athletes’ response to the workouts.

Weeks 1-3

Weeks 4-7

Weeks 8-10

Weeks 11-12 & 13

Note: The Postseason Coaches took over on November 2.

November 2, 20143 medium 40', yoga 4 Long 10 - 11 miles 5 Reps 8 x 400, on the 4:00 6 medium 7 Reps 10 x 200 race pace 8 taper 9 NXN Heartland Race

2015 Nike Training*

*Note that these weeks are from a different year from the rest.

Ancillary strides sprint drills core hip & back routines upper body & partner stretching yoga ice baths foam rollers

Routines

Tactics Even pacing is most efficient.

Can lose the race in the first half mile, but

cannot win it in the first half mile.

They don’t give lap money in XC.

+ Get splits & places at each K in races.

+ Preach, preach, preach.

+ Practice running even, both within reps

& sets

Philosophy Every kid is important and how they train and act

is important. By joining the team they are entering into a

social contract with their teammates & coaches.They will give their best and honor their team

and sport.We will respect and accept them and help

them become the best runner and person they can be.

Philosophy, cont. It does not matter how fast they are, what

matters is that they are working to become as fast as they are capable of being.

Races are very serious and race sites are sacred. Screwing around is a distraction and will not be tolerated.

Practices are important and we get the work done first, but have fun along the way.

If you’re not five minutes early, you’re late. If you’re late you have disrespected everybody who was on time.

Philosphy, cont. We love to work.

Take pride in our consistent work. I tell them their suburban mommies can’t buy

them more mitochondria or a higher MVO2 or increased muscular efficiency- they’ve got to earn it.

Talk about real self-esteem.The kids I want in our program- get it.

We act with class. It matters how you treat others and the

Golden Rule is a good place to start.Win with grace and modesty. Do not pout.

Philosphy, cont. It is about intrinsic rewards, not extrinsic. Cross Country is important, but their faith, family,

and academics are more important. Their girlfriend, job, video games, college visits, &

dental appointments are not more important. It is expected that they will have to quit if our

practices are going to regularly interfere with their family obligations or their academic performance.

It is expected that I will remove them from the team if they miss three practices for unexcused reasons (girlfriend, job, dental, etc.)

Philosophy, cont. Anybody who has the guts to step up and race is

our hero. We never criticize each other’s efforts or results

or our own efforts or results. We accept that the result we got is the best we could do that day. If we don’t like it, get more fit for the next race or try a different tactic.

We pride ourselves in taking care of the little things- cooling down, doing drills right, restoring carbs & fluids immediately after a race/hard workout, picking up after ourselves, etc.

Philosophy, cont. We understand that our actions (positive or

negative) are going to reflect on ourselves, our family, our team, our school, and our sport.

We appreciate that being a member of the Wayzata Cross Country Team is a privilege and not a right.

We believe that the lessons we learn in Cross Country are going to make us better spouses, parents, sons, friends, neighbors, employees, bosses, citizens… people

Motivating – Keeping the athletes

“If you want fun and games go out for golf, if you want sweat & puke you found a home.”

Ward Schuster

Be Yourself Stoic or Emotional Serious or Prankster The scientist or the common man Develop your own personality

We Laugh

Interviews St. John’s Games Banquet Teasing Website Booklet

I Preach

Priorities – XC better not be #1! Intrinsic-extrinsic Us-them /Pride They’re special Fitness

I care about them They are not my scorers, they’re my kids. I let them know how much I respect them. I let them know how proud of them I am. The #1 man doesn’t need high fives as

much as your #7 man needs hugs. But I give both to everybody that has the guts to race.

Sometimes a good kid needs a kick in the butt or to know how disappointed you are.

Get the Support of the Parents

Treat their kids fair and with respect Parent’s Guide & Pre-Season Powerpoint Priorities Hold their kids accountable Communicate

Recruiting-Getting the athletes “It does not matter how good a jockey you are,

you‘re not going to win the Kentucky Derby on a jackass.” Len Horyza

But I don’t always know who the thoroughbreds are and if Coach Griak had only allowed thoroughbreds on his team, I would never have had the wonderful experiences I had.

We recruit all and try to treat all with respect. I’d rather coach a team of hard working plodders than a team of self-centered, “entitled”, or lazy talents.

Critical to have the majority of them for at least four years.

Gather the names

Interest surveys Middle school phy-ed teachers Referrals from other athletes Elementary school xc-meet Summer clinic School sign-ups Newspaper announcements

Contact the Kids

Initial letter Follow-up phone call In the halls School announcements In the community Never give up, but never be desperate. Every kid matters- regardless their ability.

Win or at least act like winners

Put them into situations where they can be successful

Races are sacred (inviolable) events – testing and exploring Nobody has permission to be a distraction It is about the team

Races are joyous events – celebrating the effort Do things the right way.

Retirement

Questions?