Darts -
I enjoyed reading about your running adventures for the first week of summer. Some of you need to be a little more detailed - I am not looking for novels, but I like when you are detailed about how you felt and where you went and how much time it took, etc. It looks like many of you were busy and didn't get quite the start you would have liked for your summer training. I hope that you don't let this get you down. Just re-focus and do better in these next few weeks. We had a great turn-out at the Vita Course on Monday - but I would like to see even more of you there this next Monday. If you didn't come and you are having 2nd thoughts about cross country - give it an honest try for a few weeks and see if it is something you would like to do before you give up on it completely.
Our entire purpose of the first 6 weeks of summer is to build a solid base. This comes from running miles and strengthening your heart and lungs. The better your base is, the harder you will be able to train in the later months and when the season gets here. I think these early weeks of summer training can really improve your mental toughness as well. Keep working on being positive and building confidence in yourself. Believe that you can overcome your challenges and that you can be the best runner you can be. That is what this is all about - giving your best efforts.
One of the challenges to summer running - or running in general - is the fight against LAZINESS. It would be so much easier to sleep in or to spend the day in front of the T.V. playing video games, eating cheese puffs, and getting out of shape. Choosing to run and to be on the Davis XC TEAM is the harder way - especially during the summer. You should be proud of the fact that you are working hard for something and that you are sacrificing the easy life to get out of bed early in the morning and push your body, rather than just having a typical high school lazy summer. Here are a few things that might help you as you win the battle against laziness. . .
1 - Get your run in early in the day. As it begins to get hot - it feels so good to get out of bed before 8 and get a solid run in. Make it a habit that you begin your days with a run. However, if you miss the chance in the morning, night runs can also feel great - just make sure to be safe.
2 - Mix things up. Try to run on different terrains and different routes. Sometimes you might want to meet at a friend's house in order to experience a different run. Going running with a friend (or with your ipod) is another great way to mix things up and make the run more enjoyable. You can also break your run into 2 segments throughout the day. If one long 8 mile run seems completely impossible for the day - try a 5 mile run in the morning and 3 in the evening.
3 - Set GOALS. As you go into each week, it is good to have a plan for how many miles you would like to run each day to get your overall goal for the week. You might need to make adjustments as the week goes on, but it is good to have a plan to begin with. It is also good to set long term goals - like running sub 18:00 or sub 20:00 for a 5k race this fall, making it to cross country camp, running 400 miles for the summer, making the varsity team this fall, getting all-state in cross country, or something else that will help you to be motivated. Having a purpose to your training makes it so much easier to make it a priority. Always look for purpose in your training! And make it YOUR training. Own it. Be proud of your accomplishments and work on your weaknesses.
4 - Get out the door. Even when you are feeling a lack of motivation, it is important to give it a try. This morning I procrastinated my run for as long as I could. I just didn't feel like going. The first 20 minutes of the run were tough, but the farther I went, the better I felt. By the end of the run, I felt like it was one of my best runs of the summer. I can't tell you how many times in my 20 years of running that I have started a run thinking I didn't really feel like it - but finished the run so glad that I got out the door.
Kick-off Camp - I have attached the waiver for the kick-off camp at Cutler Flats. I have also attached the map to the camp. We will be meeting at the school at 1:30 on Tuesday (I had originally said 1:00). The itinerary and other information is posted on the waiver. You will need to bring the waiver and $10 with you to the school when we meet on Tuesday. We will also need quite a few parents who can drive - please let me know if your parents would like to drive and/or camp up there with us as chaperones (they are also welcome to run with us while up there). If there are any parents with a small or big trailer that they could send to the camp, could you let me know. I will also be looking for 2-3 camp stoves if any of you have one we could borrow.
Everyone can come to the camp - even if you have missed our first few practices. It will be a great time to get to know your teammates, and the trail runs we do there are challenging, but nice. I hope you can all make it. Let me know if you have any questions.
Gerald Anderson Memorial 5k - Saturday at 8:00am in Morgan. It is not too late to run the race. I sent an email with an attached flier - or you can email Brad at aamba3@gmail.com if you have any other questions.
Make sure to send in your training log on Saturday or Sunday. I will see you at the Vita Course on Monday morning at 7:00am.
Thanks - and Happy Running -
Coach Talley
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