Here are some good things to know prior to
the start of Cross Country next Fall.
Physicals:
everyone (new and returning girls alike) must have a current physical on
file with the school in order to practice with the team. All physicals are good for one calendar year
and then expire. This is required by
the school, please don’t ask for an exception.
There is a specific KHSAA physical form, available at the school’s
website and by the athletics office that also includes a parental
permission form. Both forms must be
filled out and turned in.
Shoes: you should start each new season with a “fresh” pair of running shoes. I don’t feel comfortable recommending one specific store, but I do suggest visiting one of the various running specialty stores out there like Fleet Feet, Ken Combs, Swag’s, etc.
Iron: please consider getting a serum ferritin
test in June or July. This is an
iron test that involves lab work and drawing blood and is one of the best means
of diagnosing iron deficiency. However,
this is not the typical iron test given in a pediatrician’s office (a test
that’s better at diagnosing anemia and iron levels than iron deficiency or low
iron stores). If you become iron
deficient next Fall, then your season will basically end, as recovery takes at
least 6-8 weeks.
A. Summer running before July 15
When official Cross Country
practice begins in mid-July, you’ll want to be in shape and ready to go if
you’re a returning runner with any hope of earning a Varsity letter. There will be informal
practices (for those interested) that will begin around June 16. If you are interested, then please contact
Barry and let him know. He can email
(or mail) that information to you when it becomes available. Note that these practices are not official
team practices, and will be handled by someone other than the official coaches
(i.e. coaches with the Derby City Athletic Club).
1. Suggested training. I’ve attached some summer training guidelines. If you’re unsure between two training guides (e.g. general training and training for a Varsity letter) then choose an easier one. If you’re hoping to earn a Varsity letter, then make sure you follow the training plan for your grade – not one of the higher levels ones. It’s also a good idea when running to stay off cement and concrete, and run as much as possible on grass or dirt.
In terms of where
to run, here are some shorter running distances at various local parks and the
approximate time it takes many of our girls to run that distance (not
necessarily you):
10-12 minute run: Seneca Park - one lap around the main park
loop trail
25-30 minute run: Seneca Park - run the golf course trail
(around the perimeter of the golf course), continue over to Big Rock and then
go back
20-25 minute run: Creason Park - loop the entire property
(nature trail, both fields and the hill)
20-30 minute run: EP Tom Sawyer - run the nature trail
loop, over to the bathrooms on the other side of the park, and then come back
on the main path along the soccer fields
Here is a brief description of the
kind of training you should do.
Regardless of your talent and experience, please don’t follow a training
plan for an older group or do more than what is asked of you. All running prior to July 15 should be
“basic distance” where you run based on how you feel that day and not worry
about hillwork, tempo runs, etc. That
will change after July 15.
a. General fitness girls or
incoming girls with little to no formal running experience: as
a beginner runner who seeks to just get in shape, your goal should be to try
running for 20 minutes a day, 4-5 days per week, without walking. This is a goal to work toward and not
necessarily your starting point. If you
need to walk during a run, then do so.
As with all runners, make sure you drink plenty of fluids (water before,
Gatorade/Powerade later) and stretch before and after.
What matters most for
new runners or girls seeking general fitness is how quickly and how
frequently you increase your distance.
Once you reach a goal of running nonstop for a certain amount of time
(e.g. 20 minutes), try adding 5 minutes to all but 1 of your weekly runs. After another week or two, you can consider
bumping everything up by another 5 minutes if you think you’re ready. If you’re not ready to increase things at
that point, then just continue running the same amount and maybe increase the
time the following week. New runners
should never increase their daily running times by more than 5 minutes on any
given day, and should not increase their weekly mileage more frequently than
every 2 weeks.
b. Incoming Freshmen with
Varsity aspirations: your goal should be to run between 35 and 45
minutes a day for about 5-6 days per week and average between 25 and 30 miles a
week by July 15. Remember, this is your
goal and not where you should start your training. All of this assumes you can run comfortably
for 25-30 minutes per day, 5 days per week (i.e. run 25-30 min at a decent pace
and without stopping to walk). If you
can’t, then you should start with the general training guideline above. Don’t worry about your running pace too
much, it’s at least as important to get comfortable with the idea of running
regularly. A suggested practice
schedule is attached for you to use as a guideline (Schedule A, Incoming
Freshmen with Varsity aspirations).
c. Returning Sophomores with
Varsity aspirations: your goal should be to typically run between
45 and 60 minutes a day for 5-6 days per week, and average about 35 miles a
week by July 15th. Your weekly distance
runs can start easy, but as a sophomore you will be expected to move toward
running at a decent pace by July 15.
“Decent” is not a hard pace, but it’s definitely not slow jogging or
warm-up pace. A suggested practice
schedule is included in this handout for you as well (Schedule B, Returning
Sophomores with Varsity aspirations).
d. Returning Juniors with
Varsity aspirations: your goal should be to run between 50 and 65
minutes a day, 6 days per week, and average between 40 and 45 miles per week by
July 15. As a junior you should
definitely be running at a decent pace by July 15, and will be asked to
consider doing extra runs on Saturdays to boost your mileage to an appropriate
level. Your suggested practice schedule
is attached (Schedule C, Returning Juniors with Varsity aspirations).
e. Returning Seniors with
Varsity aspirations: your July 15 goal should be to run between
50 and 70 minutes a day, 6 days per week, and get to 45-50 miles a week –
always at a decent pace. To achieve
your mileage targets, you’ll be asked to consider doing a second runs several
days a week until the start of school, and second runs on the weekends
thereafter. Your suggested practice
schedule is also attached (Schedule D, Returning Seniors with Varsity
aspirations).
B. Official Practices starting on July
15
Our practice days
are given on the practice calendar (next page). Please note that times, locations, etc., are always subject to
change, but this will only occur if there is a very important reason to change
them (e.g. heat and humidity). The most
updated practice schedule will always be posted at our team website
(http://crosscountry.ahsdistance.org).
Please note as well that before anyone is allowed to practice with the
team, she must turn in a physical and parental permission form or have a
current physical on file with the Athletics office. Physicals are only good for one calendar year.
1. First practice and joining the team
Our first official practice is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, 5:00pm @
E.P. Tom Sawyer Park (we meet in the picnic area by the tennis courts). There will be a brief organizational meeting
where we’ll discuss how the team functions, and we will then practice. All parents are welcome to attend on the
first day, but this particular meeting is most appropriate for the parents of
any new girls or incoming freshmen. Girls
who are unable to attend that first practice may still join the team at any
time through Friday, August 14, but they should contact Barry Haworth to get
any important information they may have missed (see contact info
below). Friday, August 14 will be the
cut-off for joining the team.
2. (Mandatory) Team Parent Meeting
In order for girls to receive a uniform, their parents must attend a
mandatory team Parent Meeting. That
Parent Meeting is currently scheduled for the evening of Friday, August 14
(6:00 pm, in the Assumption theater). While mandatory for all parents, this
meeting is also highly recommended for our new Cross Country girls.
C. Attendance at practice – family vacations and other commitments can make consistent summer attendance difficult, so we encourage our girls to attend as regularly as possible until school begins. It is always very helpful for the girls to communicate their schedule with a coach, however, and not just show up whenever the opportunity arises. Once school begins, the girls are required to commit to one of our training groups – please see the attached pages which describe how our training group system works and how it’s changed from the last several years.
Contact info: I’m
most easily reached by email (bmhaworth [at] louisville [dot] edu), or through
our team website (www.ahsdistance.org).