High School
High school student-athletes are allowed to train with our youth group during the off-seasons (summer and winter) as a supplement to their high school xc and track programs. Often this allows more advanced runners to excel even further than they would in a "one size fits all" high school environment. We can work hand-in-hand with high school coaches to supplement their athletes with just what they need.
Please note, all high school athletes participating in their high school programs may not participate in our practices or compete with 2ndWind until after the state high school meet, whether they compete in it or not.
Summer Miles (SMBAS)
June - Mid August
5-6 practices a week Monday through Saturday, starting at 9:00 a.m. Practice usually runs for 90 minutes, but have no set finishing time and will stay until the workout is completed. If you plan on taking summer classes, assume each practice will end at 11:00 a.m.
Summer training is the foundation of the Fall Cross Country season. Whether you want to become an All-American, All-State, All-Conference, or just set a personal best, summer is where it all starts. The result may differ for each athlete but the outcome is the same. After our summer training the athlete is a different runner, moving further up the ranks in their team and/or at the state and national levels. The program is designed for high school runners to use during the summer to supplement their regular school program. Summer is about laying down a base. You don’t get in racing shape in summer training, you do summer training to get in racing shape.
As with all sports, any day you are not improving, you are falling behind, getting measurably worse, or both. This is especially true of an endurance sport such as distance running, where the aerobic system is in a constant state of flux, either moving forward or backward depending on the training load.
Miles Build Champions, then Smiles
What is sometimes lost is that a great summer is also important for your long-term development. The summer between your sophomore and junior year, for example, helps you run even more mileage and intensity when the cross country season ends and you begin your winter training for your junior year of outdoor track, a season that is crucial for athletes who want to be recruited to run in college. Do the things in the summer that will make you a better runner, not only in the upcoming cross country season, but in the seasons that follow.
We aim for 30-60 seconds of improvement for our runners annually and assume a fairly standard 20 seconds of improvement from rivals. As you can see, our program will allow you to make up a lot of ground on the competition.
Winter Distance (WDP)
Late November - January
We practice 3-4 times per week. 4:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Practice usually runs for 90 minutes, but have no set finishing time and will stay until the workout is completed. We practice rain or shine!
The nice part about Pre-Track Base Training is that you already have foundation from cross country. Therefore, you don’t have to spend as much time building up your miles at a slower pace, like in the summer. You can spend more time maintaining what you already have established while at the same time resting your body from the cross country season.
There are five essential bio-motor skills – ¹Speed, ²Strength, ³Endurance, ⁴Flexibility and ⁵Coordination that cannot be neglected in all forms of athletics. The problem with High School training programs that attempt to foster complete bio-motor skill development is that there is only so much time in a season to dedicate to each skill. For example, during cross-country training season, Endurance skills will be heavily emphasized by school coaches. The time dedicated to the four remaining skills is at the whim of the coach. Off-season activities like those offered at 2ndWind can supplement the development of the other bio-motor skills.
The main goal of the Winter Distance Project is to further improve the individual bio-motor skills of Speed, Strength, Flexibility and Coordination while also maintaining Endurance.
You will learn the tools (workouts, drills and techniques) to take with you into your next season where all these elements are put together for the delivery of peak performances.
A Few Words...
...About Mileage
This is going to differ for everyone, and should be based on years of experience and previous mileage totals. Weekly volume and total mileage are based on your 3200m time. The best way to increase the load (miles) is by categorizing your summer into cycles. The two cycles are called mesocycle and microcycle. For example, a particular athlete may have a mesocycle of four weeks and a microcycle of one week. The optimum ratio and timing of peaking are based on latest recommendations from studies. Like anything else, nothing is written in stone. Recommendations can and will be changed as new evidence and studies arise.
...About our Practice
Practices are the single most important key to your development and improvement in this team. The coaches plan the workouts with the goal of improving everyone’s performance in the upcoming season. This plan works but it requires one thing from you as an athlete, 100% buy-in. If you are serious about being at your best by the end of the season, follow the plan as it is written. You will have to run 6 to 7 days a week to be ready. If you have that kind of commitment level, your season will be a successful one.
Practice will begin each day with team announcements. Once we have finished with announcements, the team will break into event groups with their respective coaches for their main workout. Practices usually run for 90 minutes, but have no set finishing time. We will stay until the workout is completed.