Last Week Recap
This past week we had our last official practice, which was the Knight Mile on Monday, November 4, 2024. The Knight Mile is a program tradition where we meet together after our final meet of the season and run a one mile time trial as fast as we can. It’s a fun experience that allows everyone to race together, and allows many of the kids to see just how far they’ve come.
This year we were also joined by some of the parents! I ran, too, which was not without much trepidation! Trying to run a mile all out is no small task, and a big kudos to everyone brave enough to come out and race with these fast kids! Jumping in these races gives you a sense for just how fast they are moving when we watch them run!
In addition to the Knight Mile, we held a Thursday workout for those going to NXR. Again, all practices going forward are just for those running at NXR (or those who want to continue training with that group). Other than that, practices are done for the year. I encouraged all our athletes to get out and run regularly during the winter, in preparation for track and cross-country next year.
This Week’s Training
Even though I want all athletes to continue to run consistently during the winter, I do want them to take a break before doing so. Many of them have been training hard since June, and it is good for them to have a mental and physical break from the grind of training. So, here is the guidance I’ve provided:
- Athletes NOT doing NXR. Take a two week break from running. During this time, we purposefully let our bodies “de-train” to an extent. I don’t want them to focus on running, or even cross-training in lieu of running. I encourage them to get outside, and to play sports with friends if they want to. But the main thing they should be doing is resting (at least when it comes to running). For this group, I would like them to start running consistently again (and this can mean different things for different people) around Monday, November 18, 2024.
- Athletes who ARE running at NXR. We will continue training through NXR on November 23, 2024. After that they will take a two week break. Same rules apply for this group. I want the focus to be on resting and recovering. I actually want this to drive them a little crazy…it’s a good sign when an athlete is itching to train again, and it is a sign of overtraining and burnout when an otherwise motivated athlete has a hard time getting out.
- Athletes playing winter sports. If an athlete is playing winter sports, those sports should be their priority. I would, however, strongly encourage them to not give up running entirely. I know they will run with these other sports, but it is a different kind of mechanical work. I would encourage these athletes to run regularly (2-3 times per week, no more than that) and incorporate some strides and faster work in those runs. That will help them be primed and ready for track season in the spring. If they continue this type of light running, playing other sports will only help them for track and cross-country. If they totally ignore this training, they will find reintegration back into the training for track difficult and perhaps unpleasant.
It is hard to train during the winter cold. Next weeks I will provide some tips I’ve found for being consistent with training in the winter.
Here is this week’s training schedule. Again, this is only for those athletes who are running at NXR (or those athletes who want to continue training with the team through NXR). Most of the runs are OYO (on your own), and we will only be meeting for workouts. There are detailed instructions for the workouts on this week’s training PDF.
| Day | Time | Location | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | OYO | OYO | Easy run + hill sprints |
| Tuesday | OYO | OYO | Easy run + strides |
| Wednesday | 2:40 PM | Northridge | Workout |
| Thursday | OYO | OYO | Recovery run |
| Friday | 2:40 PM | Northridge | Easy run + strides |
| Saturday | OYO | OYO | Medium long run with surges |
| Sunday | N/A | N/A | Rest |
News and Announcements
End of Season Awards Banquet. The big announcement for this week is our annual end of season banquet, which will take place this Wednesday, November 13, 2024. It will be at 7:00 PM in the Northridge cafeteria area, which is located inside of the main building (where the school office is). The team will be supplying pizza, bottled water, plates, utensils, and napkins. Each family is asked to bring a side dish or dessert to share (please include a serving spoon/tongs for whatever you bring). This is a fun event where we will recognize each athlete that competed with the team and provide some special recognition for our MANY senior runners. I know parents have been coordinating getting things set up — thank you!! — and some will be arriving early to help.
NXR Registration. The deadline for registration for NXR is Tuesday, November 12, 2024. This is the list I have of everyone who is going:
| Boys | Girls |
|---|---|
| Jeffrey Hazard | Abbi Frost |
| Nate Eskelson | Lexy Cluff-Baylon |
| Aaron Eskelson | Lily Griffith |
| Eric Greding (attending, not running due to injury) | Renee Bentley |
| Jordan Jensen | Lillie Haarala |
| Carson Fershtut | Bella Rynearson |
| Stephen Bentley | Eva Cowan |
| Zachary Carnett | Ines Wurzenberger |
| Samuel Elstad | Anna Elstad |
| Amri Hazard |
If this has changed, I need to know ASAP. Otherwise, this is a great group, and I’m excited for what should be an incredibly fun trip.
NXR Participation Waiver. All athletes who are running at NXR must sign Nike’s participation waiver. I sent it out on the Parent’s GroupMe thread the other day, but I have also linked it here. Please sign and return a scanned copy to me. I need to email them to Nike. I would love to have them all back by the end of this week, if possible.
NXR Nike T-Shirt Exchange. One of the activities at NXR will be a t-shirt exchange the night before the race. I will talk to our athletes about bringing t-shirts to exchange. It seems like a fun event, and a good way to be social and make some friends with other runners. So, just be aware this is happening. I’m not sure whether people normally exchange team t-shirts, or just regular shirts they like. We’ll figure out what we want to do with it.
NXR Gear. If your runner is headed down to NXR, be aware that Nike will be selling NXR gear. If you athlete would like to purchase some, please send them with money or a card or whatever they need to do that. I will try and find out some information about prices, but I assume it will be in line with what we saw at Bob Firman and other races where they sold race gear/memorabilia.
That’s all for this week…as always, thank you for everything!