Sample Training
"Every runner has different needs to develop their ability to race a certain distance. From physiology to training history to available resources a coach must take those different variables into consideration when building a training plan."
Meet Isaac
Sophomore, Elementary Education Major, Smalltown University
Isaac is an example of the type of athlete you might find at a small college or university anywhere in the US.
- Isaac ran both cross country and track & field for four years in high school and continued that trend his first year at Smalltown University
- He never ran more than 50 miles per week in high school reaching that number only a few times during the summer
- During his freshman year he averaged around 50 miles per week
- He has no injury history though he gets shin splints often at the beginning of both cross country and track seasons when repetition work begin
- His high school PRs were: 5:03 for 1600, 10:47 for 3200 and 17:24 for 5k in cross country
- During his freshman year of college he ran 28:40 for 8k in cross country and focused on the 1500m in track where he ran 4:39 and was entered in a 5k for the sake of judging fitness and ran 17:13
- He also must work 20 hours per week on campus, will be an orientation leader for his dormitory during the fall semester and is taking 18 credits or six classes each semester including volunteer hours at a after school program for junior high students looking for math tutoring.
- He must maintain a 3.3 GPA to keep his academic scholarships or his parents will ask him to give up running on the college team and he finished his first year with a 3.75.
- His goals for his sophomore year are to get under 28:15 (8k) in cross country and improve his 1500 to 4:15
- He will be at home over the summer running on paved surfaces with 90% of his training coming on hard surfaces
- Isaac will have access to a weight room at home over the summer and Smalltown University has an on campus gym facility with weight machines and free weights
- Smalltown University has access to several miles of dirt or grass trails where the team does 60% of its easy runs and most of the faster workouts are completed on grass, dirt or the outdoor 400m mondo track.
- The university does not have a pool or indoor track and its midwest location means outdoor speed work in January, February and sometimes March must be converted from track sessions to treadmills or running on neighborhood roads
- With NCAA Division III rules an athlete must have a mandatory day off from training which will always be Sunday in the training plans below