What’s the best way to explain my writing for this year? The initial premise is to compile the best of the past 3 seasons into a Greatest Hits compilation. To speed up the process I’ve consulted an AI about this. The AI prompted me to take it one piece at a time. So, I decided to imput the last 3 seasons, Week 1’s, into my brain and this is what it spit out, “Born to run down a hill in the mountain of dreams”. ;-) I’m going to bring back some of the old and add some new to The Book of Panthers this season and aim for the goal to create a goofy, fun, time capsule of articles about our Cross Country program.
33 Weeks Ago!
For the first time in school history 2 Panther Cross Country teams stood on the starting line of the Ohio Region 11 Cross Country meet. Two teams standing in a superposition with endless possibilities of potential outcomes. As the dust settled the observers effectively saw a single particular Sadie “The Thriller” Miller emerge to advance to the Ohio State D3 Cross Country Meet. Both girls and boys teams epic seasons ended with boys final Milesplit composite time of 17:58.70 as the greatest in school history and the girls final Milesplit composite time of 21:11.06, which capped their teams as the 4th fastest in school history. A multiverse of possibilities concluded in the reality of a senior led boy’s team raising the bar for the boy’s program and junior girls team building towards future potential.
20 Weeks till….
The mystery is that same every year, how many runners can we put on the line at the state meet. Last season we represented with 1, this season can we get back to 7 or more?
7 on the line in November.
Every mile we run starting today makes us that much stronger, that much faster, that much fitter. My teammates fitness is my fitness and my fitness is my teams fitness. How fit are we?
How do you feel about 2 fast miles with one to go, heart racing, your mouth dry, muscles aching, are you prepared to endure for your team?
Will we put 7 on the line in November?
“Runnin’ down a dream that never would have come to me!”
And it won’t come to us, we have to run for it! We have to chase it. We have to put in the miles.
“Working on a mystery, going where ever it leads.”
30 weeks ago, 22 weeks from now, 7 on the line in November……
I’m feeling fired up about the season to come. I hope you are too. It’s time to start Working on our Mystery!
Mysteries: The Greatest Hits
The compilation of miles run and returning talent for both boys and girls teams has the potential to rival the best of previous seasons. The girls team is returning all of last years runners and have the potential to go down as the GOATS. For the boys the amount of returning guys running in the 18’s from last year leaves the potential to challenge for the greatest of all time too. The reality of our future begins one run at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time, one piece at a time. The Greatest Hit’s to the Greats of All Time? One piece at a time.
Training
Bring back the old and adding in the new. From 2022 to 2023, I used copy and paste to speed up sharing weekly training plans. Last year we adapted to Final Surge. If you don’t have Final Surge setup yet I you will need you to download the app, the final surge app is where our team training will exist. Just for fun I’ve copied training from 2023, added it below and I’ve also added an AI generated week 1 training plans for fun.
Running Milage “Week 1: 2023”
10 - 20 miles x 5 runs
2 miles per run minimum
Easy Pace
Abs = 50 crunches post run
Stride outs = 2x following runs
Cross Training options
Biking = 3:1 ratio
Every 3 miles cycled = 1 mile running
Replace 2 runs with biking
Basketball, Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee = 10:1 ratio
Every 10minutes of play time = 1 mile running
Replace up to 2 runs with these sports.
Goal for the week
Get started on training and stay on schedule. Week 1 leads to week 2.
Keep track of milage as best you can.
AI Training
AI 5K High School Cross Country Training - Week 1 (Sample Plan)
This sample training plan is designed to help high school runners build a base for a 5k cross country race during the first week of training. It focuses on easy running, cross-training, and gradual mileage increase.
Key Principles for Week 1:
Building a base: Focus on comfortable, easy running to build aerobic capacity.
Listen to your body: Adjust pace and rest as needed to avoid injury.
Balance stress and rest: Allow for adequate recovery between running sessions.
Cross-training: Include non-running activities for fun and to prevent overuse injuries.
Sample Week 1 Schedule:
Monday:
Activity: Easy run, focusing on feeling relaxed and comfortable.
Duration: 20-30 minutes (or a comfortable time based on previous activity level).
Tuesday:
Activity: Cross-training.
Examples: Swimming, cycling, hiking, or other enjoyable activities for 30-60 minutes.
Wednesday:
Activity: Easy run.
Duration: 20-30 minutes.
Thursday:
Activity: Cross-training.
Examples: Swimming, cycling, hiking, or other enjoyable activities for 30-60 minutes.
Friday:
Activity: Easy run.
Duration: 20-30 minutes.
Saturday:
Activity: Weekly Long Run.
Duration: 30 minutes (or a comfortable time, gradually increase in subsequent weeks).
Sunday:
Activity: Rest Day - planned day off for recovery.
Important Notes:
Adjust based on experience: This is a sample plan. Adjust the duration and intensity based on your current fitness level and running experience.
Warm-up and Cool-down: Always warm up before each run and cool down afterward to prevent injuries.
Hydration and Nutrition: Proper hydration and nutrition are crucial for training success.
Consult your coach: It's recommended to discuss this plan with your high school coach for personalized guidance and adjustments.
This plan emphasizes gradually building an aerobic base in Week 1, which is a fundamental aspect of high school cross country training. Remember to prioritize listening to your body and adjusting as needed for a successful and injury-free training journey.
“One Piece at a Time, and it didn’t cost me a Dime” JC