NCS Division I Rankings by Peter Brewer (Part 5)

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North Coast Section
Division I Rankings
October 12, 2008

Boys:
1. Granada The Matadors snuck in and took 2nd in the the large schools race at Clovis and Amador took 4th. Only a few points separated the two, so clearly the EBAL rivalry is just starting to heat up. Alex Summers led the way with a 15:48 on the State Meet course.

2. Amador Valley The Dons had some internal lineup shifts, so clearly not everyone was at their best at Clovis. Still they managed to finish well and there are still weeks left before the end.

3. Monte Vista The Mustangs were off this weekend, but ended the first EBAL Center meet losing only to Amador. Mike Roderick is still the pride of the EBAL this year.

4. Castro Valley The Trojans force their way into the rankings by virtue of three straight invitational wins -- Ram Invitational, Artichoke Invite (large schools) and now their own Castro Valley Invite.

5. College Park The Falcons also took the weekend off. They showed well at the Scott Bauhs Invite the previous week.

Girls:
1. Castro Valley The Trojans are making it look easy as they took their 3rd Invitational win in a row: Stanford, Artichoke, and now the Castro Valley Invite over a hard-charging Casa Grande team.

2. Monte Vista The Mustangs were idle this weekend, but did very well in their EBAL enter meet, beating Granada on the head-to-head 26-33. Nicole Aha is their lead runner.

3. College Park Even with a bye weekend, the Falcons are very strong and command attention in big races. Alycia Cridenbring had a big win at the Scott Bauhs Invite last week.

4 Granada Hayley Swanson led the Matadors to 5th in the Large Schools race at Clovis. They may be ready to move up a notch. They also edged California in the EBAL center meet 26-30.

5. California Colleen Lillig ran very well and the team took 3rd at the Castro Valley Invitational.

Comments are welcome. If you wish to rank any divisions in CCS, NCS , SJS, SF, OAK or NS please let me know by emailing me at albertjcaruana@gmail.com

Sonoma/Mendocino County Schools Rankings

Here are our thoughts for the Sonoma and Mendocino County schools (North Bay League, Sonoma County League, Coastal Mountain Conference).

Boys Teams

1. Petaluma - no surpise - they are the real deal, easily the best team from these parts in the last 20 years, maybe all time. They were probably a little disappointed with their performance at Stanford - I don't think we have seen their best race yet - their best is yet to come. They put up a perfect score on #2 team Maria Carrillo on Carrillo's home course.
2. Maria Carrillo - gets the nod, they were just a minute ahead of Santa Rosa as a team at Stanford. Grant Williams, Carrillo's #1 has yet to put up the sort of times that he is capable of. Pumas are young, balanced, and improving quickly.
3. Santa Rosa - has two very strong front runners in Rory McLeod and Reesey Byers, but their #3-5 runners have not yet shown as well. They have a potentially strong #3 runner in Kurt Wendler that is just starting to run this season after suffering some serious health problems. Panther's face #2 Carrillo at MCHS next Wednesday.
4. Montgomery - Vikings have strong #1 with Aria Kiani, but there is a significant gap between Kiani and their #3-5 runners that they will need to close.
5. Petaluma JV (seriously) Just a minute behind Montgomery at Stanford.

Piner (up and coming program led by dynamite freshman Luis Luna), Casa Grande, and Ukiah (led by junior Andrew Zellman) are also in the mix.

Top Boys
1. Sterling Lockert - PET
2. Rory McLeod - Santa Rosa
3. Hugh Dowdy - PET
4. Reesey Byers - Santa Rosa
T5. Skyler Thomas - Mendocino, Devin Lockert, PET

Girls Teams

1. Maria Carillo - by a fairly large margin (perhaps 3+ minutes or so) over the #2 teams. Curtin twins are just now starting to round into shape. Seniors Jordan Davis and Kelly O'Leary are running very well with top 100 composite finishes at Stanford.
Tie 2. Casa Grande and Montgomery. These teams are very close down the line - Casa Grande has a super front runner in Jacque Taylor, but Celeste Berg has had a very strong start this season as well. Both teams have very capable #2 and #3 runners. Casa won 26 to 30 in a quad meet at Casa. Montgomery 's time and composite score was better at Stanford.
4. Petaluma - Isabel Andrade has come out strong for Petaluma (15th overall at Stanford, winner at Clovis). Capable supporting cast led by Frosh Francesca Honey.
5. Santa Rosa - Suzi Rozga and Eva Stuart lead the Panthers. A few steps behind Petaluma at this point - neither Santa Rosa nor Petaluma have yet been able to narrow their scorers' gap to challenge the top 3 teams above.

Next group - perhaps Windsor, Analy, and Santa Rosa Christian.

Top Girls
1. Jacque Taylor - Casa Grande
2. Isabel Andrade - Petaluma
3. Lauren Curtin - Maria Carrillo
4. Celeste Berg - Montgomery
T5. Julie Nacouzi - Montgomery, Jordan Davis - Maria Carrillo, Cara Curtin - Maria Carrillo

Top 5 Teams in Div 3 NCS

Girls (mostly based on Stanford performances)
1. Maria Carrillo
2. Campolindo
3. Redwood
4. Miramonte
5. ? (haven't seen much of Las Lomas or Acalanes) - Petaluma should be lurking here too

Top 5 Teams in Div 3 NCS

1 Tie - Petaluma and Campolindo - this should be interesting to see
3. Las Lomas (?) - haven't seen much from them, but they were young and stong last year, so we put them here
4. Maria Carrillo
5. Acalanes

then probably Miramonte, Redwood - not too sure

Our apologies in advance if we missed anyone deserving recognition - we admitedly spend most of our time focused on our own kids. We have been impressed with the inspiring quality of competition in general so far this year - many teams seem to be stepping it up!

Greg Fogg and Ruben DiRado (Maria Carrillo coaches)

Crystal Springs Invitational Results and Links

You can find results from today's meet at the following link:
http://www.directathletics.com/results/xc/1574.html

It was great to see teams from up north like Maria Carrillo, Montgomery, Sonoma Valley, San Rafael and Piner take their shot at this historic course. The current Crystal Springs course dates back to 1973 which is also the year of the current boys' record holder (Mitch Kingery of San Carlos 14:28). If you have some time to kill, you can check out the following link which is a historical look at the course:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/crybook.htm

You can also find a list of the all-time marks on the course at the following link:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/crystlat.htm

The final link below contains all the results from today as well as all sorts of links such as maps, virtual tour of the course, all time lists etc. (all thanks to Lynbrook coach Hank Lawson):
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2008/csires.htm

LT Training (Part II) by Chris Puppione...

4) What are some examples of threshold workouts?
Threshold workouts can be done several ways, whether you choose to run cruise intervals (a la Dr. Jack Daniels), tempo runs of varying lengths, fartlek runs, or even by dropping uptempo sections into a daily run. The key is to get in at least 20 minutes worth of work at or around LT pace.

Now remember--we are talking about "true" threshold work here, nothing more. This is an effort that elicits a 4mmol blood lactate level while running. You can workout above and below this, but the training effect is different, and that is a whole other discussion. For example, when I answered the questions regarding the long run, I spoke of running at a pace :50-:60 slower per mile than 5k pace. In that session, we are looking to improve an athlete's aerobic threshold, which has a blood lactate level of 2mmol--not the 4mmol level that we are looking for in our "true" tempo training.

Anyway, onto the sessions I prefer for high school runners:
Cruise Intervals

-6-10 x 1000m @ LT pace w/ :30-1:00 rest btwn

-5-8 x 1200m @ LT pace w/ :45-1:15 rest btwn

-4-6 x 1600m @ LT pace w/ 1:00-1:30 rest btwn

-3-5 x 2000m @ LT pace w/ 1:15-1:45 rest btwn

Tempo Runs

-20min tempo run + 5 x 200 @ 1600 w/ 1:00 rest

-3 mile tempo run + 5 x 300 @ 1600 w/ 1:00 rest

-4 mile tempo run + 5 x 400 @ 3k cutdown w/ 1:00 rest

Broken Tempo Runs

-2 miles @ LT+:10 per mile w/ 2min rest;

-2 miles @ LT w/ 2min rest; 1 mile @ LT-:10 per mile

-2-3 x 2miles @ LT w/ 3min rest

Fartlek Tempo Runs

-10min easy; 2-3 x 10:00 @ LT w/ 3min easy run btwn; 10min easy

-10min easy; 3-4 x 7:00 @ LT w/ 3min east run btwn; 10min easy

-10min easy; 2-3 x 5-3-1min @ LT w/ 2:30-1:30-:30 easy run btwn; 10min easy

Uptempo Runs

-10min easy; 20-30min progressive tempo effort; 10min easy

-20-30min easy; 20-30min progressive tempo effort; 10min easy

Some special notes here:
- Even though I did not enter it on all the workouts, finish each of these sessions with something at or faster than race pace. 100s, 150s, 200s, 300s, or 400s will do--just do something quick following these workouts, anywhere from 600m-2000m worth depending on the athlete's overall training volume and ability.

-I used to loathe tempo runs on the track, but I have found that they are an excellent way to teach athletes proper pacing and feel for tempo runs. If possible, do so on a dirt track--it is easier on the legs. If not, they will be fine getting in a 20min tempo on the track, and it is easier for the coach to monitor the session and give advice along the way.

-Mix up the type of threshold work you do. Keep it fresh. This also forces the athlete to learn how their body works and responds to training by attuning themselves to the effort and recognizing what their personal threshold is like. Body awareness is key for any athlete, and especially so when it comes to this kind of training. Go too far and the session is all for naught.

5) Why is threshold training so effective?
Well, LT work is effective because, as I mentioned in the long run Q&A, distance running events are primarily fueled through aerobic processes, and LT work is an aerobic support pace. It is a pace between 10k and half-marathon pace, which means it has a close correlation to these two races (obviously), and by improving one's efficiency of effort in longer races, our shorter races will improve because we have bolstered our ability to carry a stronger pace for a longer distance (i.e. extensibility). As I said earlier, LT pace is roughly when blood lactate levels reach 4mmol--it is before this point that the body is still able to clear as much lactic acid as it is building up in the system, thereby allowing the athlete to continue their current effort for quite some time. Once the blood lactate level exceeds 4mmol, the body can not clear the byproducts fast enough, and some of the elements that accompany lactic acid begin to hinder performance.

SO...

If we can push our 4mmol blood lactate level to a greater speed (i.e. we do not reach that level until we run a much faster pace), we can run faster at all sub-maximal race distances. The way to push that 4mmol level up is to then bump up against it regularly in training--each workout, repetition, or run then functions as a means to "raise the roof" on our aerobic ceiling. The higher our aerobic ceiling, the greater chance that we will run faster at an easier effort than before.

For example, if my 5k pace is 5:00 (I wish!), then I want to train at 5:24-5:32 pace during my LT sessions. By doing this, over the course of several weeks, I may discover that running 5:24-5:32 pace feels much easier. Chances are that I am no longer approaching the 4mmol blood lactate level in my sessions, indicating better fitness and improved performance. But should I go faster? Not without testing it out--and the best way to do that is race. If I run a 5k after this and hit 4:52 pace, then I can begin doing my LT work at roughly 5:16-5:24 pace.
So, by virtue of training at LT pace, race performance improves because we "raise the roof" or "stretch the ceiling" of our aerobic potential and ability to delay the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA).

6) How do you progress with your threshold workouts from the beginning of the season, mid season and finally championship season?
As I noted above, the progression of LT work really is done on its own, meaning it is determined by improved performance. DO NOT SET GOAL PACES FOR LT SESSIONS! This completely defeats the purpose of the work and leads to disaster inevitably.

The one thing a coach can progress despite paces is the length of the run or intervals, the duration of the rest period, and the volume of the session--but never all at once. Only manipulate one element at a time. Never tweak rest, intensity, or volume at the same time--it is another recipe for destruction of the athlete.

7) Any other comments you might want to add?
LT work is absolutely essential in distance running, regardless of your event. If you can handle a greater pace at a lower level of blood lactate, you will be much better up and down the race board. Remember, plenty of people have the speed to run a 4:00 mile, but how many people can carry that speed the prescribed distance? Not many. So the key is not speed here--it is extensibility.

And LT work will get you much closer to that 4:00 mile than any amount of fast 200s or 400s any day.

Chris

Comments? Thoughts? Training questions for Chris? He would love to hear your thoughts or feedback about any of his contributions.

Catching up with St. Ignatuis' runner Greg Innes...

Today, we hear from St. Ignatius senior, Greg Innes who was the individual winner of the first WCAL meet this past Wednesday at Golden Gate Park. His team tied with Bellarmine for 1st place but lost out on the 6th man tie breaker. The SI team is one of the favorites for the CCS Division III title this year. Greg also had a fine junior track and field season winning the 1600 and 3200 races at the WCAL championship meet and then went on to record a PR of 4:18.56 at the CCS Trials.

1) How did you get your start in distance running?

My start in running extends all the way back to 5th grade when I joined the track team at my grammar school, St. Dunstan's in Millbrae. Though my coach, Mr. Larry Cappell, initially entered me in the sprints, he knew I would be a distance runner in high school. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was his inspiration that motivated my running in the first place.

2) What other sports have you played?
I played nine years of soccer, four years of basketball, and two years of baseball ranging from five years old up until my sophomore year, when I decided to give up soccer to train year-round for running.

3) When did you first realize that you can be a pretty good distance runner? In my freshman year I ran on the freshman team throughout the cross country season. Then my coach told me I would be running at the State Meet. When I turned in a 16:55 at Woodward Park for a 54 second PR and 4th place on SI’s first state podium team in 10 years, I was pretty excited.

4) As a young runner at SI, what runners did you look up to on your own team or other teams? As many would expect, I looked up to the best runners on my team. Nick Alvarado was ranked 6th in DIII statewide at the beginning of the year and seeing him put in the extra miles after practice and doubling up some days was when I realized you get out of this sport what you put into it. I also looked up to Ben Sitler, the HS XC All-American from St. Francis, M.V.

5) Tell us a little about your junior season in track and field. Highlights?
My junior year track season had a few highlights. I finally won a WCAL championship, taking the 1600m title. A few hours later I won the 3200m. The following week I reached my season goal of sub-4:20 in the 1600m, with a 4:18 at the CCS Trials. Despite a so-so result of 7th in 4:22 at the CCS Finals, stepping to the line and running with Brad Surh, Mohamed Abdalla and Rylan Hunt (for a lap at least) was a great experience.

6) Who are your coaches at SI and how has each one helped you become the runner you are today?
Chad Evans, Al Berrin, Jerry Caskey, and Helmut Schmidt (and track coach Matt Farley) have collectively taught me a few things beyond what’s expected of cross country coaches. Besides teaching me all the running stuff: the physical changes that training bring about, the importance or drills and core work, why we train the way we do, etc., they have taught me some essential values. What I do with my life outside of cross country is much more important than what I do in any race. In other words, who I am as a person and how I use my entire education (academic, spiritual, extra-curricular) bears much more significance in the long run than my PR’s or major accomplishments in this sport. Also, through example and direct discourse, they taught me that our number one priority is community building. The safety and wellness of our friends, family, neighbors, and competitors outranks everything else we do as members of the cross country team at SI. These are lessons the coaches teach everyone every year.

7) Tell us a little about your summer training. What did you do differently this year than previous years?
This summer was not a whole lot different than in previous years. We upped the mileage about 20% over last summer and did a few more long hill workouts than usual, but the basic formula was the same. A balance of volume and intensity and good recovery are the keys.

8) What do you think are your key workouts during cross country season?
We focus on hill training and lactate threshold intervals with fairly minimal rest time, and with Golden Gate Park just a mile from school we never run out of areas to run these workouts. We also run tempo-style workouts in some of our early and mid-season invitationals. These are great because they give us the opportunity get some race-quality work done without overdoing it.

9) Following the first WCAL meet, it's pretty clear that Bellarmine and SI will have quite a battle for the WCAL championship. Who do you think will be your team's competition at CCS?
The rest of the WCAL season will be exciting, no doubt. Bellarmine deserves a lot of credit. They are in the mix year in and year out. It’s clear that both teams have put in the work to succeed at the league level and beyond. In CCS DIII, Aptos and Willow Glen are the main competition, as they have been the past few years.

10) What advice would you give a young runner just starting out in cross country?
Kids need to enjoy themselves, first and foremost. I always looked forward to cross country practice as a freshman, and I still do now. With regards to improvement as a runner, dedication and consistency are very important. There are some lazy summer mornings where it is a struggle to get out of bed for a 7am hill workout, but those days pay dividends when the season gets underway.

11) College plans? How much of an impact will running make in picking a college?
I am applying to a number of Jesuit schools and schools on the west coast. The recruiting process is exciting, but running is not the deciding factor in my college choice. There are many factors, but receiving an education of the whole person is my main priority.

12) Anything else you would like to add.
Thanks so much for the interview offer. After a long and busy school day I was excited to see your message. I always enjoy reading the blog.

Thank you very much for your time Greg. AJC

Northern Californa Cross Country Coverage...

Run to the top of Cougar Hill always a challenge (Half Moon Bay Review)

Cross Country quest (North Salinas packs bags for Big Apple to compete in Manhattan Invitational)

CCS Cross Country Rankings (San Jose Mercury News)

Girls prep of the week: Theresa Devine (Marin Independent Journal)

If you have any links to newspaper articles covering high school or college cross country in Northern California, send them to albertjcaruana@gmail.com

Threshold (Part 1) by Chris Puppione...

1) What is threshold pace?
Threshold pace has become a topic of great discussion, confusion, controversy, and glorification as the years have gone by. People talk about aerobic threshold, anaerobic threshold, lactate threshold, respiratory threshold, and so on. What are all these terms? Are they the same, different, or irrelevant?

In truth, the names don't matter much because they are all misnomers to begin with. In fact, there are no real thresholds to speak of, but merely areas where blood lactate accumulation is greater than others given different levels of exertion. Because no other term has been offered that can sufficiently describe this simply, the use of "threshold" or "lactate threshold" has continued to be a part of the vernacular.

It is kind of like how coaches continue to tell their athletes when they get that refrigerator-dropped-on-the-back feeling in the last segment of a tough race that it is caused by lactic acid--not true! It is not lactic acid that causes legs to rigor and the body to slow down, like was previously thought for years. And no, it is not even necessarily the H+ ions that accompany the lactic acid that does this either. No, it is something completely different that coincides with these two events, but at this point, it is still easier to just blame lactic acid, so that's what coaches do. (And it is for sake of brevity that I cut this discussion off here to stay on topic!)

What did you ask me again?

Sorry about that--I just feel compelled to let people know that blaming lactic acid is not right, just as I want people to know that there really isn't a true lactate "threshold" or "turnpoint" per se. There is no set, fixed, quantifiable spot that we can directly target to train, but merely an area to enhance and strengthen through consistent training.

That said, lactate threshold pace (LT pace) has been generalized as being half-marathon pace, or the pace one could sustain at full effort for an hour, or 87-91% of VO2max, or so on and so on depending on who you ask.

What people have argued in several scientific studies and field tests and through coaching trial and error (where the real work is done) is that improving an athlete's lactate threshold most positively impacts distance race performance than any other training. I am not saying race pace is not important--don't get me wrong. But race pace doesn't matter much if you cannot hold it for the full length of the race. This is where LT training comes into play.

LT pace is an aerobic support pace that improves an athlete's extensibility--the runner's ability to carry a greater pace over a greater distance. The legendary Joe Vigil (longtime coach at Adams State and coach of Deena Kastor) has referred to this as fractional utilization of VO2max--training an athlete to race faster at lower percentage of VO2max for a given distance.

Most people have the necessary speed to run a great mile. How many people can run 100 meters in :15? A ton, right? How about a 200 in :30? Still a lot, right? That is about 1/8 of the race distance. What about a 400 in 1:00? Sure, lots of folks still in the game. But could they do it 4 times in a row without stopping to run a 4:00 mile? Uh, not likely. But why?

Simply this--lack of aerobic strength and extensibility. They have the speed, or the turnover, to do so. Therefore, speed is not the problem. They just can't sustain that speed because their engine is running too hot too fast and producing too much gunk in the gears to continue.

Threshold training stretches the body's capacity to do work at greater speeds with greater ease, improving extensibility, and allowing us to run faster over every distance race from the 800m on up.

2) How does a coach determine the right pace for their athletes during workouts?
I just shoot for :24-:32 slower per mile than current 5k race pace--this seems to be a safe bet. I have even just thought of it as being 92% of 5k pace (5k pace divided by .92) so I can determine it fairly for runners of differing abilities. This only works, however, if the race results are a fair assessment of current fitness, meaning the athlete was healthy and gave their best effort.

The one thing you do not want to do as a coach is force a threshold pace on an athlete. What I mean by this is if you have a varsity guy racing at 5:20 pace for 5k but you want him to race at 5:00 pace, you do not give him a threshold workout calculated out for the 5:00 5k pace runner--this would be a killer! Here is the math:

5:20/mile for 5k = 5:44/mile for LT workouts
5:00/mile for 5k = 5:24/mile for LT workouts

So if I am doing a standard LT workout of 5-6 x mile @ LT pace with 1:00 rest with this guy, and I tell him he needs to hit 5:24 for each mile of the workout, I should be sure I have the local hospital on speed dial, because this dude is not going to make it! That is only :04 off his flat out 5k pace, and I am asking him to do this 5-6 times with only 1:00 rest!

No--with LT work, and with any other work (until the end of the season), stick with date pace. You are training the person, not the performance when it comes to LT training. Save the goal pace stuff for race pace training only.

3) Where does a threshold workout fit in during the week? (let's say a Saturday race)
Some sample weeks with LT training included preceding a Saturday race:

Option #1

SUN - Long run
MON - Aerobic run + speed development
TUE - 4 x 1000 @ LT w/ 1min rest + 2 x 500-300-200 @ 1600 pace
WED - Medium long run + strides
THU - Easy run + 6-8 x 200 race pace cutdown
FRI - Pre-Meet Day
SAT - RACE

Option #2

SUN - Off
MON - Race pace fartlek
TUE - Recovery run + strides
WED - 3 x 1000 @ LT w/ 1min rest + 2 x 500-300-200 @ 1600 pace
THU - Easy run
FRI - Pre-Meet Day
SAT - RACE

Option #3

SUN - Long run
MON - Aerobic run + speed development
TUE - 4 mile tempo run + 5 x 300 @ 1600 pace
WED - Medium long run + strides
THU - Easy run + 6-8 x 200 race pace cutdown
FRI - Pre-Meet Day
SAT - RACE

With either option above, you are getting in some LT work the week of a race--it just depends on what you are looking for as a coach. Option #1 shows only one TRUE workout for the week on Tuesday, with 4000 meters done at LT pace. This is effective, but light, and is followed by a good dose of quick stuff to wake the legs up a bit when fatigued a tad. Option #2 allows for an earlier workout in the week, and the LT workout is reduced and placed on a Wednesday, and again is followed with fast stuff. Option #3 is one of my favorite workouts--a 4 mile tempo run followed by some zippy 300s at mile pace.

This is important I feel--this finsihing with fast running on tempo days. I always want to finish an LT workout with something quick--you never want to put your race car in the garage without really opening it up during a training session. Plus, as I mentioned before, I like being able to train the athletes to run fast when some residual fatigue is in their systems. It is a great test for the body and spirit, and I feel it is very effective.

The key, I feel, is this--you never want a tempo workout to be too close to a race, and you do not want the last piece of quicker running prior to a race to be LT pace.

Why?

Because the body has incredible memory, and it will fall into step with the last thing of substantial measure that it can recall. LT pace should feel "comfortably hard" or "pleasantly tiring", right? Well, do we really want to be in or comfort zone come race day? Do we want pleasantries on race day, or do we want to get ugly and get after it? The last thing we are looking to do is settle into a rhythm that is slower than race pace, and so I feel that by running LT pace to close to a race (or having it be the last bit of uptempo work done in a training week), you risk having athletes get "rhythm locked"--stuck at a sub-maximal race pace and running flat.

Do I have science on my side here? Can't say that I do or don't, really. Like I said, the real tests of such training ideas are done by trial and error by the coaches, and this is what I have found in my experience.

Chris

San Joaquin Section (SJS) Rankings by Jason Jimenez

Top Sac-Joaquin Section Teams

1 Davis (Div 1) - Stanford proved they are as deep as the ocean is...
well, deep. Oh and blue. Even without junior Corey Coates' dependable
low score, Blue Devils hold it together and finish well behind senior
Matt Peterson's continued rise to 'beast' status. 4th Overall at
Stanford.

2 Jesuit (Div 2) - Even when the Marauders feel they have a less than
marvelous performance (Stanford), they still fare better than most SJS
squads. October will be a good month for Lange's Gang to figure
everything out (Clovis, Mariner and League Champs). 13th Overall at
Stanford.
3 Oak Ridge (Div 2) - Something really must be in the water up in El
Dorado Hills. How else can these Trojans be so good? Oh right... great
coaching and a fierce competitiveness - beginning with junior standout
Amjed Aboukhadijeh. Recent league results proves their 1-5 gap is
shrinking and the top 3 will be tough to break up. 20th Overall at
Stanford.

4 Del Campo (Div 2) - Won at Yuba-Sutter but have raced down south 2
out of the last 3 weekends (that's right, isn't it?). Senior leader
Dan Mitchell seems to be returning to spring 2008 form while the rest
of the Cougars remain consistently competitive.

5 El Camino (Div 3) - 6th at Stanford D3, 25th overall. Senior Evan
Bornstein heads up a team of 1 junior, 4 sophomores, and 1 freshman.
Eagles have focused almost entirely on league and State competition.
Staying competitive with Del Campo in the CAL (or even winning!) is a
major goal.

6 Rocklin (Div 2? 3?) - Still not sure if the Thunder will stay D3 or
move back up to D2. Strong performance at Stanford and a dominant
performance at league against Woodcreek. 29th Overall at Stanford.

7 Woodcreek (Div 2) - Senior Garrett Seawell is all that remains of
the three-headed monster from 2007 season (Romo and Mitchell both at
Sac State). Yet, Coach McKillop has found a new crew and they get
better every week. If Rocklin moves back up to Div 2, expect a battle
for the final state berth. 36th Overall at Stanford.

8 Colfax (Div 4) - Few had Colfax on their radar, but a crazy
performance at Stanford proves they are looking good going into
October. 50th Overall at Stanford.

9 Placer (Div 3) - Freshmen star Christian Finkbeiner has injected a
good deal of energy into this consummately competitive team.

10 The Bubble: Modesto/Kennedy/Franklin/Sonora

Top Sac-Joaquin Section Individuals
1 Garrett Seawell, Senior (Woodcreek) - Course record at Yolo,
Stanford win. Did lose head to head against Davis' Peterson but
willing to bet Seawell won't let that happen again.

2 Matt Peterson, Senior (Davis) - Approaching 'Beast' Status. That's
all I have to say about that. Only local to hand a defeat to Seawell.
3 Chris Haworth, Senior (Kennedy) - Like Peterson, Haworth is
approaching 'Beast' status. Was only 3 seconds behind Peterson at
Stanford. Could be the most exciting head-to-head individual battle at
Sections.
4 Amjed Aboukhadijeh, Junior (Oak Ridge) - Staying away from the
DyeStat boards has been working out. Amjed's always competitive,
always fired up. Will have a fun time at Sections trying to make it a
race with Seawell.

5 Evan Bornstein, Senior (El Camino) - Won at league, placed well at
Stanford. Will stay sharp holding off Del Campo's Mitchell.
6 Dan Mitchell, Senior (Del Campo) - Had a bit of an injury early in
the season but seems to be back to his old self. If healthy, could
also make a run for Section individual honors.

7 Adam Kelly-Strong, Junior (Jesuit) - Monster effort at Stanford.
Only 2 seconds behind Oak Ridge's Aboukhadijeh. Fantastic foot speed
could be best asset if finish comes down to a kick.

8 Roberto Rosas, Junior (Grace Davis) - Stanford was fine run. Can he
make the big jump to running with the Div 1 big guns?

9 Emilio Garcia, Senior (Jesuit) - Won't hold Stanford against Emilio.
The big question is if the usual #1 Marauder can gauge his efforts a
little better come championships.

10 This is the "Bubble": Drew Peterson, Davis/Chris Kigar, El Camino/Benji Xie, Oak Ridge/Corey Coates, Davis/Josh Mercado, Del Campo

--
Jason Jimenez
El Camino High School
English Teacher
Head Coach Cross Country and Track and Field

The Long Run (Part II) by Chris Puppione...

4) What are the benefits of a long run?
Benefits of the long run are as follows (from a scientific standpoint):
- Increases the number of capillaries per muscle fiber (meaning more oxygen-rich blood to the muscle later on, meaning running faster and more aerobically)
- Increases the number of mitochondria in the cells (mitochondria is (say it with me) the powerhouse of the cell--the more of the these you have, the faster you run)
- Increases the muscles' capacity to store glycogen (i.e. bigger and better energy stores to draw from when needed, thereby allowing the body to run longer at a given speed)
- Endows fast twitch muscle fibers with more characteristics of the slow twitch muscle fibers (this is not fact, but more of a scientific speculation by Dr. Peter Snell that I (and others) have seen evidence of in working with our athletes)

The most compelling for me is the last one--Snell's idea of the long run impacting the FT muscle fibers. Snell, as you remember, was the great Olympic 800/1500 champion from New Zealand in the 60's when he was coached by Arthur Lydiard. Snell would often run 22-mile long runs in preparation for track season (where he ran 1:44 for the 800m on a grass track running in the opposite direction!) These 22 milers, mind you, were not slow easy efforts--they were over mountains and at a solid clip. The idea here is that by running long and at a steady rate of speed, the athlete can fatigue their slow twitch muscle fibers to the point that the body must recruit certain FT muscle fibers to help them continue running, therefore training these FT fibers to have greater aerobic capacity. Not a bad deal, right? IS this fact? No. Do I believe in it? Absolutely.

Outside of the science, the long run has other benefits as well. Mark Conover, 1988 Olympic Trials Marathon winner and Head XC Coach at Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo, once told me he feels that the long run's greatest benefit is that it "calluses the mind"--i.e. it makes you tougher just by virtue of being out there for so long. Louie Quintana, coach at Arizona State and former Footlocker Champion, says that his athletes use the long run as a confidence builder by running South Mountain in Tempe. They feel (as he does) that by performing a strong, steady long run on the mountain, they have made themselves that much better and tougher, giving them greater confidence going into race season. As for me and my athletes, I would rather skip any other type of workout as long as we get in our long run and medium long run each week. The kids that can get those runs in regularly are going to just be flat out tougher and faster--period.

5) What should you do after a long run to help recovery for the next run? (ex. nutrition etc.)
Following a long run, you should be a little fried. The body, when carbo-loaded to the gills, may be able to hold about 90 minutes worth of glycogen. For the most part though, I would bet most kids are cruising around with about 60-70 minutes worth of glycogen. So, after a long run, these kids are either at or below zero in terms of glycogen stores. If they do not replenish these immediately, it is going to be a rough week to follow.

Some things to do then:
- Eat some fruits and protein within 30 minutes of finishing your long run. Notice I did not say just carbs. People hear carbs and they think pasta and junk--no. Eat the fruits, skip the white flour stuff, and hit up some protein as well. The protein is there to help out your muscles that have just taken a dull, prolonged beating--help them out!
- Ice and stretch and foam roll for regenerative purposes--if you do not do these things, your body will not recover as well from the run. When I was at UC Davis, we would often run in Folsom by the lake and river, and following our long run, the athletes would go stand in the cold water for a good 10-15 minutes right after finishing, and then we would go get breakfast on the way back to Davis.
- Get your rest after the long run. Keep your day mellow after the run and get to bed early. It is that simple.

6) Do you need a day or so before you do a workout following a long run?
I prefer to have a day of recovery following a long run or medium long run just because of the toll it can take on your body when done properly. Does that mean you can't do a workout after a long run? No. Does it mean you need to be more aware of your recovery from the long run so that you can run hard again 24 hours later? Yes. Whether you run long and easy or long and fast, the fact is that you put a heck of a lot of time in on your feet, and the body will need some TLC to recover. If you take care of recovery, you can run a workout the next day. I, on the other hand, prefer to just do a regular steady run the day follwoing the long run followed by some "diagonals" on the football field--easy jog across the end zones, uptempo strides diagonally across the field from end zone to end zone. The run shakes out the stiffness following a long, solid effort the day before, and the diagonals are a nice jump-start to the system before we come back the next day
and look to hit our solid workout.

7) Anything else you would like to add.
My friend Joe Rubio, coach of the Asics Aggies, and I were talking about the long run at length on one occasion, and I was telling him how some people just could not see how important the long run was to their success--especially middle distance runners. He said to me, "I have had some middle distance guys say to me, 'I can't do a long run. I can't do cross country.' My answer to them is simple--'Well, I guess you just don't want to be that good.'"

Chris

The Long Run (Part 1) by Chris Puppione

I am going to start a series of question/answer sessions with Chris Puppione (former UC Davis coach) that will include topics that pertain to distance running training. For today, I will start out with the importance of the long run. If there is a topic that you would specifically want to learn about, please email me the topic (and questions if you like) at albertjcaruana@gmail.com.

1) How long should your long run be?
- The long run should be set at a distance relative to overall volume. I will use mileage as the means of measurement here, although I know many people operate off of minutes in determining volume (which can be good or deceiving depending on where you are coming from).

I feel that there is no magic number, but more of a sliding scale when it comes to setting long run distance. I feel that those that run a smaller amount of volume should invest more heavily in the long run than those who run greater mileage. I like to use the range of 20-28% of weekly volume for the long run. This means that your higher mileage kids are running at or closer to 20% of their weekly mileage for their long run, while your younger/rookie kids are running closer to 28%. I break them into three groups--high mileage, moderate mileage, low mileage. High = 20-22%, Moderate = 23-25%, Low = 26-28%. This allows for coach's discretion when it comes to assigning the run while still maintaining some guiding principles. For high school kids, high mileage would be 60+mpw, moderate would be 40+mpw, and low would be 20+mpw (in my opinion).

2) What should be the pace of your long run?
Long run pace should be varied depending on the training goals for the particular time of the year or for the particular time of the individual season. I am a big believer in the long run. In fact, I have come to recognize the long run as the most significant run of the week.

Let's face facts--distance running is an aerobic sport. So aerobic, in fact, that the vast majority of our work should be done out on the trails or roads--not on the track. In cross country, your varsity athletes are running 5000m for the most part. When examining the aerobic vs. anaerobic contributions to performance over the 5000m distance, you will find that 94% of your energy is coming from aerobic sources--that is a staggering number! So where do you need to put your emphasis? It seems pretty simple to me.

However, this does not mean going out on Sundays and plodding aimlessly and without purpose for 60+ minutes. There is a time and place for regenerative running, but the long run is not that time. Bill Squires, the legendary coach of the Greater Boston Track Club, once said, "The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat." Does this mean you should go out and hammer the long run? Of course not--but don't waste your time dawdling.

If you are doing a regular long run, shoot for 1:30 per mile slower than 5k pace. Your solid varsity girl (capable of running 18:00 for 3 miles), then, should be hitting 7:30/mile on her long runs comfortably. That is a solid day's work!

However, as I said earlier, I believe in mixing things up on the long run, and I try to have my athlete's do this once every 2 weeks once we have established a solid fitness base. We will do a fast finish long run (accelerated tempo for the last 1/3 of the run), 30-30s (:30 @ race pace followed by :30 at easy pace) over the last 2-3 miles of the long run, or a block long run (a 12-mile long run would be 3 miles easy, 3 miles @ 5k pace + 1:00 per mile, 3 miles easy, 3 miles @ 5k pace + 1:00 per mile). We try to do one traditional long run one week followed by a "specialized" long run the next week.

By doing these "specialized" long runs, I feel my athletes get more bang for their buck on the long run day without beating themselves up too much to train or race later in the week. Also, by doing these runs, we elicit a greater aerobic stimulus than we would if we just went out and ran steady for the prescribed distance. Furthermore, most inexperienced runners do not know how to run a true quality distance run, so by doing a "specialized" long run, the athlete is sure to receive a great training stimulus on the long run day and will see the benefits of such a run come race day.

Dr. Robert Chapman, an exercise physiologist and coach of Team Indiana Elite (and former Head Coach of Indiana University), once described the heart as being a very tight balloon that needed to be stretched. By doing "specialized" long runs, the athletes are able to stretch their hearts to greater lengths and more frequently, creating a greater capacity for pumping oxygen-rich blood to the muscles, thereby allowing the athlete to run faster. Why would you not do these runs?

I could go on forever about this, but suffice to say the "specialized" long run once every two weeks is a coach's greatest tool for getting their athletes fit and ready to roll.

3) How often should you do a long run?
As I stated before, I am a big fan of the long run, so I expect athletes to get one in every week. Check that--twice a week! I look for the traditional long run on, say, a Sunday, and I ask them to run a "medium-long" run on a Wednesday. The MLR (easy name for it) is set at 15-22% of volume dependent upon overall training volume, and this run is expected to be even a bit faster than the long run. Often, I will ask athletes to progress this run over the final miles so that they are hitting a pace of about :50-:60 per mile slower than 5k pace consistently. That means that your same stud HS girl (18:00 3 miler) will start her MLR at a comfortable pace but then drop it down to near 6:50-7:00/mile pace. It is solid, but not overwhelming, and it gives you yet another great aerobic stimulus! So, how often on the long run? Once a week--with an additional nod to the MLR each week as well. YOU CAN NEVER DO TOO MUCH AEROBIC WORK, BUT TOO MUCH ANAEROBIC WORK WILL BE YOUR DOWNFALL.

Chris

Part II will be posted tomorrow. Please feel free to comment on the above post. As I mentioned, please email me any topics you would be interested in seeing on this blog.

One more favor. If you have a team website, please include the link to this blog on your website. The link is www.crosscountryexpress.com. Also, if there is a way to share this blog with coaches and athletes in your league, please do so. This has been a great place for the running community and I just need help getting the word out.