This post has been updated on February 18 to include workouts for sprinters (section A) and distance runners (section B). If you are not going to be able to make the group workouts–the break week workout schedule is here–you can follow these workouts on your own and keep up with the team training plans.
MVTF has our first competition on the Wednesday when we return from break…you will want to be prepared!
A: Sprint Workouts
These could also be good workouts for hurdlers or jumpers who cannot attend the group sessions.
| Workout | Recovery | |
| Monday 2/20 | 10×100 @ 90% | ~5 minutes; 500 meter walk/jog |
| Tuesday 2/21 | 6-8×200 Hiils | Slow jog loop |
| Wednes 2/22 | Animal Kingdom | |
| Thursday 2/23 | 6×150 Fast-Float-Fast | Jog remaining 250 |
| Friday 2/24 | Hip Mobility Drills Plyometrics |
B: Distance Workouts
Here is a workout plan for the Monta Vista distance runners during Winter Break, 2023. If you are traveling, feel free to modify the workout depending upon where you are. If you are in Cupertino, find the team–it’s always better to be in a group when possible. The distance group will meet Monday through Saturday during break at 8am every day. If you can’t make that group, you can come at 4pm and be around the sprinters-hurdlers while you run your workout.
Why is it so important to work as a team? I would say that human beings are not that impressive as a solo species. If humans had to do everything individually, the human race simply would not have survived. What humans do that is special is that when we work together, when we show up for other people and collaborate, we accomplish more for each other and the group, and ourselves, than we would have accomplished alone.
Wow, that’s some heavy lifting in the intro to a one week workout plan. Coach, just tell me what to run. OK, here you go!
Friday February 17: Maintenance. Warm up for 20 minutes around the track and school. Drill on the track and then run Phar Lap. Strides on the track, then 10-15 min of core.
Saturday: Long run/endurance. Run to Stevens Canyon Park and drill. For higher mileage people, I’m thinking REI would be a nice run (show Coach Ashley the way). If that seems a little much, find a group to run with you and run Horse or Horse+Garrods, or you can run Matador’s Point. Try to fast finish–make your last mile faster–or you could get on the track and run some threshold intervals of 800 to a km. If that seems like too much but you still want to add on and stretch your legs, you could run some laps where you jog the curves and stride the straights (my high school coach called jogging curves, striding straights ‘in and outs’. I still liked in and outs well into my 50s as a way to wrap up a long run). Coach Ashley will meet you at the track at 8am.
Sunday: Rest or cross train. A bike ride or a hike with friends?
Monday: Hill Repeats. Our last set in the series so make it a good one! Personally, I’d like to see you go up Fire Trail and run these on Matt’s Hill (where we run during cross country). If you are not up for all that, then you can run these at Linda Vista (8 long hill reps). We want to make this a real day of running not just hills…everyone should be aiming for 7 to 8 miles today, including everything. 10-15 minutes of core when you are done.
Tuesday: Maintenance, we are looking for 6 to 8 total miles. I never get bored of Matador’s Point, personally. 10-15 minutes of core.
Wednesday: Threshold! Run out to Monta Vista park, drill, then run the Palm Ave 3 mile route back to school. Target pace should be something like 60-90 seconds slower than your 1600m race pace. The three mile run back is fine, but if you are an overachiever, you might go for another mile on the track after a one to three minute break–you could run a straight mile at the same pace, or 2×800 with a 1 minute break between the 8s. Four x 150m with 250m recoveries afterwards, then warm down, and a 10 minute core and some legs up the fence. You just earned a breakfast burrito or a stack of pancakes so grab your friends! Coach Johnson will be at the track and be with you during practice.
Thursday: Maintenance. Six miles total…so how about Ria’s Loop (McClellan Ranch to Stevens Creek Blvd. around Memorial Park and then Stelling to get the mileage you need). Ten minutes of core.
Friday: Run to Linda Vista, check out the dogs and drill. Then back down Regnant and Rainbow and then the RR tracks to school, then four laps around the track jogging the curves and striding the straights (in-and-outs). Ten minutes of core.
Saturday: Long run/endurance. Out RR tracks to drill at Rainbow, then Up and Over + Garrods. Remember, try to run continuously to the top–just keep grinding, steadily. Steady climbing is key to the physiological adaptations we are seeking. Pick up your pace on the way down Regnart and to Kennedy. Something fast on the track to finish this off (I’d say 4 to 6 by 150). Then maybe breakfast, and after that, go home and contemplate your life choices as you realized school is back live on Monday and you have not cracked a book in a week. Coach Ashley will meet you at the track at 8am.
Sunday: Rest day or cross train (there is no such thing as too much core).
Monday: See you at 4:10pm!
