MVXC 2018 Earns NorCal Honor
Jannah Sheriff was honored with a selection to the all-Northern California freshman team! The NorCal selection committee included Jannah as one of the top ten freshman from all the high schools north of Madera–I don’t know how many schools or how many kids this includes but it’s a big number.
Jannah’s selection is more than an individual award; Jannah’s award reflects upon the achievements of an entire team. All the upperclassmen helped our younger runners get started with MVXC, including Jannah. And all the freshmen encouraged and helped each other. Every member of MVXC working as a team also helped every other individual achieve personal goals. So in that way, every MVXC athlete that worked hard and consistently and contributed to the MVXC culture helped earn Jannah’s NorCal award–even though Jannah did run all the miles herself!
I believe this is only the third time that Monta Vista has had a girl on the all-NorCal freshman team…Jannah joins Jenny Xu (2011) and Kelly Bishop (2013) as MVXC runners who have earned all-NorCal freshman honors. The complete boys and girls all-NorCal teams are posted here. Congratulations, Jannah!
For a look back at the three MVXC18 runners honored by the Central Coast Section earlier this month, check out this article too. I am so proud of all this team has accomplished!
Distance Training During Holiday Break
While we are still enjoying our memories of MVXC18, it is not too early to begin to build our focus on MVTF19. Here are some suggestions for runs during the next two weeks.
I do understand that there is some wide variability in what athletes have been doing since cross ended–some athletes kept running diligently, some took a week or ten days with very light or even zero running and then got back to training, some have been hit or miss with their running the whole time. Also during school break, some families are staying local and some are traveling for a vacation holiday, with running opportunities varying widely. I am going to lay out few options below. If one of these sounds like this is close to describing your situation, then follow that suggested plan. If you want some individualized planning, please drop Coach Flatow an email, tell me what you have been doing in the last month (as detailed as possible from your log) and what you want to accomplish and we will see what we can do!
Review of Mileage Targets: If you just finished your first season of cross country and have been injury-free, a good goal for girls is 30-33 miles per week and for boys, 35-38 miles per week. If this was your second season of cross and you also ran track last year, girls could be getting up to 35-38 miles per week and boys 40-43. For third year runners, 40 per week for girls and 45 for boys. And for seniors who have been running continuously since your freshman year, 45 for girls and senior boys can be getting 50 miles per week. Remember, these are only guideline goals and individual mileage targets will vary. Talk to Coach if you are not sure what you should be targeting.
For those that have not been training much since Thanksgiving break, or simply will not be running much over break: It is completely understandable if an athlete has been taking it easy for the last three weeks. We just had a long season and needed a mental break, and we also have school finals to study for (and stress about). So don’t worry about taking time off or feel guilty at all. It’s OK and can be good for you too! Now, let’s start getting back in the running groove.
If you have not been running at all for the last two weeks, then 50% of your target mileage the week (but at least 20 miles) starting December 24 is a good goal, and 75% for the week starting December 31. Don’t worry about any ‘workouts’–tempo, speed work, anything. Your running should be all conversational pace running (but do try to make sure you are running at a real conversational pace–nothing too easy. We are runners not joggers!).
If you have been hit or miss but have been running every day or so, but your mileage has been down from what you are used to, then 75% for the December 24 week and 100% for December 31 week. During the week of December 31, I’d like you to add an easy fast-finish to one of your runs–for the last 10 minutes or so of a run, pick up your pace to a the slow edge of your tempo range. Nothing stressful at all but just enough to get your legs to remember that you can run fast!
For both groups, easy strides after two runs each week.
For those that have been consistently running for the last couple of weeks: If you have been consistent with your running, you clearly love running and you clearly have goals! However I also hope you are not pressing. You have 17 weeks until leagues, 19 weeks until SCVALs, and 20 weeks until CCS Semis. Remember that we had our first cross workout together only 13 weeks before XC SCVALs and we did great. We have lots of time to train! Continue to enjoy your training, don’t stress about it, we have time!
So while not stressing, let’s focus on a just two things:
- Hit your mileage targets–or start moving up just slightly. If you run for five more minutes after three or four runs, you will probably get around two more miles a week or build your mileage by about 5%. So for example, run Matadors Point with everyone like usual, then just hit your watch timer and run for five additional minutes around the track or the school. Adding five more minutes to the end of a run might not sound like much, but if you repeat that addition three times a week, those five minute increments probably add 100 miles per year to your mileage. “Most dazzling human achievements are, in fact, the aggregate of countless individual elements, each of which is ordinary.”–Angela Duckworth
- Let’s make our conversational pace a little bit faster. Your race PRs have to come from somewhere, and a lot of this is going to come from a slight increase in load on your cardiovascular system during your normal conversational runs. The vast majority of your mileage is conversational pace, so if your conversational pace is a little faster your CV system will adapt to that pace. If you want to drop 15 seconds from your 3200m PR, your target conversational pace is probably going to be 10 seconds per mile faster. Just like the first item listed above, we are asking for a little focus to make a small change–in this case, we just want to be running a little bit faster for most of our miles. Ten seconds per mile might see like a little amount–that makes that goal achievable. And though it might not seem like much, that 10 seconds results in a little more pressure on your body to adapt during three or four hours of running every week!
Over time that makes a big difference. Off-season running is a good time to work on our conversational pace–run with someone faster than you and push to keep up, don’t ask them to slow down! Or have someone with a GPS watch lead a group on a flat run where you can track your pace and learn what 10 seconds per mile faster will feel like to you. “Gritty people train at the edge of their comfort zone. They zero in on one narrow aspect of their performance and set a stretch goal to improve it.”--Angela Duckworth
Suggested Runs
Here is an idea for some runs over the holiday break. The team can get together and run these, or put together a group of your own. If you are traveling you can try to follow this plan on your own, just adapt to your local area. (I find that while traveling, running is a great way to explore a new place! I’ve had amazing runs in Tokyo, Paris, St. Remy de Provence, Edinburgh, Philadelphia, Honolulu, Sydney, Portland, Guadajara…running while traveling is great!)
This plan is based on a 40 mile per week runner, so adjust your totals up or down as needed. You don’t have to reduce every day equally…if the plan suggests Matadors, and you want to run Matadors with the group, go ahead! If you are targeting 35 miles per week, just take a couple miles off another couple of days. Don’t obsess, have fun!
Don’t neglect rolling and stretching every day, and some core (at least a few sets) at least four days per week.
Week of December 24:
Monday December 24: Matadors @ conversational pace. I suggest you meet in the morning so you don’t conflict with teammates who have family plans. If you are targeting 40 miles per week, come back on the McClellan Ranch bike path to Stevens Creek and back on Byrne to get 8 miles.
Tuesday December 25: Day off or run 4 miles on your own.
Wednesday December 26: Ria’s Run (McClellan Ranch, Memorial Park, Stelling to Rainbow) for 7 miles. This is a good day to add on or cut down your run if you are targeting more or less than 40 miles per week. Add six strides afterwards.
Thursday December 27: 5 vanilla/conversational miles, runner’s choice, maybe out the RR tracks to Rainbow then back through Linda Vista park. Let’s track our pace and see if we are just a little bit faster for our conversational runs than back in September. This is a good day to add on if you need more than 40 miles per week, and also a good day to cut back if you want less.
Friday December 28: 5 vanilla/conversational miles, runner’s choice, maybe warm up on the track then Phar Lap. This is a good day to cut back mileage if you are running less than 40 miles per week.
Saturday December 29: I’d love to run Up and Over + Seven Springs/Julia’s Way–that way everyone starts out together and lower mileage folks can skip the Seven Springs loop. 9 miles. Add six strides afterwards.
Sunday December 30: Rest day or cross train.
Weekly Total for these suggestions: 38 (you should adjust up or down for your target).
Week of December 31:
Monday December 31: Horse. Get a big hill! Set a goal to not stop all the way up–be steady–and maybe time yourself so you can compare climbs later (I time from the bottom of that first dip at the bottom–not at the place the trail splits, I make that first little climb, dip down and hit my watch–then count the top when I get to the water tank. The nice thing about Horse for a big run is that everyone gets a big hill early, forcing our heart rates higher for more than 10 minutes, but on the way back there are bail out points so runners can get different mileage totals from six to 10 depending on the way back–straight back down or Garrods, and back via Reignart or out Prospect. If a runner does not want hills then they can get Matadors. And, it is just pretty up there. For this plan I’m assuming 9 miles but you can add up or down from that run. Add six strides afterwards.
Tuesday January 1: This could be a day off, or you could run a few miles on your own, or…you could get your entire family to do run at the Los Gatos Resolution Run. It’s fun for everyone and a great way to start the new year! Your mom, dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle…get them all out there! You do not have to race you can just run this conversationally (or push the pace if you want). Wear an MV shirt and send me a photo. Fun! 6 miles including a mile of warm up.
Wednesday January 2: 5 vanilla miles, runner’s choice, maybe warm up on the track then Phar Lap. Add six strides afterwards. This is a good day to cut back mileage if you are running less than 40 miles per week, or you ran at LG yesterday.
Thursday January 3: Matador’s Point. 6 miles (or add on through McClellan if you need more). This is a good day to add on to your run if you are targeting more than 40 miles per week.
Friday January 4: 5 vanilla miles, runner’s choice, maybe Varian Loop. Add six strides afterwards. This is a good day to cut back mileage if you are running less than 40 miles per week.
Saturday January 5: I’d like to see you get some parents involved to drive and make a little outing of this. Here is my suggestion. Drive to Campbell Park in Campbell and run the Los Gatos Creek Trail. Park there, then run up the bike path in the Los Gatos/South direction to get half of your target mileage (if you want an 8 mile day, run 4 miles up the trail. If you have a GPS watch that’s easy but even if you don’t there are mileage markers every half mile). Everyone can run their own distance. The route is all pretty easy to figure out even if you have never been before, and it’s pretty hard to get lost but Sanjana Borle and alumna Paru Meyyappan for sure could guide you. The cool thing about the trail that way is that while it rolls, it is slightly net up that direction–so you go up for the first half of your run and down the last half of your run. Try to run the last three miles of your run (after then turn around and all the way back) 20-25 seconds faster per mile than the first half of your run. It will feel good!
If you want to run Campbell Park/LG Creek Trail but you are still confused drop me an email and I can be more specific with directions.
If you can’t get over to Campbell Park for this run…there are lots of other places you can run. Pick a fun run and get out there!
After your run…get something to eat in downtown Campbell and head over to the Running Revolution shoe store and shop for a new pair of shoes for the 2019 track season. You probably need new shoes and this will be a fun outing for you and your friends! 10 miles.
Sunday January 6: Rest day or cross train.
Weekly Total for these suggestions: 41 (you should adjust up or down for your target).
Please contact coach if anything is unclear or you want some specific suggestions. I hope everyone feels good about their finals! Happy Holidays and see you soon!
