As most of you know, I recently completed a master’s degree in applied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Many people ask, what exactly is positive psychology? Chris Peterson, one of the foundational researchers in positive psychology, said the key insight was that other people matter*–or, to elaborate, “other people matter, and there may be no happy hermits.” Researchers have found that good relationships with others may be the most important source of life satisfaction and emotional well-being, across different ages and cultures. These relationships lead to greater happiness, better mental health, even better physical health and longer lives.
And that is one of the hidden benefits of Monta Vista cross-country.
In the summer, it can be easy to become a bit of a hermit. Yet if you are on the cross-country team, you start every day by seeing friends. You have hours to be with other active people who share your interests and goals. You can talk and laugh and get some exercise. That is a pretty great way to start your day!
*I did learn more than “other people matter” in my year at UPenn. But if “other people matter” is the only thing you remember…that’s not bad!
A Source of Friends
Vivian Lau, MVXC class of 2022, is now at Tufts University in Boston; this summer she is on an internship in Atlanta. When she arrived at Tufts, the school cross-country team was an instant friend group. In Atlanta, she sought out a local run club. In both cases, running was not only a source of exercise and recreation, running was also a source of friends and relationships. You can read the paper, or just trust me and our intuition; the friendships and relationships that Vivian made and that you make through running will make you happier, healthier, and more productive wherever you go in life.
Vivian with her Atlanta running club; she is in the back row, third from right, blue top.
Starting now.
I encourage you to join a team and run in college when you go–if you can’t join your college team, find a school run club (Maddy Yip joined the run club when she went to Stanford and ended up being a club all-American in the 4x800m relay! but even if you don’t compete, join for the friends). And when you go to a new city, like Vivian did in Atlanta, ask about run groups at your local running shoe store. I bet you will make friends that way your entire life.
Join a run group wherever your life brings you. All you need are shoes, an old MVXC shirt, and a positive attitude and you are on your way to making friends.
And now…start building that habit…let’s get going with our summer running!
Week Four
Here are some key reminders:
- Think of something fun to do with your running friends–go see a movie, head to the beach, grab some food together, go shoe-shopping, plan an adventure run…have some summer fun! Anyone can plan something. You don’t have to be a senior or a captain.
- I am starting to think that none of you have smartphones. Or you are not actually running! 🙂 Send me photos! I miss you.
- Make an extra effort to talk to new people. Freshmen, transfers…talk to them. Maybe invite them along on something fun. You will feel great!
- Get new runner contact info, and get them on Discord
- Plan a trip to Running Revolution for new shoes (tell them you are with Monta Vista cross country)
- Are you habit-stacking? Can you think of a new one?
MVXC24 Athlete-Lead Summer Running
Week Four Suggestions: July 1
| Approx Miles | |||||
| Day | New | 35 | 45 | Suggested Run | Other |
| Mon | 5 | 5 | 7 | Let’s do some baby hill repeats, but I’d like to do the repeats more in the middle of the run—so we are going to try something different. Run out Byrne all the way to Stevens Creek Blvd, then turn left and left again to run the bike path through Blackberry Farm all the way to Linda Vista. Then let’s drill there and then 5 of the baby hill repeats to the stairs, and one full hill repeat to the top (picnic area). After that, new runners can head back to school, or down Regnart to Bubb; varsity runners could run Rainbow to the RR tracks or even Stelling. Hill repeats are a big step in the buildup to day one of the fall season! | Core, I’d love to see some extra lateral abs and also shin splint prehab. Different people can suggest exercises! |
| Tues | 5 | 5 | 7 | Steady state pace* run, but let’s shake up the route. Head out to Stevens Canyon and drill. Go out to the dam face and start there, just before the climb up the dam. Come back to school through McClellan Ranch/Stevens Creek/Orange… stop when you hit your mileage/time target. New runners or runners getting back into shape can run this at conversational pace, or start running at a slightly faster than conversational pace when you get out of the park and on to Foothill. Be careful on the road! | Core |
| Weds | 3
| 4 | 7 | Warm up to Jollyman Park—but to get there, start by going right on Bubb to Rainbow, then to Stelling, then to Jollyman and drill. After drills, you can head to McClellan and the new runners can turn left to head back to Monta Vista. The more advanced runners can go straight up Stelling and either turn at Stevens Creek, or loop Memorial Park to get some more, or you can even go up Stevens Creek to the bike path through McClellan Ranch if you need even more to reach your weekly target! | Core…maybe just for fun one of those video-lead core sessions. |
| Thur | 3 | 6 | 7 | Independence Day! I’m thinking you warm up to Varian Park. Say hi to the purple dinosaur. New runners return straight back to school, while veterans run Will’s Loop but use the golf course cutoff to get to Linda Vista park and come back on Bubb. This could be a good day to plan a pot-luck breakfast. | If you don’t have family plans for the 4th of July…do something together! Invite a friend to join you. This is a fun holiday! |
| Fri | 3 | 3 | 5 | Warm up on the track, drill, and then run more on the track or pick a local route to get the mileage you need. Strides after the run. | Core, shin pre-hab. Excellent day for strides. |
| Sat | 6 | 10 | 11 | Long run to Stevens Canyon. Matador’s Point for the new athletes, Horse+Garrods for everyone else. Horse is underrated! Time yourself from bottom to top, and compare this time to your next run—and your run to the top of Horse in September and October. See how much stronger you become! Knowing your time from the sign at the start of Horse until you touch the fence at the top near the water tank is a good measuring stick of your improvement and your effort. | Some extra calf stretching is always good! |
| Sun | Do something fun…and maybe cross train. Plan a group hike maybe? Movie night? Guys…people like to be asked to do things together. You could be the one to suggest something that makes someone else happy! | ||||
| Total | 25 | 34 | 43 | ||
- *Steady State pace is meant to be slightly slower than your tempo/lactic threshold pace—but still faster than conversational. This pace should feel faster than convo pace but relaxed. Ideally, you maintain this for 20-40 minutes and don’t feel crushed at the end. An estimate of your steady state pace is to add 75-90 seconds to your current mile race pace (e.g. if your 1600 PR during the 2022 track season was 6:00, your steady state pace should probably be 7:15-7:30. If your 1600 race pace is faster than 6:00, you might add a little less—e.g. if your 1600 PR is around 5:00, add 65-85 seconds, and if your 1600 race pace is closer to 7:00, add 80-95 seconds). For most people, the 3-mile Palm route should give you 20-25 minutes of steady-state pace, which is right in the heart of what we are looking for. This should be comfortable but quick. Be conscious of what this pace feels like so you can slide into this pace easily. If you are not sure what it should feel like, be conservative and go a bit slower, especially the first couple of times. We do not want to crush each other. Strides after is always a good idea.
PS: Go Nikki Hiltz!