Good Morning, Cross Country Families!
Welcome to our first official week of NO SCHOOL—congratulations, you made it! This is an exciting point in the summer, and it is also an important moment for our athletes. What we do right now matters. The foundation for a successful fall cross country season is being built during these summer weeks.
Families and athletes, please take a few minutes to read through this week’s update carefully. Our Weekly Summary is the central place for everything you need to know throughout summer training, and it is updated every week.
The Weekly Summary includes:
- The overall summer training plan
- The summer mileage tracker, where all athletes summer mileage is confirmed and posted.
- Weekly notes and any workout-specific details
Please click on the Weekly Summary, then select the Mileage Tracker in the top left. Parents, please check in to make sure your athlete has been running. Athletes, make sure you are running consistently and updating Strava.
Our success in the fall is built on what athletes do now—this summer.
We are now more than three weeks into summer training. If athletes have approached this correctly, they should have slowly increased their weekly mileage and time on feet over each of the last three weeks. This gradual build is what prepares the body for the demands of the season ahead.
These early weeks are also about acclimating to the heat and humidity. That process takes time, and the only way to adapt is to suffer through it. This is where athletes begin building both physical toughness and mental resiliency.
This week begins Week #4, which is a recovery week. That means athletes will cut back on mileage so their bodies can recover, adapt, and get stronger. As Coach Bobby reminds us, “Adaptation occurs during the recovery phase.” Keep the runs relaxed and enjoy the shorter runs this week.
Please make a point to come to the Two Scheduled Team Practices this week. They are optional, but would love to start getting the team together on a regular basis.
Starting in Week #5, we will begin building mileage again and will add two light workouts each week. This is an exciting step forward, and it is another reason why consistency right now is so important.
Keep showing up. Keep logging the miles. Keep building the habits that will make this team stronger in the fall.