Submitted by Eric Powers
scrunners webmaster John Olson has asked me to keep a training journal during the upcoming track season to follow my progress.
Editor's note: Consult with your coach before following a training schedule. Powers has agreed to write a journal on his training as time permits during his 2009 outdoor season.
Monday, Feb. 2
Today was the first day of team practice. After meeting with the whole team to begin practice, I did a six mile easy run on roads near the school with the distance team. It was a cool day, and it was nice to be running with all of my teammates again. We finished the practice with some core work.
Tuesday, Feb. 3
Tuesday’s practice went a lot like Monday’s. I did another six mile training run on trails near the school, running with the team for the beginning of the run and doing the last few miles by myself. It was a cool and cloudy day. We again did push-ups and crunches to strengthen our cores.
Wednesday, Feb. 4
Our school had an early release day on Wednesday, so we did not have an official team practice. That, along with freezing and very windy weather, convinced me to do a deep water run while I had the chance. I water ran for about 45 minutes at a medium aerobic effort.
Thursday, Feb. 5
On Thursday I ran six miles on the grass along roads by myself. It was a very cold day. I felt fresh so I ran a little faster than usual, although not fast enough to consider it a tempo pace. My heart rate was slightly high, but my breathing was slow and easy.
Friday, Feb. 6
Today we ran four miles total. We started with a two mile warm up around the school. Then we did a mile and a half of running around the track with a 50-yard sprint each lap to work on leg speed. We closed the workout with a 400-meter run, fast but not all out, to see where we stand and to work on leg speed. It was another cool day.
Saturday, Feb. 7
I did a 10 mile long run on Saturday. I ran at noon by myself alongside neighborhood roads. The cold finally moved out, and it was a hot and sunny day. I missed the team run earlier in the day due to a previous commitment, but I knew I had to get a long run in since I had missed it the week before. I ran at a good pace, kept my heart rate low, and felt good despite the heat.
Sunday, Feb. 8
I did not run on Sunday.
Conclusion
The first week of practice went well. I was glad to finally be able to see and run with all of my teammates again. I am excited for the upcoming season, especially since our sprints and field events look strong this year. Next Monday we have our first track workout, which will be another good indicator of how the distance team looks this year.