Running to the Next Level

[Nick]

Follow This 12-Step Plan to Improve Your Running
        by: Dave Kuehls  


If you're a dedicated high school runner, one of your goals probably is what Olympic athletes call "running to the next level." The next level can range from making your team's varsity or first-string relay squad to qualifying for the state meet or even making it to the Foot Locker cross-country finals.

But to make a big leap forward, you should assess your running and see where you can improve. To help you plan a course of action, we've outlined some tips from coaches and runners on training, racing, proper eating, balancing time, and relating to your coach and teammates. Pick and choose from the following advice, then get ready to run to the next level.

1. Train year-round: While you need some rest between seasons, don't take too long before resuming consistent tr?ining. Mike Elder, coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, says that the main reason some of his runners achieve the next level is because they run all summer. His pet phrase: "You can't be good in fall if you haven't put in the work over the summer." Increase your mileage gradually. For example, you could start from a base of 20 miles a week and go to 35 or 40. Or start at 30 miles a week and get up to 60 or 70. The key is to stay consistent.

2. Trade quantity for quality: As the season progresses and you're gearing up for the big meets, you need to get racing-sharp. The best way to do this is to cut your mileage a bit and work in some speed or tempo runs. You could reduce your weekly long run from 8 miles to 5 miles and add a set of 10 x 400 meters.

3. Make the most of "magic time": This is the stretch after the season when a runner is at a high level of fitness but the pressure is off, explains Elder. He says this is when he sees a lot of improvement in his runners. To take advantage of this period, they might run a 5-K road race and improve their time by 30 seconds or more. "They gain the confidence that they can run at the next level the coming season," he says.

4. Do mile repeats: Jerry Popp, coach at state champion Bowman High School in Bowman, North Dakota, has a "secret" workout that's pretty simple--mile repeats. He's adamant about the distance. "It's not 800s or 1200s," he says. "The kids really need to run miles." Popp believes that running 5 x mile at faster-than-race-pace helps not only physically, but also psychologically.

5. Log on: Steve Shaklee, coach at Cherokee High School in Marlton, New Jersey, has his runners keep a log of their training. "The log is an important, but often neglected, aspect of training," he says. Shaklee believes a daily account of your running helps improve training consistency, and it illuminates the workouts that are most effective and those that don't seem to work as well.

6. Work with weights: Amy Eubanks, coach of state champion Westminster High School in Atlanta, has her girls lift weights two or three times a week during the preseason and the early part of the season. "Some days are light training, but some are heavy," says Eubanks. "The girls who stick with the program are stronger by the end of the season and you can see it in their racing."

7. Find time for running: Everyone has a busy schedule, so don't use that excuse to skip running. Toughen your resolve to run no matter what. As PattiSue Plumer, former USA national champion from California, always says: "Running should be like brushing your teeth--something that is part of every day." In North Dakota, many of the Bowman runners live on farms and help their families with chores. To get in their runs," explains Popp, "they have to be out the door at 6 in the morning or sometimes run late at night. But the kids who keep up their runs excel."

8. Be an aggressive racer: The Villanova freshman Kalin Toedebusch, a two-time Foot Locker cross-country finalist at Rockford High in Rockford, Michigan, pushes herself in the first mile or so of all early-season races, then concentrates on maintaining her pace to the finish. "It's a great racing strategy to get used to," she says. "It teaches you to stick with the lead pack and be competitive. And that's what you have to do in the big meets at the end of the season."  
9. Eat better: Coach Eubanks? from Atlanta, stresses the need for her girls to take in sufficient calories. It sounds simple, but she believes too many athletes don't eat enough. "Girls who run tend to diet at the same time," she says. "When you run and diet, you lose lean muscle mass, and therefore you lose strength." Eubanks also recommends a snack before every race or workout. "Just make sure it's something easy to digest, and eat it 2 hours beforehand," she says.

10. Cut junk food: Coach Elder checks the school lunchroom to monitor what his runners are eating. "I'm looking for soft drinks and greasy burgers," he says. "Food like that might taste good, but it's bad for you when you're training because of the 'empty' calories." So do a junk-food check on yourself. The next time you're considering a sugar-filled soda with lunch or before practice, try water instead.

11. Get behind team pride: Team T-shirts worn on race days or the Friday before a big Saturday meet are an excellent way to promote team unity and spirit. Wear the shirts during the school day to rally students and teachers behind you. Try to schedule home meets on school grounds so the student body can come out to cheer.

12. Run as a group: Keep running with your team during the off-season. More camaraderie means more motivation to train hard and feel you're part of something important. "If you train all summer by yourself," says North Dakota's Popp, "you'll be less motivated to run and less enthusiastic about running for your team. Meeting even 2 days a week gives you something to look forward to and helps promote the team concept."