GLVC XC Course 10/22 at USI

Here's a link to the cross country course we'll run at the GLVC XC meet to be held in Evansville, IN, at the USI campus on October 22:

http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=442582

Women run three 2K loops for 6K. Men run four 2K loops for 8K. Guys, this means you probably have to go thru 6K in under 24:00 to avoid getting lapped.

Coach Van Arkel

Fall XC Gear

Shoe orders have been placed, so hopefully everyone will have new shoes (best present ever!) at the start of practice. We will also hand out the following gear to all cross country runners soon after practice starts:

-Training Shoes & Socks
-Running/Racing Shorts
-Racing Singlets
-Short Sleeve Tee's
-Nike Rain Jackets
-Adidas Warmups
-Gym Sacks
-Duffle Bags


We will be using some gear handed out last year (track pants, long sleeve tops, hooded sweatshirts, backpacks) and we should have enough extras of these items for all incoming freshmen runners. A little later in the season we will order new long sleeve tops for all runners.

Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567

XC Training: July 24 - August 6

XC Training: July 24 - August 6

Only four weeks until practice starts and then we will be running 60-70 miles/week and doing a long run around 12-14 miles. Mileage needs now to be somewhere between 50-60 miles/week or higher in order to be prepared for the work we do in the fall. Of course, it is hot everywhere and that is a reason to be careful and moderate the length of your runs. Be sure to hydrate before and after each run so your body is in the least amount of heat distress as possible.

The training week should look like this.

Sunday Long Run (75+ minutes)

Monday 6-8 miles w/ strength training

Tuesday 8-10 miles w/ strides

Wednesday 9-11 miles

Thursday 6-8 miles w/ strength training

Friday 8-10 miles w/ hill repeats

Saturday 6-8 miles or swim/bike


Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567

Single Most Important Workout

Our Single-Most Important Workout of the Summer:

The Long Run

6000m to 10000m cross country races are predominantly aerobic, and only a small percentage anaerobic, so our summer training must focus on aerobic volume in order to maximize aerobic capacity. A long run (>75:00) at a moderately easy conversational pace once a week is a great way to achieve that goal. The long aerobic run enlarges cardiac output, expands capillaries, increases red blood cells, leads to numerous positive metabolic adaptations within the cells of muscle fibers and improves running efficiency and economy. The bottom line is that, within reason, the more miles you run during the summer, the faster you will be during cross country season.

After practice starts we'll add more tempo runs and faster intervals to develop anaerobic capacity. In the meantime, we also want to stay as strong as possible (w/ hills & core work) and avoid illness and injury.

Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567

XC Training: July 10 - July 23

XC Training: July 10 - July 23

This is the middle two week period of summer training. Mileage should gradually increase with daily running. If you are experiencing sharp pains or extreme soreness and are injured and cannot run please let me know so we can talk about getting better and doing some cross training in the meantime.

The training week might look like this.

Sunday Long Run (75+ minutes)

Monday 5-7 miles w/ strength training

Tuesday 7-9 miles w/ strides

Wednesday 8-10 miles

Thursday 5-7 miles w/ strength training

Friday 7-9 miles w/ hill repeats

Saturday 6-8 miles or swim/bike


Coach Van Arkel
417-873-7567