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