Practice

Welcome to Titan Cross Country!

As Head XC coach, I welcome you to West Salem Cross Country. My name is Tom Jimenez.

Prior to moving th West, I spent 16 years as XC/T&F coach at CVC rival Sprague HS. This is my 4th year at WSHS and I am very excited about the running & academic success that we have had in the past and will continue to have into the future.

I have outlined some general practice info for everyone on the next couple pages.

For thos of you who know me, I have high expectations for all my student/athlete's, JV or Varsity, and firmly believe that we can all be highly motivated and successful by being organized and energized from day one. I also strongly believe that the greatest trait we, as coaches, can give student/athlete's is the ability to be "self-directed learners". We will spend a lot of time working on becoming self-directed learners and will become better people because of it.

I also look forward to spending a great deal of time learning to run, work and compete successfully as individuals, competitors and as teammates. I hope that West Salem Cross Country will be one of the best memories of your high school career and look forward to working with you in the future. Please read through things and email me or ask me in person if you have any questions.

Have a great day & see you on the course. Go Titans!

GENERAL INFO


• The first day of Cross Country starts on Monday, August 22, 2011.
  We will have (2) practices on Monday in order to not have a team practice on Friday, September 2nd (and enjoy a 4-day weekend). Our schedule for August practices is listed below.
  
  
• Student/athlete's need a minimum of (15) practices prior to the first meet to be eligible to run on Sept. 8th at Canby. If you are planning a late vacation, please contact the coach for options which should allow your student/athlete to complete the (15) practices individually. This may be an option depending on the coach's determination.
  
  
• Our Daily practice will be held from 3:00-4:50pm.
  Mondays are usually our longest training day & should end at approximately 5:00pm or so. We will conclude most practices with a "Cooldown" and some sort of "Core Fitness" work. Please plan accordingly & allow your student/athlete to complete the entire workout.
  
  Individual & Makeup practices will be held each Saturday. Sundays are scheduled as a "Day Off" to rest unless a "Makeup Day" requires the student/athlete to complete a prevous workout that was missed that week.
  
  
• Running twice a day is an advanced skill.
  As you become better as a runner, you may want to supplement your training with an additional easy run in the morning. Running in the morning is a tedious venture for most but is something that most elite runners will do at some point. Please chat with Coach Jimenez before setting up a morning running routine.
  
  
• Our regular daily practice schedule runs in a 21-day training cycle with our most important workout of the week being held on Monday.
  
  It is vitally important that student/athlete's not miss Monday practices. These practices are very important for each student/athlete's improvement & future running success. Missed Monday practices will be made up on Tuesdays, the day before meets in some cases, in order to make sure they get done. If at all possible, please schedule any appointments that conflict with XC practice for either Tuesdays or Thursdays whenever possible (as those are our distance days & the easiest days for student/athlete's to workout indvidually).
  
  
• Please notify Coach Jimenez anytime you will be missing practice either by email, phone, leave a message in the WSHS office, or talk to him in person.
  
  Not notifying the coach of an absence, with the exception of school illness, will result in an unexcued absence.
  
  Unexcused absences will require student/athlete's to makeup missed workouts on the next available Saturday & could effect participation in the next meet.
  
  Makeup practices, with the exception of Mondays, will be held on Saturday mornings from 8:00-9:15am at West. If you have any questions, check with
  Coach Jimenez.
  
  
• If you have any questions regarding anything, feel free to ask the coach. For once, I do have all the answers.
  
  

Philosophy

TRAINING PHILOSOPHY

After coaching for 25+ years of coaching T&F and Cross Country, I am very comfortable with the training principles & strategies that we will be using at WSHS.

While I have done an extensive amount of reading on the topic of "running training", there are many training principles that I have experimented with and countless more training ideas that I have discounted for one reason or another.

In the end, I have kept & modified the training ideas that we will use so they will fit over a short HS season (3 mo.) and be used as a base point for our year-round elite runners who want to excel at running.

At West Salem HS we will base our training around the following premises:

1. There are countless training philosophies that can be used successfully provided the student/athlete "buys in to" the training that is being used.
   
   Not all runners are the same so the trick is in finding out what works for each specfic runner. We will find what works to become successful.
   
   
2. There are some more advanced training programs that I won't use simply so the student/athlete who will run in college will experience some new training details that didn't happen in high school.
   
   That's not to say that we won't create elite runners at WSHS because we will. I understand that everyone likes ideas that are fresh & new but one of my top priorities is developing runners who still enjoy running when they leave WSHS.
   
   
3. "Consistency of Training" is one of the key defining characteristics behind all successful distance runners in HS.
   
   It is extremely difficult to improve as a distance runner unless you like running! This includes the off-season. Being consistent at improving one's aerobic endurance from season to season and from year to year is what it takes to become an elite runner (whether it be running, swimming biking etc). A little speed helps too!
   
   
4. Cross Country is a sport that develops personal growth and inspires participant's to be self-directed in life.
   
   Of this I have no doubt. When I look back over the years, there are countless former athletes that I have coached who have done amazing things in their young lives. Almost exclusively, running Cross Country is always one of their fondest HS memories. For some people it is simply a matter of developing the confidence that XC provides. Others still draw strentgh from looking back and marveling at the tremendous personal growth and running success that they achieved whether it be a one year or four year career.
   
   
5. Cross Country is the ultimate team sport.
   
   If you have never been to a HS Cross Country meet then you are in for a pleasant surprise. Cross Country is all about racing for your team, your family and yourself. AND Cross Country is about running all over the course to support your teammates when it's not your race. In XC, everyone matters, period! It doesn't get much more exciting than that.

KEY IDEAS

My experiences as a XC/T&F coach teach me that truly successful runners are always those people who are willing to:

• Incorporate new ideas into their training on a regular basis.
  
  Stay fresh and stay current on the latest fitness concepts. By staying fresh you will always be eager to learn more and improve your fitness level.
  
  
• Be flexible and adaptable in your training.
  
  These are two of the most important characteristics that you can possess that will make you a successful runner. Even more, it will give you powerful skills for life beyond XC (if there is such a thing).
  
  
• Work hard to become a better runner. Work even harder to become a better teammate.
  
  Cross Country is more than just running fast. Cross Country is about developing that bond as a runner that says "I know how hard you have worked and I have been there for you when running was the hardest thing you have done".
  
  You are joining a unique fraternity that doesn't stand on the sideline on game day and that is required to "man up" even on the hardest, muddiest & hilliest courses that a mountain goat has ever endured. (Oh yeah, then you get to do it again next week)
  
  

With that being said, here are some coaches (authors) whose core concepts of the distance training we will be doing at WSHS.

• Former University of Oregon coaching legend Bill Dellinger and his ageless principles of "date pace" & "goal pace" and the related concepts of:
  1. Moderation
  2. Progression
  3. Adaptability
  4. Variation
  5. Callousing Effect
  
  These five concepts are discussed in great detail as they are defined in the highly successful Oregon system (Hayward, Bowerman, Dellinger) and discussed in Dellinger's book "Winning Running".
  
  Most of the basis of our WSHS training revolves around the concept of training with "date pace & "goal pace" both in-season and, more importantly, the use of "date pace" on improving off-season aerobic endurance. Both of these concepts seem to go hand-in-hand with Horwill's "Five Pace Theory".
  
  
• Aerobic concepts of Arthur Lydiard (New Zealand) as it relates to "base training" and the concept of "periodisation". To a lesser extent this also incorporates aerobic strategies presented by noted German coach Ernst Van Aken in his book "The Van Aken Method".
  
  
• Frank Horwill's Five Pace Theory as used by Great Britain's multiple Olympic champion and world recordholder Sebastian Coe in the 1980's.
  
  
• One of my more favorite articles that is recent is "The Pfitzinger Lab Report" which is featured in Running Times magazine and also online @ www.Pfitzinger.com
  
  

Training

TRAINING EXPECTATIONS

• Follow the training program as outlined in the Practice schedule.
  
  
• Please wear appropriate clothing for practicing Cross Country in Oregon.
  
  That means sweatpants or warmups that cover the legs (not just t-shirt & shorts). This general rule is waived on those days when the daytime temperature is at or above 80°F. This is a basic expectation.
  
  
• You are expected to be at practice daily, on time and ready to work.
  
  
• Attend 90% of all training sessions under the premise that "consistency of training" is a valuable component of running success.
  
  
• Makeup workouts for missed training sessions (days) either on your own, during the week or during the scheduled Makeup training session on Saturday.
  
  
• Treat every workout, regardless of intensity or duration, as a valuable "training session" which is part of the master plan to become a better runner.
  
  
• Establish weekly practice goals for achieving distance totals and achieving running goal paces with the assitance of the XC coach.
  
  
• Maintain a detailed Training Log, online or written, as discussed at practice by the XC coach.
  
  
• Record, or make note of daily training times, splits, efforts, etc as part of a detailed training plan.
  
  
• Modify & adjust training schedules appropriatey to accomodate for illness, injury or changes in personal/academic schedules with the help of the XC coach.
  
  
• Complete some training sessions on your own either as makeups for missed practices or as supplemnet workouts to your existing training plan as monitored by XC coach and recorded in Training Log.

TRAINING GUIDELINES

TRAINING DURING THE OFF-SEASON


• XC runners are encouraged to develop a year long training plan if they want to improve their performances during the XC season.
  
  
• XC runners are encouraged to train for & participate in Track & Field to develop distance speed for 800, 1500, & 3000 meters. This speed becomes important in improving future XC improvement.
  
  
• Coach Jimenez will hold a training session, one day each week (except July), during the off-season if you are interested. You can also contact him by email for training advice (w/ the exception of Moratorium Week).
  
  
• In general, we use a 21-day training cycle during the off-season with a general week, a high mileage week & a recovery week. (However, it is the off-season which means you are able to run what you want).
  
  
• One of the key concepts of off-season training is to develop improved "Aerobic Endurance" though a variety of tempo based running activities. This improvement can make a huge difference.
  
  
• Coach Jimenez will offer a weekly weight training / strength development session in the weight room starting in August 2011 following Moratorium Week. Contact Cj for details.
  
  
TRAINING DURING THE SEASON


• During the season we will follow up 21-day training cycle that will most likely alternate between easy & hard weeks that will allow for recovery & the frequent racing scedule of the HS season.
  
  
• Runners will train on a 6-day schedule from Monday (day 1) through Saturday (day 6). We will plan on not running on Sundays unless it is used as a recover day or a makeup day.
  
  
• Runners should train & race throughout the season demonstrating progressive improvement. Understanding that running is progressive in nature is an important aspect of running success.
  
  
• Runners will set & work toward goals for training workouts on a daily, weekly & 21-day training cycle basis.
  
  
• Runners will set & work toward racing goals on a weekly, 21-day & long term basis. Runners will also set training & racing goals for a variety of distances ran throughout the season.
  
  
• Runners, with the assistance of the XC coach, may modify training & training schedules to accomodate an individual's training plan due to other school activities or sports to ensure continuec XC improvement & success.
  
  
A complete list of training guidelines & expectations is included in the Team Handbook.

Training Log

Updated: August 29, 2011

FAQ - Are we supposed to log hours for the times we practice as a team as well as the times we run on our own?

Great question!

On team workouts you are only responsible for:

• Time of Day / am or pm
• Perceived Effort (Rate 1-10)
• I Felt (optional)
• How would you like to record your minutes? (Ignore on Interval days)
• Total Time (Ignore on Interval days)
• Type (pick one)
• I ran with (optional)
• Weather (optional)
• Comments (paste the workout in the comments)

Example: Mon. Aug. 29th workout

(paste into comments)
1 x 800 @ 5k pace (put an avg time if you remember) w/ 3:00 rest (some of you have 3:30 or 4:00 rest). 1 x 800 @ 10k pace (add 15-20 sec to 5K time) w/ 3:00 or 3:30 or 4:00 rest (whatever you rest was on that day)

Total of 4000m, 5000m, 7000m (whatever your total was)

Basically put the info you would need if you looked back at the workout 6 months later and wanted to be able to figure out what the workout was and how fast you ran.

FOR DAYS YOU RUN ON YOUR OWN OR IN A GROUP (Easy Runs or Long Runs, Weekends, etc)

• Time of Day / am or pm
• Perceived Effort (Rate 1-10)
• I Felt (optional)
• How would you like to record your Running (check by minutes)
• Total Time (select minutes)
• Type (usually put Easy Run or Long Run)
• I ran with (optional)
• Weather (optional)
• Comments (paste the workout in the comments)

Workouts

WORKOUTS

Below is a copy of the August 2011 tentative Practice schedule.

FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For a complete list of all the FAQs click here.

• What type of running should I be doing during the summer?
  - In general, any running is better than doing nothing. A general goal would be 150-250 min per week. Contact Coach Jimenez for details about hooking up with our summer running group or if you want to setup your own training plan or receive the weekly summer workout suggestions by email.
  
  
• Where do we meet for practice?
  - To begin with everyone meets by the Field House (which is at the north end of the football field). Daily practice starts at 3:00p with a warmup run. I don't usually arrive until about 3:15pm since I teach at another school. The team captains will get practice started and be going through your warmup routine when I arrive.
  
  
• How long does practice last each day?
  - Great question. The daily practice length is typically 3:00-4:50pm. It really depends on how fast people get through things. A schedule of daily practice routines is listed on the right. Please plan accordingly as well all need to practice better (& more consistently) to get better.
  
  
• I'm a first year runner. Will I run as much as the Varsity runner do?
  - In general, as a first year runner, your practices will be limited to what we do in practice and how long you train on Saturdays (unless you make the Varsity team). We always take Sundays off unless it is a makeup day for a day you have missed earlier.
  
  
• I'm new at running. How do I get better?
  - The number one rule for getting better is "Consistency of Training". What does that mean? Simply put - don't miss many days. Training built up over days of training smartly, both hard days and easy days, ends up making all the difference. If you consistently miss days or just train seasonly ,just during the XC season, you will get better but most likely not by much. If you don't run any extra on your day, or miss days< I will be able to tell (I have been doing this for over 25 years). Keep running & keep training if it really matters to you!
  
  
• What is the hardest part of XC? What is the best part of XC?
  - Honestly, the hardest part is the first couple weeks (getting into shape) & figuring out at what pace you should be training at. The best part is that XC is the ultimate team sport... everyone plays, everyone matters!!!
  
  
• I haven't really ever ran before? Can I still do XC?
  - Oh yeah, most definitely! Many of our first year runners had little or no experience to begin with & they would be the first ones to tell you just how much fun XC is (once you get through the first couple weeks).
  
  
• I'm going to miss the first week of practice. Can I still run in the 1st meet?
  - You will still need to have (15) practices prior to Sept. 8th. If you can run the workouts on your own & record them in our online Training Log, I will count those as official practices. Contact Coach Jimenez for details.
  
  
• When is the first day of practice?
  - The first official day of practice for all Fall sports is Monday, August 22nd.