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#7 - Serena Burla, Running Hero

8/30/2018

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The WRCC Newsletter will now be twice monthly. We have a new Co-Editor, Laura Caldwell, and along with Charlotte Richardson and the W.R.C.C. Committee, we will continue to bring you articles that will be educational, inspirational, and will support you in your job as a coach. There will be interviews with women coaches from the youth, high school, college, and professional levels. We hope to bring you articles about building a team, planning workouts, incorporating strength and conditioning into your programs, coaching leadership and much more to help you as a woman running and field coach. We want to build this community and we need YOUR input to do that!

PLEASE contact us at womensrunningcoachescollective@gmail.com
Tell us what you think, what you know, and what you would like to learn.
ALL  perspectives are welcome and encouraged, and we will try and publish some of the emails. We are looking for good ideas and suggestions!
This is your journey too!
You ARE the Women's Running Coaches Collective.
Melissa Hill
Nikki Rafie
Helene Hutchinson
Charlotte Lettis Richardson
Laura Caldwell 

The Women's Running Coaches Collective is excited and honored to bring you an interview with distance runner and cancer surviver, Serena Burla. Her strength, courage, and running talent will inspire and help you understand your role as a coach in an athlete's life. Because of her incredible story, we have decided to publish this interview in two parts - Part 1 in this newsletter along with her biography, and Part 2 on September 13th. Stay tuned!
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Serena Burla
Running Hero
Biography by Laura Caldwell

If it seems that Serena Burla has been running for most of her life, she has. Having a father who has coached the Waukesha West girls’ high school track and field and cross country teams for the last 43 years while growing up in Waukesha, WI, encouraged her to begin competing in short distances in the third grade. While at West, Serena led her team to one runner up and three state cross country team titles. After high school, she competed for the University of Missouri in distance races. While a Tiger she was two-time Big 12 Conference runner-up and attained all-American status in the 10,000 meters in 2006.

After college, she married her college boyfriend, Adam Burla, a shot putter at Missouri, moved to St. Louis and hung up her competitive racing shoes, running just for fun. However, as with any competitive spirit, her running career was far from over. Coach Isaya Okwyia of the running group, Riadha (Swahili for athletics) discovered how well she had run in high school and college and felt she had potential. Burla wanted to try the marathon and Okwyia recognized her potential for success.

Planning on training for a few years before running a marathon in the spring of 2010, she started on Okwyia’s training regimen. However, in the fall of 2009 what began as an intermittent pain in her right hamstring escalated and became constant. After hobbling through the 2010 USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston in January, where she still managed to finish second (1:10:08) to Shalane Flanagan, her coach insisted she seek treatment for what Burla assumed was inflammation.

Burla traveled to New York City to see specialist Daniel Hammer, who initially thought it was bursitis. After a scan, she was told that it was a malignant tumor, synovial sarcoma, that had replaced one of the muscles in her right hamstring. At the end of February 2010, she returned to New York for surgery to remove part of her hamstring. Her surgeon could not find any athlete who had had this surgery. He also could not guarantee Burla could run again, let alone compete, but did believe the prognosis was very good.

Being just happy to be alive and have her leg, and wanting to be with her husband and young son, Boyd, running was no longer what was important to her. However, by April 2010, Burla was able to walk-run for the first time since her operation. And she has been moving forward ever since. In January, 2013, she won the USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston. Then at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, she placed 10th in the marathon with a time of 2:31:06. She followed that with a PB of 2:26:53 for 4thplace at the 2017 Osaka Women’s Marathon.

Through all of the adversity and ordeal in her life Burla has become an inspiration and motivating presence for others, and often speaks about her life and running experiences. She is, in her own words, “a two-time cancer survivor, wife, mother, loud laugher, positive thinker and lover of life.”  

Part 1
The Serena Burla Interview  

by Charlotte L Richardson
Serena, because we are a women's coaching collective, we would love to get your thoughts on what makes a good coach, and why?
First and foremost, a good coach loves and cares about the people and endeavor they are coaching. Due to this factor, a good coach makes the people they coach better athletes and even more importantly, better people.  A good coach will be tough on you and challenge you in many ways, and then be able to have a conversation with you about the “why” after the fact. I am pretty sure coaching is one of the most selfless roles a person can fill. A good coach is passionate.
 
In your Ted Talk ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm4ycfLsQzY) you said your coach, Isaya Okwiya, continued to coach you during your cancer treatment and recovery. Could you talk a little more about this? You said, "he continued to coach using running and life lessons." In many ways this gets to the essence of what a good coach is. It is not just about the running, but how the running fits into life. Please talk a little more about that. 
Isaya Okwiya has been my rock through the past 12 years. I would not be who I am without him in my life. He has helped me to grow in more ways then I can count, and when I falter he is there to set me straight again, over and over. When I was diagnosed with cancer he essentially coached me through mentally. He helped me keep things in perspective, helped me set the goals to save my life, save my leg and anything else was a bonus. He encouraged me to stay strong and positive, and see the good around me. It was Isaya who told me to focus on what I could control in the situation - my attitude. 

He surrounded me with support and helped create a network to keep my spirits high.  I grew so much during this period due to his coaching and his ability to keep using phrases and examples he used in training and racing. Isaya continued to coach me even though neither of us knew if I would ever take another running step again; I am forever grateful.
        
Running is such a mental sport and we rely on quotes, lessons, toughness, memories to get us through to the finish; everyday life isn’t so different. Through cancer I was encouraged to hope for the best and prepare for the worst, to expect the unexpected and to look for ways to improve the lives of those around me, so I did.
        
I will never forget the night a few months after surgery when Isaya told me I was a little crazy, and he was a little crazy, but that God had given me another chance to run, maybe for a reason. He told me he understood if I wanted to hang it up, but if I didn’t, he would be willing to lead me on the journey to see how far and where my post surgery leg would take me. We are still on that journey eight years and another surgery after a recurrence later. A good coach is patient, keeps the big picture in mind, and believes when others are skeptical.
 

As a coach of teenagers, I often tell my athletes that training and racing are hard, and that they teach you how to do hard things in your life. I was inspired by your idea (in the Ted Talk) that everyone in their lives will "face something...that will stop us in our tracks and threaten to take control". You then asked the question -  "How will you respond?"
How did your running and racing prepare you for your cancer diagnosis and subsequent battle? What skills do we learn as athletes that help us face hard things in our lives?

A lot of it is what we choose to set our focus on. What choice or choices will you make when times get tough? My coach has a saying that his college coach taught him, “There are two types of people in life, candy asses and distance runners.” I don’t even know what a candy ass is, but every time I think of this quote I smile and I think “I am a distance runner” and I tough it out.  In running and racing we reach our goals or grow by putting one foot in front of the other; in life it’s the same-keep forging on. Even if we stop for a moment to cry or feel sorry for ourselves we eventually realize that in running, like daily life, no one else is going to sit there and feel sorry for you or slow down, so pick yourself up and keep going. Regardless of whether you reach your goals or not, we learn on the journey. So go learn.

 To be continued...Part 2 will come out on September 13th!
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"My coach knows me better than I know myself. He knows I operate best by focusing one day at a time on the task at hand. I put my faith in him and the training. When it comes to the big race days, things have gone well when I followed the race plan and listened, and not well when I improvised."
- Serena Burla

Our goal is to provide women coaches and athletes
positive support, recognition, education, and community.
We believe in the "hands up" approach.
Let's help each other become the best coaches we can be.
Invite others to join us!

womensrunningcoachescollective@gmail.com

Sign up for our list!
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News

8/23/2018

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The WRCC Newsletter will move to a twice monthly publication. We will continue to research, explore, interview, and report on women's coaching in our sport of running and track and field. 

The Women's Running Coaches Collective is proud to announce the addition of Laura Caldwell as Co-Editor of our WRCC Newsletter. As a runner, Laura ran at the college and professional levels, achieving both national and international recognition. When at Florida State, Laura Ledbetter Caldwell held the 800 meter school record. In her post collegiate career she ran as a professional distance runner, competing for NIKE.  Among her many running accomplishments, Laura placed 8th in the 1987 USA Women's Marathon Championships, won the 1992 Seattle Marathon, won USA Masters 5,000 Track Championship, and was the 1993 USA Masters Cross Country Champion. At age 43 she ran 1:15:52 for a half marathon. Her incredible talent as a runner allowed her success in events ranging from the 800 to the marathon! 

Laura Caldwell has been a successful coach at the high school, college, and elite levels. She was a founding member of the Portland, Or. women's running club, Team Athena, and was their first president. As the cross country coach of the girls team at Lake Oswego HS, Oregon, her runners consistently qualified for the Oregon 6A State Meet, and reached the podium in 2007. In the 1980's she was the editor of the successful publication, Racing South Magazine. In 2010 she joined the coaching staff at Furman University. She currently coaches with the Greenville Track Club Elite.

Please welcome Laura Caldwell to the Women's Running Coaches Collective. We look forward to her expertise in coaching and racing, as she helps shape the future of the WRCC in her role as Co-Editor of the Newsletter and as a member of the WRCC. 


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We can also be found on Facebook as
"Women's Running Coaches Collective". 
And you can add to the conversation at our email address - womensrunningcoachescollective@gmail.com
PLEASE tell us what you would like to learn as a coach?  What information would you like to make your job more of a success? Who would you like us to interview?
We look forward to hearing from you!

Nikki Rafie
Helene Hutchinson
Melissa Hill
Laura Caldwell
Charlotte Lettis Richardson 



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#6 - The Most Important Coaching Tool - Planning Your Season

8/16/2018

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The Most Important Coaching Tool - Planning your Season
By Charlotte Lettis Richardson 


This week we will talk about workouts that are specific for pre-season, pre-competition, main competition, and championship competition. The WRCC will help you look at your season as a whole, and then use your season goals to break it down into manageable phases, planning the right workouts at the right time! 

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​"When I was a competitive runner, I was impressed by the coaches who had a plan. They knew what workouts to give me exactly when I needed them. As I became more experienced as an athlete, and then as a young coach, I began to decipher the “magical” talent some coaches had. I saw that each year should be broken up into segments that addressed the type of training needed for cross country, indoor and outdoor track. I saw the focus and planning that went into each competitive season. And within each season, I understood how it was broken into phases that addressed the workouts needed to make me run my very fastest in the championship races. It was a series of building blocks. Each phase build upon the one before it, finally reaching the championship part of the season."
-Coach Charlotte Lettis Richardson 
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One of the most important tools you have as a coach is the pre-planning of your season. This tool will give you a road map to follow to achieve your training and racing goals for your XC season. As you head into this season you need to ask yourself several important questions. What are my goals for training and racing for the team? What kind of athletes do I have on my team? Where do I want to be at the end of the season? And finally, how do I get there? You will then be ready to make a Plan or Periodization Chart that will map out your season ahead.

Sadly, it is not uncommon for a coach to decide on a workout as she or he steps onto the field. It is also not unusual for coaches to repeat the same workouts over and over again throughout the season without building in any progression. Some experienced coaches have a workout template they use every year, only changing the dates for the new year. But to get the most out of your season, it is important to take into consideration the athletes you have, the races you will run, and the many workouts opportunities you have available. Learn all there is to know about the multitude of brilliant methods and philosophies. Incorporate them into your training bag of tricks. Take the time to look at the ideas and methods other coaches are using. See if they might help you reach you coaching goals for your cross country season. 

(Books to inspire - Training for Young Distance Runners by Larry Greene and Russell Pate,  Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton, Daniel's Running Formula by Jack Daniels, Running to the Topby Arthur Lydiard, The Bowerman System by Chris Walsh (Out of Print but try and find!), Joan Benoit Samuelson's Running for Women by Joan Benoit Samuelson and Gloria Averbuch)

When I was a competitive runner, I was impressed by the coaches who had a plan.They knew what workouts to give me exactly when I needed them. As I became more experienced as an athlete, and then as a young coach, I began to decipher the “magical” talent some coaches had. I saw that each year should be broken up into segments that addressed the type of training needed for cross country, indoor and outdoor track. I saw the focus and planning that went into each competitive season. And within each season, I understood how it was broken into phases that addressed the workouts needed to make me run my very fastest in the championship races. It was a series of building blocks. Each phase build upon the one before it, finally reaching the championship part of the season.


What the WRCC would like to do is help you look at your season as a whole. From there, break it down into manageable parts that focus on what workouts need to be completed when, and understanding why.

Below is a very basic chart that puts a season into four basic phases. Pre-Season/Summer, Pre-Competition, Early Competition, and Main Competition. Other phases can be added depending on your needs (Post Season, Recovery, etc). It is for you as a coach to create a plan that will help you to see the season as a whole, and then break it down into parts that focus on specific types of training for each phase. This visual aid is helpful to your assistant coaches, and your athletes, especially your varsity athletes. It helps them understand why you are asking them to to do certain workouts at specific times.Once you have put your season into a chart, you can then begin to break each phase into weeks, individual workouts, and races.

I have used a fictional team to help you understand this process. Remember you will customize your Plan or Periodization Chart for your use and your team. By knowing your goals for each phase of the season and putting in each of the races your team will participate in, you have a training map of how to plan your season. It is quite simple!

Name of your School ________________________________Year________

Phase #1                          Phase #2                         Phase #3                         Phase #4
​Pre-season/summer   Pre-competition            Early competition         Main competition
Running (4+ wks)           (3 weeks)                        (4 weeks)                        Invites, states-4 wks

​July 1-August 12            August 13-Sept. 3         Sept. 4-Sept. 20            Oct. 1-Nov. 3

Focus-Mileage Build   Focus-                             Focus-                            Focus-Sharpening.
Up-10-15% per              Conditioning                  Conditioning,                 Long intervals @ race
week, longer                 longer                             mixture of                       pace, quicker
hills, tempo runs in      intervals, hills, race       medium & long             intervals-over speed,
August, longer              tactics, tempo               intervals, hills-a             hills with a race
intervals. Core and       runs & intervals,            mixture of long              focus.
strength work 3 x's       some race pace           and short                                     
per week. Team            intervals of 400-             
building.                         800m

Strength, core,              Strength, core               Strength,                         Core, flexibility
flexibility, balance!       flexibility, balance!        flexibility, core,              balance, strength-
(Running is a one                                                  balance!                          maintenance
leg at a time sport)


Events and Clinics-
Team camp,                 Race tactics,                  Goal setting for              Race practice for
fundraising                   racing skills                    races, how to race        District and State
                                       discussions.                    discussions
                                       Goal setting for             
                                       season

                                       Possible fitness
                                       mile? See where
                                       kids are at? Also
                                       be able to put them
                                       into more accurate
                                       groups - Daniels
                                       Running Formula

                                                                               RACES-                           RACES-
                                                                              9/7 - Lydiard Invite       10/4 - Decker Classic
                                                                              9/14 - Daniels XC          10/12 - University
                                                                                          Challenge           0f Bowerman XC Classic
                                                                              9/17 - Training wk.         10/17 - XC Relays
                                                                              9/28 - Coos Bay            10/25 - District
                                                                                           Invite                                Championships
                                                                                                                        11/3 - State Champs.

Once you have your season broken into phases, like above, it is easy to begin to plan the workouts for each week. 

Here is an example -We are looking at the #2 Phase - Pre-Competition of the Plan or Periodization Chart and week #1 of the 3 weeks.

Phase # 2 - Pre-Competition 
Focus is on conditioning, longer intervals for endurance and strength, hills, starting to talk about racing tactics and skills, tempo runs, and some race pace intervals of medium length (400 - 800)

Week 1 - August 13 - August 19
Monday - 8/13
Medium Run (MR) of 30 - 45 minutes with Dynamic Warm up (DWU) and 4 - 6 X 100 meter strides at the end. Strength and core

Tuesday - 8/14
Normal stretching and warm up.
10 minute warm-up for all
1 - 2 sets of (4,3,2,1 minutes) (4 minutes @ 80 - 85% effort, recovery 2 minutes, 3 minutes at 85% effort w/ 2 minute recovery, 2 minutes at 85-90 % effort with 1 minute recovery, 1 minute quick and smooth) 2 minutes recovery. Do same for 2nd set. Cool down 10 minutes. 4 X 150 meter strides. JV and younger runners should do less according to their fitness and ability.

Wednesday - 8/15
Recovery Run (You can carry on a conversation!) of 25- 50 minutes depending on fitness level
Strength and core

Thursday - 8/16
Normal stretching and warm up. Jog another 5 - 8 minutes.
On a measured loop do some version of the following depending on fitness level
2 X 1200 meters with each 400 progressively faster (tempo to 5K race pace (RP), 3 minutes active recovery between 1200’s, 1 X 800 @ 5K RP (Date Pace - DP), 2 minutes recovery,  2 X 400 quick and smooth with 2 minutes between.

Friday - 8/17 
Easy Medium Run (MR) of 30 - 45 minutes
4 X 200 meter strides working on form (on grass if possible)
Strength and Core work
Game or some sort of team building

Saturday - 8/18
Long Run (LR) - EASY 
Everyone try and go 5 - 10 minutes more than last Saturdays LR
45 - 70 minutes
Foam Roll and Stretching

 Sunday - 8/19 OFF
​One day off each week is important for recovery, both physical and mental


A Pre Race Warmup for Cross Country 
Thank you to everyone for this list! I have "stolen" my ideas from colleagues, PT's athletes, and trainers! Thank you!
Charlotte Lettis Richardson
Athletes - Make sure you know the start time of your race. Work backwards about 45 - 60 minutes to begin your warm up. 
​
Warm up with a 10 - 15 minutes easy jog.
Find a flat, open surface (if possible) for your Dynamic Exercises. Mark out about 30 meters.
Begin with the slower dynamic exercises and finish with the more active dynamic exercises. 

Dynamic Warm up - 30 meters
In and out feet - (Feet and toes inward and gently reach down to touch toes, walk a few steps, feet and toes outward and gently reach down to touch your toes.)
Toe walks
Heel walks
Hamstring Stretch - (gently pull your knee towards your chest, grabbing hold behind the knee and lifting up)
Quad Stretch - (keep the foot flexed and grab your ankle behind your back. Keep thigh aligned with the hip)
Hip flexor stretch - (James Bonds)
Over and Under Hurdles - (Imagine your self a mime! Step over the hurdle and duck under the hurdle)
Runners Touch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-SoCqdR1x8
Prisoner Walks - Hands behind your head, back straight and tall, lift knee up and down, lift  same knee to the side and down. Take a few steps and do the other side.
Karaoke or grapevine - Arms out to side wide, right leg goes behind left leg and then behind right leg. Stay facing the same direction and come back - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euYH7H-I76c
"A" Skip and "B" Skip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFGw5pTcUl4
4 - 6 x 75 meter Progressive Strides

Time your warm up to finish the strides right as they call you to the starting line!
Have fun and run fast!
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"We’ve read the alarming statistics on children's inactivity; so how do we encourage participation in something other than a screen? Cross Country is the perfect activity for runners of all abilities. If we build a Cross Country team and get them to join, how do we encourage a team atmosphere for these young runners? How do we get them to like the sport we love? How do we keep them coming to practice and races? And how do we encourage parents to help their kids learn and love the discipline our sport demands?"

Our goal is to provide women coaches and athletes
positive support, recognition, education, and community.
We believe in the "hands up" approach.
Let's help each other become the best coaches we can be.
Invite others to join us!

womensrunningcoachescollective@gmail.com

Sign up for our list!

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#5 - How to Build a Cross Country Team

8/9/2018

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How to Build a Cross Country Team!
By
Melissa Hill and Charlotte Lettis Richardson 

This week's article is about building a cross country team and the many details you need to think about as you plan your season. Part 2 will be next week, and will focus on planning your XC season. We will talk about workouts that are specific for pre-season, pre-competition, main competition, and championship competition.

"What do you want to accomplish with your XC team? This is the first question you should ask yourself. If you are the head coach, you should write down your goals for your team, and share and ask for input from your coaching staff. This will be a key as you begin to plan your season. Think of these goals as a road map. As you plan your season, these goals will be the map you follow as coaches and team."
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Kids today! We worry that they spend too much time on their phones or gaming systems. We’ve read the alarming statistics on inactivity; so how do we encourage participation in something other than a screen? Cross Country is the perfect activity for runners of all abilities. If we build a Cross Country team and get them to join, how do we encourage a team atmosphere for these young runners? How do we get them to like the sport we love? How do we keep them coming to practice and races? And how do we encourage parents to help their kids learn and love the discipline our sport demands?  We hope to provide a few answers to these questions.
Below is a simple "how to" build and maintain a cross country program. You could be building upon an already existing school program, or beginning from scratch at the middle school or youth and/or adult club levels. With planning, thoughtful preparation, and your love of running, a wonderful team opportunity for runners can be created. Making it fun, keeping it simple but appropriately challenging should be your goal.  Running is a simple and pure form of sport, and anyone can be a runner. Remember that every athlete is important and worth your time as a coach. You will find that you will be the one inspired by what your cross country team can accomplish. Good luck and have fun!
​

Getting Started - 
If you are lucky enough to get hired as a head coach at a high school, middle school, or youth or adult program that already exists, you are ahead of the game. You now have the opportunity to make the program yours, but still maintain the goals of the school or club. If you are starting from the beginning, there are several tasks you will need to accomplish. 

Decide what age group you want to work with. At the high school level you will need to be hired by the A.D. or principal. Check the local high schools and see if they need an assistant coach, or even a head coach! If you are starting a program for club and youth levels, you will need to decide how to structure your program. Will you be a parks and recreation program, a school club, or a community club?
  • Contact your local school or community recreational office to find out the procedure for setting up a running program/club. There are often coaching skills or information classes you will need to take before you can start. You will probably have a background check, and take a first aid class. The safety and well being of your athletes is of the utmost importance. 
  • Figure out how to reach your target audience depending on who it is - young athletes, joggers, adult runners through schools, clubs, or rec departments. School websites, local newspaper, posters, principals newsletter, etc. Get the information out well before your first practice. 
According to individual school or district policy, flyer's may be sent to all district schools either electronically or with physical copies. Social media is a great way to share information about your program.
 

If you are working with school programs, contact the main office to find out the date of registration for the students. This is a great opportunity to set up a table with flyer's and registration information for students and parents to find out about the program and to sign up. Make sure you have several volunteers there to help meet the students and the parents, and to give them information about the cross country team. 
​

Recruit knowledgeable coaches and helpers. They are the heart of your program. You will not succeed without a good staff. Find good people who are as passionate about running and coaching as you are. Your choice of staff will make or break the program. Find people who have similar goals. Make sure they are organized and on time. Coaching doesn’t make you rich, but it can make you happy!

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Some suggestions for where to find assistant coaches - 
Former high school and collegiate athletes. They are great because they are still close to the sport, and the skills that are needed. And they have team experience!

Athletes from local running clubs.  Teachers and school staff. 


Parent volunteers - Parents are always wonderful in terms of support and help with tasks other than coaching. There are some parents who will do a great job as coaches. There are others who are coaching because they want to coach their own child. It is important to make sure all coaches are there for all kids. Unless you know that the parent coach can be detached and objective, it is wise to keep parents in volunteer non coaching positions. 

Also -
Make sure to search your community and local schools for existing running teams. Can you build upon what already exists? Can these established groups help you to set up your program? Always best to build upon rather than recreate!

Parent Meeting - 
For all youth and young adult teams, a date should be set for a meeting with parents and student-athletes. Contact your area high school or middle school to reserve a space to hold the meeting. Reservations are usually taken either in the main office or with the AD.  Check with the high school secretary to ask how to go about making this reservation.
Posters should be put up in all schools and Park and Recreational offices. An announcement should be put in the school bulletin or rec newsletter with the date of the first meeting and the first practice. Flyer's and registration forms should be left in the front office of each school or on their website. Same with rec. PE teachers should be notified and asked to make an announcement about the XC program in their classes. (Offer to do a "XC day" in their PE class to get more kids interested!)


At the XC parent and athlete meeting you will need to:
1 - Introduce yourself coaching staff ("Jill is a long distance runner who loves cross country and ran in college, Mike is a PT who would has a runner on the team and would love to help as a trainer during the season...").
2 - Present an overview of the program that includes goals and core values (This will be in Part 2 next week!).
3 - Go over the location, dates, and times of practice.
4 - Go over your calendar of races and their locations.
5 - Review with the parents and athletes your policies, rules, and expectations of behavior.
6 - Tell them to go to your website to see your Team Handbook. This will include the schedule of practices and meets, as well as the location and times. Team goals and Core Values can also be included. Include contact information for the coaches. Sign up for volunteer positions.  We use Signup Genius. It's free!  www.signupgenius.com
7 - Go over clothing and shoe suggestions. Fun to have a shoe store rep come in and talk about shoes. 
8 - Go over basic nutrition and hydration. Nutritionist would be great! Handouts are helpful to parents so they know what kinds of foods and liquids are runner friendly and necessary.
9 - Talk about injury prevention and injury policy. A P.T. or Doctor could do this part.
10 - Ask for parent volunteers.  www.signupgenius.com  is a great site!      
11 - Make sure all forms are filled out including medical forms, athlete information cards with contact information, Permission to carpool to meets. (All can be put online on the team website) Talk about any fees that will be collected. BUT make sure parents and athletes know that NO runner will be turned away for inability to pay. Think about setting up a scholarship fund for these athletes.
12 - Snacks and drinks for a social time so you can get to know parents, answer individual questions, and have the runners meet their teammates. 


Adult Cross Country Team - 
If you are working as a coach of adult athletes, it is always great to have a informational meeting to explain your goals and philosophy of coaching. this is also an opportunity to establish a good working rapport with your runners. A local restaurant or pub is a relaxed and fun way to get to know each other.


Setting goals for yourself, your coaching staff, and your team
What do you want to accomplish with your XC team? This is the first question you should ask yourself. If you are the head coach, you should write down your goals for your team, and share and ask for input from your coaching staff. This will be a key as you begin to plan your season. Think of these goals as a road map. As you plan your season, these goals will be the map you follow as coaches and team.

Important questions to ask - 
What do I want to accomplish as a coach this season? 
What do we want to accomplish as a team?  
How will we accomplish these goals?
How will I know if I have accomplished these goals?


Once you have answered the above questions you can begin to map out how you want to approach your season. If your goals are to create a XC team for middle schoolers that is a positive, healthy,and fun experience you will know how you want to structure your practices. If your goal is to have a competitive high school team with both varsity and jv athletes, this will dictate how you train and race. 
 
Ask each of your assistant coaches to set goals. Knowing that all of your goals are compatible is important. This is your job as a team leader/coach. Have a meeting with your staff to discuss their goals. Work together to make a plan to get there.

Each athlete should also have goals.  Next week in Part 2 we will talk more about this and have a sample goal setting sheet for individual athletes. Kids like having direction and structure, and a goal sheet will help them focus on what they want to accomplish during their season.

The beginner athletes will need help with the goal sheet, but will enjoy setting realistic goals that they would like to accomplish. 

More experienced runners will have more sophisticated and specific goals, but they should be encouraged to be realistic. It is best to make the goals less time oriented and more effort based. Example - rather than setting a goal of running 11:30 for 2 miles they should be encouraged to race competitively and focus on the effort. The times will come! For the beginner runner it may be as simple as finishing the race! There are goals for the whole season, goals for a specific race, and daily goals.


The First Day of Practice
The first day will be the hardest and most challenging, BUT if you organize and plan ahead, it will go smoothly!

Set the time and place for the first practice.  Make sure you have collected emails for all the students and parents, and remind them several times about the location and time of the practice.
  
On the first day, have parent volunteers and coaches help to sign kids in, and to help register new kids. Have a table set up, pens and forms ready to go. As soon as the kids have signed in, send them to the "warm up " area to stretch and chat with friends.  Keep a volunteer with this group and area. The kids who have not handed in their forms should not practice with the team. They can come to the team meeting and watch the practice, but not participate. This is important! You want to have all the paperwork completed and signed. This protects the child, the staff, and the program!


The first 5 minutes of practice should be a team meeting. Make it short and fun!! Introduce each of the coaches and have them say a FEW words. Call them "Coach Kathy or Coach Wilson" so the kids know how to address them. It is important to state a few simple goals for the season and for the practice. ("We are going to have fun, learn about running cross country, get in shape, and be a strong team."  "Today's practice we will teach you how to warm up and we will look at your running form.") Every practice should start with a brief meeting to make announcements, talk about upcoming meets, and to state the goal and plan for the days workout. Just keep it brief! 
 
Workouts should be organized and planned well before the season begins. You can always change if the circumstances change! The first few practices should be team oriented and focused on skills you want them to learn...dynamic warm up, stretching, drills, etc.  It is important to let them know that each practice has a routine and structure so they know what to expect. Routines help kids know what your expectations are also!

Gather together right before the end of practice. Say a few encouraging words, and have the athletes create a team cheer for everyone to be a part of!

At the end of each practice the runners need to know they must check out before they go home. Make sure there is a sign out sheet. Give one of the coaches that responsibility.  (If a child is missing, it is important that you know whether or not she or he signed out!) This is a good precedence to set especially when you start going to cross country meets.


A success story - West Sylvan Middle School Cross Country Team
Interview with former Coach Melissa Hill - West Sylvan Middle School in Portland, Oregon
West Sylvan Middle School was first in the city of Portland, Oregon to have a Cross Country Team. Melissa Hill has been a leader and innovator in youth running, building the successful West Sylvan program and keeping it fun, age appropriate and cool. Below are some tips and ideas from Coach Melissa to help you as you build your Cross Country program.

How did the XC team at West Sylvan Middle School get started?
I moved to Portland in 1997 and realized that sports weren't offered through school.  My son enjoyed running and as I was a runner with collegiate experience, I wanted to promote a healthy lifestyle and early experience and passion for these youngsters.

Describe how the team is structured and functions...numbers, races,etc.
We started with the help of PE teachers and announcements at school. We had a large team the first year, around 55 runners. We participated in Portland Parks and Recreation XC meets, and USATF meets on Saturdays for our more serious runners. 
 
How did you recruit volunteers and coaches to the program?
I had a few parents help, some were runners, some helped with apparel and planning, photography, etc. Portland is a great running community and there were lots of helping hands.

What was the toughest part about starting the XC program?
All the little details-paperwork for meets, messages to the parents, staying organized.

How involved was the school administration?  How did you approach them in the beginning?
It helped having our middle school PE teacher enthusiastically supporting our program.  Later on, the middle school principal also became a staunch advocate for our program.

What is your proudest accomplishment with the XC team?
That a majority of the runners still run years later and enjoy it! Many went on to run in high school and college, and are still running! 

What has really worked with the XC program in terms of training?
We make the program FUN and progressive, everyone has a chance to work themselves into shape and work to achieve the success they desire. 

What advice would you give a new team getting started?
Keep it simple!

How do you get kids involved and how do you keep them involved?
We talk a lot about what it means to be on a team, have team leaders for dynamic warm ups, elect team captains. For many athletes the social aspect of being on a team is the main reason they come out for XC. The team means so much to them, and the friendships they develop. 

How has the program changed over the years?
The coach has become a bit more organized!

What is the most challenging part of working with middle schoolers?
I love it and don't perceive any problems, but some would say their attention spans.  They are also growing rapidly and dealing with growth issues, and puberty is challenging for them.

What is the most fun part about working with middle schoolers?
Their energy!

How do you approach the competitive part of running cross country?
We work progressively in our training, and talk and work on competitive situations prior to our meets. 

Do you have a favorite story or two to tell us about coaching West Sylvan?
Favorite-the scary stories come to mind-I had a runner who forgot his asthma inhaler and continued to run through an asthma attack and when he finished he was barely breathing-that was an unforgettable and terrifying moment.
     
Some favorite memories are of the wonderful young runners I have had the pleasure to know-to see them grow into such fine young adults. I remember three runners going on a 6 mile run and not coming back for hours-they had been eating blackberries!

Fast forward to 2018, now some of the very runners who started out in my program are now coaching for Runner2Runner!  I love the full circle!

How do you get parents involved and what roles do they play?
We have a parent meeting each season and I ask for help at that time. I specify jobs that are needed with a job description. The website www.mailchimp.com is a good way to stay in touch with the parents, and www.signupgenius.com has a great sign up app for volunteers. Both are free!

How do you plan the workouts for the season and for each day?
I have a template that I use from year to year, but even more important is to assess your team-what kind of shape are they in, what is their running "age"?  We are aware of weather and environmental factors at our practices.

Do you have any organizational secrets to running a large cross country team?
Try to anticipate questions from parents and runners, stay up on communication emails or notes at home, publish your schedule, and give reminders to your team about that schedule... constantly. And have a plan for each day. Be organized and well-staffed to make sure all athletes have a coach or two they can call their own!

Next Week - How to plan your season's workouts and races!  A "how to" on Periodization of your season, and what to focus on during different phases - pre-season, pre-competition, main competition, and championship competition. We will also look at goal setting for your athletes, and how to help them set realistic but challenging goals!
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#4 - Stronger, Faster, Healthier for Cross Country

8/2/2018

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This week's article is about strength and conditioning for Cross Country. How do we not only make our runners stronger and more agile, but also injury free? Trainer and Coach Haley Downey talks about ways to get your team stronger, faster and healthier for the 2018 XC season.

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Coach and Trainer Haley Downey
Coach and Trainer Haley Downing attended George Fox University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance. While at George Fox she played both soccer and basketball, and currently works with the George Fox soccer team as head strength and conditioning coach, and assistant soccer coach. As the strength and conditioning coach, she works directly with all team members, developing in-season and offseason strength and conditioning programs. She also works directly with the athletic trainer to connect coaches and athletes who are injured.
 
Haley is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at OHSU and a personal trainer at Therapeutics Associates in Lake Oswego. Additionally she is a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach, and a Functional Movement Screen and EXOS Certified Fitness Specialist. Haley owns her own business, Downey Performance Training and can be reached at haley@downeyperformancetraining.com and downeyperformancetraining.com

Stronger, Faster, Healthier for Cross Country
An Interview with Coach and Trainer Haley Downey
For a Cross Country Team, what kind of strength, conditioning, and agility program would you suggest? 
Strength is built in the off season and maintained during the season. My #1 goal for in season training is for the athlete to stay healthy. Keep in mind that your newer runners may get stronger through the season but that is not the main objective. Gaining balance, working on technique, making sure they are staying mobile, and most importantly as the season wears on, making sure they stay mentally engaged. One simple way I keep them engaged is to switch up the warm-up routine on a regular basis. I don’t want the athlete to get complacent. Make sure they are constantly being challenged!
 
Runners need to be more flexible, more agile, and have a stronger upper body.  What kind exercises would you give to a XC Team to help them develop these skills?
It is important for all athletes to be able to squat, bend, lunge, pull, push, anti-rotation, abdominal bracing, and carry. It is no different for runners. They need to be strong throughout their entire body. If a team is unable to get into a weight room, it doesn't mean they can’t still strength train. They can do body weight squats, double leg and single leg dead-lifts, different lunge variations, pull ups, push ups, pallof presses (http://www.stack.com/a/pallof-press), planks, and carries. Being creative is one of the best things about working with teams, you almost never have enough equipment for everyone to use or you have just a few simple pieces. Use your imagination, use medicine balls for stronger athletes on the squats, dead lifts, and lunges, use benches for those who struggle with push ups from the ground, find bike racks or a sturdy railing to do modified rows on, use a post as an anchor for a simple long band band for pallof presses, or have one athlete hold the band while the other presses. Find more fun and challenge planks for them to do over the standard crunches.
 
Injuries are always the fear and frustration of many coaches. What injury prevention tips can you give us for both new runners, and also more experienced, but still young runners?
Runners have to be strong and stable, especially on a single leg. Running is basically a lot of single leg balance as they go from leg to leg in their running stride. Because of this, runners experience up to seven times their body weight in force. With the high level of repetition in running, it is important to train the body to be able to absorb these forces. I like to do this with single leg balance drills, starting out with simple drills done in place working with the eyes open and closed. You can also add a partner, a small ball like a tennis ball, and the runners can play catch while working on a single leg. Something as simple as adding in runners touches to a warmup routine can make all the difference in stability and strength on a single leg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT31s0XaCZ8 To progress this I move it to a single leg skater balance (see video). This will have the athlete working on single leg balance, shifting from one leg to the other, while slowly progressing forward. As this movement becomes perfected and the athlete is proficient in technique, you can transition into a larger movement, a single leg jump and stick. This will take the previous exercise into a movement more similar to the impacts of running. The athlete will now jump into each landing working on maintaining position and absorbing the impact. In addition to doing this in running shoes, this drill and many of the balance training drills can be done barefoot. Getting the athlete to connect their foot to the ground and not rely on the shoe to create stability.  
 
In XC, conditioning is taken care of with the running but do you have any advice on overtraining or too much repetitive training? Any cross training ideas? For a whole team or an injured runner?
I am a firm believer in cross training, whether that is another sport in the off season, or training differently with strength training. But make sure the athlete has an off-season. This is important both physically and mentally. Biking and swimming are a great way to get in some active recovery after hard workouts or races. During the season you can also incorporate games to create a fun and inviting environment for the athletes. Ultimate Frisbee is a favorite with many teams!
 
How is working with young runners different than working with adults runners?
For young athletes it is extremely important to coach proper technique when you begin a strength program. The form and technique they use will carry over as they age. It is much easier to teach a new athlete proper technique then to have to change their technique later on.

With adults they typically have more aches and pains from either many years of running or from their current occupations. Most of the time you are working on the same problems that if addressed at a young age through strength training, may not have been a problem as they aged.
 
How would we as coaches progress our strength programs?
It can be as simple as adding weight or time to a weightlifting routine. As we touched on earlier, most teams don’t have much equipment, and this makes things more challenging than just increasing the weight. I would incorporate progression in your program by adding on to an exercise they have already learned. For example, a stationary lunge can progress into a reverse lunge and then into a walking lunge. Or while working on correct bracing with the dead bug, you transition to a bird dog and then into an elevated bird dog. All of these progressions happen when the athlete has mastered the initial exercise.
 
Can you suggest a warm up for a xc runner before training and racing?
I always make sure they get in mobility, activation, and dynamic stretching in a warm up. I typically start slower with a couple of mobility exercises, then 4-5 activation exercises varying in difficulty, next  standard dynamic stretches getting the athletes moving, and finally I build up into a few more maximal running efforts. My goal is to get them warm, mobile, and working the correct muscle groups without getting them exhausted prior to a practice or race.

Here is a video of Haley Downey doing many of her suggested exercises: 
 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f6ew9-WTlpaJWNNJgWmMqk1kINxA5Wg1/view?usp=sharing

A Pre Race Warmup for Cross Country 
Thank you to everyone for this list! I have "stolen" my ideas from colleagues, PT's athletes, and trainers! Thank you!
Charlotte Lettis Richardson
Athletes - Make sure you know the start time of your race. Work backwards about 45 - 60 minutes to begin your warm up. 
Warm up with a 10 - 15 minutes easy jog.
Find a flat, open surface (if possible) for your Dynamic Exercises. Mark out about 30 meters.
Begin with the slower dynamic exercises and finish with the more active dynamic exercises. 
Dynamic Warm up - 30 meters
In and out feet - (Feet and toes inward and gently reach down to touch toes, walk a few steps, feet and toes outward and gently reach down to touch your toes.)
Toe walks
Heel walks
Hamstring Stretch - (gently pull your knee towards your chest, grabbing hold behind the knee and lifting up)
Quad Stretch - (keep the foot flexed and grab your ankle behind your back. Keep thigh aligned with the hip)
Hip flexor stretch - (James Bonds)
Over and Under Hurdles - (Imagine your self a mime! Step over the hurdle and duck under the hurdle)
Runners Touch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-SoCqdR1x8
Prisoner Walks - Hands behind your head, back straight and tall, lift knee up and down, lift  same knee to the side and down. Take a few steps and do the other side.
Karaoke or grapevine - Arms out to side wide, right leg goes behind left leg and then behind right leg. Stay facing the same direction and come back - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euYH7H-I76c
"A" Skip and "B" Skip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFGw5pTcUl4

4 - 6 x 75 meter Progressive Strides
Time your warm up to finish the strides right as they call you to the starting line!
Have fun and run fast!
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