This is a cross-country training guide for busy people.

I am an athletics coach.

This month, I re-started my coaching career: teaching high school kids to train athletics in a small school outside of Eugene, Oregon. I'm still very good at coaching, but teaching students to track and field is also very challenging.

Unlike many professional trail runners, they are students, athletes, and learning is the most important to them. This small school has less than 200 students. Most of the students have a variety of athlete status. Many students have never practiced before. However, the state finals will begin on Hayward’s track and field field. It will take less than three months and the time will be very urgent.

How can we allow them to “run a few laps on the playground” in such a short period of time to fly on the track and field? They must also avoid pain and overwork. The key training must also balance their study and life.

This is interesting! Think about it carefully. This problem is also present for many office runners, just before the screen.

In fact, in elite training, precise energy systems, long cycle cycles, and solid training volumes are often the focus, but this may take months or even years. This type of training model advocates more training in a week and runs a lot, just like professional athletes - the highest priority is running.

However, unless you are a professional player, even the most capable adult trail runners, you and my students have in common, that is busy - busy work, all kinds of things in the family, and A lot of social relations, leaving training, competition time really not much.

Despite this, despite the pressure of life, we must also train hard, run bravely, and race against time. Isn't it like the classic "people will win heaven?"

Even if time and energy are limited, training and competition can be completed, and the completion is very good. The answer is to prepare for the tactics:

Limited resources, unlimited thinking off-road super horse tactics training guide

From back to front

Working Backward

For a very important game, with limited time and effort, it's best to do training programs from the back.

What is the most important preparation before the game?

How long can I prepare?

If you are used to 6 to 8 months to prepare for the game, then compressing the training time to 3 months may cause you to crash. Planning from the back to the front will allow you to understand the reality of “limited time” and you can balance well within the specified time, give priority to the most important training, and complete these plans!

Focus on the most critical of several long-distance running, training and training skills, so that you can work with ease. When time is limited, it is difficult to achieve ideal training, but at least we have a balanced and reasonable plan.

The amount of running is just the icing on the cake

Volume is only a Multiplier

Once you begin to plan carefully on the calendar, sigh and lament the passage of time and energy, dreaming that a Utopia can go all out to train and race...

Woke up!

The world we live in is not idealistic. So recognize the reality, allow yourself to feel distressed for a minute, and then you must continue on the road.

We all thought about how we could get out of our best, but in reality, what we need to "finish success" or "peak performance" is usually not the same as we think. The amount of training, such as kilometers, vertical climbs, running time, is not absolute.

Want to have a good performance in the game, more important is the special training, I call it "big stone."

The big stone theory is to do the most important thing first, and then do less important things in the gap between these things to maximize the effectiveness. The theory explained the profound and simple explanations of the key to seizing the key.

Last week I was running with a friend who was a former professional football player and is now a coach in a youth club. We all lamented that the years have passed and time is limited, but we are also clearly aware that how to improve skills development is the top priority.

big Stone

Big Rocks First: Specificity and Skills Development

What preparations do you need to "successfully finish"?

Note that it is a "successful finish" rather than a "peak" or "best state." The “successful finish” we are talking about here refers to trying to achieve the best possible status within a limited period of time to accomplish the intended goal.

For ultra long-distance runners, your training may include the following key factors:

Running

Down the mountain

Tour terrain and environmental drills

Speed ​​training

Having determined these trainings, the next step is to ask yourself a few questions:

Which of these key factors can I accomplish?

What are the most important?

How much time and energy will it take to complete these trainings?

Assess the priority of these factors, make a plan based on the available time, and then do it unrelentingly! These targeted training are the most important pre-game training, and they are the key factors for achieving good results.

Therefore, do a good job planning and breaking these big stones, do not have to worry about the details of those factors.

Renewable resources

Renewable Resources

There are better tactics for exercising than jogging itself, and it takes less time and energy. This method is more suitable for runners who are easily hurt.

Strength training is the best choice for improving body, strength and running efficiency.

Core strengths such as weight-bearing and hip training are easily accomplished in the home. Lifting iron in the gym is another dimension of cross-country training that saves time and effort compared to long-distance running.

Temperature-adaptation training is another tactic – steaming several saunas can significantly improve the performance of high-temperature games. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence that sustained high-temperature training can improve performance in all situations.

These tactics can be called "renewable resources" - they can improve the performance of the game through optional training methods, and they are not as time-consuming as traditional training (long-distance running).

Isaiah training

Training Races

Isaiah training is a double-edged sword.

If performed well, it can provide very valuable and targeted training experience for the target race, but if it is too aggressive in the game, such as fatigue, injury, it will outweigh the benefits.

When choosing a training game, be smart and choose according to your goal. Experienced cross-country runners often practice in the game, but they are also very cautious. They usually choose shorter distances to complete the target game and so on.

No matter how you choose, be sure to reject the temptation of the game! Unless you can really accomplish the purpose of the training game calmly, or are particularly interested in this game.

Take precautions

Plan for and Defend Against the 'Black Swan'

Make the best plans, but also make the worst plans.

Think about the training plan that you have established. Think about the current state of work and life. What causes problems or delays training? It may be an annoying injury or a recent work project often requires overtime. Relatives at home have something to find...

Nobody wants to accept the worst plan, but it can happen. To make the worst plan is to reduce risks to ensure training. Overall health is the most important. I never let students go to their limits in class - the risk of injury is too great, and it loses the spirit of sports.

Stay healthy, balance work, life, and hobbies, and let your family and colleagues adapt to your travels and schedules. This is the "healthy and sustainable" training program.

Finally, conclude with a summary.

When time, energy, and resources are limited, we must do our utmost to achieve our goal—organizational planning and execution of training programs on the day of the game.

Life is a journey and so is running. Regardless of the outcome or the process, we should all enjoy it.

Well, next you are welcome to talk about:

What are the factors limiting your training?

Think of what your current goals are. What are the "big stones"? How will you prioritize your training?