Regionals

[CoachSpongeBob]

What sort of workouts have you been doing? Do you have a favorite workout?

[sizzlinsizzler]

well we've been doing some 400 workouts but recently we did a loop workout. 4 minutes hard 2 minutes easy for about 6 sets. we did it around basically the first mile of our xc course and it was pretty fun. i HATE doing 1000's on the track but once i get off the track the longer distance speed workouts dont seen to bother me. i think we were hitting around 1100 meters that day considering the wind and terrain. i always used to like 200m repeat workouts but that wore off once i decided i need to work on my distance.

now i have a question for people out there. our coach has us in the weight room every other day ( 2 to 3 times a week) in the weight room working lower or upper body based on the workout/distance run that day. does any other school's distance squad spend much time in their weight rooms? i really think it helped me improve during outdoor last year because it did help build muscle and help my 800.

[CoachSpongeBob]

Yes, and most good distance coaches will swear by it. It's all about endurance lifting, but it has a great deal of positive influence on your development. I have the kids in the weight room at least 3 days a week (I require them to be in there at least 3 days a week, they can choose the days), and some spend more.

actually, it is best to not lift within a short time frame of when you practice (you get more benefit that way), but unfortunetly given high school schedules that doesn't work so well. In college you could run in the morning and lift at night or vice versa. Still definite benefits to lifting during or after practice.

A workout I want my distance kids doing comes from I believe it was the University of Tennessee made for distance runners in high school and college. Huge benefits if you stick to it.

[hasercentury06]

I used to do endurance lifting last year. I started right before Christmas. Everything was low weight but high reps. I would do lower body on distance days and then upper body after speed workouts. I tried to lift about 4 times a week. It wasn't our whole distance team either, just me, Brent, and Pat.

It helped a good bit I think, and I wish I had started during XC last year.

[sizzlinsizzler]

yea the low weight high rep philosophy seems to be beneficial to distance runners. thats one thing that i think hurt me my sophmore year. i took weight training and the football coach was the teacher. we did a lot of max weight lifting and i ended up at least 3 times throughout the year standing on the starting line with painful ankles and knees. i eventually was injured at regionals. no weight training since then and i've been fine.

[CoachSpongeBob]

It's good we are getting some activity on here.

So let me pose a question that maybe can get some discussions going. Who do you think will do well at regionals (but you can't talk about people from your team)? Personally I hope Carroll County can show off at regionals and states, so lets here you all talk about your county competitors.

[sizzlinsizzler]

heres my list of people who i think will do well:

guys-
hruch- HJ and 800 (came back strong at conferences for the win)
liberatore- mile and 800 (been steady all season, great 4:38 at...frostbite?)
dawson- 500m king!
adami- PV, need i say anymore?
t. johnson- sprinting strong all season
NC thrower kid- 49' this season, amazing, should do well at states
*i dont really pay attention to relays other than i know century's 4 x 8 is awesome
*i would just like to point out that lopez of westminster should contend for state 55m HH title

Girls:
hursey in the 800,mile,2mile depending on what she runs (ill talk to her at lunch today)
Alexis Hurd- should qualify in some of her events
jess huber- PV ( what did she vault at MVALS, it looked way up there and when she cleared it people went wild)

*nc girls relays teams.....all of them!

[CoachSpongeBob]

Rumor had it that Dawson wasn't going to run the 500 at regionals. Hruch in the 800 but not the 500 (he does have one of the fastest 500 times in the state and is already qualified for Nike nationals, he isn't close yet in the 800)

Century and Liberty in the 4x800 should be close. Score right now, Century has won twice, Liberty has won once.

Carly Reed will likely qualify in both the 1600 and 3200 for states. Could be a contender for a regional title.

[chsrunner2007]

Ha ha. The rumor is true. We spread our 4x8 team over the mid-distance events so I'll be in the 800 with Danny Bosse while Pat Wachter and Jeff Hohl will be in the 500. I think the 800 is gonna be pretty awesome. If i didn't get DQ'd in the 800 at confrences my time would have been just about what Nick ran that day (I heard my time was between 2:02.8 and 2:03.6) plus Eric always runs with a ton of heart.

4x8 Century vs. Liberty and SC will qualify too.

pretty much every distance event will be loaded with Carroll kids.

As far as weight training i lift about 4 days a week. I do not do legs anymore because i mostly just feel tired and heavy from that. I do all kinds of core and upper body work. This season starting Nov 15 i have increased my max bench from 135 to 150 just by doing 4x20 45lbs bench press every other day with 30 seconds rest between sets. Also do sit ups, nose breakers, arm swings, pectoral fly, push ups, rows, pull ups, dips and planks. It sucks but i feel like it makes me a way stronger runner.

Coach, I know Eric pretty much has his standard three events, but what will Nick be running at regionals?

[CoachSpongeBob]

Watch out, plenty of kids outside of Carroll that could spoil our day - Centofonti, Cole, Lilley, Adams, Carney, both Trettles (could we see Ways from Winters Mill in the 800, he certainly seems to have the potential to go sub 2:05 at regionals)

Nick will have his usual. High Jump is a must. The 4x8 team is the defending state champs. His 500 at frostbite was one of the best in the state still, and he is finally finding his legs in the 800.

We just have to get the times faster now to get ourselves ready to race Angelo Diggs from Digital Harbor, the current top runner in the 800 for 1a2a. the state champion for 1a2a will have to run sub 2, maybe even faster then 1:59 to win this year. I'm hoping someone can break 1:58 indoors.

[chsrunner2007]

No doubt that someone from outside the county could come in and take it.I think the state record will go down. I'm shocked to see that it is only 1:59.4. James Ways--What grade is he in? From what i heard he ran a pretty impressive 500 at confrences. He went 2:19 at Frosbite so while he does have the potential I'm not sure if he has the experience yet, certainly by outdoor he could become a contender for the 800. Yea, Nick can do it all.

Also, just wanted to guage your interest on something my coach talked to me about. We might try to add a tri-meet where we would invite you and South Carroll and call it "The Battle of 26" Just to try and get some good competition and hopefully have some fans out to promote all of our programs. It would be an exciting meet and I think it would be packed and generate some good interest for our programs.

[CoachSpongeBob]

Actually, that meet i proposed to both your coach and Coach Pennington from SC. It is already on the schedules (Battle for Corridor 26 as I call it).

James Ways ran 2:07 (about) in hte 4x800 completely by himself at conferences. He lead off, and handed off with a huge lead over both us and Middletown. He easily would have run faster had their been someone with him. So that 2:19 must have been a bad day, cause he certainly is already at 2:07. That's why I think he may run an 800 open now. It would make sense.

[chsrunner2007]

That is a good idea i think. My coach had told me about 3 weeks ago he was thinking about it but I had no idea it was official. Great idea coach! Should be fun. That is a great run for Ways, was that counting some extra time because it was the leadoff leg? Why wasn't Eric running first leg, did you guys put Cross first and have Eric later on?

[CoachSpongeBob]

Yes, Andrew led off, and Eric was 3rd.

I shouldn't take complete credit for the battle for corridor 26. I stole it from the city of Frederick. Last year they started a meet between Frederick, Tuscarora and TJ to get it promoted in the paper. It went over well, as the paper even did a preview the day of the meet, and a great writeup afterwards (even though it was still just a tri-meet). We can use all the publicity this sport can get.

[chsrunner2007]

You are exactly right. It's unfortunate that people don't give track enough of a chance, but I think that meet could have a good turnout.