Workout: 6/13

"Individual commitment to a group effort-that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work."
-Vince Lombardi

I. Dynamic Warm-up: see attached video links if necessary with High Knees, "Booty" Kicks, and Toy Soldier/Frankenstein

• High Knees-15-20 meters/4 times; (Focus on high knee drive and arm pump)

• "Booty" Kicks- 15-20 meters/4 times (As you move forward, the heel of your foot makes contact with your...booty. Focus on arm pump.)

• Exaggerated Skips-15-20 meters/4 times (Really try to get yourself off the ground for these. Focus on exaggerated high knee drive and exaggerated use of arms.)

• Toy Soldier/Frankenstein 15-20 meters/4 times (Without bending your knee, step with your right leg out to about waste level; at the same time, reach with your left hand and try to touch your right toe; alternate each step.) 

• Tiptoe Walk- 15-20 meters/4 times (Walk high on your tippy toes and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Heel Walk-15-20 meters/4 times (Walk on the heels of your feet and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Light Stretching of your choice -5 minutes (Don't forget about your arms and upper body.)

II. Workout:
This workout can be completed anywhere, from your backyard to the sidewalk around your neighborhood. Complete all 3 Rounds as listed below:

Run 7 minutes
15 mountain climbers
5 burpees

Run 7 minutes
15 mountain climbers
5 burpees

Run 7 minutes
15 mountain climbers
5 burpees


III. Cool Down:
Get something cold to drink (preferably water)

Option A: Walk around for ten minutes. Don't let this be a lazy walk. A cool down is meant to ease your body out of workout mode; therefore, you need to walk with a purpose and let your body do the rest. Follow this up with some light stretching of your choice.

Option B: Repeat Dynamic Warm-up (don't forget the stretching)

Workout:6/11-12

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us."
-Wilma Rudolph

The weekends will always be your time. You train hard Monday through Friday, so it is only fair that you take some time on Saturday and Sunday to do what you like.

My only request is that you find some time to be active. Because, as relaxing as weekends can and should be, they are also days where you can either continue to progress forward or slip a little bit backward.

Just a few of many possible fun and active weekend options:
1. Walks
2. Bike rides
3. Other sports (soccer, basketball, tennis, etc.)
4. Mow the lawn
5. Or...create your own workout and go for a run

Finally, make sure you balance whatever you do with plenty of water and sleep.

Share in the comments section what activities you like to participate in over the weekend. Who knows, maybe you'll inspire someone else to try the same.

Workout: 6/10

"Movement is the best form of medication. Anytime you move, it makes your brain sharper; it makes your mind sharper."
-Conor McGregor

I. Dynamic Warm-up: see attached video links if necessary with High Knees, "Booty" Kicks, and Toy Soldier/Frankenstein

• High Knees-15-20 meters/4 times; (Focus on high knee drive and arm pump)

• "Booty" Kicks- 15-20 meters/4 times (As you move forward, the heel of your foot makes contact with your...booty. Focus on arm pump.)

• Exaggerated Skips-15-20 meters/4 times (Really try to get yourself off the ground for these. Focus on exaggerated high knee drive and exaggerated use of arms.)

• Toy Soldier/Frankenstein 15-20 meters/4 times (Without bending your knee, step with your right leg out to about waste level; at the same time, reach with your left hand and try to touch your right toe; alternate each step.) 

• Tiptoe Walk- 15-20 meters/4 times (Walk high on your tippy toes and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Heel Walk-15-20 meters/4 times (Walk on the heels of your feet and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Light Stretching of your choice -5 minutes (Don't forget about your arms and upper body.)

II. Workout:
Run the same 20 minute route that you chose as your Day 1 progress measuring tool. If you were not yet able to do this workout, check out the post from 6/3. It's not too late to start.

My goal is that by revisiting this workout regularly (maybe weekly), you will see and feel yourself getting stronger and stronger as a runner.

III. Cool Down:
Get something cold to drink (preferably water)

Option A: Walk around for ten minutes. Don't let this be a lazy walk. A cool down is meant to ease your body out of workout mode; therefore, you need to walk with a purpose and let your body do the rest. Follow this up with some light stretching of your choice.

Option B: Repeat Dynamic Warm-up (don't forget the stretching)

Workout: 6/9

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."
-Lou Holtz

I. Dynamic Warm-up: see attached video links if necessary with High Knees, "Booty" Kicks, and Toy Soldier/Frankenstein

• High Knees-15-20 meters/4 times; (Focus on high knee drive and arm pump)

• "Booty" Kicks- 15-20 meters/4 times (As you move forward, the heel of your foot makes contact with your...booty. Focus on arm pump.)

• Exaggerated Skips-15-20 meters/4 times (Really try to get yourself off the ground for these. Focus on exaggerated high knee drive and exaggerated use of arms.)

• Toy Soldier/Frankenstein 15-20 meters/4 times (Without bending your knee, step with your right leg out to about waste level; at the same time, reach with your left hand and try to touch your right toe; alternate each step.) 

• Tiptoe Walk- 15-20 meters/4 times (Walk high on your tippy toes and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Heel Walk-15-20 meters/4 times (Walk on the heels of your feet and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Light Stretching of your choice -5 minutes (Don't forget about your arms and upper body.)

II. Workout:
Today's workout is a fun one for a middle schooler to say: "fartlek." This is simply a unique name for a type of training that involves variety in your running pace. 

The way that I would like you to incorporate it into today's workout is by just going out for a comfortable run. Start with a pace that you could keep continuously for 20-30 minutes. However, the catch is that about every 2 minutes, I would like you to increase this pace to about 80% of your maximum sprint pace for 10 seconds. 

So the workout is 2 minutes of running, followed by 10 seconds of sprinting. Keep this pattern for 20 minutes.

Some people like to use landmarks instead of time. For example, instead of needing to constantly look at your watch, you may instead use utility poles. So you'd run for 10 poles, then sprint to the next one, and this pattern would capture the same idea of "fartlek" training.


III. Cool Down:
Get something cold to drink (preferably water)

Option A: Walk around for ten minutes. Don't let this be a lazy walk. A cool down is meant to ease your body out of workout mode; therefore, you need to walk with a purpose and let your body do the rest. Follow this up with some light stretching of your choice.


Option B: Repeat Dynamic Warm-up (don't forget the stretching)

Workout: 6/8

"The only place that success comes before work is in the dictionary."
-Vince Lombardi

I. Dynamic Warm-up: see attached video links if necessary with High Knees, "Booty" Kicks, and Toy Soldier/Frankenstein

• High Knees-15-20 meters/4 times; (Focus on high knee drive and arm pump)

• "Booty" Kicks- 15-20 meters/4 times (As you move forward, the heel of your foot makes contact with your...booty. Focus on arm pump.)

• Exaggerated Skips-15-20 meters/4 times (Really try to get yourself off the ground for these. Focus on exaggerated high knee drive and exaggerated use of arms.)

• Toy Soldier/Frankenstein 15-20 meters/4 times (Without bending your knee, step with your right leg out to about waste level; at the same time, reach with your left hand and try to touch your right toe; alternate each step.) 

• Tiptoe Walk- 15-20 meters/4 times (Walk high on your tippy toes and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Heel Walk-15-20 meters/4 times (Walk on the heels of your feet and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Light Stretching of your choice -5 minutes (Don't forget about your arms and upper body.)

II. Workout:
Measure a route and run 2-3 miles. This should be a relaxed run where you focus on breathing and form. If you find either your breathing or form suffering, slow your pace and correct the issue. 

III. Cool Down:
Get something cold to drink (preferably water)

Option A: Walk around for ten minutes. Don't let this be a lazy walk. A cool down is meant to ease your body out of workout mode; therefore, you need to walk with a purpose and let your body do the rest. Follow this up with some light stretching of your choice.


Option B: Repeat Dynamic Warm-up (don't forget the stretching)

Workout: 6/7

"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe."
-Muhammad Ali

I. Dynamic Warm-up: see attached video links if necessary with High Knees, "Booty" Kicks, and Toy Soldier/Frankenstein

• High Knees-15-20 meters/4 times; (Focus on high knee drive and arm pump)

• "Booty" Kicks- 15-20 meters/4 times (As you move forward, the heel of your foot makes contact with your...booty. Focus on arm pump.)

• Exaggerated Skips-15-20 meters/4 times (Really try to get yourself off the ground for these. Focus on exaggerated high knee drive and exaggerated use of arms.)

• Toy Soldier/Frankenstein 15-20 meters/4 times (Without bending your knee, step with your right leg out to about waste level; at the same time, reach with your left hand and try to touch your right toe; alternate each step.) 

• Tiptoe Walk- 15-20 meters/4 times (Walk high on your tippy toes and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Heel Walk-15-20 meters/4 times (Walk on the heels of your feet and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Light Stretching of your choice -5 minutes (Don't forget about your arms and upper body.)

II. Workout:
This workout can be completed anywhere, from your backyard to the sidewalk around your neighborhood. Complete all 4 Rounds as listed below:

Run 5 minutes
10 pushups
10 air squats

Run 5 minutes
10 pushups
10 air squats

Run 5 minutes
10 pushups
10 air squats

Run 5 minutes
10 pushups
10 air squats


III. Cool Down:
Get something cold to drink (preferably water)

Option A: Walk around for ten minutes. Don't let this be a lazy walk. A cool down is meant to ease your body out of workout mode; therefore, you need to walk with a purpose and let your body do the rest. Follow this up with some light stretching of your choice.

Option B: Repeat Dynamic Warm-up (don't forget the stretching)

Workout: 6/6

"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?"

-John Wooden

I. Dynamic Warm-up: see attached video links if necessary with High Knees, "Booty" Kicks, and Toy Soldier/Frankenstein

• High Knees-15-20 meters/4 times; (Focus on high knee drive and arm pump)

• "Booty" Kicks- 15-20 meters/4 times (As you move forward, the heel of your foot makes contact with your...booty. Focus on arm pump.)

• Exaggerated Skips-15-20 meters/4 times (Really try to get yourself off the ground for these. Focus on exaggerated high knee drive and exaggerated use of arms.)

• Toy Soldier/Frankenstein 15-20 meters/4 times (Without bending your knee, step with your right leg out to about waste level; at the same time, reach with your left hand and try to touch your right toe; alternate each step.) 

• Tiptoe Walk- 15-20 meters/4 times (Walk high on your tippy toes and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Heel Walk-15-20 meters/4 times (Walk on the heels of your feet and focus on your natural arm movement.)

• Light Stretching of your choice -5 minutes (Don't forget about your arms and upper body.)

II. Workout:
Do a light 10 minute jog. This is almost like a continuation of your warm-up to get your body ready for the next part of the workout.

Measure about a 100 meter straightaway. If you have access to a track, that is great, but really anywhere that you can run straight and hard for about 100 meters will work.

This is called the "10 Minute Workout." Sprint this 100 meters every minute, on the minute, for ten minutes. Meaning, sprint from the beginning to the finish of the 100 meters as fast as you can. If this takes you 15 seconds, you have 45 seconds to rest. If it takes you 30 seconds, you have 30 seconds to rest. The faster you go, the more time you have to rest. Once each minute is up, you sprint again. Continue these repetitions for 10 minutes. The key is "sprint." This is a workout that focuses on speed. Cross country is definitely about endurance, but there are also many instances when speed becomes equally as important during a race.

III. Cool Down:
Get something cold to drink (preferably water)

Option A: Walk around for ten minutes. Don't let this be a lazy walk. A cool down is meant to ease your body out of workout mode; therefore, you need to walk with a purpose and let your body do the rest. Follow this up with some light stretching of your choice.

Option B: Repeat Dynamic Warm-up (don't forget the stretching)