The Dog Days...Lie Ahead?

If the summer gets dog days, what does the winter get? Bear days? Either way it seems like the most extreme conditions of the year occur during the most important times of training for cross country and track and field athletes. I would like to believe it is to only make the athlete even tougher. Recently, Running Times posted an article that I shared with my distance runners about not being fearful of the conditions. In order to succeed in our sport in the northeast there is nothing more true. The Bear Days are coming and they are to be faced individually as most college/university teams are on winter break. Below I have written a few tips to focus on.

1) Every day has a purpose, stick to the script your coach has laid out for you. If planned properly you will arrive back on campus in fantastic shape. You will be ready to attack the season with confidence.
2) Adaptation takes time, for most athletes the winter break marks a time of transition from cross country training (for distance runners) or preparation training (for track and field) to more specific track training. It takes time to see results. The time you spend training by yourself whether it be 4 weeks or 6 weeks you probably won't notice a huge difference in how you feel day to day, but if you compare your workouts from week 1 to week 6 you will notice a huge difference.
3) Environment is the key to success, the best athletes surround themselves with support. If your going out until 2 am every night, chances are you won't be training consistently. If you live in a city environment it will be hard to go out and run for 100 minutes for a long run, or to do hill sprints. Plan ahead and create an environment that is positive for all aspects of your life.
4) "Little things make the big difference", make it a point to spend time doing the little things that lie outside your comfort zone. After all, competing in our sport is uncomfortable, wouldn't you think it is a good thing to be uncomfortable in practice? Spend time doing your strength and conditioning and all the funny looking drills your coach asks you to do, it will pay off in the long run.