Coach: How did the workout go for you today?
Athlete: Well...I think it was...a process workout
In late August our team gathered for a week of preseason training camp. This was a quote from an athlete after an RPE based, fartlek-style workout late in the week. I've been simmering over that quote since that perfect summer morning on one of my favorite section of trails in the Twin Cities.
As a coach I am always interested in evaluating mental, physical and emotional preparation of cross country runners when we meet up in August. There are so many rabbit trails to chase with so many data points.
The bottom line remains: how ready are the troops for the final 12 weeks of very specific training that needs to be done head of championship race season in late October and early November.
The reality is: not every athlete is ready to do the types of things necessary for championship racing and there are more than simply physiological factors involved in that evaluation process.
So when that athlete offered that response to what was a very valuable assessment day for my evaluation process, I was struck by the simple and concise summary of our first true fast running workout of the year.
The workout was four days into our week and we'd had five running sessions, including a grossly disappointing 3k time trial (I literally discarded the results when I got back to the offfice) 48 hours prior.
It was a simple session:
Standard dynamic stretching and form drills
10-15 minute progressively faster warm-up run
sets of 300m on/off on a 600m loop
On efforts at 1500m RPE, rep recovery at standard aerobic run pace, set recoveries at self-selected easy pace
Goal ON distance at 3-4k
No athlete watches, totally run by feel
I ran a watch and pulled athletes based on any variance over 4 seconds or visual fatigue cues
Ended with easy run to meet session total volume goal
As we begin track practices this winter the experience of this workout will inform how I guide the athletes through our workouts. But just as important will be allowing the work they do to inform them of the stage they are in within a process of personal development in every area as it relates to mental and physiological growth.
In reality, every day is a process workout. The key will be coaching within that process and focusing on taking the right step each day to make that the most beneficial process possible.