TRAINING Tips

Making varsity—it’s every runner’s goal. On the high school cross country team, it’s like making the Olympics. Varsity is the pinnacle. You join a select group that trains together, shares tough workouts and takes the line like a family in big meets to carry the banner for your school.

Since the varsity unit has only seven runners, the path from junior varsity—the bane of many a young athlete—to cross country’s version of the Navy Seals must be understood to be mastered. As New Jersey track and cross country coach Brian Gould of West Windsor-Plainsboro North says, “Everybody who’s successful trains hard.”

Gould’s point is two-fold. If you want to make varsity, you’d better train hard. But since all varsity aspirants train hard, how can you rise to the top?

JV Lesson #1: Run Consistent Mileage

“Consistency,” says 2012 Foot Locker national finalist Quintin McKinnish of Tennessee. When McKinnish came out for cross country as a freshman, he joined a squad that was defending state 3A champion. “Every team member preached consistency.”

McKinnish heeded the advice of his older and more experienced teammates and with his talent made varsity as a freshman. He noticed a pattern. “The guys who trained five days a week and not on weekends, they were not in the game after a year or so. They might improve as freshmen, but after that five days a week was not going to cut it.”

JV Lesson #2: Say Yes to ‘Peripherals,’ No to Shortcuts

McKinnish learned that he had to run virtually every day to keep up. Eventually, he became the team’s top runner. Currently, he takes a day off no more than once a month. McKinnish says that while West coach Ray Farmer emphasizes consistency, he also tells the boys that to contend for a varsity spot they need to do the “peripherals,” like core work and eating with good nutrition in mind.

You want to make varsity? No shortcuts!

JV Lesson #3: Find Teammate Role Models

On one level, following a varsity formula is clear cut. Gould, who coached superstar twins Joe and Jim Rosa (both went to Stanford), suggests, “Find an upperclassman who’s good and do what he does.” Nine times out of 10, says Gould, if an athlete has any talent, he’ll see progress quickly. Others need to be patient and give it more time.

Gould says that the Rosas themselves had an excellent teammate role model in Tyler Corkedale, who was two years older. Corkedale ran a pedestrian 5:25 1600m as a freshman. He trained hard and, says Gould, “When his body caught up to his heart, everything came together.” Corkedale started excelling as a junior, when the Rosas were freshmen. “If you ask Jim and Joe,” says Gould, “it was how Tyler carried himself that taught them how to train hard.”

Not only did the Rosas capture the national limelight, but Corkedale himself improved to the point of getting an athletic scholarship to Penn State, where he ran a 3:45 1500m, equivalent to a 4:03 mile.

From their early strides, the Rosas never considered themselves “JV” runners. Their first sport was swimming, and they entered high school with some fitness; but more than that, their attitude was, “We’re good. We’re varsity.”

JV Lesson #4: Ditch the JV Mindset

Don’t let yourself get mired in a JV mindset. Always reach higher in workouts, even if your coach enters you in JV races. It’s not the label that matters but your attitude and effort. Think of JV as varsity understudy: You’re always ready to move up to the big leagues if the team needs you. Suppose a varsity runner is sick or injured or just needs a day off. If you’ve been shining in training, you may the one chosen by the coach to take a varsity slot.

At Albuquerque Academy in New Mexico, track and cross country coach Adam Kedge gives JV runners extra impetus to move up. He creates a kind of Triple A grouping of minor leaguers who are brought up to the majors—varsity, that is—at secondary meets that the Chargers can expect to win even when not at full strength.

Instead of having the varsity run certain lower caliber meets as workouts like some top teams do, Academy replaces three or four varsity runners with JV youngsters. They learn the ropes, bond with superior teammates and feel they are contributing to varsity success. Kedge, whose Academy teams have won 11 state 4A cross country titles and made five Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) appearances, says this system motivates the JV athletes to work hard and always be ready for a varsity opportunity.

Many teams have similar situations in which JV runners will be given varsity experience on a selective basis. For example, seniors on the varsity usually have to miss at least one meet in the fall because of conflicts with SAT exams.

JV Lesson #5: Be a Responsible Athlete

Ask your coach about varsity opportunities that come up, and make the coach aware of your interest. Being chosen for varsity is not only based on fitness level and previous performances but also on maturity and how you handle yourself as a responsible athlete. Are you the type of runner who can follow the coach’s instructions on strategy and teamwork in varsity competition? You won’t be in the portajohn when the race is called to the line, will you?

Just as you should try and free yourself from a JV mindset, you should realize that varsity spots are not permanent like Supreme Court judgeships. There are always weaknesses in a seven-runner varsity lineup; runners move up, and down, as meets come and go.

It happened that way with two Academy stars, Jefferson Rieder and Alex Herring, who both ran in college. They were mid-to-low JV runners but hard workers whose commitment never wavered. One day before a meet, Kedge pulled them aside and, like a stage director at a Broadway show, told them, “You’re on!”

The two understudies ended up outrunning the varsity boys they subbed for and went on to spark state championship teams and national qualifiers. And like New Jersey’s Corkedale, Reider went on to the verge of a sub-4:00 mile with a 3:45 1500m at the University of New Mexico.

JV Lesson #6: Know Your Team’s Moving-Up System

Also, be aware of the varsity entry points on your team. Has the coach explained exactly how JV runners can show the promise of varsity? Are there certain meets that will count most in assessing performance? Which JV goals serve as springboards to varsity consideration?

In New Hampshire, coach Jim Eakin of Hanover High gave every team member the feeling of riding a ladder of success. Eakin, who retired after coaching boys and girls cross country for 36 years—producing 23 state team champions, and another 23 individual champions—is proud of “never having a star system.”

For Hanover runners, the state’s JV championship was almost as big a deal as the varsity state meet. Marauder runners trained with a top-14 finish in mind, the team’s gold standard. While every state may not have a statewide JV meet, just about every league and conference has some version of a JV “championship.” Use those events as motivation and opportunity. Study the course, check out the competition and be ready for your “Olympic trials.”

Who knows, maybe your superior JV performance will be a varsity stepping stone. Like coach Kedge in New Mexico, Eakin would take a top-placing JV performer and move him or her up to varsity in the State Meet of Champions—an all-in-one event following the regular state class championship—as reward and a way to gain experience.

JV Lesson #7: Use a Big Summer for Big Breakthroughs

Without a star system, Hanover produced plenty of stars by respecting the JV talent. One was Aaron Watanabe, who started out as ninth man on the JV as a freshman. He moved up to No. 3 on the JV as a sophomore. Following Eakin’s dictates, Watanabe put in a big summer leading into his 2009 junior season. And he made one of the most startling breakthroughs you’ll ever see—from No. 3 JV runner to state titlist. Then, as a senior, Watanabe ran an 8:59 3200m. He went on to Harvard.

Almost every team has some version of Watanabe’s rags-to-riches story. One year at the NXN championship in Portland, Ore., national power St. Xavier boys of Cincinnati, which placed ninth, was led by senior Alex Kuvin. Kuvin had made steady progress from the JV ranks since sophomore year when, in the words of Bombers’ coach Mike Dehring, “He couldn’t break 11 minutes for 2 miles.”

Kuvin could have been a poster boy for JV runners everywhere. He was young, inexperienced and felt somewhat left out. But he came to embrace a simple but powerful idea. “Alex finally realized, ‘If I actually do the work over the summer, maybe I can be pretty good,’” Dehring says.

By the next fall, Kuvin had worked his way to No. 4 man on the Ohio State Division I championship team, running 15:55 for 5K, and then to No. 2 man for St. Xavier in the NXN Midwest Regional. In the spring he ran a 9:17 3200m and then ran in college at the University of Dayton.

St. Xavier, an all-boys school, puts a lot of stock in an afternoon “retreat” for juniors and seniors on campus prior to summer training. Dehring and the boys discuss spirituality and leadership and how to engage the newer runners with team values and aspirations of excellence. Dehring says, “It can be as simple as, ‘I am a senior. I will learn every freshman’s name.’”

JV Lesson #8: Don’t Be Shy, Learn All You Can

Newer, developing runners can turn the tables on that idea. Most teams have some form of “retreat” like ice-breakers or training camps, gatherings with everyone present as a springboard to the season. JV youngsters should learn the name of at least one varsity teammate. Even if he or she seems aloof, approach the older runner, say hello, make a friend. Before long, you’ll be picking up tips while gaining confidence and maturity.

This is what transpired at University High in Morgantown, W.V., but not how you might think. As a freshman, Millie Paladino got to know an older teammate in her junior year and they became good friends. In a role reversal, it was Paladino who became a top performer and helped the junior. The older girl felt stuck in JV and questioned her running future. “She thought that she would be on JV for the rest of her life,” Paladino says.

JV Lesson #9: Lean on Running Buddies For Support

While only a freshman, Paladino had the maturity to counsel her friend. They would talk about goals on training runs. They would reinforce the need for hard work. Paladino told her friend to relax and be patient.

“It’s hard to put in summer mileage,” says Paladino, who went on to become a state champion and 2012 Foot Locker finalist, “if you don’t believe, ‘OK, this is worth it because eventually I’ll reach the point where I want to be.’”

JV Lesson #10: Improvements Are Within All Runners’ Reach

The next fall, as a senior, Paladino’s friend made varsity, contributing to University’s second-place performance in the state 3A championship. And, in Paladino’s words, the girl “developed a love of running and is now on a college team.”

But Paladino’s job was not over. Her senior year she had the honor of captaining the Hawks’ cross country team. Bring on the JV.

MARC BLOOM

Marc Bloom’s high school cross-country rankings have played an influential role in the sport for more than 20 years and led to the creation of many major events, including Nike Cross Nationals and the Great American Cross Country Festival. He published his cross-country journal, Harrier, for more than two decades.

psychology/mental strength

Motivation versus Discipline

People wonder how to get the motivation to workout. Usually they are looking for something to make them want to workout because, let’s face it, working out isn’t always fun and easy.

To help offset this most of us look for some sort of motivation to drive us. Kind of like Rocky waking up every morning to face Apollo Creed, this kind of motivation burns like a fire inside someone, driving them forward at all costs. So people are usually pretty surprised when I tell them that I’m often not motivated to workout. While I’ve tasted and used motivation to help drive my training, I’ve also found that it is unsustainable over the long run.

What I rely on instead is discipline, not motivation.

To explain the difference, let me ask you a question… Are you motivated to brush your teeth every morning? I mean, is there a fire inside you that drives you to the sink twice a day, 365 days a year, every day of your life? For the vast majority of people reading this the answer is “no”. But they do it anyway because it is just what they do as part of their routine.

In other words, they are disciplined about it, building and maintaining a habit.

Which is exactly how I look at working out. Just like I don’t want to suffer from bad breath and rotting teeth from not being disciplined about taking care of them, I don’t want to suffer from a loss of performance and increased risk of injury from not taking care of my body.

Being disciplined and building a habit is your goal, not “finding your motivation”. Which means that there is no secret other than putting in the work and being consistent.

Responding versus Reacting

How to Build Mental Strength

Visualization

How to use Visualization to Race Better

10 Tips For Making Varsity Cross Country

Tips On How To Manage The Comparison Game

Ownership

Letter to High School Athletes on Work

Believe In the Process, And Have Belief In Yourself

Five Reasons Why Teammates Are So Important

Excerpts:

"If you are someone who likes to keep your goals to yourself, I challenge you to speak your goals into existence. It will change your mindset to be able to accomplish more, because each time you talk about it you are helping yourself believe that you can do it."

The people you surround yourself with can either lift you up or bring you down. When everyone on your team is working to lift each other up and push each other to be their best, the work that gets done is so much more powerful.

Use teammates who are better than you to push yourself. When you can recognize the benefit of being surrounded by people who are better than you, you will be empowered. Dare yourself to be better, don't compare yourself. You can only be a better version of yourself when you embrace the challenge of chasing teammates and using them to get the best out of yourself.

Everyone's purpose is to help each other become the best versions of themselves.

How To Get Out Of Your Own Way To Perform At Your Best

The 50x Framework

The Key to a Strong Identity

Kindness is Hardcore

Achieving Greatness Without Falling Apart

inspirational and educational running stories and videos

Jake Wightman's gold medal 'fulfills prophecy' for the first family of athletics

Max Burgin, 'monster hills', and the making of Britain's next great 800m hope

Sadie Engelhardt's Freshman Year | Documentary

Melissa Tanaka's Guide to Running in College

training

Workout Pace Chart

I believe in speed-based XC training. Here are just a few reasons why.

Speed Development

There's speed work, and then there's speed work. When most runners talk about doing speed work, they mean things like mile repeats at 10K race pace, or a set of fast 200s, or maybe even a 5-mile tempo run. Such workouts, of course, are integral to becoming a faster runner. But they're not really speed work, if by "speed" we mean the fastest you can run for a very short distance. When I talk about speed, I mean your maximal velocity -- your top speed -- which even world-class sprinters can sustain for no more than 30-40m. But here's the thing: This type of speed is also integral to being the best distance runner you can be. Improve your basic speed, and you'll run faster in all your races.

Speed is, at its essence, an issue of coordination between all of the muscle fibers involved in running and your nervous system. Numerous studies have found that, while VO2 max and lactate threshold are important components of running fitness, the key to running faster is improving running economy, the intersection between your metabolic fitness (i.e., your heart, lungs, mitochondria) and your mechanical ability to move over the ground (i.e., muscles, tendons and the nerves that direct them). Yet most runners focus only on developing their aerobic fitness and anaerobic fitness, the metabolic components of fitness, and neglect the fact that if you can run more efficiently you'll be able to race faster. Specifically, if at the cellular level you can use a greater percentage of your muscle fibers available to do work, you'll race faster. This is where speed development comes in.

Think of running economy and coordination as better communication between the muscle fibers involved in running and the nervous system. If you regularly do specific speed-development work, the result will be obvious to the casual observer -- you'll simply look better running.

Mileage Matters Most

Frequency Matters More than Intensity - For Workouts & Happiness

The Case for Running High Mileage in High School

Cross Country Summer Training: the 411 on Girls Training

Cross Country Summer Training: the 411 on Boys Training

5k Training: How to run a faster 5k

Running intervals are a key part of any successful running formula. They improve aerobic capacity, increase lactate threshold, enhance running efficiency, muscular endurance and fatigue resistance.

Velocity at VO2 Max (vVO2max)

10k Pace Running Intervals

Tempo Intervals

Threshold Run Guide

The Long Run Is Essential to Race Day Success—Here's Why

Muscular Endurance: Definition and Exercises for Sport

running technique

Powerful techniques ELITE runners use to run faster (YOU CAN TOO)

Perfect Running Form - 5 Tips ALL Runners Can Learn from Eliud Kipchoge

The five aspects of Eliud Kipchoge's running technique highlighted in this video are:

1 - FOOTSTRIKE

You'll see that Eliud Kipchoge runs with a midfoot strike, rather than running aggressively on his forefoot, as you might expect from a sprinter. Neither does he land on his heels, as the majority of runners do. He avoids running with a heel strike by allowing the balls of his feet to strike the ground first, a split second before allowing the rest of his foot to contact the ground. Unlike sprinters, and runners who run with a pronounced forefoot strike, he doesn't keep his heel off the ground throughout stance phase of running gait. Instead, he allows his heel to "kiss" the ground, which allows his achilles tendon to passively store energy, which is then released during the propulsive element of late-stance.

2 - STRIDE LENGTH & OVERSTRIDING

Kipchoge doesn't overstride. This helps to make his running gait more efficient than many other runners (even elite runners) who overstride by landing excessively ahead of their centre of mass, usually with a heavy heel strike. When your foot strikes the ground with your ankle ahead of your knee, you increase the decelerative braking forces your body experiences and has to overcome before moving on to the next stride. When overstriding, you're effectively running with the brakes applied! Kipchoge, in comparison, strikes the ground with his foot in a position where his ankle is perfectly beneath his knee. This allows him to maintain efficient forward progression while keeping decelerative forces to a minimum.

3 - CADENCE & CONTACT TIME

Maintaining a high running cadence (stride frequency) not only helps you to prevent overstriding, it also allows you to keep a short ground contact time. When you maintain a short ground contact time, your limb stiffness is increased. This increase in limb stiffness allows for a more efficient transfer of energy throughout the body, and into the ground as you run.

4 - TORSO ROTATION

The gentle and relaxed torso rotation you see in Eliud Kipchoge's running form is a form of counter-rotation to balance out the action of his legs and pelvis. With his upper and lower body working in an opposite rotational pattern, it allows him to use his core muscles more effectively to help drive himself forward.

5 - RELAXATION

This is something we can all work on! Although Eliud Kipchoge is running incredibly quickly, he looks relaxed and in control. His hands, shoulders and face are all relaxed. This is an important and often overlooked aspect of running technique.

Kenenisa Bekele's INCREDIBLE running technique in slow motion

The five aspects of Kenenisa Bekele's running form highlighted in this video are:

1 - FOOTSTRIKE & STRIDE ANGLE

You'll see that Kenenisa Bekele runs with a midfoot strike, rather than running aggressively on his forefoot, as you might expect from a sprinter. Neither does he land on his heels, as the majority of runners do. He runs with a midfoot strike, landing close to beneath a flexing knee, rather than overstriding.

Bekele creates a long stride without overstriding because of the stride angle he creates at the hips - the separation between peak hip extension and peak hip flexion, at terminal stance (the point that his trailing foot leaves the ground). Such a large stride angle allows him to cover more ground during flight phase.

To emulate this, you can focus on exercises that help to improve hip mobility, and running technique drills to help you "run from the hips". Hill sprints are a fantastic way of achieving this.

2 - STRIDE WIDTH AND FOOT PRONATION

Kenenisa Bekele runs without allowing his feet to cross the midline of his body, rather than displaying the type of crossover gait which sometimes occurs as a result of poor core and hip stability, and is also quite commonly seen in forefoot striking runners.

You can see that Bekele strikes the ground with his feet in a supinated position. His feet then roll inwards through pronation during the "loading response" period of his stance phase. This is completely normal, and something we all do to a greater or lesser extent when we run and walk. His transition from supination to pronation is more pronounced on his right side.

3 - CADENCE & CONTACT TIME

Kenenisa Bekele has a running cadence of 180-190 strides per minute with at his half marathon race pace (around 4:37/mile).

4 - VERTICAL OSCILLATION - BOUNCE

The world's best distance runners tend run with very little "bounce". They waste little energy moving up-and-down, and channel all their effort into efficiently moving forwards. Kenenisa Bekele is no different. Running with a fast cadence and short contact time will help you to reduce your vertical oscillation and bounce less when you run.

5 - RUNNING ARM ACTION & UPPER BODY

The gentle and relaxed torso rotation you see in Kenenisa Bekele's running form is a form of counter-rotation to balance out the action of his legs and pelvis. With his upper and lower body working in an opposite rotational pattern, it allows him to use his core muscles more effectively to help drive himself forward.

Shalane Flanagan Running Technique: How to Run Faster

What Makes a Running Stride Efficient?

How to Correct Your Posture

Secret to Running Faster with Less Wasted Effort

Five SIMPLE Ways to Run Faster - Running Techniques for Speed

Hills

I love hill workouts. For my money, running up and down a hill gives you the most bang for your running buck—power, strength, endurance and speed all wrapped into one workout. Running hills will help you prepare for faster running you're going to do on the track. Hill workouts are designed to build muscular and cardiovascular strength.

Hill training is anaerobic work, but it is not what we might call speed work. It is resistance work where a stronger than normal force application must be applied by the athlete against the surface to accomplish success in the workout. One of the notable effects of hill training is a longer and more powerful stride. This can be detected in the areas of knee-lift, ankle flexion, and hip extension. One of the goals of hill training, beyond improved anaerobic energy system metabolism, is to improve the athlete’s stride and enhance muscular strength in preparation of the subsequent sharpening work that will be done during the competitive phase of the training cycle.

10 Reasons to Run Hills

Develops speed and prepares runners for track intervals with little risk of injury. Frank Shorter, 1972 Olympic marathon champion and four-time national cross country champion in the ’70s, once said, “Hill running is speed work in disguise.”
Strengthens the quadriceps and glutes for a more powerful stride.
Elevates the heart rate to build aerobic power and running fitness.
Trains the arms for better propulsion.
Encourages proper running form, as poor posture will accentuate fatigue.
Breaks up workouts and adds variety to minimize tedium on long runs.
Simulates racecourses that athletes will encounter in the fall.
Makes runners feel that they can conquer any competitive challenge.
Provides a tactical option as a breakaway point in racing.
Gives runners confidence that they have an edge over opponents.

Hill Running Training - an excellent overview article

How to use hill interval training to improve 5km running performance

How to run uphill: the best techniques and benefits

Steep Hill Sprints

Summer (and early season) Hills

Hill Sprints Workouts: improve running speed, power and efficiency

Short Hill Repeats: improve strength, running cadence and speed endurance

Long Hill Repeats: Improve VO2max and Muscular Endurance

Tempo Hill Intervals: the best all round endurance hill running session?

Hill Running Technique

How to Run Downhill

The Surprising Strength Benefits of Downhill Running

6 Reasons Why Runners Should Include Downhill Running Training

Improving Your Running with High Intensity Hill Repeats

How Much do Hills Slow You Down?

strength

Strength Training: Why All Endurance Athletes Should Go to the Gym

Should athletes run and lift weights on the same day?

Home Leg/Hip Strength Exercises: Routine 1, Routine 2

Nutrition

How Nutrition Supports Your Running

Nutrition Timing for Training and Racing

Timing is Everything

Cross Country Nutrition

Fueling Distance Runners

Optimal Performance: The 9 Best Foods for Runners

Some suggestions for Race Day Meal Planning

Fuel up: what to eat before a race

Race day breakfast considerations

Pre-Race and Pre-Workout Meals - How much and when

The Scientific Case for a Big Breakfast

Time-Restricted Feeding - may improve performance. Related to the Case for a Big Breakfast. Basically eat a big breakfast, an early dinner and don't eat after dinner.

The New Rules Of Carbs For Runners

Protein can improve fitness and performance

The Best Supplements for Runners and 4 Supplements for Runners

Fight Injury with Micronutrients

Can Micronutrients Decrease Athletes’ COVID-19 Risk and Speed Recovery?

Beet Juice May Work for Well-Trained Athletes After All

Caffeine: How it Works For and Against Your Performance

Caffeine: The easiest way to improve your running performance

Why Top Olympic Athletes Use Baking Soda to Boost Performance

How Endurance Athletes Can Use Caffeine More Effectively

Recommendations for carbohydrate intake DURING exercise: Bottom line, you will not need carbs in most practices, and never in track and 5k XC races.

Pre-sleep protein does not make you gain fat

Daily carbohydrate needs for fueling and recovery from endurance training.

How Blood Testing Can Be Used For Better Endurance Training

Effects of dietary supplements on adaptations to endurance training

Vitamin D: The Endurance Vitamin

Iron Deficiency: The Elephant In The Room

Are my iron levels affecting my performance?

Preventing and treating an iron deficiency

This Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American College of Sports Medicine Position Statement on Nutrition and Athletic Performance contains a tremendous amount of information on training and performance nutrition, macro and micro-nutrient needs and hydration:

A great, comprehensive article on iron deficiency anemia and ferritin supplementation. Here are the most important things we know about iron deficiency in distance runners:

Low ferritin is extremely common among runners, affecting 2-17% of male runners and 28-45% of female runners. An even higher proportion have iron levels that are low enough to impair performance but do not fall outside standard reference ranges for the general population.

Low ferritin, even in the absence of low hemoglobin, causes impaired performances in distance runners. Runners should aim for a serum ferritin level of at least 40 ng/mL.

If you have low ferritin, a high-iron diet can help, but the best course of action is to take an iron supplement. Taking a ferrous sulfate supplement, at a dosage of 120-200 mg of elemental iron per day, is a good starting place. If you have gastrointestinal side effects, you can try other iron salt supplements, or chelated iron.

Take your iron supplement on an empty stomach with 100-250 mg of vitamin C. Small doses can be hard to find, so use a pill splitter to cut up larger vitamin C supplements.

Avoid taking your iron supplement within a few hours of anything that can impair iron absorption, like tea, calcium-rich foods or supplements, or antacids. Iron works best when taken on an empty stomach.

Do not take an iron supplement or adopt a high-iron diet without getting a ferritin test first.

Boosting Iron Intake

Does Cycling Have a Drinking Problem?

Does Running Have a Drinking Problem?

Can Athletes Drink Alcohol and Maintain an Effective Training Plan?

No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health

hydration

Race Day Hydration

The Truth About Thirst

Iron Deficiency - this nutrition topic is so important, it gets it's own section

The Importance of Ferritin For Distance Runners

Every season there is one issue that we see time and time again with our runners that impacts them regardless of age, sex, or amount of training they are doing. That issue is anemia, or being iron deficient. If not careful, this is something that can compromise an athletes XC season very quickly. Our goal is to educate every family about the importance of iron and how it can enhance an athletes performance when taken seriously.

Start Here:

Please begin by looking at this simple slide show presentation put together for all families that are a part of Summit Distance Project. This should inform you as to why the coaching staff talks about iron/ferritin levels so often, and how you can successfully make sure your iron levels are sufficient.

Iron Level Upkeep and Ferritin for Distance Runners

Educate Yourself

Educating yourself on this particular issue is very important. Here are a few things every family/athlete should be thinking about in regards to iron/ferritin levels:

Educate yourself on what iron does for you as a runner, and how it can hurt when you are lacking.
Get your ferritin levels tested 2-3 times a year by your medical provider, and know your numbers. The off-season is the best time to get your levels checked.
Set a goal for yourself to get your ferritin levels to at least 30. 40-50 is much better, and gives you a nice surplus of iron.
If your ferritin levels are under 20, you are most likely not going to be able to perform at your best as a distance runner.
Eat lots of iron rich foods daily such as red meat and spinach.
Take an iron supplement. We encourage every runner on the team to do this.

Here are the most important things we know about iron deficiency in distance runners:

Low ferritin is extremely common among runners, affecting 2-17% of male runners and 28-45% of female runners. An even higher proportion have iron levels that are low enough to impair performance but do not fall outside standard reference ranges for the general population. And those numbers are even higher at altitude!

Low ferritin, even in the absence of low hemoglobin, causes impaired performances in distance runners. Runners should aim for a serum ferritin level of at least 40 ng/mL.

If you have low ferritin, a high-iron diet can help, but the best course of action is to take an iron supplement. Taking a ferrous sulfate supplement, at a dosage of 120-200 mg of elemental iron per day, is a good starting place. If you have gastrointestinal side effects, you can try other iron salt supplements, or chelated iron.

Take your iron supplement on an empty stomach with 100-250 mg of vitamin C. Small doses can be hard to find, so use a pill splitter to cut up larger vitamin C supplements.

Avoid taking your iron supplement within a few hours of anything that can impair iron absorption, like tea, calcium-rich foods or supplements, or antacids. Iron works best when taken on an empty stomach.

Do not take an iron supplement or adopt a high-iron diet without getting a ferritin test first.

Articles about Iron for Distance Runners:

I have included several articles below about this very important issue to help you educate yourself on the matter. Please feel free to talk to the coaches if you have additional question.

Fatigue 1 - 2 miles into your run - LOW FERRITIN
A great, comprehensive article on iron deficiency anemia and ferritin supplementation.
What You Need to Know about Ferritin Levels and Iron Deficiency
Low Ferritin and Iron Deficiency Anemia in Distance Runners — A Scientific Guide for Athletes and Coaches
Are Your Ferritin Levels Up to Speed? Top Coaches Take Tests for Iron Seriously
Ironing Out the Details: Know the facts about ferritin and iron before deciding to supplement
Iron Deficiency In Runners
Iron Deficiency: The Elephant In The Room
Iron Deficiency and the Distance Runner
Are my iron levels affecting my performance?
Preventing and treating an iron deficiency
Do I Need to Take an Iron Supplement?
Is taking Iron Safe?
Iron Strength: What endurance athletes should know about iron deficiency anemia and ferritin screening
This Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American College of Sports Medicine Position Statement on Nutrition and Athletic Performance contains a tremendous amount of information on training and performance nutrition, macro and micro-nutrient needs and hydration.
How to Train Through Low Iron
58% of female college athletes have low ferritin.

Iron Level Upkeep and Ferritin for Distance Runners.pptx

recovery

How to Recover Well:

When it comes to recovery, there's a lot of stuff that doesn't work. We all too often reach for a quick fix or super supplement. Here's what actually works, for both physical and psychological recovery:

1. Sleep around 8 hours

2. Hydrate adequately

3. Socialize with friends

4. Find a way to decompress

5. Eat enough real food

6. Slow and easy movement

7. Time in nature

Practice these and there is no need to stress about all that other stuff.

The importance of sleep

Sleep Like a Champion

Sleep - a secret ingredient in the recipe of running success

Sleep and Weight Loss: Can sleep deprivation really affect weight loss?

Sleep: the key to great performances and output

Low intensity stretching for recovery.

The benefits of elevated legs for post-workout recovery.

Ice baths - Yes or No? (In my opinion, where it says "chronic recovery" it should really say "acute recovery."

Rest and Recovery for Runners

The 5 Recovery Mistakes You’re Making That Are Hampering Your Recovery From Hard Workouts

Stop taking anti-inflammatories

racing and race day

10 Tips for Cross Country Running - This article contains great tips for pre-race and race strategies. While some ideas are basic, it is a great article for beginner athletes and a mindful refresher for returning athletes.

Cross Country Running Tips

Race Warm Up Routine

Priming for high-intensity (10k and less) races

Race Day Shake Out Run and Sample Prep Schedule

Dealing with Pre-race Nerves

Mid-Distance Racing Pacing Strategies

Injury prevention and rehabilitation

What you can do to prevent running injuries.

Overuse Injuries

Youth Running: Injuries and prevention strategies

Complications of Anti-inflammatory Medications

Hamstring Injuries in Runners

Heel Pain - Plantar Fasciitis

Runner's Foot-care

Preventing Runner's Knee - Patellofemoral Syndrome

Running and the Immune System

Stress Fractures

7 Injuries That Could Be Causing Your Hip Pain

IT Band Syndrome

10 Exercises to Treat IT Band Syndrome

Treatment for Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)

Shin Pain in Runners

Shin Splints and Stress Fractures

Guide to Shin Splints

When is it safe to run with shin splints?

How to Treat Shin Splints

7 Rules for Healing Shin Splints

Shins splints: the lower leg silent killer

Muscle Cramps

What causes muscle cramps in exercise?

How can you treat or prevent cramps?

Nutrition for recovery from tendon injuries

Nutrition for recovery from muscle injury

How important is energy intake for recovery from injury?

Using gelatin to improve performance, prevent injury, and accelerate return to play

As America’s Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Harms

environmental factors

Expert tips for running in the cold

Preventing Hypothermia

Tips for Running in the Summer Heat

How Runners can deal with Allergies

Topics Specific to Female Distance Runners

What Runners Need to Know About Missing Their Periods - You won’t automatically have to stop running. Most athletes, however, require diet shifts to restore their energy balance.

The Female Athlete Triad

Why Missing Your Period as a Runner is NOT OK (and How to Fix it).

The Physiological Differences Between Male and Female Runners - and Keys To Boosting Female Performance

Body Changes Are Driving Teen Girls Out of Sports

The Perfect Storm "They dazzle as freshman and disappear as seniors"

A terrific article on female adolescent changes and body image: Dear Younger Me: Lauren Fleshman

My Difficult Conversation About RED-S

REMOVING THE TABOO - THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

Female distance runners improve health — and speed — with better diet

college running - recruiting, scholarships & more

Tremendous information on athletic scholarships and collegiate recruiting here and here!

How to Talk to College Coaches – Preparing and Making a Plan

How to Talk to College Coaches – Anticipating Questions from Coaches

This is a very good, and very thorough, discussion: Should you think about running in college?

for parents

How To Support The Cross Country Runner In Your Life

How to Raise a Champion

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