The Official Blog of the GSTC

http://www.coolrunning.com/results/11/ma/Aug20_PUMA5M_set2.shtml

Monday, August 22, 2011

[August 22-28]: A Top Ten Finish for M Del M!

Props

A big shout to the lone GSTC racer this weekend, Mark Del Monaco. He cracked the top ten in the Puma Five Miler yesterday in Westford, MA, finishing in at 26:52. While prepping for a possible Olympic Trials marathon qualifier this fall, Mark continues to race well throughout the East Coast this summer.

Another shout out to Tim Morgan who, thankfully, was able to complete all runs this week without getting lost.

Finally, props to Shay Warren and Tyrone Ross who have been acting as player-coaches while I've been on vacation.

More GSTC Outreach: Essays 4 Equipment

Essays 4 Equipment (E2E) is another outreach initiative by the Garden State Track Club with hopes to bring underserved youth runners in New Jersey the resources they need to be successful.

During the team barbeque on 9/11, GSTC members will bring any running gear they no longer use (spikes, watches, shorts, hats, gloves, trainers, race shirts, bags, etc.). The GSTC Board will contact high schools directly in Newark, Trenton, and Camden describing the resources available. Interested students (not coaches) will need to write short persuasive essays requesting equipment, and after timely board review, the club will disperse available resources appropriately. Club members are also invited to consider purchasing requests if interested.

Team BBQ

September 11- be ready- Tamalques Park in Westfield. More to come. Yeah.

This Week in Training

Team Workouts: Sprinters

Tuesday- 6:30pm @ Roosevelt (near Plays in Park)

Thursday- 6:30pm @ Roosevelt (" " " ")

Saturday- 3:00pm- @ Roosevelt (" " " ")

Team Workouts: Distance

Monday- 5:30 @ 106 Bayard New Brunswick (street run)

Tuesday- 5:55 @ 106 Bayard (will drive to Roosevelt Park with sprinters- start run at 6:30)

Wednesday- 5:30 @ 106 Bayard (drive to Six Mile for progression run)

Thursday- 5:55 @ 106 Bayard (will drive to Roosevelt with sprinters- start run at 6:30)

Sunday- 9:00am Six Mile (Canal/Blackwell Mills)

Week Four: Sprinters (chuckschneekloth@hotmail.com)

Although volume has been bumped up a bit, this week is quite similar to last for a few reasons. First, we won't introduce anything new while I'm on the West Coast. Second, your week of testing is the first week in September, and much of this mesocycle has been geared toward said testing. Finally, general prep phase calls for us to touch on a variety of systems- leaning more on aerobic than any other time in the plan. For now, keep all lifting at 10-12 reps, with 3-4 sets. Tyrone and I will be creating a template of weight room work upon my arrival back to Jersey. As always, make sure you do all the small things for every session; every workout plays a different role in your fall development. I'm excited to get back in a week and begin the testing!

Monday 8x150 stride (knee lift final 20m) Lift

Tuesday (Roosevelt @ 6:30) Two circuits (plyos, hurdle flexibility); 4 x 600m (broken: 2 x 300 @ :45 rest); 4min/set; two circuits (core, bounding)

Wednesday 8 min recovery run, 6 x 50m stride, 8 minute recovery run; Lift

Thursday (Roosevelt @ 6:30) Fartlek 6 x 4:00; four circuits (plyos, hurdles, core, lunges)

Friday OFF running; lift

Saturday (Roosevelt @ 12:00noon) Extended warm-up; 8 x 50m starts (acceleration/ push mechanics)

Sunday OFF

Distance (cjtafelski@yahoo.com)

Here's the plan for the week - you'll see that it's almost entirely the same as last week. Build the pyramid. We're up to 10 hill sprints, and you can extend them to 12 seconds. Remember - the steepest mofo you can find, and hammer it. Do not go longer than 12 seconds. The purpose to to recruit muscle fibers without accumulating lactate. If you do, it will take you longer to recover from the session. Neuromusclular recovery is very fast, but metabolic recovery takes much longer. You want to isolate the neuromuscular work - so no more than 12 seconds. K? Thx.

Second, with regard to Tuesday's fartlek - it is far more important that you keep the recoveries steady than it is for you to hammer the pickups. I'd rather you run 6:00/7:00 than 5:30/7:30. The purpose of an extended fartlek effort isn't to make it a continuous interval session - we will get to that later in the fall. Run on feel - the recovery shouldn't be slow - it should be honest - push it a bit. For more on this, check out part III of Jay Johnson's "Fundamentals of Running" talk on www.coachjayjohnson.com.

M - 12% of week's mileage, 10x8-10second hill sprints on the steepest hill you can find

T - fartlek effort totaling 12% of mileage - 2x 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 2:00, 1:00 with 3:00 recovery between each. Not all of the pickups have to be the same intensity.

W - Progression run 15% of week's mileage

Th - Super easy 40-50 mins (10% of mileage)

F - 15 min warmup, 4 mile tempo at 10k pace + 10sec, 15 minute cooldown, 6x80m strides

Sat - 12% of mileage plus 10x8-10 second hill sprints on the steepest hill you can find

Sun - Long Run - 20-25% of mileage - groove the last 1/3 of the run - get yourself moving pretty well at the end.

Onward!

Garden State Track Club

USATF & RRCA Members

2011 President's Cup &

Penn Relays 5k Classic Team Champions

Garden State Track Club

USATF & RRCA Members

2011 President's Cup &

Penn Relays 5k Classic Team Champions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZXoEF7ou0k

Sunday, August 14, 2011

[August 145-21]: Puma, Ambulances, & Essays 4 Equipment

Welcome!

Let's welcome five new runners to the GSTC email list this week: Jasmeen Horne, David Alston, Scott Migliore, Ravell Batchelor, and Isaiah Hampton. Three of them- Jasmeen, Ravel, and Isaiah- will join the sprint group. Jasmeen is a former standout at JP Stevens, while Isaiah (half miler) and Ravel (11.7/23.5) attend Bergen County and Middlesex County Colleges, respectively.

David is a masters runner who got into running after attending Newark Arts HS during his stay in the military, while Scott, a current graduate student at Rutgers GSE and student-teacher at Westfield in the fall, has come painfully close to breaking 20:00 for a 5k. Welcome everyone.

Props

First, props to Marl Del Monaco for picking up Puma as a sponsor. The GSTC now has two sponsored runners, as Jeff Perrella is backed by Saucony. Next is our team deal....coming sooner than later, no doubt.

Next, props to Jake Nevius for being the first GSTC member to be taken away from a practice in an ambulance this past Wednesday. Okay, perhaps we should be commending him on calmly responding to a head cut from a low-hanging tree during out 70-minute progression run. We're glad you're okay, and we're impressed you were back on your feet and running just two days later! Who said running isn't a contact sport?

Finally, congrats to Mike Dixon. Yesterday, he cruised to an easy win in the Mahlon Mayhem 50k up in Mahon Dickerson Reservation. In preparation for the upcoming VT50 race, Mr. Dixon rolled through the 31 miles over rocky trails in 3:31- not a bad training run, solo, for the win. And how does he celebrate the next morning? With an hour run. Wow.

Wait...one more result just came in, but Tim Morgan isn't picking up his phone to verify Mike Anis' claims regarding Mr. Morgan's trail half marathon today. He allegedly ran 1:50, took a few wrong turns, lost a few minutes, and placed tenth. Hmmmm....pick up your phone, good sir, so we can hear all about the wrong turns!

More GSTC Outreach: Essays 4 Equipment

Essays 4 Equipment (E2E) is another outreach initiative by the Garden State Track Club with hopes to bring underserved youth runners in New Jersey the resources they need to be successful.

This Week in Training

Team Workouts: Sprinters

Tuesday- 6:30pm @ Roosevelt (near Plays in Park)

Thursday- 6:30pm @ Roosevelt (" " " ")

Saturday- 3:00pm- @ Roosevelt (" " " ")

Team Workouts: Distance

Monday- 5:30 @ 106 Bayard New Brunswick (street run)

Tuesday- 5:55 @ 106 Bayard (will drive to Roosevelt Park with sprinters- start run at 6:30)

Wednesday- 5:30 @ 106 Bayard (drive to Six MIle for progression run)

Thursday- 5:55 @ 106 Bayard (will drive to Roosevelt with sprinters- start run at 6:30)

Sunday- 9:00am Six Mile (Canal/Blackwell Mills)

Week Three: Sprinters (chuckschneekloth@hotmail.com)

Monday 12x100 stride (knee lift final 20m) Lift

Tuesday (Roosevelt @ 6:30) Two circuits (plyos, hurdle flexibility); 3 x 600m (broken: 200m- 30s rest-200m-30s rest-200m); 4min/set; two circuits (core, bounding)

Wednesday 15min recovery run, 6 x 50m stride LIft

Thursday (Roosevelt @ 6:30) Fartlek 3 x 6:00; four circuits (plyos, hurdles, core, lunges)

Friday OFF running; lift

Saturday (Roosevelt @ 12:00noon) Extended warm-up; 8 x flying 50m w/ 20m lead-in; NO circuits

Sunday OFF

Week Three Notes:

Monday we continue to work on stride length in the final stages of a sprint race by consciously lifting our knees in the final 20m. Tuesday's speed endurance session brings us closer to the 600m test in late August; Thursday we continue to build our capillary bed and develop our aerobic capacity. While last Saturday we worked on acceleration and push mechanics, this Saturday we work on maximum velocity- the middle part of a sprint race. Biomechanics are different here, as we emphasize stride frequency and an erect running posture with chin-to-pocket arm action. Again, it is imperative that we continue to develop our top-end speed in the midst of our heavy-volume-season build-up.

Saturday's Acceleration/ Push Mechanics Session

Please watch below videos for arm drive, powerful (not fast) & long stride length, neck/head alignment, triple extension,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcnDLefRF8A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9N48OCgr9Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4UVWAtRrEs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVHXv4Z_ios

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq3ulGrBaT8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShXkQcD_OBY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stLEA2HH2hA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZD04632UyI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tCHE3yUR9M

Distance (cjtafelski@yahoo.com)

Here's the deal for the week - you should be elevating your mileage according to what we've been doing for the last few weeks - very few of you have -mailed me with your weekly mileages and your max from the last few years, so I'm going to try something different.

If you are at your peak mileage form the last 2 years, hold it for a week and repeat last week's work. We are still far away from races of significance so it is important to take the long view. Base training is unprofound and unexciting, but it will pay tremendous dividends if you are loyal to it. Do not run too fast on the "comfortable" days. As a friend of mine who has run World Cross, World Indoor, and World Outdoor told me about her post-collegiate training, the most important thing she learned post-college is how to run easy without pushing the pace. If you are undisciplined in this regard, you will complete the base phase feeling physically and mentally fatigued at a time when we will be looking to fire up the intensity.

Again, most of this running is comfortable. Start out easy and let the pace work itself out. If you are concerned that this is too loose and you want to talk about it more, e-mail me and we'll work out some specifics.

M - 12% of week's mileage, 8x8-10second hill sprints on the steepest hill you can find

T - fartlek effort totaling 12% of mileage - no times/paces to hit, just get 10-15 minutes of uptempo running in - break it up however you want.

W - Progression run 15% of week's mileage

Th - Super easy 40-50 mins (10% of mileage)

F - 12% of week's mileage, 8x8-10second hill sprints on the steepest hill you can find

Sat - 12% of mileage plus 6x80m strides

Sun - Long Run - 20-25% of mileage

So for a 70 mile week, this will be:
M 9 + hills
T 9 w/fartlek work
W 12 progression run
Th 7 super easy
F 9 + hills
Sat 9 + strides
Sun 15

Tailor it to your goal mileage total. Again, if you need a day, take it and move on. Your job is to train consistently, not to take a day off if you need it and try to make up for the lost mileage on the otehr 6 days. If you need a day off, the mileage is not "lost." There are too many distance runners out there who are slaves to their training logs. If you aim for 55 miles for a week and you need a day off on Thursday and only do 48 as a result, so what? The day off will make you a better runner, but running for the sake of hitting a mileage total will not.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Sent from my iPhone

The GSTC sprinters prep for their final 5:00 fartlek session in today's practice.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Change in Week Schedule

Hi all,

Apologies for the schedule change. Please see revised team runs/workout sessions below.

Sprinters

WEDNESDAY: on own: warm up, strides, warm down

THURSDAY: 6:15 @ Roosevelt

FRIDAY: OFF

SATURDAY: 3:30pm @ Roosevelt

SUNDAY: OFF

Distance

WEDNESDAY: 5:30 @ 106 Bayard for 5:45 Six Mile (Rt 27/ Jersey Knights lot) progression run

THURSDAY: 5:30 @ 106 Bayard street run

FRIDAY: on own

SATURDAY: 9:00am @ Six Mile Reservoir long run

SUNDAY: on own

Board Meeting

SATURDAY: 12:00-2:30 Board Meeting @ Mike's Courtside Bar and Grill (Patterson Street, New Brunswick)

Garden State Track Club

USATF & RRCA Members

2011 President's Cup &

Penn Relays 5k Classic Team Champions

Garden State Track Club

USATF & RRCA Members

2011 President's Cup &

Penn Relays 5k Classic Team Champions

http://www.compuscore.com/cs2011/aug/sic10mi.htm

Sunday, August 7, 2011

[August 8 - 14]: Beach 10 Miler, Board Meeting, and Speed City!

Props

Congrats to Mark Del Monaco for placing 9th in the Captain Bill Gallagher Ten Mile Run in 59:56. Running sub-6:00 miles doesn't get much harder than doing so on the beach against a 15mph headwind. Ouch. His build-up to a strong marathon in Chicago this fall, with hopes to qualify for the Olympic Trials, seems on pace after this weekend's effort during a huge mesocycle of mileage.

Welcome

Five runners join the GSTC email list today: Amanda Nagy, Norbert Kute, Jason Romsak, Zach Martins, and Tyler Foss.

Amanda is a history teacher, softball/cross country coach, and grad student who holds it DOWN at New Brunswick HS. Norbert is a Bulldog from Metuchen, another member of the now-defunct Kean track team, who has great range from the 400 (53), to 800 (1:59), to 1600 (4:32); he joined us for his first GSTC run on Thursday. Jason is yet another Kean student-athlete who is both a sprinter and javelin thrower. While it is unfortunate (criminal?) that Kean, Jersey City College, Seton Hall, and other colleges in NJ (and across the country) are cutting track and field, it sure is making us stronger. Props to Kevin Blanchard for recruiting these fellow Bulldogs!

Zach and Tyler are 2011 graduates of Watchung Hills and Hightstown, respectively. Zach will attend RVCC, and Tyler will be attending Rutgers, yet they'll both be racing for the black and gold this fall. Zach, a friend of GSTC member Pat Lastrange, has run 2:04, 4:42, and 17:55. Tyler is friends and former high school teammates with GSTC'ers Dan Teichmann and Ashwin Anantharaman and boasts impressive PRs of 49.5, 1:56, and 4:33. No doubt, Tyler will make some noise this winter and spring, and he most certainly adds to the conversation about who may win the 800m at the East Regional Championships in May of 2012.

Important Team Dates

1. GSTC Board Meeting: NOON, Saturday, August 13 @ Mike's Courtside Bar and Grill

All are welcome. We are having it right after the week's long run and sprinter workout, making it accessible to anyone interested.

2. GSTC Team BBQ- September 11

Details are on their way, but save the date! In Westfield's Tamaques Park, probably noonish....after a team long run. Meet your teammates, meet the coaches, meet Tamaques Park...and lots of great food!

3. Team Racing Schedule

Fall Racing Schedule- more to be added soon
September 25 - Liberty Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, Jersey City
October 23 - USATF-NJ 5k XC - Deer Path Park, Readington

October 30 - USATF-NJ 8k XC - Deer Path Park, Readington - winning team gets $500 travel stipend for Club Nats

November 24 (Thanksgiving Day) - Ashenfelter 8k - Glen Rock
December 11 - USATF-NJ 10M
December 11 - USATF Club XC Championship - Jefferson Park, Seattle, WA

This Week in Training

Team Workouts

Monday: SPRINTERS- 6:00- @ Roosevelt Park

Tuesday: DISTANCE- 5:30- @ 106 Bayard (New Brunswick)- Six Mile Run @ 5:45

Wednesday: SPRINTERS- 4:15- @ Roosevelt Park

Thursday: DISTANCE- 5:30 @ 106 Bayard- Six Mile @ 5:45

Friday: --

Saturday: DISTANCE- 9:00am LONG RUN @ Six Mile (yes, on Saturday, to allow for board meeting)

Saturday: SPRINTERS- 9:00am @ Roosevelt (yes, 9am)

Sunday: --

Sprinters (chuckschneekloth@hotmail.com)

Week Two: Relaxation

Bud Winters, the famous "Speed City" coach at San Jose State University, believed that athletes competing at 4/5 effort could outperform those competing at 5/5 effort because they were more relaxed and in-control. This week, we will work on pushing our fatigue threshold while embracing this concept of relaxation during higher levels of physical stress. We will end the week with a top end speed workout, something that cannot be neglected during the fall season.

Please watch the below link (and four others on youtube) that show us training last Monday. Are you "fast and loose"? Are you relaxed in your sprinting efforts or pushing too hard? Are you in control?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2hWjFqi3IA

Regarding the weight room, your weight and reps should mirror the running we are doing. At this point, all weight should be 3-4 sets at 10-12 reps. The weekend can allow for one explosive session in the weight room with higher weight and lower reps.

Monday: 2 x 400 @ 2min rest; 3 x circuit; 2 x 400 @ 2min rest

Tuesday: warm up; 16 x 100 stride; warm down

Wednesday: 4 x 5min fartlek (@4min rest); 4 x circuit

Thursday: Fifteen minute easy run. 5 x 50 stride

Friday: OFF

Saturday: 5 x circuit; 5 min rest; 4x100 (knee lift final 20m); 4x40 push mechanics; 4x100 (knee lift final 20m)

Sunday: OFF

Week One: Mobility

Monday: 8x100; 4 x mobility circuit; 6 x 150 @ 2:00 rest (knee lift final 20m)

Tuesday: Strides

Wednesday: 4 x (mobility drill, 2 x 200 @ 30sec rest); 4x50 acceleration mechanics

Thursday: Strides

Friday: OFF

Saturday: 4 x (4x100) @ 30sec, 20sec, 10sec descending rest

Sunday: OFF

Distance (cjtafelski@yahoo.com)

I haven't heard from many of you as far as how much mileage is about your max, but if you're following this program I need to know this ASAP. I need to know the max mileage you've held for 3-4 weeks in the last 2 years. Along with that I want to know how many miles you've run in each of the last two weeks. Nothing in the plan has been written in number of miles, but we need to transition to that soon, so I need to know.

Basically the plan is to repeat last week's plan but with a few changes:

M - Same as last week, 6x80m strides

T - Same distance as last week but as a fartlek effort - no times/paces to hit, just get 10-15 minutes of uptempo running in - break it up however you want. 8x8-10second hill sprints

W - 65-75min progression run

Th - Super easy 40-50 mins

F - Same as last week, 8x8-10second hill sprints

Sat - Same as Monday

Sun - Long Run - add 1-1.5 miles from last week's run

Pile on those miles but be smart. Paces should be comfortable but not dragging. Be smart about the heat - A run at 7:00 pace at 7am will feel much easier than a run at 8:00 at 1pm. Remember to take a day if you need a day, but it should be because you need it and not because you're just not into it that day.

Garden State Track Club

USATF & RRCA Members

2011 President's Cup &

Penn Relays 5k Classic Team Champions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Mile_Run,_New_Jersey

Friday, August 5, 2011

Sunday Team Long Run

For a variety of reasons, we are having the team long run again at Six MIle Reservoir Run, at the corner of Blackwell Mills Road and Canal Road, at 9am this Sunday.

We'll put in half the time on the rolling, shaded trail, then run the second half on the flat tow path...enabling a faster-paced second half of the run.

For those looking to become Six Mile historians, here's a bit on its history:

Directions? See below...the parking lot is on Canal Road. See ya there! 9am! Please be on time!

Blackwells Mills Canal House
Blackwells Mills Road & Canal Road
Somerset, NJ 08873

--

Garden State Track Club

USATF & RRCA Members

2011 President's Cup &

Penn Relays 5k Classic Team Champions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2hWjFqi3IA

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Sprinter Fall Training Program Begins!

Watch these five videos, and follow your form:

Knee drive final 20m? Chin to pocket arm swing, front to back, not across the body? Slight lean forward? Knee drive constant with little backside kick? Head and neck aligned?

Monday, August 1, 2011

[August 1 - 7]: Sprinters Start & Distance Continues the Big Build

Welcome

We are super excited to welcome seven runners to the GSTC weekly email list: Mike Dixon, Cullen Davis, Carlos Rosario, Allan Mandujan, Simon Montique, Jaris Rousseau, and Brian Antosiewicz. Mike has been one of NJ's most decorated and accomplished road racers for the past three years, as he owns gold medals and course records at the National College Blue Ridge Marathon, Indian Trails 15k, HAT Run 50k, Clinton Country Run 15k, and my favorite, the Half-Wit Half Marathon. Cullen is a superstar from North Brunswick who joined us for his first GSTC run today; with PRs of 4:14.00 and 1:53.32, he is by far one of Middlesex County's most promising distance runners in county history. However, that makes THREE runners from North Brunswick on this list now....I'm not sure if we can handle any more!

Carlos and Allan are both New Brunswick students and distance runners. Carlos ran 20:04 for 5k last year, and this is Allan's first running team.

Simon and Brian will be joining the sprint group tomorrow. Simon is a triple jumper, hurdler, and sprinter from Edison HS, while Brian is a 50 second 400m runner from Metuchen who know attends the track-less Kean University, just like Jaris...who ran 58.13 in the 400 hurdles in 2010 before Kean shut down their program shortly thereafter.

Running Warehouse Support

In an opening gesture that suggests more may follow, Running Warehouse (www.runningwarehouse.com) has offered all GSTC members discounted costs of all items (evidently discount depends on item) and free shipping. Please use the discount code GSTCD in the coupon section of the shopping cart!

Sprinting General Prep Starts Tomorrow

You all got phone calls, so you all know- meet at Metuchen HS tomorrow at 5:30. From there, we will caravan over to Roosevelt Park, the spot of our summer training program, and begin training at 6:00 sharp. Thanks for being on time, and let's ge ready to work hard and have some fun! This week's emphasis is on mobility and movement, not fitness or aerobic development. See workout schedule below.

Facebook- Please Become a Fan!

We are VERY CLOSE to submitting our many applications, and we very much want to have the biggest FB fan base of any East Coast track club. Right now, we just passed Shore AC and are second only to CPTC by about forty fans. Click below if you haven't already!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/GardenStateTC

GSTC Team BBQ- September 11

Team Workouts

Monday: Sprinters- 6:00 @ Roosevelt Park (meet Metuchen HS at 5:30)

Distance- 5:30 @ 106 Bayard (road run)

Tuesday: Distance- 5:30 @ 106 Bayard (drive to Six Mile for 5:45 start)

Wednesday: Sprinters- 6:00 @ Roosevelt Park (meet Metuchen HS at 5:30)

Distance- 5:30 @ 106 Bayard (road run)

Thursday: Distance- 5:30 @ 106 Bayard (drive to Six Mile for 5:45 start)

Saturday: Sprinters- 10:00 @ Roosevelt Park

Sunday: Distance- 9:00am @ TBD (let's pick a new spot...)

This Week in Training- Distance (email cjtafelski@yahoo.com with questions)

As with last week, most of this running is comfortable, but don't be afraid to open it up and roll if you feel like it. Still, stay away from threshold.

The general plan is to move the Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday runs up 5-7 minutes from last week. 6x100 strides after the runs on Monday and Saturday.

Hill repeats Tuesday and Friday - this can be done mid-run if you choose and if it's easier to get to a good hill that way. We're going for 5 reps on Tuesday and 6 on Friday. ALL OUT for 8-10 seconds on the steepest hill you can find, with complete recovery. If you choose to do this mid-run, Go 3-4 miles, do your hill reps, then 3-4 more miles.

Wednesday - 60-70 minutes progression run like last week.

Thursday is super easy - 40 minutes or OFF day. Don't be afraid to take it if you need it, but remember there's a difference between needing an off day and just not feeling like it. You know what that difference is. If you need it, take it and don't look back.

Long run Sunday - Another 80-100 minutes, but I'd like to try to dial the pace down a bit on long runs from 45 minutes to the end. If you're going at Six Mile, it would probably be a good idea to do the first 45 minutes on the trail and the next 45 (if you're going 90) as an out-and-back on the towpath at a faster pace.

This Week in Training- Sprinters (email chuckschneekloth@hotmail.com with questions)

As our first week back, we will emphasize the basic foundational needs of sprinters: flexibility, movement, relaxation, and stride length.

During our Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday sessions, we will do a combination of drills, extended strides with short recovery, and circuit work. Indeed, ingredients such as hills, strength, core work, plyos, and aerobic development are essential to the recipe, but these are best to be slowly integrated, in stages, during the general prep phase of training.

The other days should be spent reinforcing what we do together, in the form of warming up, 8-12 x 100 stride, and warming down. Enjoy these relaxed, opening weeks....while they last.

Garden State Track Club

USATF & RRCA Members

2011 President's Cup &

Penn Relays 5k Classic Team Champions