Track & Field

Running

What is the most important thing a high school runner can do to be better?

Maximize Potential: Key Steps for High School Runners to Improve

In my opinion, there are two things that are most important for high school Runner to do to get better. Primarily aerobic, development is the biggest needs to be Progressive, you need to start where you're at whether that's five miles a week and building up throughout your high school career to larger volumes and larger weekly Vault volumes. But at the same time, you should also focus on mechanics because at that age, you Learn bad mechanics. You learned poor form and you have an opportunity to correct it before it becomes a problem. Later on in your career, robic development and biomechanical work whether that's quite metrics weight room. Like just learning. Good, good form, good mechanics.

High school runners should focus on both aerobic development and biomechanical work to get better, such as increasing weekly mileage, improving form, and doing strength training.

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In my opinion, there are two key things that a high school runner can do to improve. Firstly, prioritize aerobic development. It's essential to gradually increase your training volume over your high school career, starting from where you are currently at, whether that's five miles a week or more. Progressively building up your mileage is crucial for improvement.

Secondly, focus on mechanics and form. During high school, it's common to develop poor running mechanics. Take this opportunity to correct any bad habits before they become more challenging to address later on. Consider incorporating biomechanical work, such as drills or exercises, and even utilizing the weight room to learn and maintain good form.

By emphasizing both aerobic development and proper mechanics, high school runners can significantly enhance their performance.

If you had the opportunity to shape the future of professional track & field, what changes would you recommend?

Reimagining Track & Field: Simplifying Rankings to Celebrate Speed

I don't think professional track and field has some challenges to it. Most recently World Athletics in their ranking system in my opinion puts more power in into fewer people and less into into the athletes themselves. I would like track and field to go back to where it started the fastest person and Hundred meters is the fastest person at 100 meters. You don't need a ranking in order to tell somebody that story, we've injected complicated ranking system, that now is very important for qualifying for World Championships and Olympics which is actually confuses the point of the most simple sport on Earth. The gun goes off. People run. And there's the first one to the Finish Line. It's very easy story to tell. And that is the rice. That is the race.

Track and field has recently shifted to a ranking system which puts more power into fewer people and less into the athletes, making it more complicated to qualify for World Championships and Olympics. It would be better to go back to the simpler system of the fastest person at each event being the winner.

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If given the opportunity to shape the future of professional track and field, I would recommend some changes. One challenge I see is the ranking system implemented by World Athletics. In my opinion, this system puts more power in the hands of a few individuals and takes away from the athletes themselves. I believe track and field should return to its roots, where the fastest person in the hundred meters is simply the fastest person. We don't need a complicated ranking system to tell that story. The essence of the sport is simple: the gun goes off, people run, and the first one to the finish line wins. It's a straightforward narrative that should be emphasized.

I’m heading to altitude for training camp, how often should I be checking my ferritin levels? Any other ways to boost up iron stores?

Boost iron stores at altitude: Check ferritin every 2 weeks, supplement & increase iron absorption.

Scott Simmons here, actually in Colorado at altitude on a long run, run with some of my athletes. It's over 7,000 feet. Thought this would be a good opportunity. Answer this question with regards to checking your ferritin levels. You definitely need to check in before you come to altitude, probably should be supplementing as well. If you are from sea level, when you, when you come to altitude, you probably don't need a check more often than than two weeks. It takes 10 to 14 days to build new red, blood cells, and hemoglobin. You will also be using ferritin to build those those, those red blood cell components. So, that would be a good protocol to check your ferritin as to your question about what to do to boost iron stores. Just being at altitude will encourage your body to absorb more iron if you are. Ending which of course you should be obviously avoiding avoiding things that that prohibit, the absorption of iron can be helpful. Well, will taking supplements like vitamin C that actually increases the absorption of iron is also helpful, so best of luck training at altitude.

Check your ferritin levels before and after coming to altitude, supplementing with iron can also help increase absorption. Taking Vitamin C can also help with increasing the absorption of iron.

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As an athlete currently training at altitude in Colorado, I can provide some insights on checking ferritin levels and boosting iron stores. Before heading to altitude, it's important to check your ferritin levels and consider supplementing if necessary. If you're coming from sea level, checking your ferritin levels every two weeks should be sufficient. It takes about 10 to 14 days to build new red blood cells and hemoglobin, and ferritin is used in this process.

To boost iron stores, being at altitude itself encourages your body to absorb more iron. Additionally, it's important to avoid substances that hinder iron absorption. Taking supplements like vitamin C can actually increase iron absorption, so that can be helpful as well.

Best of luck with your training at altitude!

How often do you train a particular system within a training cycle?

Train smart, not hard: The key to effective workouts lies in quality over quantity

How often do you train? A particular system within a training cycle? I have a philosophy that I would prefer to have fewer great workouts than more mediocre workouts. Particularly with regards to, to an aerobic workouts in any given training cycle. I think within a smaller and smaller training periods such as a week, obviously, the Aerobic System, Needs to be trained very frequently because it's the largest contributor to long-distance performance. Anaerobic, threshold wise, the body recovers much quick faster than an anaerobic stress does on it. So we can visit it two or even three times a week, and I can be in the form of a temple. Run along, run interval, sessions that are much longer distance, 800 thousand meters. Mi 1 k 2 K, but with regards to taxing the anaerobic system, we need to be much more careful. And we need to ensure recovery from those sessions prior to scheduling another similar session.

Aerobic system needs to be trained very frequently (2-3 times a week), while anaerobic system needs to be trained more carefully with ample recovery time between similar sessions.

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I believe in prioritizing quality over quantity when it comes to training. Specifically, in terms of aerobic workouts within a training cycle, I prefer to have fewer great workouts rather than more mediocre ones. The aerobic system, being the largest contributor to long-distance performance, needs to be trained frequently within a smaller training period, such as a week.

On the other hand, the body recovers more quickly from anaerobic stress compared to aerobic stress. This allows us to visit anaerobic training, particularly threshold workouts, two or even three times a week. These sessions can take the form of tempo runs or interval sessions covering longer distances like 800 meters or 1-2 kilometers.

However, when it comes to taxing the anaerobic system, we need to be more cautious. It's important to ensure proper recovery from these sessions before scheduling another similar session.

Once you're in the midst of racing during a cross country season, what approach do you recommend for improving times and avoiding stagnation?

Unlock Your Potential: The Key to Improving Times in Cross Country Racing

I think the focus should always be on the championship part of the cross country season. Everything we do in training has reason and that includes racing. Your focus should be on progressively developing abilities throughout the entire cross country season. Not so much the races themselves. Yes, you can use the races as as training but your focus needs to continually be on building aerobic volume. Improving anaerobic threshold and and pointing towards the championship season as opposed to individual races throughout the season.

Focus on gradually developing abilities throughout the entire cross country season, rather than individual races. Increase aerobic volume and anaerobic threshold in order to prepare for the championship season.

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During the cross country season, I recommend focusing on the championship part of the season to improve times and avoid stagnation. Training should have a purpose, including racing. The key is to progressively develop your abilities throughout the entire season, rather than solely focusing on individual races.

While races can be used as training opportunities, the primary focus should be on building aerobic volume, improving anaerobic threshold, and preparing for the championship season. By maintaining this long-term perspective and prioritizing overall development, you can continue to make progress and avoid stagnation during the cross country season.

What are your thoughts on using a hot tub for recovery?

Hot tubs and saunas: The secret to athletic recovery

Both hot tubs and steam rooms and saunas as well. Have a great benefit. We use them in order to adapt to a competing in hot, humid environments, but there is also a recovery component to typically the protocol. We use when we're using it to adapt to competing and hot hot, and humid weather is is to have a 30-minute run, just a typical use you run in the afternoon and then go into a hot environment like a like a sauna, or a hot tub. So we've increased our core temperature, we're teaching our body to to acclimate to those type of conditions. But what also happens in that circumstances were body actually increases testosterone. So we're actually it actually helps helps you recover from the hard training that you've done by just using those. Those simple easily available modalities.

Hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas are great for adapting to hot and humid environments and can help with recovery. We use them by having a 30-minute run in the afternoon and then going into a hot environment like a sauna or hot tub. This helps to increase our core temperature, as well as testosterone which helps with recovery from hard training.

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Hot tubs, steam rooms, and saunas all have great benefits for recovery. They are commonly used to adapt to competing in hot and humid environments, but they also play a role in recovery. A typical protocol involves a 30-minute run in the afternoon followed by immersing oneself in a hot environment like a sauna or hot tub. This increases core temperature and helps the body acclimate to those conditions. Additionally, this process can increase testosterone levels, aiding in recovery from intense training. These simple and easily accessible modalities can be effective tools for recovery.

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Scott Simmons is head coach of Queens University of Charlotte's cross-country & track teams. He led the men's program to a 7th-place finish at the 2008 NCAA DII National Cross Country Championships and coached four NCAA DII individual national championship titles. Simmons earned a bachelor's in psychology and master's in sport coaching. He has led six NAIA National Coach of the Year Awards and coached numerous individuals to US national titles and onto US National teams. He is a two-time USA National Team Leader and a nationally recognized speaker. He has penned several books on the sport.