Jay Johnson
@coachjayjohnson
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"Every time I open your emails, I learn something new and apply it. Your stuff is phenomenal." - Sean V.
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The 1600m runner should be able to...
• Run a very good 3200m...one distance "up"
• Run a very good 800m...one distance "down"
• Run a solid 5000m/5k...two distances up
• Run a solid 400m...two distances down
Can you?
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Show me a program where the varsity runners cheer on the JV runners and the freshman runners, and I'll show you a team that will be at the state meet for years to come.
Related...
Upperclassman: You have no idea how cool this is for freshmen and sophomores.
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Athletes: If you do everything your coach assigns this summer you'll have a great fall.
You don't need extra workouts, secret training, or an outside strength coach.
But you do need to be consistent.
It's a simple recipe for success, but it won't be easy.
Let's go!
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Two of the best ever, at every level of their careers, going all out for a very long time.
My guess is that most HS runners would be well served to see this and visualizing themselves doing the same.
This video has about 100 retweets. Should it have 1000?
Never. Give. Up.
2003 NCAA XC Championships
Ryan Hall vs Dathan Ritzenhein
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In college, I was the 7th runner on a couple of good teams at the Univ. of Colorado.
In my mind, I had a simple task for each race: displace as many of the other team's scorers as I could.
If you're the 6th or 7th runner on your team, you can help your team a TON.
Let's go!
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There’s two types of XC athletes:
1. Those who think bad weather is a net positive and will help them displace athletes who are fitter than them but have poor attitudes.
2. Those with poor attitudes.
Which one are you?
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To run your best XC race you'll have to endure discomfort. You'll have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
So when your coach asks you to do a workout or a long run or post-run strength and mobility that's hard, remember that you're preparing to run PRs, even in the summer.
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Embrace the shorter distances to run your best distance faster.
1600m runner: value the 800 and 4x400.
The half marathoner needs to be able to run a decent 5k - the faster the 5k the faster the half marathon.
If the 800 is your race, how fast can you run 400m and 200m?
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Athletes: What's in your control these final weeks?
• Sleep
• Hydratation
• Visualizing the race
• Being the "right level" of excited for the race
Two things that aren't in your control
• The weather
• Course conditions
Focus on what you can control, not what you can't.
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“Sleep is like a secret ingredient in the recipe of running success.”
- Chapter 13 in my book Consistency is Key 🔑
HS athletes: the more you value sleep as a crucial part of your training the faster you’ll race. You can’t make physiological adaptations without recovery.
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Unlocking the 800m is hard for come XC coaches.
Here are some things to keep in mind.
• Faster than race pace 200s
• 150s and 120s that are much faster than 800m PR pace
• 150s and 120s at PR rhythm that feels easy and fluid
And 4x400m legs every chance you can get...
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Take 90 seconds and watch this before your next race.
(sound on)
Never. Give. Up.
2003 NCAA XC Championships
Ryan Hall vs Dathan Ritzenhein
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Athletes: Sunday is a great night to get into better sleep habits.
• Can you get off your phone 30-60 min earlier than normal?
• Can you get to bed 15-20 min earlier than normal?
If you can ingrain these habits in the next two weeks, you'll race faster in Oct and Nov.
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I no longer recommend the lunge matrix and leg swings as the best way to warm up for a run 🤯
Here's the best dynamic warm-up that I know of from
@JBoele2go
Coaches: This is the time to learn and share it with your athletes.
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Athletes: It's not too late to adjust your sleep habits for the championship season.
But you already know this.
Here's some motivation to get yourself to bed 15-20-30 min earlier and off your phone 60 min before bed:
You'll have better workouts if you get more sleep.
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I love so many things about cross country. Here's one.
Cross country grows a young learner's attention span for hard work.
The sport introduces them to their current limits, then workouts and long runs and races provide a chance to stretch these limits.
What a gift.
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Be honest that...
In the 800m it's going to hurt from 500m to the end.
In the 1600m you'll have to cover a move if you want to race to your fitness level.
In the 3200m you can't let the pace slow on laps 5, 6, and the first half of 7.
"Be comfortable being uncomfortable"
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Athletes, here's the deal....
If you want to succeed in high school track running, remember these four things:
• Sleep is a secret ingredient to your success
• You've got to keep your easy days easy
• You simply need to compete to PR
• You've got to trust your coach
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XC is a team sport, yes?
And how do you help your team? By being the best runner you can be.
So don't skip the "little things" and make sure to get plenty of sleep.
Your teammates are counting on you.
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Hilly course?
Do not "push the hills," but rather keep the same effort going up the hills.*
Does this mean you'll get passed by the "push the hills" gang? Sure.
But you can roll them up on the downhills and the flats.
*If a course finishes on an uphill then push that hill.
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Parents: Before championship meets, be mindful of how your energy, your tone, and even your posture impact your runner.
When you're with them, you want to be positive and centered rather than "fired up" and "pumped."
Also, it never hurts to remind them...
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Every track is 400m, yes?
But every XC course is different, correct?
Why would you expect to be able to compare XC times from one week to the next when the course is different?
Let your coach help you compare your performances from week to week.
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Be honest that...
In the 800m it's going to hurt from 500m to the finish.
In the 1600m you'll have to cover a move if you want to race to your fitness level.
In the 3200m you can't let the pace slow on laps 5, 6, and the first half of 7. "Be comfortable being uncomfortable"
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I no longer recommend the Lunge Matrix and Leg Swings as the best way to warm-up.
Try this warm-up from
@JBoele2go
. Coaches in the XC Training System and Track Training System love it.
Now's the time to teach it! You can get the warm-up on your phone at the link below.
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XC is a team sport, yes?
And how do you help your team? By being the best runner you can be.
So don't skip the "little things" and make sure to get plenty of sleep.
Your teammates are counting on you.
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Athletes: Winter Trianing is simple.
1. Build the aerobic engine.
2. Strengthen the chassis to handle the growing engine.
3. Rev the engine from day one.
Everyone is fired up for 1.
Most people are bought into 2.
You must do 3. if you want to have a great April and May.
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If you're a middle-distance or distance runner and your coach asks you to run a leg on the 4x400m relay, say yes!!!
You'll advance your fitness and have a better shot of PRing in your main event the following week.
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HS XC Athletes: Can you get 5 percent better from today until the end of the season?
If so, you can make these types of jumps...
7:00 pace - 21:53 to 20:47
6:30 pace - 20:19 to 19:18
6:00 pace - 18:45 to 17:49
5:30 pace - 17:12 to 16:20
5:00 pace - 15:38 to 14:52
Let's go!
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5 Must-Do Cross Country Workouts
Cross country is a simple sport, and so it makes sense that cross country runners need fun cross country workouts that they can do in any environment.
I’m going to share five must-do cross country workouts that every cross country runner should
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I know this is hard - and maybe it's not realistic...
But getting 20 more minutes of sleep each night for the rest of the season will make a huge impact on your racing (as much as killer workouts will).
Maybe less Snap and Insta and Facetime after practice? 😉
Let's go!
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The opportunity to compete in high school cross country is a gift.
Don't assume you'll have more fun as a collegiate athlete or as a fast adult road racer.
Focus on this week's meet and savor the chance to compete in your school's uniform.
Let's go!
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Athletes: If you are assigned a run, post-run work, a cross-training day, a weight room session, etc., and you fail to do it, be honest that you're not following your coach's plan.
The best athletes do all the assignments.
Make sure you're doing the same.
Let's Go!
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When a long run or workout is hard, remind yourself that you're training your mind to endure discomfort.
Remember that your best races will be those in which you endured more discomfort than you had in previous races.
This will not be easy, but the concept is simple.
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HS Coaches
Here’s a phrase I love to use with athletes:
If you want to do things you’ve never done before, you’ve got to do things you’ve never done before.
This is a great time of year to employ the phrase.
Thread 👇👇👇
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When your coach asks you to do a workout that's hard or sorta hard the week of a big meet, thank them.
You have to be in touch with being uncomfortable in the middle of the week so that when Saturday comes, you're ready to roll.
Trust the hard workouts.
Let's go!
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90% of a great Dec-Jan of training is really just:
• Getting out the door
• Getting in two challenging aerobic runs per week
• Getting your strides in (when the footing is safe)
• Knocking out your post-run work
Simple, but not easy.
#ConsistencyIsKey
#LetsGo
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"Coach: Why do you assign strides in the last 20 min of a long run?"
• We want athletes running with good posture when they're tired; strides help with this.
• We need to "Rev the Engine" as often as possible.
• Strides help athletes be mentally engaged when they're tired.
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It's called an endurance sport because you have to learn the skill of enduring discomfort.
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Athletes: What's in your control in the coming weeks?
• Sleep
• Hydratation
• Visualizing the race(s)
• Being the "right level" of excitement for the race
What's not in your control?
• The weather
Focus on what you can control, not what you can't.
Let's go!
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The opportunity to compete in high school track is a gift.
Don't assume you'll have more fun as a collegiate athlete or as a fast adult road racer.
Focus on this week's meet and savor the chance to compete in your school's uniform.
Let's go!
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They don't give All-Conference or All-State honors for impressive Strava accounts.
They don't give team trophies in October and November based on pre-season polls in August.
Tune out the noise and do it on the day.
Let's go!
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Athletes: If you're stuck at a particular performance (time) and can't break through, do three things...
• Commit to enduring more discomfort in the next race
• Don't worry about failure
• Beat people in front of you
Need a word that encapsulates these points?
"Compete!"
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Be honest that...
In the 800m it's going to hurt from 500m to the finish.
In the 1600m you'll have to cover a move if you want to race to your fitness level.
In the 3200m you can't let the pace slow on laps 5, 6, and the first half of 7. "Be comfortable being uncomfortable"
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Core X
This is a simple routine, but as Thelonious Monk said, "Simple ain't easy."
Middle-age marathoners have knocked out two sets of this, with no rest, after 2+ hour runs.
HS kids with good strength levels can do the same.
Younger kids: 15-20 sec breaks between exercises?
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Some XC math...
If you can run 4 sec per 1600m faster from one race to another, that's about a 13 sec PR.
At the state meet, mid-pack, a runner comes in every second.
If you can move up 13 places from today to that meet, and every teammate does the same, that's 80 points.
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There are no magic workouts.
And a single workout won’t make your season.
And…
Most athletes reading this have an important meet the last week of October.
There are 101 days to Saturday, October 29.
Consistency is key, and so is being honest about how much time you have.
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New coaches often think the keys to success are:
• Having the right workouts
• Having perfect places to train
• Having a sophisticated weight room plan
What it actually is:
• Getting enough kids out for the team
• Keeping kids injury-free
• Having fun
That’s it.
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Rather than focusing on your race time, focus on passing the person in front of you and helping your team score.
Be a teammate that lowers your team's score.
...and when you keep passing people in front of you, the chance that you'll like your finish time goes up 😀
Let's go!
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Athletes, here's the deal....
If you want to succeed in high school track running, remember these four things:
• Sleep is a secret ingredient to your success
• You've got to keep your easy days easy
• You simply need to compete to PR
• You've got to trust your coach
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Easy days: Enjoy running with your friends. Running is a gift.
Hard days: Stay mentally engaged when you start to get uncomfortable. Use this opportunity to improve managing discomfort.
Let's go!
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Be honest that...
In the 800m it's going to hurt from 500m to the finish.
In the 1600m you'll have to cover a move if you want to race to your fitness level.
In the 3200m you can't let the pace slow on laps 5, 6, and the first half of 7. "Be comfortable being uncomfortable"
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The last few minutes of a race are going to hurt, yes?
In your next hard workout, be willing to hurt so that you're mentally prepared when the same thing happens in the race.
Too often, athletes don't see workouts as a chance to improve mentally. Don't let that be you.
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Athletes:
If you want to be "locked in" mentally in the last 5-10 minutes of a race, doesn't it make sense to do the same thing in the last 5-10 minutes of every workout and long run?
Practice your mental skills multiple times a week.
Let's go!
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Want to enhance your running performance?
Get more sleep.
It's cost-free, it's legal, and it works.
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New coaches often think the keys to success are:
• Having the right workouts
• Having perfect places to train
• Having a sophisticated weight room plan
What it actually is:
• Getting enough kids out for the team
• Keeping kids injury-free
• Having fun
That’s it.
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27
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The opportunity to compete in high school track is a gift. Don't assume you'll have more fun as a collegiate athlete or as a fast adult road racer.
Focus on the next meet and savor the chance to compete in your school's uniform.
Let's go!
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"Coach: Why do you assign strides in the last 20 min of a long run?"
• We want athletes running with good posture when they're tired; strides help with this.
• We need to "Rev the Engine" as often as possible.
• Strides help athletes be mentally engaged when they're tired.
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Parents:
Before championship meets, be mindful of how your energy, your tone, and even your posture impact your runner.
When you're with them, you want to be positive and centered rather than "fired up" and "pumped."
Also, it never hurts to remind them that how you feel
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The biggest mistake I made as a college coach? I didn't call the HS coach of every incoming recruit.
That call...
a. Gives you valuable insights into the athlete.
b. Improves the chance the HS coach speaks well of you to their peers.
College coaches: This is low-hanging fruit.
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Athletes who run big PRs in April and May do the following in the winter:
• Build their engine with challenging aerobic workouts
• Train under 100% of their capacity
• Rarely skip the assigned strides
• Knock out their post-run work
The road to big PRs isn't complicated.
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I was never the best runner on my college XC team, but I put in the work (17-20 miles on Sun).
Putting in the work as the 6th or 7th runner gave me the chance to displace other teams' scorers and help my team's score.
Every runner counts, and every point matters.
Let's go!
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Enjoy this moment....
If you're a coach and you've had athletes race to their potential this week.
If you're an athlete and you raced to your potential this week.
If you're a parent and you got to see your child compete.
All of it is special.
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Just a quick reminder...
As of today, this account is for high school coaches and high school runners. That's it.
I've been getting some silly comments from adult runners that are distracting. There are dozens of coaches in Twitter ready to serve adults - find 'em 😀
Let's go!
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XC is a team sport, yes?
And how do you help your team? By being the best runner you can be.
So don't skip the "little things" this week and make sure to get plenty of sleep.
Your teammates are counting on you!
Let's go!
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There’s two types of XC athletes:
1. Those who think bad weather is a net positive and will help them displace athletes who are fitter than them but have poor attitudes.
2. Those with poor attitudes.
Which one are you?
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Consistency in June and July is the foundation of a great cross country season.
It's simple, but it's not easy.
#consistencyiskey
#simplenoteasy
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At any point in a race, an athlete can take "10 quick steps."
This is a gem that
@IversonDan
shared in the Mental Skills for High School Runners course.
You can watch the videos or check out the thread with the transcript.
Link in bio for more Mental Skills videos.
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HS Coaches
Here’s a phrase I love to use with athletes:
If you want to do things you’ve never done before, you’ve got to do things you’ve never done before.
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Athletes: There are 46 days until May 1st, a day you should be ready to run big PRs
Are you...
• Supporting your training with sleep?
• Mentally preparing for each practice session?
• Doing all the "little things" - strength and mobility, soft tissue work, etc?
Let's go!
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If you're a sophomore, or junior and you want to have a great program for the coming years simply do this:
Talk to the freshmen. Learn their names. That's it.
If you're a senior, be the upperclassman who leaves the program in June better than it was when you were a freshman.
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40 days until Saturday, October 28.
What is in your control in the next 40 days? What isn't?
A high school runner can make a jump in fitness in 40 days. Keep your easy days easy so your hard days can be hard (races are hard days).
Sleep to support your training.
Let's go!
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HS Athletes: Make your coach's life easy by...
- Looking at the heat sheets and figuring out when you should start your warm-up. Confirm with them, but do the work first.
- When your race is over ask if they need help with anything, possibly getting splits for teammates.
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Athletes:
Want to consistently run PRs this spring?
Start by getting better sleep habits.
• Try to put your phone down 30-60 min earlier
• Hit the hay 15-20 minutes earlier than normal on Sunday nights.
Ingrain these habits now and you'll be ready to race faster in May.
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It's called an endurance sport because you have to learn the skill of enduring discomfort.
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There are 48 days until Sat, Oct 28.
There will be no magic workouts in the next 48 days, but you can make a small step towards having a great race each day.
- Run hard when you're asked to
- Do all the "little" things that aren't as fun as running
- Prioritize sleep
Let's go!
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For most runners, the last 1k of the last race of the year is the most important part of the race.
If you're a 20 min 5k runner that's just 4 minutes of discomfort you'll have to endure.
If you're a 15 min runner it's just 3 min.
Know that it's coming, and then "Compete!"
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If your coach asks you to do a hard workout and endure discomfort, this is a fantastic opportunity to become a better runner.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable during the workout, and practice keeping a calm mind.
Take advantage of this chance to get better.
Let's go!
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Arthur Lydiard, perhaps the most innovative distance coach of all time, said...
"If your coach can't tell you why you're doing something, then you should find a new coach."
...and...
If your coach can tell you the rationale for the workout, trust them and trust the workout.
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Athletes...
Rather than focusing on a time, focus on beating the person in front of you.
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There are 67 days until Sat, Oct 28.
There will be no magic workouts in the next 67 days, but you can make a small step towards having a great race each day.
- Run hard when you're asked to
- Do all the "little" things that aren't as fun as running
- Prioritize sleep
Let's go!
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In hard workouts and races, it's as simple as this:
You've got to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Let's go!
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New coaches often think the keys to success are:
• Having the right workouts
• Having perfect places to train
• Having a sophisticated weight room plan
What it actually is:
• Getting enough kids out for the team
• Keeping kids injury-free
• Having fun
That’s it.
5
27
227
Be honest that...
In the 800m it's going to hurt from 500m to the finish.
In the 1600m you'll have to cover a move if you want to race to your fitness level.
In the 3200m you can't let the pace slow on laps 5, 6, and the first half of 7. "Be comfortable being uncomfortable"
2
45
225
If you're a middle-distance or distance runner and your coach asks you to run a leg on the 4x400m relay, say yes!!!
You'll advance your fitness and have a better shot of PRing in your main event the following week.
30
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Fartlek runs are both underrated and underutilized by most runners.
Do you do fartlek runs?
When do you do them? How do you do them?
And what do you like about them?
HS Coaches - What feedback do your athletes give you when they've done a fartlek?
#runbyfeel
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There are no magic workouts.
What is magical in May is how proper recovery will increase the chance of you PRing.
Sleep and hydration, plus some gentle soft tissue work, as well as some mobility work 60 minutes before bedtime will do wonders for your body.
May is Go Time!
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HS Athletes: Make your coach's life easy by...
- Looking at the heat sheets and figuring out when you should start your warm-up. Confirm with them, but do the work first.
- When your race is over, ask if they need help with anything, possibly getting splits for teammates.
5
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220
Athletes who run big PRs in April and May do the following in the winter:
• Build their engine with challenging aerobic workouts
• Train under 100% of their capacity
• Rarely skip the assigned strides
• Knock out their post-run work
The road to big PRs isn't complicated.
2
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220
We want kids to PR in April and May.
I get it - indoors is awesome. I loved it as an athlete and ran just as fast as I ever did outdoors.
But...
15 weeks/110 days to May 1.
Training at 90-92 percent of max is a great plan this month and next.
Consistency AND patience.
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Serious high school runners need to train hard enough this winter to advance their fitness, yet not so hard that they're mentally fatigued when racing starts in March.
Pace yourself.
Let's go!
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Athletes: What's in your control these final weeks?
• Sleep
• Hydratation
• Visualizing the race
• Being the "right level" of excitement for the race
Two things that aren't in your control...
• The weather
• Course conditions
Focus on the things in your control.
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I love cross country, and there is a chance that coaches and athletes like it more than track.
But athletes who want to run in college, and the coaches who coach them, must understand that track times are what college coaches look at first (not XC).
It's almost April! Let's go!
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HS Athletes:
If you had a great XC season and now need to run solid 800m races for your team, this is the video for you.
@SandburgCC
's John O'Malley on 800m mentality.
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Want to enhance your running performance?
Get more sleep.
It's cost-free, it's legal, and it works.
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212
Are you anxious about the upcoming meet? Don't be.
Smile and remind yourself that you're ready for a great race. You've put in the work, and you're mentally prepared.
I'm serious about the smiling part 😀
Smile when you think about the race - it'll help with nerves.
Let's go!
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Coaches: Do you have kids that were solid in XC, but struggle with the intensity of the 800? Have them check out this from John O'Malley
@SandburgCC
"We’re getting rid of the “comfortably hard thought process.”
You've got to be ready to be a hundred times more intense.
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I use five workouts to help runners learn to run by feel, and to build their aerobic engine.
I teach them in this order...
1. Long run (with strides)
2. Fartlek run
3. Progression run
4. Aerobic repeats
5. 30-90 fartlek
Which one are you the most curious about?
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You don't need killer workouts 2-3 times a week to have a great XC season.
You simply need to...
• Run all the assigned days
• Run hard, but not all out, a couple of times a week
• Do every "non-running" thing assigned (core, mobility, soft tissue massage, etc.)
Let's go!
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I think Milesplit is an unbelievable resource for our sport.
…and I can’t think of a reason athletes should be on it this week.
You have no control over the competition.
Focus on the things in your control this week.
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