This is an 8 week summer training plan designed for high school students who are new to running or have little to no prior experience. The goal of the plan is to build a strong foundation before official cross country practice begins, without overwhelming the athlete or increasing the risk of injury.
The focus is on consistency, gradually increasing endurance, and learning good running habits. Most runs/walk-runs are done at an easy, conversational pace, with rest days built in to allow the body to adapt. The plan introduces running slowly and progressively, helping athletes become comfortable running for longer periods of time over the course of the summer.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
-What is easy run pace? This is a pace that you could talk to your friend pretty easily if they were running with you. It should be easy to carry on a conversation.
-Strides: These are best described as comfortably fast. They are NOT sprints, but they are still much faster than your easy run pace. Always take 100m or 45-60sec very slow jog in between strides.
-Pickups: Should be around the same effort as strides
Hammer & Axe Training was born out of a vision shared by a handful of elite distance runners. We found in our training that we ran our best when we committed to training our speed and strength equally. A focus on strength made us durable, strong, and prepared for the adversity that racing brings. A focus on speed made us confident, efficient, and ready to move when the right moment arrived. We wanted to bring this feeling of speed and strength to as many runners as possible.