by Larry Eder
This is Thursday, August 4, 2022. It is Week five, day four of the 2022 Summer Cross Country Mileage Program. Give us three more weeks, and you will be ready for fall cross country.
Our photo today is of Eilish McColgan, who had taken 10th and 11th in the 10,000m and 5,000m at the World Champs. She had told Stuart Weir that she knew she was much fitter. She was, as she won the 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games on August 3 with a blistering kick, running 30:49 for a CR and the gold!
Today is a hill workout. Hills are great ways to build strength and speed. I tell the story of a double gold medalist at 10,000m, and 5,000m (1972 and 1976 and sixth in 1976 marathon), Lasse Viren, who had achilles issues, and his gentle 800m hill repeats built his speed and strength.
Our workout is more modest, we are moving the distance to 250 meters from 200 meters, and we do six to eight repeats and a jog in between. Rob De Castella did hill workouts where he had 8 hill charges in a 5,000mm loop, which was pretty impressive as well.
Your workout today, warm up, 30-minute run, 6-8 times 250m hill charge, jog or walk down, jog 10 minutes, then, 6 x 150-meter stride outs, and cooldown.
