Hammer time

For those current men's team members, please check your e-mail inbox for a relatively long but I think relatively useful summer training guide. It covers everything we discussed in our end-of-year meetings in my office in May, and reviews the other stuff that you already know.

If you did not receive it, email or text me and I'll get a copy to you. Although it is long, please read it and save it. It is what is expected of you all this summer. In addition, if you would like more specific, day-to-day training schedules from me, just text or email me on a weekly basis and it is a done deal. Not a problem.

Last point: If you are a former runner, alumni, friend, parent or general interested party and would like a copy of this document, e-mail me at runhed246@hotmail.com and I'll send it to you. I'm not exactly splitting the atom or describing brain surgery here with this stuff, and I'm happy to share.

Now. I would like to expand upon one element of the training plan that is new for this summer: The "planned hard run" or the "hammer day." Again, the following disclaimer: Do not let it get out of control. Don't hammer every day. Unless you want to peak for the Minnewaska 11-mile training run during preseason. But the planned hard-distance day is a nice element to your strength-building cycle that is summer training.

Yesterday, I ran into Brownie (Ryan Brown), who is one of several team members on campus for the rest of the week as Orientation Team Leaders. He was playing basketball (OH! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!). Well, OK: He was shooting around and played one game of knockout. I still do not approve, but whatever. Anyway, Brownie had some really good questions regarding the Hammer Day.

As a public service to him and to everyone else, here are a few more details on it:

1. It is obvious and was stated in the training plan, but NEVER hammer the long run.
2. The hard run can be done as part of a double, but should never be the shorter (double) run. It should always be the main run of the day. In other words, if you are doing a double day of 13 miles (5 miles and 8 miles), the hammer run should be the 8-miler and not the 5-miler.
3. Perhaps most important: The hard (hammer) run can and should be planned … BUT: If it happens naturally in the course of a week (in other words, on a day you feel great and you just roll with it), then that becomes your hard (hammer) day. You can then schedule the rest of the week around this and it becomes one of the quality days in your training cycle.

I know this last one seems contradictory and confusing. I hope it makes sense. Basically, you want to do this type of run sparingly, like once a week, and make it one of your two "quality" days. And remember, your "quality" days during the strength-based summer build-up are not what we would consider traditional "speed."

Rolek, if you are reading this, a lot of this was inspired by you and the way you trained in the past and the way you train now. We have learned a lot along the way, and the goal as always is to train as hard as possible while being as smart as possible. Never an easy combination, but that is the elusive goal.

OK, men: Run, Rehydrate, Run Some More.