ECU will be hosting the Bill Carson Track & Field Invitational on March 31st (throws) & April 1st (running and jumps), 2023. Several top schools will be competing! Coach Choo Track Club is recruiting volunteers for the Saturday portion of the meet. We need 20-30 individuals to assist the USATF officials with a number of different aspects of the meet. Volunteers are needed to check in athletes and officials, assist announcers, rake pits, move hurdles, shuttle athletes on to the track, count laps and a variety of other jobs. We will provide a free meet T-shirt for those volunteering at least 3 hours! -- Meet Schedule
(this is the 2022 schedule, 2023 will follow similar timeline) - Click here to volunteer! (Deadline is Wednesday Mar. 29)
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Bo Run 2022 is scheduled for Sept 24, at Boyd Lee Park
Registration info is available at NC.Milesplit.com Results I am always getting asked the question "How can I get faster". It's usually asked from the context of a runner looking to improve their 5k times. When asked, my first response is to geek out with training theory and other scientific sounding stuff about mitochondrial development, lactate threshold, blah, blah, blah. But runners are usually looking for a just a few quick tips that they can remember with having to read a book!
So, sparing you the scientific mumbo-jumbo, here a few simple adjustments to your weekly routine that can make you a faster runner.
Try to incorporate one of these concepts into your training each week. First get used to slowing down, then get used to running more, then everyday, etc......... Be patient, don't overhaul your training all at once. Do this and in 2-3 months you will see significant long lasting improvements in your running. We've discussed the importance of "Base Training", logging many miles to build up our aerobic system. Logging a lot of miles in the off-season is the surest way to get fast during the xc season!
BUT it's one thing to write down 50 miles a week or 200 miles a month, and an entirely different thing to actually "Git'er Done"! Putting in the miles is a challenge. It is physically demanding as well as mentally challenging, but the rewards are great if you can accomplish it. But be aware, lots of running will make you tired, and make you more susceptible to injury, so we have to be smart about putting in the miles. Here are some tips to help you through the drudgery of weeks of mileage training.
A coaching friend used to say “Heat is our Friend” It didn’t seem that way today as I slogged along miserably, forced to take several walk and shade breaks to cool off during my long run!
The summer temperatures and brutal humidity of Eastern North Carolina make for a nasty combination. Running in July can be akin to training on a treadmill in a steam room, you go nowhere while drowning in sweat! You can’t run fast enough to improve speed or run long enough to improve endurance before core temperature and dehydration become a limiting factors. Throw in pancake flat terrain and minimal shade, Eastern NC in July becomes what one of my runners once described as training in “Satan’s Anus"! I once thought it impossible for a distance runner to train successfully in these conditions. But my coach (Bill Carson) pointed out Florida Track Club (with Olympians Frank Shorter, Jack Bachelor and Jeff Galloway) successfully trained in Gainesville Fl back in the 60’s and 70’s. Carson had been an assistant at Florida in the 60's so he saw firsthand the results of training in the heat. So how did they achieve such success in the heat? It turns out that training in hot and humid conditions can produce effects sim ilar to altitude training. The basic premise is hot and humidity forces the body to utilize H20 to aid in the cooling process, thus reducing blood volume. The result is a higher ratio of plasma to red blood cells (which carry hemoglobin), causing the body to overcompensate by producing more hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is where the blood carries oxygen, which distance runners need for to fuel their activity. You gain positive training effects training at higher volume with lower intensities. The body also becomes more efficient at cooling. With altitude training you see the results you see the results when you return to sea level, with heat training you see the results when the weather cools off. For a more scientific explanation (in common terms) read: https://www.outsideonline.com/2415257/heat-training-benefits-2020-study Now, running in the heat can be miserable, and even dangerous! As you sweat more your hydration level drops. Dehydration diminishes your body’s ability to cool itself so your core temperature rises to unsafe levels! Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of summer training while staying safe:
Finally, realize that running in the heat will sap you, make you feel out of shape and that can demoralize a runner! Keep your focus on the long term benefits and know that you will reap the benefits if you are consistent (and safe) in your summer training. |
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