Fort Myers senior Dean McGregor turned from track mode to cross country training. Over the last two months he has been putting in the work logging 400 miles with his Green Wave teammates. McGregor, who finished 29th at last year's Cross Country Finals, is one of the top returners in 3A and gives us a break down of his training leading up to the start of the season!
Week 1 (6/1-6/7)
About a month after a very satisfying track season, the Fort Myers boys and I officially began getting back in shape for the upcoming cross country season. The previous two weeks, we were encouraged by Coach Palmer to meet in small groups and run relatively short distances at an easy pace, and throughout May, we frequented football fields to play ultimate frisbee as a team. Since May is our team frisbee season, and, in general, when we play ultimate together, all regard for human life dissipates and we end up obliterating the playing field, we were able to stay fit and active during our break through intense matches. Because of this, the team and I were able to avoid Couch-To-5kesque soreness that runners usually encounter when they start getting back into training.
6/1- 54 minute long run. 8
6/2- 12 minute fartlek (6x1:00 hard, 1:00 jog. barefoot; over frequent, small hills). 2 mile warm up, 1 mile cool down. 4.5
6/3- 40 minutes. Core and pushups. 5.5
6/4- 36 minutes. agility drills. 5
6/5- 40 minutes. Core and pushups. 5.5
6/6- Off. Core and pushups
6/7- 36 minutes. Agility drills. 5
Week 1 Mileage Total: 33.5
Summer Total: 33.5
Week 2 (6/8- 6/14)
The first few weeks of training are pretty easy, of course, but each week, multiple aspects of our program intensify besides the obvious, mileage and workouts. We add reps and different workouts to our core routine, and we’ll allot more time towards pushups and agility drills. Coach Palmer also constantly reminds us to eat healthy, stretch often, and sleep well. Its because of those extra little things that FMXC is such a successful program.
6/8- 54 minute long run. 8
6/9- 15 minute fartlek (3x2:00 hard, 1:00 jog; 3x1:00 hard, 1:00 jog. barefoot; over frequent, small hills). 2 mile warm up, 1 mile cool down. 5.1
6/10- 40 minutes. Core and pushups. 5.5
6/11- 34 minutes, progression: last 2.5 at 6:20 pace. Agility drills. 5
6/12- 45 minutes. Core and pushups. 6.2
6/13- Off. Core and pushups
6/14- 40 minutes. Agility drills. 5.5
Week 2 Mileage Total: 35.3
Summer Total: 68.8
Week 3 (6/15-6/21)
This week, I was at Warren Willis Camp, a Methodist camp that I go to with my youth group every summer, so I did most of these runs on trails around the campground (Sunday, I ran in the morning with the team like usual). I don’t mind running by myself because it gives me time to think about beating Sukhi Khosla and whatever’s been on my mind lately. I’ll usually go over different races in my head until I realize I’m going 5:30 pace, then I slow down a little bit and think about baby ducks or something. Even when I was doing my workouts alone, I found it strangely peaceful to hold a difficult pace and rush by clusters of trees, ducking under branches. It’s a certain kind of calmness I only find when I’m pushing my body out of it’s comfort zone. The beautiful trails I ran on were definitely contributing factors as well; After I’d finish, I’d have to stop to admire the area, glance at a frog, and say “nature, am I right?”
6/15- 65 minute long run. 9
6/16- 12 minute fartlek (6x1:30 hard, 30 second jog). 2 mile warm up, 2 mile cool down. 6
6/17- 52 minutes. Core and pushups. 7
6/18- 41 minute progression run: last 3 at 6:20 pace. agility drills. 6
6/19- 45 minutes. Core and pushups. 6.5
6/20- Off. Core and pushups
6/21- 40 minutes. Agility drills. 5.5
Week 3 Mileage Total: 40
Summer Total: 108.8
Week 4 (6/22-6/28)
After a short hiatus from running with the team, it was nice to see my teammates and running buddies again. We do team-oriented activities pretty often. Every Thursday during the summer, someone will host practice in their neighborhood and have dinner and a movie for the whole team afterward. It’s really important to have a close team because, like Coach Palmer says, the only people in a race that care about how you do are your six other teammates.
6/22- 69 minute long run. 9.5
6/23- 16 minute fartlek (1x4:00 hard, 2:00 jog; 1x2:00 hard, 1x3:00 hard, 2x1:00 hard, 1:00 jog. barefoot; over frequent, small hills). 2 mile warm up, 2 mile cool down. 6.7
6/24- 52 minutes. Core and pushups. 7
6/25- 39 minute progression run: last 3 at 5:50 pace. agility drills. 6
6/26- 45 minutes. Core and pushups. 6.5
6/27- Off. Core and pushups
6/28- 40 minutes. Agility drills. 5.5
Week 4 Mileage Total: 41.2
Summer Total: 150
Week 5 (6/29- 7/5)
Similar to older couples looking to spice up their love life with curry-scented yankee candles, we like to make our long runs more interesting by going to different trails in our area. Occasionally, we’ll run at the Caloosahatchee Regional Park, which is usually partially flooded this time of year. Those runs are especially difficult because we have to run through almost half a mile of knee-deep water, but despite that(or maybe because of it) it’s one of the most enjoyable runs we do as a team. Training intensity is still steadily, gradually increasing. In addition to the core workouts at practice, I started to do a modified p90x core workout and pull-ups at home.
6/29- 80 minute long, trail run. 11
6/30- 18 minute fartlek (6x2:00 hard, 1:00 jog. barefoot; over frequent, small hills). 2.5 mile warm up, 2 mile cool down. 7.8
7/1- 52 minutes. Core and pushups. 7
7/2- 39 minute progression run: last 3 at 5:50 pace. agility drills. 6
7/3- 45 minutes. Core and pushups. 6.5
7/4- Off. Core and pushups
7/5- 45 minutes. Agility drills. 6.2
Week 5 Mileage Total: 44.5
Summer Total: 194.5
Week 6 (7/6-7/13)
I spent most of this week in Tallahassee with my friend at FSU, and it was a lot fun running on the various trails and paths around the campus. This is the first week I started doubling to increase my mileage. The fartlek workout this week was more difficult than the rest because we weren’t told how long we would run for each rep. It frustrated a lot of my teammates, but it helped us replicate the feeling of surging and making moves in races.
7/6- 80 minute long run. Core and pushups. 11
7/7- 21 minute fartlek (1x4:00 hard, 2:00 jog; 2x2:00 hard, 1x3:00 hard, 2x1:00 hard, 1:00 jog. barefoot; over frequent, small hills). 2.5 mile warm up, 2 mile cool down. 8.5
7/8- 52 minutes Core and pushups. 7
7/9- 39 minute progression run: last 3 at 5:50 pace. agility drills. 6
7/9(double)- 30 minutes. 4
7/10- 45 minutes. Core and pushups. 6.5
7/11- Off. Core and pushups
7/12- 45 minutes. Agility drills. 6.2
Week 6 Mileage Total: 49.5
Summer Total: 243.7
Week 7 (7/13-7/19)
Because my training became more difficult this week and the two previous weeks, I began stretching before bed and icing my legs in a garbage can(empty) after workouts. Another thing the team started doing after workouts is playing soccer on one of the adjacent fields. Because of these extra things, like just messing around playing soccer, we’re getting stronger. Even seemingly insignificant things can contribute to a successful season.
7/13- 80 minute long run. Core and pushups. 11
7/14- 25 minute fartlek (5x1:00 hard, 1:00 jog; 3x3:00 hard, 2:00 jog. barefoot; over frequent, small hills). 2.5 mile warm up, 2 mile cool down. 8.8
7/15- 52 minutes Core and pushups. 7
7/16- 39 minute progression run: last 3 at 5:50 pace. agility drills. 6
7/16(double)- 30 minutes. 4
7/17- 52 minutes. Core and pushups. 7
7/18- Off. Core and pushups
7/19- 45 minutes. Agility drills. 6.2
Week 7 Mileage Total: 50
Summer Total: 293.7
Week 8 (7/20-7/26)
This week, I was on a mission trip with my youth group in Washington DC, so on top of volunteering about 6 hours a day at a food pantry, a community garden, or a cerebral palsy care center, I ran and sometimes doubled. Fortunately, I was able to run around the national mall most days, so I saw a lot of beautiful scenery while I was running. It was a very spiritual week for me and I carried that feeling on during my runs, especially my fartlek workout, which happened to be after I worked with severely disabled, non-verbal cerebral palsy patients with my youth group. It was a really valuable experience for me, and it made me thankful that I’ve been blessed with my ability.
7/20- 100 minute long, trail run (got lost in the woods with Emily Edwards). Core and pushups. 13
7/21- 24 minute fartlek (1x7:00 at 5:20 pace, 3:00 jog; 7x1:00 at sub-5:00 pace, 1:00 jog). 2.5 mile warm up, 2 mile cool down. 8.7
7/22- 43 minutes. Core and pushups. 6
7/22(double)- 30 minutes. 4
7/23- 39 minute progression run: last 3 at 5:50 pace. agility drills. 6
7/24- 43 minutes. Core and pushups. 6
7/24(double)- 30 minutes. 4
7/25- Off. Core and pushups
7/26- Camp. steep hills. 6
Week 8 Mileage Total: 53.7
Summer Total: 347.4
Week 9 (7/27-8/2)
My ninth week, we loaded up the vans and drove 12 hours to Coach Palmer’s cabin in Georgia. It’s called Camp of Pain for a reason, and no, it’s not because we have to bake 12 hours through a flurry of farts in a 15 passenger van. We hiked and doubled almost everyday, so by the end of the week, we were tremendously sore and desperate for a break. Despite being sore, we had tons of fun together. Mid-week, the top portion of the team did a workout up Blood Mountain: I did 3:00 hard up and 1:00 easy back down, and the other runners did either 4:00 up and 1:00 down, or 5:00 up and 1:00 down. This was my best workout so far this summer, and I was able beat both of the other groups even though they should’ve beaten me. It was especially satisfying because they didn’t anticipate me being ahead of them for most of the workout. The whole week, our runs were filled with steep, rolling hills.
7/27- 44 minutes. steep hills. Core and pushups 6
7/27(double)- 44 minutes. hilly, carrying a backpack. 6
7/28- 22 minutes. Core and pushups. 3
7/28(double)- 37 minutes. 5
7/29- 58 minutes. 40 minute, 3 mile workout up steep hills, continuous incline (3:00 hard up, 1:00 easy down), 18 minutes back down. 9
7/30- 44 minutes. 6
7/30(double)- 44 minutes. 6
7/31- 37 minutes. steep hills. Core and pushups. 5
7/31(double)- 37 minutes. 6
8/1- Off
8/2- Off
Week 9 Mileage Total: 52
Summer Total: 399.4