And so it is. The Friday before Christmas, December 23, 2016. A day where a gentle run provides a break from either online shopping or physical shopping at the mall, or final preparations for the holidays.
HOKA ONE ONE’s Northern Arizona Elite, USATC Club XC 2016, photo by Justin Britton
Want a holiday read? Try the novella, The Loneliness of the long distance runner, by Allan Sillitoe. One of the finest short works ever on running, deeply moving, this is a must read for all cross country runners. A runner’s Catcher in the Rye, I might add (you have not read Catcher in the Rye? Or, how about, A Separate Peace? ) Come now, you have three books to read over holiday break.
Friday, December 23, 2016: Warm up; 4-mile run, run on a soft surface, cool down.
Week 18: A time to build, a time to race, a time to recover…
All the big stuff is over. Your next two to three weeks are holidays. Some are already running indoors, but remember, the next focus will be the spring time. We will include some running, fartlek, and some break days. Keep it relaxed. Enjoy the holidays, your body needs a break.
Monday : Warm up; 4-mile run with friends, cool down.
Tuesday: Warm up, A fun fartlek, A minute easy, a minute hard, do that twenty times, and then, cooldown. Warm up and cooldown about ten to fifteen minutes.
Wednesday: Take a day off, or run no more than four miles, easy.
Thursday: Warm up, Holmer Fartlek. This is old school. Warm up ten minutes, then, run somewhere in fifteen minutes, and see if you can return in 14 minutes, cooldown for ten minutes.
Friday: Warm up; 4-mile run, run on a soft surface, cool down.
Saturday: Take a break, relax with friends. Enjoy the holidays.
Sunday: Long, relaxed run of 7-9 miles with friends. Long runs are great way to get the body moving during the holidays.
