As only a rising junior, Avon's Taylor Nicholson has already established herself as the girl to beat. After a 1600m state title her freshman year, she followed it up with a runner-up finish in the fall as well as the 1600m in the spring.
Week 1: 8/10 - 8/16
This summer I trained pretty consistently but had to juggle running and jump rope. I practiced 3 times a week for jump rope and also had several competitions and taught at camps, which caused me to have to alter some of my running training. On those weeks that I was jumping all day, I tended to just get basic mileage in then continue back to workouts when I got home. Earlier in the summer when I was at home, I had strength training on Mondays and Wednesdays. I raced once towards the end of the summer at Detweiller at Dark in Peoria, IL, a 3 mile race where I finished first and ran 17:24. This race was a great way to get back into fast workouts.
I run Paavo, so I have a long run on Monday, short PPM on Tuesday, CT on Wednesday, long PPM on Thursday, CT on Friday, double run on Saturday, and CT on Sunday. PPM stands for pace per mile and it is basically an all-out race against yourself. PPM distances get longer as the season progresses. Tuesdays are typically one mile shorter then Thursdays. CT stands for critical threshold and is a mileage day where you go :45-1:15 slower pace per mile than your last PPM. I run most all of my CT and long runs with my training partner Kate Bernicke, who is also a junior. Also, on top of running, I have jump rope practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays for two hours.
Monday- Long Run- 6 miles
We call our long runs the "just get it in" run. Pace doesn't necessarily matter as long as you are continually moving. I ran with Kate along with one of our recent graduates, Malyka Abramson, who I trained with my first two years of high school. It was a great "easy" run where we caught up with Malyka before she leaves for college.
Tuesday- Short PPM- 3 mile PPM but 4 miles total
Today I ran a ½ mile warm up, 3 mile PPM, and a ½ mile cool down. This was my first 3 mile short PPM of the season. I moved my short PPM up this week from a 2 last week. It was definitely not my best 3 mile PPM, but I gave my best effort (which is ultimately all that matters on these days, since you're trying to boost your oxygen delivery system). I finished up the day with some core and the Myrtle routine and then jump rope practice.
Wednesday- CT- 5 miles
Kelsie Mothersead, another recent graduate and former training partner of mine, joined Kate and I for some of our run! We caught up with her before she heads off to college.
Thursday- Long PPM- 4 mile PPM but 5 miles total
This PPM, like Tuesday, wasn't necessarily my best but definitely was given best effort. I had a ½ mile warm up, 4 mile PPM, and a ½ mile cool down. This is my second week of running a 4 mile long PPM and I will most likely move it up to a 5 next week. Like Tuesday, I finished up the day with some core and the Myrtle routine and then jump rope practice.
Friday- CT- 4 miles
We call Fridays "fun run Fridays". There isn't really anything different between Friday CT and other CT days (other than occasionally finding new trails to run on) but it's Friday so why not? After our run, some girls from our team had a pool party with our recent graduates as a final goodbye. All of them leave for college in the next few days!! It was definitely hard to say goodbye, but I know they will all have awesome college running careers!
Saturday- Double Run- 7 miles
Our team volunteered at a triathlon at Eagle Creek. We helped hand out water and direct athletes through the course. It was super fun and was great for team bonding! My first 5 miles were pretty scattered throughout the morning, running one or two miles here and there when we had some free time. I finished up my mileage later in the day around my neighborhood.
Sunday- CT- 5 miles
I had a nice 5 mile run in the rain by myself. It was a pretty uneventful day but it was nice to finally get caught up on sleep, homework, and things around the house.
Total Weekly Mileage= 36 miles