In The Grind We Trust

As summer is quickly approaching, and the sweat stained miles are becoming an everyday occurrence, I thought now would be a good time to sit down and plan out my goals for the duration of 2016. Last month my roommate, Jeremy Anderson, and I sat down with Coach Tim Sykes at one of Athens local hot spots, Larry's Doghouse, to discuss our plans for the summer and fall. Coach Sykes helped us focus our ideas and energy into a detailed long-term developmental plan. Tim talked about how he likes to have his athletes make obtainable short term goals to help with long term success. Tim explained the breakdown of SMART (specific, measurable, obtainable, relevant, and time-bound) goals, and asked us get into the state of mind of an athlete in order to accomplish what we want.

The three things I wish to accomplish by August are one, to continue to slowly build up my volume while staying consistent with strength training, strides, and drills. As of this week, my mileage is at 70, and the plan is to add 5 miles every 2 weeks, until the first week of September. If I can stay patient enough and healthy, I will be at 100 miles per week the first week of September, and stay at 100 for 12 weeks leading into Florida. The second goal is putting more emphasize on recovery. Rope stretching and foam rolling have become my post-run routine, helping me stay flexible and hitting on range-of-motion. Breaking down scar-tissue and knots in my muscles by foam rolling is not fun task, but I know that it is essential to put as much time and energy into recovering from runs as I do on the run itself. Without proper recovery, there will be no gains and I will become flat and heavy.

The final goal I have for myself this summer, is focusing more on my diet. I have a unhealthy addiction to snacking at night, and eating my weight in candy (especially caramel creams). Nutrition goes hand-in-hand with recovery, and without eating right and hydrating, especially in the summer heat, I will most likely die a slow death on the roads. Pretty simple, more vegetables and smoothies, less sugar and shit.

The main goal for this fall will be the 2016 USATF Club Cross Country National Championships which are held in Tallahassee, Florida on December 10th. It will be the first time I will race a 10K on grass, with about 400 other runners of all ages and abilities. We are hoping to field a strong pack for Team Run Athens, and looking to do big things as a team. Individually, I hope to be in the best shape of my life, in contention to run mid 30's, and place in the top 50.

As for the 184 days until Club Nats, that will be spent building mileage and strength slowly but surely, while staying on-top of my goals and enjoying the task at hand. So, once again living by the clock has become the norm. I have yet to decide on my racing schedule leading up to December, but I will most likely run some summer road races, possibly a half-marathon in August, 2-3 Cross Country races this fall, and hopefully a fast time or two on the track if I can find a meet. For now, I'm enjoying the time spent training with my fellow Athens runners, and loving the grind.

- BJW