IndianaRunner.com: Waverly Neer Training Log
Monday September 29
Warm up, 34 min run, threshold mile, cool down
Total for the day: 8 miles
For today, I warmed up with a mile run. Then I did a 34 min. run on the golf course and some trails. I was really pretty tight today and didn’t feel the greatest on the run, but when I did the threshold mile on the track I felt really good and had a fast time. Afterwards, I did a mile cool down and some weight work.
Tuesday September 30
Warm up, 3x1200 @ VO2, cool down
Total for the day: 5 miles
Today I was able to do my workout at my little brother’s middle school cross country meet. I started off with a 15 min. run to warm up, then I did 3x1200 at VO2 pace. I think what made today’s workout hard was all the hills on the course that I ran. Overall I felt really great and it was nice to incorporate some hill work into the workout. I also really felt like today was a HUGE confidence booster for our meet Saturday in Portage. I can tell that all my core work, weights, and push ups are really starting to pay off! After I finished the 1200s I did 1.5 mile cool down and some strides.
Wednesday October 1
Warm up, pool workout, weight work
Other than a very short warm up, I took today to give my legs a break, but I still managed to get in a strong cross training workout. In the pool, I swam a combination of some distance and short, fast intervals. After I finished, I did a lot of core work and weights.
Thursday October 2
Warm up, tempo run, cool down
Total for the day: 7 miles
Today’s workout went really well. It was meant to be a strong workout leading into Saturday’s race. I first started off with 1.5 mile warm up, and then I did a 4.5 mile tempo/ threshold run. I did most of it on our cross country course and alone so that I could get my pace down without help. All of my mile splits were very consistent. This is really encouraging knowing that I can keep a tough pace up without someone pushing me. Also on the last 800 I finished it at race pace with the last 100 like a race. Afterwards, I did a mile cool down.
Friday October 3
Pre-race workout
Total for the day: 4 miles
Today’s workout was just a pre-race run. I first started off with a mile warm up, then a 20 min. run with a pick up to race pace in the middle. I did my workout on trails across campus. This week has been pretty chilly weather, but its felt great to run in! I’m really excited to run in tomorrows meet in Portage! I feel ready for a time drop and I’m eager to get on a good course with some really good competition.
Saturday October 4
Portage Michigan meet
Total for the day: 7 miles
I’m very pleased with today’s results. Although I do feel like there is some things I can work on for the next race, I PR’d so I can’t complain about that! Going into the race, it was different not knowing what kind of competition I would have, or even knowing the course that well. I think that today was definitely a good lesson for me because you always need to be ready for the “element of surprise” and today’s race really simulated that.
Sunday October 5
Warm up 30 min run, 30 min bike
Total for the day: 5 (running miles)
Today I just took as a recovery run because of yesterday’s race. I went on a 30 min easy run at home and then biked for 30 min right afterwards. I’m really excited because it’s starting to feel like fall!
Monday September 22
Warm up, 34 min run, threshold 800, cool down
Total for the day: 7 miles
Today’s weather was actually kind of hot. I warmed up for about a mile and did several striders. Then I started on the run. I went with my dad and one of the guys from the boys team. We went into town and ran right beside the lake. I really didn’t enjoy the run though because I felt horrible. It was probably because of the race on Saturday since my legs felt like bricks. So when we finished we cut the threshold mile down to an 800. Normally with training we go a lot by feel. I think this is really important because it’s so essential to keep enjoying what you’re doing or else you really don’t want to keep working hard. I think taking these kinds of steps in training has really helped me keep my desire to work hard. After we finished the 800 I did a 10 min. cool down and some core work.
Tuesday September 23
Warm up, 4x800 @ VO2, cool down
Total for the day: 5 miles
Today was probably one of the hardest workouts I’ll have all season. I started off with a 2.5 mile warm up. Then at the track I did 4x800 meters at VO2 pace. I felt really strong and I was within seconds of each on all of them. I really tried to focus on staying consistent on each 200 and then finishing each with a good kick, but not all out. Today definitely gave me a huge confidence boost especially going into Saturday’s invite! I really feel mentally strong and ready to go! Afterwards I finished with a 1.5 mile cool down and A TON of stretching.
Wednesday September 24
Short warm up, pool workout
For today I took it completely off running. I did a very short warm up, but my workout was mainly in the pool today. I swam only 1000 yards but it was mostly quick intervals to get my heart rate up without the stress on my legs. After I finished I did a lot of core and weight work.
Thursday September 25
Warm up, 3x1200 threshold, cool down
Total for the day: 6 miles
Today I did a 2.5 mile warm up around the lake. This is always one of my favorite places to run at on campus. When I was finished with that part of the workout I did 3x1200 at threshold pace on the course. We really tried to focus on the places that would be important in my race at the meet. I definitely think it helped to get out and actually run the course at a good pace to get the feel of it before Saturday. I didn’t feel great today because my legs felt really sluggish, but I’ll be fine by tomorrow. After the workout I did a mile cool down with some strides.
Friday September 26
Pre-race workout
Total for the day: 4 miles
The pre-race workout for today was a short warm up and some good stretching. Then I did a 20 minute easy run with a 2 minute pick up to about race pace. I went up though the golf course to run on some hills. I really like to take pre-race workouts to concentrate on my race plan for the next day and visualize it in my head. This seems to work for me because it helps me focus and gives me confidence for the race.
Saturday September 27
Culver Invite
Total for the day: 7 miles
I think today’s race was very positive. Warming up I could tell that I felt really good, and during the race I felt really strong and confident. My race strategy was going very well, and then coming into the last 200 I got mixed up on the finish and accidentally took the wide turn. At that time I had a small lead but I ended up finishing third. Even with the mix up I’m still very happy with today’s race because I really proved to myself that I can execute a difficult race plan well.
Monday, September 15
Warm up, 32 min run, threshold mile, cool down
Total for the day: 7.5 miles
For today’s workout I began with a short warm up and did some core work. Then I did a 32 minute run. I ran most of it on trails and on the golf course with one of the guys from the boys team. I felt really great today and I kept the run at a very strong pace the entire way. I finished it at the track and after a short rest I did a threshold mile, which was my fastest threshold mile ever, but the pace was definitely at the lower end of threshold. The mile today was definitely a huge confidence booster and tells me my strength is coming along. After the workout I did an easy cool down.
Tuesday, September 16
Warm up, 3x1000 at VO2, 2 sets of 3x200, cool down
Total for the day: 6 miles
Today I did a 10 minute warm up. I mostly ran by the edge of the lake. Then the whole team did 1000s. It was really cool to see everyone out there at the same time working really hard together. We did a course all on grass that did a small square in front of the lake. I did 3x1000 at VO2 pace. I was really pleased at how I did. I really tried to concentrate on good forum and being consistent. Then I did 2 sets of 3x200s, so 6 in total. The 200s were not meant to be a workout, rather to get my turnover going and work a little bit on speed. When I heard I was going to be doing some I got really excited because 200 workouts are by far my favorite. After I finished, I did a 10 minute cool down with some core work.
Wednesday, September 17
Today I missed practice because I got sick. Hopefully I’m ok by this weekend for New Prairie.
Thursday, September 18
Duel meet against Plymouth, moderate run
Total for the day: 6.5 miles
Today’s original plan before I got sick was to run the race but work on certain areas during it. But I really was not feeling all the great again today so instead I just ran the race moderate. It was really kind of ugly because I felt horrible, but I think it was a good idea to do this so that I can kind of shake out whatever is bothering me by this weekend.
Friday, September 19
Pre-race workout
Total for the day: 4 miles
Today I did 20 minutes easy with a 2 minute pick up to race pace halfway through the run. Again today I still didn’t feel very good, I just felt really sluggish and sick. Afterward, I did some accelerations. As of now, I am going to be running at New Prairie, but the coaches are still a little apprehensive. I would like to race, but they really know what is best for me.
Saturday, September 20
New Prairie Invite
Total for the day: 6.5 miles
Today was the New Prairie Invite. I really loved the atmosphere of the meet, and I really enjoyed the course!! (Maybe not agony hill, but I liked the trails and the huge crowds of people!! I did end up running today, but going into it we knew I wouldn’t feel at my best and to just run a more conservative race plan. The pace went out very well and I felt really conservative and smooth at mile 1. At that point in the race I was just trying to feel out who was in the lead pack with us and how the rest of the girls were feeling. There were about 5 of us at mile 1. Then as we came out into the open grass area the pack separated at it was just 3 of us: Christina in front, me, then Autumn. As we came into the “gully” area, the pace slowed a little bit because of the sand, and there really wasn’t any moving between positions. When we came to the hill, I just went moderate up, and regained race pace about 75-100 meters afterwards. At this point I really wasn’t feeling that great. I knew it wasn’t because I was running at blistering speed, but because I still wasn’t 100% from Wednesday and Thursday. I just tried to stay positive and see what I could do the rest of the race. When we came back up into the open area again, Autumn had now put on a good lead by then, I tried to do I quick surge and move up with her. I did shortly, but she picked up the pace again, and I didn’t respond. Overall I’m happy with today’s outcome and I think I learned some good lessons that I can apply to my next races.
Sunday, September 21
Recovery run
Total for the day: 4 miles
For today’s run I just went 25 minutes easy around the golf course and on some trails. My legs are tight, but I feel a lot better than I did this past week. I can’t wait to get back into a good week of training, especially with our own invitational coming up!!
Monday September 8
Warm up, 36 min, threshold mile, cool down
Total for the day: 7.5 miles
Today’s workout went really well. I felt really great the whole time! To begin I did a mile warm up, stretched, and then began. I did the majority of my run on trails. It had rained the night before so it was really muddy but that made it kind of interesting. Even though it was sloppy I kept at a very good pace. Directly after the run, I did a threshold mile on the track, which was probably one of the best I’ve ever done! I’m very happy with today’s workout.
Tuesday September 9
Warm up, 3x1200 at VO2, cool down
Total for the day: 6 miles
Today was my first really hard VO2 workout of the season. For my warm up I did 2 miles at a medium pace. Then, I did 3x1200 meters at VO2. My first 1200 was very strong. I was right on pace through the 800 and finished with a strong 200. My second 1200 was my fastest and probably my best mentally. My third one was my slowest but I kept it at VO2 pace. The course had standing water in some places so it obviously didn’t run fast, but I had fun running through the mud and water. Afterwards I did a 1.5 mile cool down. I’m very encouraged with today’s results. When I look back there are definite things I can improve on, but overall I think I stayed mentally tough and ran just what I needed to.
Wednesday September 10
Warm up, easy day, pool workout
Total for the day: 3 miles
This morning I woke up early before school to do a short core workout with some lifting.
Then for today’s afternoon workout I did an easy 20 min run just as a recovery from yesterday’s run. After that I did a nice pool workout for some cross training so that I could still get a decent workout in without the pounding on my legs. I don’t feel too tired from yesterday; however, my legs are pretty tight.
Thursday September 11
Warm up, 25 min run, 10 min of hills, 2x300 hills, cool down
Total for the day: 6.5 miles
Today was a pretty good workout. I did a short warm up then went into a 25 min run around campus and some trails. Then, I did 10 continuous minutes of hills, where I would go up a 200 meter hill hard then come back down easy then up hard and down easy straight through. After the 10 minutes was up I got a short break then did 2x300 meter hill. First I would start off at about race pace, and then as I went up the hill I was supposed to concentrate on breathing and good form. At the top of the hill I took about 30 meters to catch my breath and then surged back into race pace. I did that 2 times then when I was done I did a mile cool down.
Friday September 12
Warm up, threshold workout, cool down
Total for the day: 5 miles
After school today some of our top runners went to do a practice at New Prairie’s course. I think this was a great opportunity for us because not only do we have the invitation here in about a week but this is also our semi-state course. To start off, we did a mile warm up with some strides. Then we did 4x800 meters at threshold pace. I felt really great today and very strong running up the hill on the course. I’m really excited to get to race there at the invite because I really enjoyed the course and I’m looking forward to the atmosphere of the invitational.
Saturday September 13
Warm up, 4 mile tempo run, cool down
Total for the day: 6 miles
Today I warmed up with a mile run, and then I did a couple strides. After that I did a 4 mile tempo run at a very good pace. I really felt pretty good today. Along the way there were a couple good sized hills and I feel like I ran them really strong, which gives me a lot of confidence. I also ran the last 3 minutes of the run hard to simulate the end of a race. Afterwards I did a mile cool down.
Sunday September 14
Active rest day, no running
I took today completely off running. I did a short bike workout just to stay active. It was really rainy, so I got completely soaked but that made it kind of fun.
Monday September 1
Warm up, 36 min long run, threshold mile, cool down
Total for the day: 8 miles
Today I ran with my dad at the golf course. What made today’s workout so interesting is that we were dodging golfers for the whole run. We started off with a short 4 min. warm up, and then began our 36 min run. On long run days I like to get a good tempo going, so we were moving at a pretty good pace. We finished with a mile threshold, although my dad can still run in the 16:40s for the 5k, I think I can beat him in the mile. To finish we did an 8 min. cool down.
Tuesday September 2
Warm up, 2x1200, 1x800, cool down
Total for the day: 6 miles
For today’s workout, I started off with a 2 mile warm up on the trails. Then we did 2x1200 and 1x800 at threshold pace on this small gravel road. Today was SO hot! On the last 1200 a UPS truck passed us. When I got back, I was covered in dust but I felt really great during today’s workout, and this was definitely a confidence booster for Friday’s meet.
Wednesday September 3
Warm up, 26 min run, cool down
Total for the day: 5 miles
Today was my little brother’s first middle school cross country meet so I was able to watch his race after my workout. I did a short warm up then started a 26 min. moderate run. Today I was able to run in a place that I never have before, which always makes a normal run more interesting. After I finished, I did a short cool down.
Thursday September 4
Pre-race workout
Total for the day: 4 miles
Today was a very light workout because tomorrow we have a meet. I just did 20 min. easy then some strides. I’m excited for tomorrow’s meet because this weeks training has been very good, and this should be a really great opportunity for our team to start bonding.
Friday September 5
Cranbrook, Michigan meet
Total for the day: 6 miles
After going back over today’s race, I’m pretty pleased with the results. The times were not fast at all because the course ran extremely slow with a couple moderately hard hills. I’ve been able to pin point several things that I can work on in the next meet, but for the first race of the season I happy with how I did. After the race we all went out for dinner and to the mall. I had a lot of fun today
Saturday September 6
40 min easy run
Today we did just an easy 40 min. run. The weather was really cool this morning, which made it very enjoyable. My legs were only slightly tight so I tried to stay mostly on grass and trails. I had a good time running with some of my teammates; it’s always a nice feeling after you run a good race to do a fun run.
Sunday September 7
Warm up, 3 mile moderate run, sprints
For today’s workout, I ran at home. I did a pretty good warm up of about a mile and half. Then I started a 3 mile moderate run. It wasn’t a long distance but I really tired to keep the tempo good. Afterwards I did a 300 acceleration just to get my turnover going, then I did 6x100 hills. I felt really strong today although it wasn’t that hard of a workout
Monday, August 25
30 min run with threshold mile
Total for the day: 7 miles
For today’s workout I went on a 30 min. run at a moderate pace. I really didn’t feel great today; in fact this was probably the worst I’ve felt on a workout all summer. I’m not sure why, but I realize you won’t always be at your best in workouts you just have to get the time in on days you don’t feel good. After the run I did a threshold mile, then finished with some hills and 100 meter accels. Although today didn’t feel good, I put the time in and I’ll be fine for tomorrow’s workout.
Tuesday, August 26
25 min run, 3x800 at threshold pace
Total for the day: 6 miles
Today went a lot better than yesterday! I tried to be extra careful of the little things like hydration because we are running in the afternoon, that’s probably why I felt better on today’s workout. To start off I went for a 25 min run just at an easy to medium pace, just to enjoy my time running. Then afterwards I did 3x800 meters at threshold pace. I felt really smooth and relaxed on the 800s, and I enjoyed the loop we did. After today’s workout, I’m more confident in the shape I am in than yesterday.
Wednesday, August 27
Complete recovery day…no running
For today, I did a workout with no running to give my legs a rest. First, I did a lot of core work and drills. Then I went on the bike for 20 min. and rode at a hard pace to get my heart rate up. Today really wasn’t a hard workout, and it obviously wasn’t meant to be. It was nice, however, to give my legs a rest.
Thursday, August 28
24 min tempo/threshold run
Total for the day: 6 miles
Today’s workout went very well! I went on a 26 min run mainly around the lake at a threshold pace straight through. Yesterday’s very easy workout left my legs feel refreshed and light. I think it’s important to have those days because I’ve learned the value of rest. I was very consistent at keeping the pace throughout the run especially at the end so I am very encouraged by today’s outcome.
Friday, August 29
15 min easy run with accelerations
Total for the day: 3 miles
Today was meant to be a very easy workout, with tomorrow being the first meet, the whole team took today as a pre-race workout. I went on a 15 min. run around the campus with some of the girls; afterwards we did 6x150 accelerations just to get our turnovers crisp. I’m not running in tomorrow’s meet, but I am doing my first VO2 workout of the season!!!
Saturday, August 30
2 mile warm-up, 2x1 mile at VO2, mile cool-down
Total for the day: 5 miles
Today was the hokum-karem meet at Penn. I did a workout between races which was kind of fun because I started my last mile about 40 seconds after the boys JV race and I was able to catch some of the boys at the end so that added extra motivation. To warm-up, I did 2 miles just at and easy to medium pace, then for the main workout I did 2x1 mile at VO2 with full recovery in between the two. I found that it was hard to remember what VO2 felt like, but I accomplished the goal of just slightly tapping into it without getting lactic. The course ran pretty slow so it was hard to judge by time what I would run but I was consistent with my first mile and second mile. I am very excited about today’s results especially because it was my first VO2 workout of the season!
Sunday, August 31
Active rest day, 5 mile bike
Today I just biked 5 miles to give my legs a rest and to keep enjoying what I’m doing. I think days like this are especially important this time of season because you can tend to get tired of running after coming off of summer training. For me, it’s essential to relax sometimes, and after 4 years of consistent training my mind and body are accustom to taking active rest days, like today off.
Monday August 18
Long run with threshold mile
Total for day: 6 miles
Today I did a shorter long run; I only did 32 min. because we are going to start tapering my long run days off. I ran at my favorite park by my house. It’s all trails and through the woods. It was a really interesting run. After I finished I did my threshold mile. I finished up this HUGE hill! I liked today’s run, and I felt really great!
Tuesday August 19
2 mile warm up with 3x800
Total for the day: 4 miles
Today I started off with a medium 2 mile warm up. After that, I did 3x800 just over threshold pace. In the last 200 meters I put in a small pick up. I ran at about 10:00 at night. It was actually really fun! I felt really good today! It wasn’t that hard of a workout, but it was enough to get a little feel for some VO2 work coming up.
Wednesday August 20
35 min medium run
Total for the day: 5 miles
We ran at the dunes today! I had a really awesome time getting to know the team and running with them. I did just a 35 min run at a moderate pace. After we all finished, we ran 3 times up this gigantic sand hill! It wasn’t meant to be for a workout, but more for the fun of it, by the third time I was basically crawling up it! After all of that, we jumped into the lake and then went out for pizza.
Thursday August 21
28 min temp/threshold run
Total for the day: 7 miles
This afternoon, I did a 4.5 mile run just under threshold pace. I didn’t feel the greatest but I got a very good workout in, and I really enjoyed running with the people I went with! After I finished the workout, I got into the pool for a short workout in the water. Overall, I think today’s practice went well, and I think that I accomplished the goals of the workout.
Friday August 22
20 min easy run with a short swim
Total for the day: 3 miles
For today’s workout, I did an easy 20 min run just for a small recovery workout, and after that I did a very short swim just to get loose with a lot of stretching. Today was especially easy because tomorrow’s workout is going to be harder.
Saturday August 23
3x1 mile
Total for the day: 5 miles
Today I started out with a 1 mile warm up. Then I did 3x1 mile just over threshold pace. Today’s workout was especially hard because each mile ran about 15-20 seconds slow since the hills were so tough. I feel very encouraged by the outcome of today because I ran my set times and I ran the hills well. After I was done, I did a mile cool down with some core work.
Sunday August 24
Today I took the day off completely to give my legs a days rest. I don’t feel that bad but I think it’s extremely important to make sure I stay healthy for the season. Tomorrow I’ll get back with my workouts but it was kind of nice to have a day off.