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The easiest way to begin a youth program for brand new
kids, one which will grow and thrive, is to run no more
than five minutes at a time on your first day of practice
(maybe the kids can run 5 minutes both at the beginning
and at the end of practice).
There are two governing rules; 1. Have Fun and 2. Stay Healthy
Begin and end each practice with easy stretching, crunches
and push-ups. We always do 6 x 70 meter strides near the
end of practice (strides, not sprints). Group the kids by
ability. Make practice 60-90 minutes (make practices reasonably
short). Every month should include slightly more easy distance
running (5 minutes, 6 minutes, 7 minutes, etc). Also include
a 3-5 minute easy cool-down run at the end of practice.
We want to stress that if a new kid can only run for one
minute that is fine. Each week, the kids can run a little
bit more.
· Any starting point for new kids, for both distance
and pace, is fine. Find out what the kids CAN DO and do
that!
The point is to develop a regular routine which is fun and
includes a little bit of work. As time goes by, make relay
teams. Buy books and videos. Learn about plyometrics and
do 5-10 minutes of form drills each practice. Have some
variety and make each practice slightly different within
your regular routine. Have fun!
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SIMPLE CHARTS
| (10 year old new runner, no experience)
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| Week 1 |
3 days |
1 mile per day |
3 miles |
| Week 2 |
3 days |
1.5 miles per day |
4.5 miles |
| Week 5 |
3 days |
2 miles per day |
6 miles |
| Week 10 |
3 days |
2 miles, 3 miles, 2 miles |
7 miles |
| Week 20 |
3 days |
3 miles, 4 miles, 3 miles |
10 miles |
| Week 25 |
4 days |
4-3-4-4 |
15 miles |
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| (14 year old, no experience) |
| Week 1 |
3 days |
3 miles, 4 miles, 3 miles |
10 miles |
| Week 5 |
3 days |
4 miles, 4 miles, 4 miles |
12 miles |
| Week 10 |
4 days |
4 miles, 5 miles, 4 miles, 5 miles |
18 miles |
| Week 20 |
5 days |
5 miles per day |
25 miles |
| Week 50 |
6 days |
6-4-5-5-6-4 |
30 miles |
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These are extremely simplified training charts. The point
is we want our kids to run more miles.
· The beginning point for a new runner should assume
he has zero training background.
· Build on that.
Young athletes with more experience could possibly be training
at a somewhat higher level than this. It is fine for a new
kid to just run for one to five minutes, if that is all
he can do. The important thing is long term improvement,
so work with the kids and track the progress of each individual.
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