UNBELIEVABLE SUMMER IMPROVEMENT RATIOS

Six athletes showed up for the first 1000-meter steep hill time trial on July 1 and completed their final time trial between the 22nd and 33rd day. Their improvements ratios were off the charts. Never before in the history of my training program has anyone improved so dramatically in such a short period of time over any distance, race or training. Athletes began showing the biggest gains after changing the sequence of workouts half-way through the program from Hills-Tempo-Speed to Speed-Hills-Tempo. I had used the previous sequence of workouts since 1991 when I first started coaching. We also started innovative secret training methods twice a week at Regina between workout days that had never been used before. A 10.20% drop is the equivalent to an athlete dropping their 1600-meter run time from 6:00 to 5:23 in 4 weeks. A 21.30% drop is the equivalent to an athlete dropping their 1600-meter run time from 8:00 to 6:18 in 4 weeks. This was also the first summer where I held practices 5 days a week. This was due to starting the program June 30 and completing it August 3 within the 25 day IHSA contact period. The program met for 25 days, Monday through Friday except for July 4, which was made up on Sunday, August 3.

1000-METER TIME TRIAL ON STEEP HILL LOOP

All-Time Club Record: 3:34.3 (Tera Moody, St. Charles H.S., 5-10-1998 @ Channing Park, Elgin, IL)

The coach's goal is to have their runners break 6:00 for 6 laps (1500-meters). Between 1995 and 1999, athletes who beat this standard went on to make All-State in Cross Country (mostly Class AA). Athletes who ran in the 5:30-5:40 range went on to either make Footlocker All-American or the World Junior Cross Country team. The fastest time recorded for the 1000-meter steep hill run is 3:34.3 by Tera Moody, who ran 4:52.8 for 1600-meters, won two state titles, qualified for the World Junior Cross Country Championships, and was a 4-time All-State runner in cross country.

Let's put our current summer improvement gains of 10.2% to 21.3% in 28 days in another perspective: after reviewing both training and racing stats on file from 1995 to 1999 on high school runners, the biggest training or racing gain on record for Tera Moody on any distance is 4.85% when she dropped her state meet 2.1 mile time from 12:02 in 1996 to 11:27 in 1997. Jenny Arnold of Libertyville, who was 64th at the IHSA State meet in 1996 in 12:47, dropped her time to 11:50 in 1997 - a 7.43% improvement - the biggest non-estimated improvement. The biggest gain any athlete from my training program in one year would most likely be Sarah Lowe of New Lenox Lincoln-Way, who went from a JV runner to 38th in the state meet with an estimated 18.95% improvement gain based on the state meet performance of their #7 runner. What our training program once accomplished in one year ten years ago for the biggest gainers is now being exceed by today's athletes in as little time as 4 weeks. Although I am expecting even more outrageous gains when comparing race times from a year ago, we still have a long way to go in getting 5 individuals under 6 minutes for 6 laps and then learning how to push ourselves over the 3 mile distance.

The following chart represents athletes who came into the summer program late:

1000-METER TIME TRIAL ON STEEP HILL LOOP

Again, unprecedented levels of improvement in a short period of time. Furthermore, the impact of our new secret program is evident.

There were other significant amounts of notable improvement that occurred that evidences the value of our training program and athlete commitment:

Jacqueline - ran a 1:59.1 on July 8 for 500-meters on the steep hill. Went through 500-meters in 1:53 enroute to her 3:57 1000-meter run on July 29.

Julie - ran 46.51 for the 250-meter steep hill sprint on July 1 and then ran 42.52 on July 14 - an 8.58% improvement in an anaerobic hill sprint. This broke Olympian Christin Wurth-Thomas' all-time training club record for a 250-meter hill sprint of 42.69. This level of improvement puts Julie in a position to be a potential state champion in the 400 or 800-meter run for track.

Matty - ran 70.17 for the 250-meter steep hill sprint on July 1 and then 56.25 on August 3 - a whopping 19.84% improvement.

Final 250-meter steep hill sprint times

Julie 42.52, Colleen 45.55, Ellie 45.78, Ellen 47.35, Maura 48.0, Catherine 48.15, Jacqueline 48.18, Jasmine 48.31, Alexis 48.80, Brittany 48.85, Mary Kate 49.57, Carolyn 54.1, Kara 55.1, Matty 56.25, Sheridan 58.78, Fiona 58.8, Hannah 60.34, Erica 65, Jennifer 67.37.

If we can get 4 individuals under 43 seconds we should set the state 4x800-meter relay record.

This was by far the best summer of training I have ever experienced as a coach. Everything I imagined doing for innovative training designed to achieve unprecedented gains surpassed all my expectations. All the Regina athletes who participated and made significant improvements are commended for their positive attitude, spirit, and commitment they displayed throughout the summer. All of their hard work will pay major dividends as their is no doubt in my mind we will raise everyone's eyebrows during the season. I look forward to the season beginning on August 13 and the quest to make Regina a state powerhouse for years to come.

Dr. Thompson