Hello running dogs,
I write to you today on behalf of a running pup -- my son is about to complete his second season (7th grade) of cross country and is doing well. He's very short and thin (it is likely he has the lowest weight and height in his 6-8 middle school, for reference) but has good speed and endurance. He runs about a 6:40 one mile time and for the meets (all slightly above or below 2 miles) he's generally sub-7:00 miles.
Although I ran cross country for fun in middle and high school, I was the slow, bringing up the rear of the race runner, so I don't have many tips for him, and thus my post to you all.
A couple of items for background:
-He experiences a lot of anxiety (which he does have professional support for) and he says this affects him a lot before, during, and after races. As I attend his meets, I will note that he does have a lot of friend interaction and seems to be having a good time, though sometimes it is clear that during and right after the race he is struggling with the anxiety and seems upset. I note the good time mostly to indicate that the anxiety that he is experiencing is not always visible.
-He visibly struggles with his arms a lot during the races on the back end. At the beginning/middle of the race his arms are coordinated and pretty natural. By the end one arm is swinging and the other is almost totally locked up into a curled position, barely moving, and that shoulder is much higher than the other. He says his arms get too tired by the end and that happens.
-Although he's got some general talent at running, I've encouraged him to think about whether he wants to continue, especially given the anxiety he experiences even after a race. No need to continue if it's unpleasant. He's a pretty reflective person and thought about it for a few days and decided that he does want to run again next year, and that he would also like to train between now and next August when they start again. Last year he did not run between seasons (though he did play soccer and is pretty active) and I think he felt a big difference over the course of the season -- same 2 mile course at the beginning of the season was about a minute longer for him than at the end -- and he expresses wanting to start his 8th grade year (as one of the oldest kids at the school) with more preparation. He also has expressed motivation over the course of this season about trying to get closer to, or pass, the two boys from his school that are always ahead of him (in a friendly competitive type way).
I would love to be able to create for him or show him a not-intense weekly training schedule that is steady (he's not going to need to increase miles next year, all races are below 2.5 so all training below 3 miles would be fine), has some variation (stretching, maybe some light arm weights, perhaps some sprints), and perhaps even has some mindfulness/breathing/etc. work mixed in for the anxiety. I'd also like it to be totally relaxed so that if he decides to miss or has to miss a day or even a week for any reason, he just can drop back into the Friday routine if it were today without any pressure. I'd like to keep it as fun as running can be.
Anyway, that's a long post but I figured you all might have suggestions or be able to point us in the right direction. Thanks!
Love me some middle school running. My son is in 8th grade, he started running a little bit 6 years ago when I started coaching his older brother's team and he was just hanging around because I had nobody else to watch him. My thoughts:
-Anxiety never goes away. If I enter a local 5K that I have no chance of winning, even in my age group, and the number of people who will ever see my result and be able to put it in proper context, I'll have trouble sleeping the night before. For me, it always goes away the second the gun goes off and I'm fine afterward, no matter the result. Most of the kids I coach get nervous, it's just a matter of learning to handle it. If it is overwhelming then professional intervention is helpful, otherwise I just try to project an even demeanor for them and keep a loose atmosphere (even though I am often quite nervous myself, especially when it's my son).
-It sounds like his form is faltering as he gets tired, which is normal. Doing drills high knees, butt kicks, etc.) and strides at he end of practice, this is when I try to have them focus on form. But it takes time. My son's form has been terrible for years, it is starting to improve as he matures and gets stronger.
-I'm not a huge fan of running full time at this age. My son competes though December and then maybe starts up a little in the spring to prep for summer training. He might do track next spring, which I haven't let him do before but since he will be in high school next fall maybe now it's time. He will likely decide to run all 3 seasons in high school, which can mean 45+ weeks a year, so I'm worried about burnout, mental and physical. What you can do, IMO, is up the mileage. IMO 25-30 miles a week (on 5 or 6 days) is suitable for a middle schooler who is willing to do it. That's total mileage -- warmups, strides, runs, intervals, everything counts. Going "hard" twice a week, whether it's a race or a workout. I see middle school running like minor league baseball -- we try to compete of course but the focus is development, does anyone know how many HRs Aaron Judge hit in AA? My son has improved notably every year this way, upping the miles a little bit as he grew, but still well below what he will see in 9th grade, so hopefully I haven't maxed him out, so to speak. I want middle schoolers to gain confidence and experience, but I want them to continue to improve in high school.
Good luck. If he really wants to run in the winter, going for 2-3 miles a few times a week is fine, but I would recommend a routine that starts to ramp up in late spring, just so he can see the natural training cycle where you can't be at peak 365 days a year.