Register by Friday, November 28, to receive your training outline for the start of the program on December 8.
The program provides a weekly training schedule that includes primary and secondary workouts plus long runs. There are no "on-site" sessions for the first 4 weeks.
The on-site sessions begin the week of January 5, with the start of the 15-Week Winter Program.
You may choose the "email-only" option for either the 19 or 15 week program. You receive all of the training guidelines, based on your goal, level, and availability to train. You may execute the week's primary workout at a site convenient to you.
Running a Spring marathon? Perhaps in April? Want to stay fit during the long winter hibernation? Sign up for the 19-week program.
On Nov. 15 at Franklin Park in Boston, GTD graduates had tremendous races at Massachusetts xc championships. In the Division 2 races, Emily DeMarco finished 3rd (18:59) for the girls and AJ Ernst 2nd (15:56) for the boys. Remember -- these races draw the top, qualified high school xc runners from the entire state.
Also in Div. 2, Tia Patterson was 23rd in 19:40, Sarah Oliver 25th in 19:42, Olivia Horgan 42nd in 20:00, Meghan Stone 50th in 20:09, Jeanine Zheng 51st in 20:11, Sydney Packard 64th in 20:31, Tia Foglietta 87th in 20:49, and in her first season running (and making it to the States), Caitlyn Scola 128th in 21:36. There were 183 finishers in the Div. 2 girls race.
For the boys in Div. 2, Mike Famiglietta was 7th in 16:11, Jared Kokinos 19th in 16:41, Adam Linsky 32nd in 16:53, Chip Cring 41st in 17:03, Michael Weidenbruch 91st in 17:33, and Jack Blatchford 116th in 17:52.
Julia Curtin (only a freshman!) ran 19:36 in the Div. 1 race to finish 36th. In the boys Div. 1 race Riley Dowd continued his great season with a 16:24 for 26th.
Running in HS -- Coach Braz
Fernando Braz won back-to-back All-State titles in cross-country, 1978 and 1979. He won 12 individual state titles in cross-country and track, was ranked 2nd in the country at 10,000 meters with a 30:42, and was an All-American in cross-country and spring track. He held the New England Indoor 5000 meters record of 14:52.8 (January, 1980) for 28 years.
Tia Patterson
Tia Patterson began training with Coach Braz in July of 2013 and she has stayed with the program year-round since then. This fall the Lynnfield Captain scorched the courses in dual and tri meets. She was 5th in the Cape Ann League Meet with a 19:21 over the Bradley Palmer course. At the Div. 6 meet in Wrentham, Tia was 4th in 19:22. She finished her high school XC career at the All States Meet at Franklin Park, running 19:40 to finish 23rd.out of 183 finishers who had qualified for this state-wide race.
GTD: Tia, how was this XC season different from last year?
Tia:This season was very different for me in terms of racing. I learned to run with the top pack. In all other years I had either been in the large middle pack of the race, or in the gap between the front pack in the middle gap. This year I learned to push myself to stay with the top pack for as long as I can, and get comfortable running with those types of runners. I really enjoyed running in the lead pack at invitationals and the other big meets.
GTD: Was your training different?
Tia:I think I increased my mileage slightly and the intensity of some of my workouts increased. Also, this year on my long runs I would run at a certain pace during some parts whereas last year it was the same speed.
GTD: What was your best moment this season?
Tia:Coming in fourth at divisionals. After coming in fifth at CALs and having 3 of the girls that beat me from my league still in the same division, I was worried there would be other girls in my division who weren't in my league that might beat me at divisionals. However, I didn't let anyone in my division beat me except for the three girls from CAL! I was extremely happy and surprised with my place and also I remember having a very good finish that race, I had been in about sixth place for most of the race and ended up passing girls and finishing fourth place by passing one girl at just the last second.
GTD: What’s your favorite workout, and what’s the workout you don’t like?
Tia:My favorite workout is hills especially in the heat. My least favorite workout is pool running (if that is considered a workout).
GTD: Do you have a “ritual” you do before a race?
Tia:Yes it's really weird. I need to eat my rice cake with peanut butter one hour before I run. Then I do my warm up, then I stretch for 5-10 minutes and I always do the same stretches. Then after stretching I do my plyos drills, and I always do them in the same order. Those usually take about 5 minutes then after I do that I go to my bag and switch into my flats. While I'm at my bag I always have to take one sip of my small red Gatorade, but just one sip and then I finish the rest after my race, and I need to have a piece of the blue five gum to chew during my race so I put that in my mouth after I have Gatorade. Then after that I put my flats on and go to the line and do a couple strides, then by that point it's time for my race!
GTD: In a XC race, do you like to take the lead early or wait for the right moment later in the race?
Tia:I like to be in the lead pack of the race but not in front of the girls I want to beat. I usually wait for the last 1/2 mile to separate myself from the girls that are around me then within the last 200 I see who else I might be able to pass even if I hadn't planned on it earlier in the race.
GTD: We know you’re vice president of your senior class, president of the school's Habitat for Humanity organization, and president of the National Honor Society. You’re a Girl Scout and have earned the Gold Award (equivalent to a Boy Scout becoming an Eagle Scout). For the Gold Award, you created a running club to encourage young people in your town to take up the sport at an early age.
What’s next? Will you run track in the winter and spring? College and career plans?
Tia:Yes I plan on running track in the winter and the spring even though my dad wants me to do lacrosse with my sister. Next year I definitely want to run in college and I've spoken with the coaches at the schools I am applying to but there is nothing official yet. As for my career I want to be a dentist so I'll major in biology as an undergrad then go on to dental school.
Emily Horgan
Emily Horgan graduated from Hamilton-Wenham High School in the spring of 2014 and started her college life at the University of Vermont this fall. This past summer she did what she has done for many years – she trained for the cross-country season in Coach Braz’s program. Unlike the previous years, when she competed for her high school’s xc team, this fall she ran for her college team.
GTD: Emily, how many summers have you trained with Coach Braz?
Emily:5 and counting.
GTD: Was it different this summer? Instead of training for high school meets, you were heading to college.
Emily:Yes, it was strange not training with Bradley Palmer or Wrentham’s course in mind. That’s where my high school team has their league and divisional meet. I was training for preseason, I was very nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the team.
Emily and Coach Braz on the opening morning of this summer's xc program.
GTD: What did you expect the UVM running scene to be like?
Emily:I had no idea what to expect. I knew I was going to have to work hard. I was especially nervous because I had been sick over the summer and hadn’t been able to train the way I wanted too.
GTD: What’s the biggest difference between high school and college xc?
Emily:The biggest difference so far has been the mileage. In high school there was a big emphasis on tough, teeth gritting workouts, which happened quite frequently. Now I run an average of 50 to 60 minutes each day and my workouts are at threshold pace and directly mimic a race scenario.
GTD: Running plans for the winter and spring seasons?
Emily:Since becoming a part of the running program here at UVM, I have realized how large of a transition and process running at the college level is. I am not sure right now if I will be racing on the indoor team. I am working on developing as a runner, I have a long ways to go! This winter I plan on working on running smooth, strong and fast for any distance between a mile and six miles. I am not sure if I will be ready to race this indoor season but the next five months will be dedicated to competing come spring track.
Previous Issues of The Little Things
Please go to this link for previous issues of The Little Things.
Going the Distance is a coaching service for runners at all levels.
If you know someone who might benefit from the Going the Distance program,
tell them about us, and forward The Little Things to them.
Visit our website -- Going the Distance
Head Coach -- Fernando Braz
Assistant Coach -- Annie Starrett
Webmaster and Director -- Dave Smith
For more information, contact Dave at dave@goingthedistancefb.com
