Regular Season 1: Week 2
Practice #19
Northridge High School Varsity Track and Field Practice:
Middle Distance
This plan is written for a high school varsity middle distance track group with varying
levels of ability. This practice plan was written to include male and female athletes training
primarily for the 400m and/or 800m run(s). This practice focuses mainly on physical training,
but includes strong elements of technique as well. This plan is geared toward a group of roughly
10 athletes, but can be easily adjusted for more or less.
Date/Time: 3:30 pm- 5:30 pm, March 6th, 2018
Location: Northridge High School track and practice fields
Equipment Needed:
Athletes: running shoes and water bottle
Coaches: stopwatch, timesheets, pen/pencil, whistle
Practice Objectives: Focus: physical- improve endurance through interval training, understand
and practice strong finishes, reinforce proper running form
Coaching Roles: Coaches will be spread out in order to give encouragement, feedback, and
provide coaching cues for each activity. Aside from feedback, the main role of the
coaches during this practice will be to time and record intervals. Assistant coaches will be
responsible for recording the times for each athlete’s intervals on the time sheet as well as
running a backup stopwatch, while the head coach will be responsible for timing the
intervals and communicating times/ athletes names to the assistant coach.
Time Activity Objective(s) Relevant Groups Coaching Cues
Previously
Taught
Skills/
Concepts
3:30-3:35 Rabbit Run (diagram Warm up athletes Proper All athletes Knees up, use arms,
below): athletes line legs in preparation running form relax shoulders
5 minutes up single file and for interval
begin jogging around training, reinforce
track/practice fields. appropriate warm
Every ~30 seconds, up routine elements
the runner at the back
speeds up and passes
the other athletes until
he/she is at the front of
the line (“rabbit”).
Repeat until each
athlete has been the
“rabbit” at least once.
3:35-3:45 Dynamic Stretching Further warm up Proper form All athletes Exaggerated motions,
(diagram below): For athletes legs in for each go through the line,
10 each exercise, athletes preparation for exercise, feel “stretch” not
minutes start at end of football interval training, importance of “pull”
field and do the reinforce warm up and
exercise continuously appropriate warm flexibility
for 20 yards. They up routine, increase
stop, turn around, and flexibility
jog back to the end
line.
Exercise order:
High knees
Butt kicks
Soldier walk Karaoke
with high knee (20
yards each direction)
Lunges
Side lunges
Hip openers
High skip
3:45-3:55 Stride Outs (diagram Further warming up Elements of All Knees up, use arms,
below): athletes start legs- preparing for proper athletes, stride
10 and end of football fast/extended running form but can
minutes field. Athletes begin intervals, increase (fast run- complete
running, gradually stride length, sprint): knees individuall
increasing speed and practice proper up, arms y based on
stride, until they are in running form relaxed, eyes speed of
their full stride (but up, lengthen stride-out
not a full sprint), stride
roughly around the 30
yard line. At the 50
Key Warm Up Cool Down Conditioning/ Training Strength
yard line, athletes slow
to a jog and continue
the jog to the opposite
end zone from where
they started. Athletes
should rest for 30
seconds-1 minute, then
repeat going back to
the starting end of the
field, repeat 5 times.
3:55-4:40 Russian Intervals Increase endurance Proper Athletes Run through the line,
(diagram below): and speed, running form, will be on pace/too fast/pick
45 Athletes will be understand concept mentality for broken up it up, let your form
minutes running 300m of “kicking” and its focusing on into 3 carry you
intervals on the track importance/ form- makes groups:
at their individual advantage in running feel Group 1:
800m pace. For one competition, easier! 300m time:
repetition, athletes will maintain speed or 46-51 sec
begin at 800m starting increase (“kick”) in
line, run ath their the last set, athletes Group 2:
800m race pace will learn to feel 300m time:
around track to 100m their “goal pace” 53-58 sec
start line, then slow to
a jog for 100m. This is Group 3:
one repetition. When 300m time:
athletes return to 60+ sec
original starting line
(will have completed 1 *would list
full lap), they specific
athletes in
immediately increase each group
speed to 800m pace. with their
This will be repeated 3 target time
times for one set.
*Groups can
Athletes will complete be adjusted for
3 full sets. In between pace
sets, athletes will have
a 5 minute rest period
(should jog, walk, get
water, but no sitting).
Athletes will be in
three groups based on
speed with 3-4
athletes/group. After
the first group starts,
the second group will
start about 15 seconds
late, and the third will
start about 15 seconds
after that.
4:40-4:55 Active Recovery Jog: Help muscles relax Importance/ All athletes Relax body, keep
athletes will jog/walk after high-intensity elements of will moving (aid
Key Warm Up Cool Down Conditioning/ Training Strength
15 continuously for 15 training, learn active complete, recovery)
minutes minutes. May go importance/ recovery but can
anywhere on practice elements of proper self-select
fields/track cool down, begin groups or
recovery process to complete
decrease soreness/ individuall
tiredness y
4:55-5:10 Core Strength Circuit: Improve core Proper way All athletes Breathe, focus on
athletes will complete strength, to do each area of activation,
15 the following understand exercise to neutral spine
minutes exercises in order: importance of core prevent
strength as it injury
Bicycles x30/30 pertains to middle
Mountain Climbers distance running
x30/30
Russian Twists x30/30
Medicine Ball Sit Up
x15
Side Plank x30 sec/30
sec
Plank x1 minutes
Athletes will complete
circuit 4 times with <1
minute rest between
sets
5:10-5:30 Flexibility Routine: Increase flexibility, Proper way All athletes Relax and breathe,
Athletes will pick 2+ reinforce perform stretch without a pull
20 effective stretches for importance of stretches to
minutes each of the following flexibility, aid in avoid injury,
muscle groups: recovery importance of
hamstrings, establishing a
glutes/hips, calves, flexibility
quadriceps, and routine
arms/shoulders.
Athletes can self-select
specific stretches but
will be monitored by
coaches. Athletes
should spend 30+
seconds on each
stretch. Stretch
suggestions: sit-and-
reach, flag pole, toe
touch, pretzel, knee
hug, hip crossover,
downward dog
Activity Diagrams:
Key Warm Up Cool Down Conditioning/ Training Strength
Rabbit Run:
=Athlete
=Coach
Dynamic Stretching:
Key Warm Up Cool Down Conditioning/ Training Strength
Increasing
Jog speed
=Coach
=Athlete
Stride Outs:
Key Warm Up Cool Down Conditioning/ Training Strength
Russian Intervals:
Jo
g
Key Warm Up Cool Down Conditioning/ Training Strength
