INSTRUCTIONS

• Using this Excel spreadsheet, or your own method of tracking mileage, track your miles and keep this saved on a home computer or your phone.

• Upload your weekly mileage each Sunday between noon and midnight to the shared Whisper Miles Challenge - please only update the mileage between those times. Late uploads will not count.

  • Each participant will have access and editing privileges to the Whisper Miles Challenge Google Sheet. If they have not been granted access, please have them email or text me their email address so that I can get them added to the page.

• If you are local and taking part in this challenge, you must average at least one Whisper practice each week throughout the 18-week challenge.

• Although some runners may run more than 50-miles in a week, you cannot log more than 50-miles weekly onto the Google Sheet in any given week.

INTRODUCTION

When I reflect on my initial years of running distance, they really started around 2010.  Until then, I was a sprinter, a weightlifter, a CrossFitter, and leisure distance runner.  But that year, I took part in the Fleet Feet Half Marathon and ran rather well – 1:25.  Far from the elite level, but not too shabby for a former collegiate 400m runner.  Then came my first marathon in 2011, the Vancouver USA Marathon where I figured I would be a one-and-done marathoner.  But after the race, my wife said, “Wow!  You qualified for Boston!”  In hindsight, this meant we were going to Boston, which also meant I wasn’t done being a marathoner. 

All the while, I began following a guy on Instagram, who was running for a sincere cause with the goal of reaching 3000 miles in a year – of running!  250-miles per month, 57-miles per week, 8.2-miles per day.  Obviously, there will be days off, so the average per day goes up.  I attempted this fete in 2012, and again in 2013, only to fall short of something so simple – journaling my runs.  With a teaching schedule, everything is regimented during the academic year.  However, my wheels always fell off in June through August, when my only schedule was taking care of my littles.  I was still running, but not jouraling.  However, in 2014, something clicked.  I can’t put my thumb on it, but it was a collection of factors that ultimately led to the pursuit and accomplishment of running 3000+ miles in 2014.  Along the journey, I shared this goal with a class that I was teaching at Clark College.  Hunter Nelson, a student of mine at the time, and now friend, took heed in my goal, and then created his own, as you’ll see by his YouTube channel.  In January 2015, he and I bumped into one another in the halls of Clark College and he asked about the goal, and what my goal was for 2015.  When I informed him that I hadn’t thought of a 2015 goal, that the 2014 goal was quite large and that I wasn’t sure I could top it, his look of disappointment astounded me.  I needed to get back on the saddle, and the only goals I could come up with included some unfinished business that I had thought of in 2014, which included:

• Averaging 100 miles on each day of the year (adding the miles from each first day of the month, adding the miles from each second day of the month, and so on, with each of the days being at least 100+ accumulated miles.  The challenges came on the 31st day, of which there are only 6.

• Running 100 miles in a week.

• Running 1000 miles in 100 days.

• Averaging 9 miles/day for the year – a seed planted by a friend on Facebook who said about my 2014 accomplishment, “Dang!  That’s almost 9-miles per day!” – Ugh…

Along the way in 2015, I began creating more goals.  I had a few races here and there, but every day I was awoken by the balance of fear and challenge of another 3000-mile goal.  Could I check the boxes of the additional goals I’d created, or will they haunt me for the rest of my life?  And I mean this quite literally!

 As you’ll see in my 2015 running log, I not only ran more miles in 2015 than 2014, but I achieved 40 total goals for the year. Some goals I’d come up with on the fly, while others were originated before 2015.  Regardless, the accomplishment of something mysterious brings sincere joy and fulfillment to my life.  I am grateful that I not only tracked my miles, but that I also took mental notes of how the runs went for me.  My training wasn’t regimented, it was merely regular.  A regular, balanced approach, taking time off when needed, while at times, running when I didn’t want to run or had sore legs.  Knowing, or rather, learning when to take a day (or two) off, and accepting that some runs are going to be rather terrible, while other days are going to make it all worthwhile.  Like when I saw a golden shooting start as I ran westbound on SE 34th St in Camas at 6am or seeing a huge owl swoop down in front of me and land on a perch at Lacamas Trail at 5:30am. 

Running has also brought travels for myself and my family – we’ve run in the Disney World Dopey Challenge (5k on Thursday, 10k on Friday, half marathon on Saturday, full marathon on Sunday), the Washington DC marathon, Punta Cana half marathon, Boston Marathon, and Arizona half and full a few times.  It’s created memories and friendships, both for what I am forever grateful for, and what I look forward to most. 

Looking ahead to the months remaining in 2020, we have four months to make the most of an absent year of competing.  With no foreseeable races on the calendar, it’s time to come up with a goal that encompasses the individual, the groups we train with, and Team Whisper as a whole.  The accumulated mileage will come only from those presently training with Whisper in the fall months spanning September through December, and we will be tracked using the attached logging method and the old fashion Honest Policy.  I encourage each of the runners to use an Excel spreadsheet to begin tracking their own journey, making notes of their runs and tracking their mileage.  Frankly, I don’t track much, but when I look back on the mental notes that are found within each of the hidden columns on the sheet, those notes are what I smile about most.  Seeing all of the mediocre running days, followed by a few good days makes me realize that although I am 46-years old, I am also 46-years young.

DESIGNING A RUNNING PLAN

What should your child’s training look like between now and December 31?  With so many kids on the team, creating a one-size-fits-all model is a heavy task, so I’ll provide some general pointers:

• We run between 4-7 miles at most Whisper practices. 

• Teams Yellow and Green should only run 2-4 days per week, and be active on the others.

• Consistency is key.  Aim for a longer run on the weekend (Saturday or Sunday), and a mid-longer run in the middle of the week (between Tuesday-Thursday).

  • Teams Blue & Purple: 7-12-mile long run.

  • Teams Red & Green:  5-9-mile long run for most, although there are a couple who could go longer if desired.

  • Team Yellow: 3-5-mile long run.

• Building up a few weeks, then backing off:

  • Aim to have 2-4 consecutive weeks of building mileage (total mileage and longer runs), followed by a week of lower mileage.  This can come in the form of taking an additional day off, or decreasing total miles throughout each run for the week.

• Use the 3-5% method when increasing mileage.  A steady approach will keep their bodies healthy six-months down the road.  Jumping all-in at once will likely hinder recovery, leading to issues (six-months) down the road. Therefore, an increase in no more than 5% per week for 4-5 consecutive weeks should help them steadily adapt to the new mileage. After the 4-5 week build-up, they’ll want to decrease their mileage for a week to promote healthy recovery.

  • Note: with the increase in mileage, their body weight should remain the same. If they begin to lose weight, back off the mileage until their body weight returns to where it was at the start of this goal.

• Get to Whisper!  1-2 days each week should be the plan.  During the month of September, we will be doing a greater portion of cross-training to help strengthen muscles, some agility to continue stimulating the nervous system, and balance work for the same reason(s).  We will also be performing more flexibility and core work.

The Whisper Miles Challenge is set to begin on September 1.  If your child will not be regularly attending practices, please let me know so I can take that into account by adjusting the group members and mileage goal.  In other words, if a runner cannot attend an average of at least one Whisper practice each week, then they shouldn’t be included in this team event. You can see your child’s team by color, and teach teams mileage goal on the Google Sheet.  You’ll notice we are including a Virtual Team comprised of youth runners from around the United States. This is really an exciting opportunity for youth runners to connect with one another virtually - pretty exciting!

SUMMARY OF INSTRUCTIONS

• Using this Excel spreadsheet (same spreadsheet as above), or your own method of tracking mileage, track your miles and keep this saved on a home computer or your phone.

• Upload your weekly mileage each Sunday between noon and midnight to the shared Whisper Miles Challenge - please only update the mileage between those times. Late uploads will not count.

  • Each participant will have access and editing privileges to the Whisper Miles Challenge Google Sheet. If they have not been granted access, please have them email or text me their email address so that I can get them added to the page.

• If you are local and taking part in this challenge, you must average at least one Whisper practice each week throughout the 18-week challenge.

• Although some may run more than 50-miles in a week, you cannot log more than 50-miles weekly onto the Google Sheet.

Finally, this challenge includes three mileage goals per group - Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Some runners are mileage monsters, while some put their energy into speed training. This is okay! Focus on your personal and healthy mileage goals for the next 18-weeks, taking time off when needed, and allowing others to carry the load once in a while. Most importantly, have fun! Fun is what it’s all about! Though we hope to offer a prize at the end, the main objective is safety, fitness, and fun.

Sincerely,

Coach Dave