The Value of Cross-Training

How long does a hi-5 last? A quarter second? If there's a grip, perhaps a full second or two? The image to the right, between two legendary runners of Whisper, says a thousand words.

As I sought to nerd-up the content for this topic, I began sifting through peer reviewed sources on cross-training for runners, with the intent on highlighting general strength and recovery benefits. Further, I wanted to discuss the enhanced blood flow throughout the skeletal muscles that happens when aqua jogging, done without the impact of actual running, promoting circulation to muscles, tendons, and joints throughout the whole body. In some cases, when we perform deck work while at Propstra, core, hip, ankle, and leg exercises are performed to promote strength and proprioception.

But as a take a step back and look at the image a little closer, the hi-5 is a more telling sign of the comprehensive work we do, not only during cross-training, but throughout our time at Whisper. Danny Barna, a soon to be student at Purdue University, and Cam Lantagne, a sophomore at Whitworth University, connected with a powerful grip and a ton of respect between the two. The work to get to the top only steepens as it closes in, and these two have experienced this crescendo.

In aqua jogging, there are no shin splints or side stitches. Instead, it's a low-pressure form of training where runners can relax, unwind, work hard in small doses, get to know one another outside of the world of running, and yes, give an occasional hi-5.

Two aqua jogging sessions are scheduled for this summer session, and they are Wednesday, July 27 and Wednesday, August 3, both 6:00-7:30pm. See the Calendar page for aqua jogging details. For the sake of recovery and comradery, I hope to see your kids at the pool this Wednesday!

Vacation Running

Catching up with Whisper OG’s, like the great, Lauren Amato, is a highlight no matter where we meet for a run!

I am beyond fortunate to live in a land where we have freedom to travel and explore.  This thought of feeling fortunate stokes a memory of a former runner I coached during my time at Clark College when he was pulled over for running in his native hometown of Oaxaca, Mexico. The authorities thought he was a “crazy man” running the streets and they couldn’t imagine why anyone would run for fun. 

Personally, running new areas allows me to explore cultures more intimately.  Running streets that have been in place before the turn of the 20th century, communicating with the locals through running when I don’t speak their native language, learning their values when reading the signs along the roadway to abide by the local rules, all further my passion for sustaining the ability to perform something so easy, yet so hard – running.

With this man, generosity knows no bounds. At mile 15, he provided me with free fruit and water, and for his gestures, I am grateful.

Yesterday, after planning with Kaci to pick me up after my point-to-point run, I ran 17 miles along the NW side of Maui along Highway 30 & 340.  The humidity and heat were getting the best of me, even though I departed at 6am.  Ill-prepared, I trudged along, checking Life360 regularly to see if Kaci had left our condo to pick me up.  In addition to the tropical feel, the hills were relentless.  As a columnist once wrote in an article on ESPN.com about the Newton Hills of the Boston Marathon, the hills of Maui were similar in that they truly are a “steady dose of middle fingers,” or something to that effect.  Thankfully, at around mile 15, a native man on the side of the road was setting up a roadside canopy to sell dried fruit and water.  Talk about timing, this was literally in the middle of nowhere along a mostly deserted road.  I approached his booth, and in retrospect, I may have looked like the crazy man running, similar to Manuel in Oaxaca.  No matter, the generous man encouraged me to try his dried fruit, and even offered me a water.  Feeling sufficiently refreshed, estimating Kaci was roughly 30-minutes away at this point, I marched on for another few miles, continuing to be amazing by the beautiful views the Pacific Ocean off the north coast of Maui.  On cue, Kaci picked me up at 17.4 miles, and along the way home, I stopped by the booth for an abundance of dried fruit, and to, again, express my gratitude toward a stranger who trusted a crazy man who said, “I promise to come back and buy some dried fruit!”

In addition to the 17-mile long run, in the days since our arrival in Lahaina, I’ve ran 7 miles south, 4 miles east, and I even had the privilege to run a few miles with Lauren, who was staying in a resort in Wailea. Exploring these regions, smelling the countless aromas, hearing the different languages, and feeling the variations in the pathways and roadways, provides a break from my traditional running, where it’s always a grind, always timed, always measured, always assessed.  Running should have seasons of volume and intensity, ebbs and flows, and even vacations.  Vacation running as a break from typical running I suppose.  And on that note, it’s time for a run, albeit of the vacation sort.

Highway 340 along the Maui coastline.

Hillary's Note

As a runner myself since I was a young child I’ve been through my fair share of injuries, nutrition issues, and read countless articles on the importance of sleep, rest days, benefits of interval training, etc, etc. I spent a couple weeks thinking which of these topics would be impactful and beneficial to this group of runners. Then when I was on my morning run it came to me. I had just spent the past two days at the GSHL 3A and 4A district meet and was overwhelmed by what I saw. Fantastic performances by all the kids, personal records being set, and the culmination of a season of training coming together. And while their performances were impressive the thing that struck me the most was the sense of camaraderie. I saw kids from each different school cheering on their Whisper friends from other teams, working together during races with high fives and hugs at the finish line. I saw no less than 15 Whisper boys from 8 different high schools running back and forth on the field during the girl’s 4x400m race to cheer on the girls. This is what Whisper is about. Yes, you all come to Whisper to train, to improve your times, and to gain knowledge on the sport you have chosen, but while doing this you are also making lifelong friends who will be there to support you through your running career and beyond.

I know Coach Dave has spoken about the importance of the weekend runs as a way to build endurance and start adding mileage to your training plan. The weekend run can be so much more when you find a group of your Whisper buddies to join you. There is a group of girls who, for the past few years, have prioritized their Saturday mornings to do a long run together. These girls attend multiple different schools and live in various areas of our county, but every Saturday they congregate at a location and take off for their run. They return chatting happily and all seem to be exhilarated by the chance to decompress and talk with their running buddies. Many times they finish at a coffee shop or donut shop (everything is better with a treat at the end!). Watching these girls bond, mature, and grow together as runners and people has been the highlight of what I have seen from Whisper. Now that they are in high school it is challenging but in the off-seasons they still get together and have that time to build each other up. I encourage all of you to find this group. Coach Dave and I are more than willing to help you find a group that will be a good fit. And we know running is hard and sometimes you just don’t want to do it, but with your Whisper team of buddies cheering you on, you’ll know there will always be someone there to support you.

A trip to run with Danny!

It’ll be two years in August since the last time I worked with Danny. At the conclusion of the 2019 Summer Training session, he, along with his mother, Sarah, and father, Jon, packed up and moved to Moorhead, Minnesota. Danny is missed by his teammates and is often thought of when reminiscing.

I was fortunate to travel to his new hometown of Moorhead this past weekend to run the 10k event, which is part of the Fargo Marathon weekend in Fargo, North Dakota. Separated by the Red River, one could throw a rock from Fargo and land it on the shore of Moorhead. Conveniently, the marathon course travels in front of Danny’s home, which made it the perfect place to cheer on the runners as they finished their 26.2 mile trek, doing so after running our own 10k.

The trip was quick, only a three night stay, but the time was filled with long talks at the dinner table, walks at a nearby park, bowling at the timeless Sunset Lanes, ice cream stops, and so much more. Thankfully, the Coomber’s have family in the Pacific NW and plan to make semi-frequent post-COVID family visits, so we will certainly meet again. Until that time comes, let the following video remind you of the connections possible through running, as well as the sense of normalcy and thankfulness it may unveil.

Ethan - 7th grade, View Ridge Middle School

I had the pleasure of working with Ethan on some of the fundamental drills executed in track and field. In order, I demonstrate a drill in two directions so the athlete can see both frontal and profile views of proper drill movement(s). I also video record the athlete performing the drill, then show the athlete the video footage so they can see what they are doing, and learn how they see themselves versus how they think they see themselves. Reviewing the footage, Ethan was quite surprised to see that his posture needs a lot of work, as well as some of the basic biomechanical movements that were not being performed as he had thought. Ethan has a long way to go, but as long as he is motivated, he should advance sufficiently. Thankfully, he is only a 7th grader, so he has time to develop before some of these habits become too engrained into his peripheral nervous system.

Remembering Factors that Bring Focus, Confidence, and Success

By the time the June 2022 Newsletter reaches the email newsstand, the spring track and field season will be a memory of the past.

Winter Training at Whisper Running pumped runners full of vigor and confidence, all of which was to be tested on the track, and just as often, between the ears. Remaining steadfast to the initial goals that were set in January and February is just as important now as it was then.

Closing ones eyes for a moment and recalling the speed at which runners circled the track, the ease and simplicity of the movements, the push from the coaches and peers, the incessant emotional drive for improvement - remember this! Turning "those feelings" into "these feelings," into the present moment, as well as adhering to the goals that were set, can reinvigorate ones training appetite, and ultimately, ones drive to perform at the higher levels.

As post-season approaches, it's important to remember a few key factors that were discussed during Winter Training, which include:

  1. Keep your races varied. Runners should race at least four different distances in a single season. A rule of thumb: Invites are for your primary events, duals are for complimentary events.

  2. Remember: Speed trickles up! If you want to get faster in the mile, race the 800m. If you want to get faster in the 800m, race the 400m. Stamina (aka, quality mileage) certainly helps, but there is confidence to be had knowing you can always count on having another gear in a race.

  3. Speaking of mileage. With two to five weeks remaining, adding a little mileage may go against the grain of traditional training, but if a runner stands to gain confidence and fitness with a few added miles in a week, take the confidence!

As mentioned on an April 16 Instagram post, "Persistence and patience are key elements toward improvement. Remaining humble and hungry, setting huge goals, loving the process... Be all-in on believing your day will come, whether it's tomorrow or a year (or two) from now. Envision the process. Surround yourself with the right environment, the right team, etc. Those listed above and the ones (not listed) at Winter Training are all on the same team. No matter the school you attend, the club you run for, if you worked with us over Winter, you're in! Always remember the footnotes given to the Whisper runners at nationals: Forever Believe. Forever Believe. Forever Believe."

An Assortment of Drills

Cues per drill:

  • Anklings - aim to create vertical circles. The foot should step over the opposite shoe. Think “small high knees.” Common mistake: ovals instead of circles. Ovals are typically performed slower, and we are aiming for quick feet (like hot potato).

  • Calflings - slightly larger vertical circles, with the instep of the shoe passing by the large part of the gastrocnemius (calf) muscle.

  • A-Skip - be sure to lean from the ankles. Often, athletes will bring the chest toward the knee. Rather, aim to bring the knees upward, while the chest and shoulders remain tall and relaxed.

  • A-Skip w/Shoe Tap -

  • B-Skip - for beginners, encourage an audible “Slow, Slow, Go” to enhance learning.

  • C-Skip - for beginners, try two high knee skips with one leg, then the opposite leg (two high knees). Both, the knee comes forward (twice). Once the athlete has executed the drill well, then the first skip may come forward, while the second is performed toward the outside.

  • Open The Gate - when the action leg lands, encourage an audible “1, 2-3” to promote learning.

  • Close The Gate - the same pattern, “1, 2-3” can be practiced along with the action of the movement.

  • Lateral Shuffles - encourage the windmill for a bit more plyometric action.

  • Karaoke Straight Legged - hip rotation around the spine promotes trunk flexibility, and the drill is also a great core warm-up.

  • Karaoke High Knee - again, think hip rotation, where the pelvis rotates around the spine.

  • Straight Legged Bounds - consider doubling the drill distance to allow time to gather speed for this drill.

  • Frankenstein - warm-up well before performing. This is a ballistic drill and should be performed cautiously when not warmed-up or in colder environments.

  • Alternating Quick Step - again, be sure the knee lifts up on the quick step, while the chest and shoulders remain tall and relaxed.

  • Butt Kicks - be quick.

  • High Knees - be quicker.

  • Lunges - possibly the best stretch in the whole wide world (when performed optimally).

  • Lunge w/Twist - lunge, then twist, then unwind, then progress into the next lunge.

  • 3-Legged Giraffe - lifting leg should be in-line with upper body.

  • Knee Hugs - hug and lift the knee (from shin).

  • Quad Stretch - stretching quad with same-side hand.

  • Table Tops - hold (3-5s) and feel the goodness. Great for balance.

  • Grave Diggers - easiest and most fulfilling stretch.

Paying for College

What youth runner doesn’t dream of getting a “full ride” to run in college? As ones senior year approaches, you may find those dreams are more complicated than you think. Choosing private versus public, Division I, II, III, NAIA, or community college, potential major(s), and the many other factors that play a key role in your decision clouds the process. Add in the financials, what you can reasonably afford, Financial Aid, scholarship and grant opportunities, the list of factors amasses.

In time, there will be a resource page on Whisper Community’s website. Whisper Community is a nonprofit prioritizing physical and intellectual/academic growth in Clark County youth runners. For now, any information we presently have can be found here. If you would like to contribute information, such as grant and scholarship opportunities, please send your information to Dave Caldwell via email. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, assisting future Clark County youth runners, please see our Whisper Community website. Thank you!

The following PowerPoint presentation comes from Lizette Drennan, a Financial Aid program specialist at Clark College. Lizette is also a seasoned runner and advocate for youth development, as evident by her 20+ years of serving students at Clark College. Lizette put together this presentation specifically for Whisper Running, which includes information around Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Grants, which is a great place to start when planning the financial piece of college education. Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation.

In the coming weeks, months, and beyond, more information will be added to this blog post, then transferred to the Whisper Community website as a resource.