Hey,
Just a quick heads up to let some runners, parents, and coaches, who have joined us over the past two winters, know that the Finger Lakes Runners Club’s Barton indoor winter workouts are back on the calendar. They run from 7:15 to 9 in the evenings. A little late for some, but it’s where we can score indoor track time, and an opportunity we’re grateful to Cornell for making possible. This is an opening info email. Feel free to share with others, and just lemme know if you’d rather not receive others going forward and I’ll pull your name off in the next sending.
We’re grateful for a pretty awesome turnout for winter workouts. Tuesday’s, led by Adam Engst, got underway this past week, with over 60 runners wide ranging in ages and speeds getting their track legs back on. I’ll add in Mondays and Wednesdays starting the first week of January. Typically M/W nights we’ve averaged around 35 runners per session. Each week I’ll send an email with the workouts planned for that week’s M/W, and both Adam and I will post up on the FLRC Forum.
Where it can be a challenge to get in quality workouts in upstate dark, slick, cold winter conditions, it’s been wonderful to have had group sessions be a melting pot of programs. The workouts are open to all ages, clubs and schools. We’ve had athletes (and some coaches running as well) coming in and working out together from Ithaca, Newfield, Lansing, Trumansburg, Groton, and on one occasion, Bainbridge Guilford. It’s awesome to see the kids and coaches blending and working together. For sure a solid testament to the Club’s mission.
Each night we’ll meet downstairs on the west side of Barton Hall (facing the Statler Hotel) at 7:15 PM to chat on a plan for the night, and heading upstairs to the track at 7:30 PM. Please do not enter through the common upper doors near the throws cages before 7:15 (or if Cornell track still has practicing athletes in the cages or on the track) and DO NOT RUN ON THE TRACK BEFORE 7:30 PM! Another group has already gotten in trouble with the track team for that in one of the opening weeks. You can park in many spots on campus, but the parking garage is often the most convenient.
While there is leeway for athletes to vary on workouts, once Cornell students are back in session mid January, Barton can get pretty packed in activity. Some nights we will also share lanes with the Cornell Track & Running Clubs. For that reason we’ll, if possible, try to remain on the same page and plan for workouts, providing a distance and a sprint workout for each night.There has been a good range of speeds for sessions so athletes almost always have a pace pod possible.
In addition to myself planning and leading Mondays and Wednesdays, I’m grateful in advance to be joined by two or three others on the coaching front.
On the distance front, I’ll be joined by Hailey Whitten. Hailey was a multiple time Wyoming State Champion in HS XC & Track, and earned All-Conference honors in her years running for NCAA D1 Weber State (grad 2018). She’s coached a bit for the Manhattan Track Club, and, while living in Ithaca at the moment, has become a regular in workouts and open races. Together she and I will come up with the workout plan for the season and most likely both guide and join you for workouts. Hailey should be able to make most Mondays, and we can work collectively to win her over into joining Wednesdays as well.
On the short distance or sprints front, we’ll be assisted by Lucia Gore. Lucia is a recent IHS grad, now a student at Cornell. Lucia made solid gains in her time at IHS and may just use this season to finally crack the 60 second barrier in the quarter. Or, at least have fun being in a regular team’ish environment for another round.
Additionally, Elimary Hernandez, may also join to hone in on sprints on Mondays. If there are those who would like to focus on hurdle training, and a program out there who may be able to lend us a handful of hurdles to use for the winter season, she also brings a bit of hurdle experience and prowess to the table. Let me know if there is interest there and we’ll see if she can make it happen.
Requirements
Everyone is welcome, with three requirements:
- You should be running at least 10-15 miles per week to run the specified workouts. If you aren’t running that much, come talk to me before warmups; you can run, but it’s important to keep the volume low and minimize speedwork.
- It’s fine to come to a workout or two to see if they’re appropriate, but to attend regularly, you must be an FLRC member—join today.
- To meet Cornell’s requirements, EVERYONE MUST SIGN THE NEW FLRC AND CORNELL WAIVERS! These waivers are not optional; Cornell requires them for every participant for liability reasons, and having signed one last year or earlier this year isn’t sufficient. Parents must sign for all children 18 and under.
Alright…past my bedtime. Lemme know if any questions. Keep an eye on the forum for Adam’s plan for the next two Tuesdays and I’ll follow up again in December ahead of our January M/W start.
Ian Golden