If you were a NCAA D1 coach, how would you structure training?

I'd hide in a bush at NAU campus and write everything down, then do that

No runner more than max 60 mpw. Team training always with every runner at perfect pace( the runners divided in small groups except when track quality and all runners out at the track at the same time but every runner at individual best pace and recovery.) .Had been a powerful magic DANCAN D1 team . 🇸🇪🧙‍♂️🎅🇺🇲

I’d train them to run closer to 13:00 for 5k. 14:00-14:30 won’t make NCAAs.

anyone can “handle 80-100mpw” that’s not a training plan.

Summer: train their bodies to be ready for the early season workouts

Late August-September: train their bodies to be ready for the peak season

Late October-Early November: train to peak for the end of the season

I'd use a Daniels approach with a build up phase, tempo type runs, recovery runs, long runs, hills, followed by track work leading up to the championship races.

I'd probably make Indoors and outdoors one season because college is so short in outdoors.

Summer: Build to 80-100mpw by end of summer. Long runs hard. Hill repeats once a week. Strides. (Drills+Hard strides <100m once a week)

Early Fall (Start of school-Mid October): 2 Workouts/ week. Workout 1: 5-7mi of intervals no less than 1 mi, short rest. Workout 2: Tempo/Fartlek+4x200s.

Late Fall (Mid October-Championship): 2 Workouts/ week. Workout 1: Reps of 400m-800m, longer rest. Workout 2: Light fartlek.

Tuesday/Friday normal workouts. Sunday Long run.

Early in the season about half of the long runs contain some faster running. If the long run contains some faster running, then the Tuesday following and Friday before the long run would be a 'lighter' workout. Variety of workouts, short quick intervals and hills would be in one category, long fartleks in another category, and LT work in a third category. Early season would contain more of the hills rather than the short and fast. The LT/fartleks would progressively get longer until about 3 weeks before the goal peak time of the season. Then would get into some quicker shorter reps since the strength/base is complete at that point. I'd have them run doubles on Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday. Wednesday is mid week long run, but not crazy. If they're doing 100 mile weeks then Wednesday would be a 12 mile run. The double days would typically be a 5 or 6 mile second run. Saturday is the lightest day, easy run of about 8 miles. Long run typically in the 15-18 mile range. Possibly a peak of 20 if they're training for 10k mostly, but 18 is fine.

I’m not a coach and have only my own college experience and self-experimentation as a basis, but generally speaking I would follow the kinds of periodization programs emphasized by Canova or Marius Bakken. I sort of (reductively) think of it as a process of gradually homing in on race pace and optimal fitness as championships approach. What this looks like, I think, is a program that builds endurance while never losing touch with faster stuff so that you are increasing aerobic strength while also taxing other systems. Runners might, for instance, build up long runs over the summer and early fall to 16-18 miles. Meanwhile, they’re doing strides, hills, and shortish tempo runs regularly. Eventually, they do the race-specific interval workouts and speed-variable workouts (like Warhurst’s signature Michigan workouts that combine some faster track stuff with tempo pace). I’d also emphasize that each day of training needs to have a clearly defined purpose. Mileage for its own sake is a sign of a coach who doesn’t know what they’re doing and an athlete who isn’t confident. That doesn’t mean you don’t run mileage, but mileage shouldn’t be a program’s signature thing. The bottom line at the end of seven days doesn’t really matter. Race performance is what matters. Also, no need to follow a seven-day cycle. You could build a system based on ten-day cycles and training blocks that are multiples of ten. Intentionality, science, athlete buy-in, focus on process, and holism should define a program.

Summer would be just a buildup to peak volume, a little more than last year. During mileage buildup, strides (mainly hills) and intra run marathon pace work is done (and even strides during run, like 4x 15 seconds quick 45 seconds easy). After around 80% of peak volume buildup, strides are maintaned at least twice a weak (mainly still hills), along with some m paced work once a weak DURING the run, usually on sunday/wednesday the 2 longest days of the week. There will be 2 workouts a week done on tuesday and friday. One is no faster than LT for most of it (strides and some CV work is fine) while the other is a fartlek or intervals around 8k or 10k pace. The threshold session is usually broken up into long intervals, and if the runner can handle, double threshold sessions could be done a few times over the summer. The faster interval day isnt too specific to 8k/10k and the reps are usually 800-1609m. Maybe two specific sessions are done with hard intevals of 2k-2 miles are done. Again maybe two hard hill sessions will be done as their own workout, ideally on very steep hills. This will keep in touch with higher lactate levels in order to maintain them, and strengthen the quads, hip flexors, and glutes. Most workouts would be done in a cutdown style, even the threshold work, which often finishes at CV pace.

Mid to late season summer

Sunday: 16+ with 2x2 @m pace in the middle, with 4x 150m done at 5k pace after the runs finished

Monday: 7 with mobility work/core

Tuesday: 3 mile wu 3x2mile at LT with 90 seconds rest 3 mile cd, with last 200m of each rep picked up to CV. 4 miles PM

Wednesday 12, with pickups in the last 4 miles (15 seconds on 45 off), and lift in PM

Thursday: 7 am 4 pm with mobility work/core

Friday: 3 mile wu 2x(1600 w/3 min rest 1200 w/2 min rest 800)w/3 min rest 3 mile cd + 4 pm

Saturday 9 with hill strides.

I think this is like 85. Extra doubles can be added whenever. Im a big believer in mobility stuff (yoga, pilates, hurdle walk overs) and they can be done every day Strides are done before every workout. Workouts are preferably done on grass or on xc course type material.

The goal is to maintain around 90-95% of this volume for the vast majority of XC. As the workouts become less aerobic in nature, its important for aerobic capacity and conditioning to be maintained through volume of easy running. The last 3 weeks in a season would have a decent drop in volume, probably around 60-80, with the last week being a bit below that. More workouts are done around race pace or faster, with some around 3k or 5k pace. The goal for these is to be specific, so longer reps, and shorter rest. These aren't done too often as they are inherently taxing. If you were doing some easy interval method type of work, race pace for longer reps could be done a lot more, but I dont think you should do race pace workouts with a ton of recovery unless they are strides. There is less marathon pace work, and the long run cuts the m pace stuff maybe 4 or 5 weeks out. There is less LT work done in favor of CV. Strides and drills are maintaned a lot.

End of season XC ( 3 weeks out)

Sunday: 14 with 3x150m after

Monday: 6 with mobility work

Tuesday: 2(2kw/2 min rest)w/3 min rest 2(1.5k2/90 sec rest)w/2 min rest 1k HARD. First set is done at CV, second set is around 8k pace

Wednesday: 10-11 with 3x100m hill done after

Thursday: 6

Friday: 2x4x800 with one minute in between reps and 3 in between sets. 4 miles PM

Saturday 8 with mobility

I think this is around 70

800/1500m types: speed work year round, 100s, 150s, and 200s and hills in the summer/fall, only compete for the earlier stages of XC season unless a scoring team member, and indoor prep phase starts in November for these guys. During XC, for the longer 6-10 mile tempo efforts I’d have these guys do something like 12-16x400m at 8k pace working down to 5k maybe 3k pace with jogging recovery instead. Pure 800m types will train more like a 400m runner that maintains base mileage for most of winter, stuff like 2x300-200-100 spiked up with adequate rest, 400m runs where you shift from float to sprint every 50-100m. Maybe 2-3 800s or Ks at 8k pace before sessions like these to maintain aerobic strength and Vo2Max. Those emphasizing the mile more will have more typical middle distance work like 8x400m at 3k working down to mile pace, and 8x200m at mile working to 800m pace. This group will probably not go more than 13 miles for a long run in XC and 10 during track. 45-60 mpw for the 800/1500 type, 55-70 mpw for the 1500/800 type. Both 60-80 during XC.

1500m/3000m types: a lot more aerobically based clearly, train for and run the entire XC season, 12x400m @3k with a lap jog rest is a staple. Switch between that and faster (1500m to 800m pace) 200s/300s almost every week, with a threshold day as well, which could look like mile repeats, a 20-30 minute tempo run, or an 8-10 3 on/off type fartlek session. Long run should always be in the half marathon range, maybe up to 16 for peak base in XC. Vo2Max sessions like 6x800m @ 3k with 1:1 rest will be done the week before a big race. Mileage should look like 8Xs during XC and 75-80 during track.

5k types will have similar training to the 1500m 3k type, but there’s a higher emphasis on overall volume. Usually will switch between a session like 16-20x400m @8k-3k and 2x200-300-400-300-200 @mile pace with jogging rest. For the other session, something more like the classic 8xK @8k-10k pace or a long quality effort like 8-12 miles at 10k + 30 to 45 seconds a mile. Long runs usually 15-16 or so miles, switch week to week from easy/steady to quality, whether that be a fartlek, progression, or tempo.

5k-10k guys are roughly the same as 5k, but volume is looking more like 90-110 mpw, with 18 mile long runs. Maybe a session like 8-12x800m @10k would be more fitting than 400m repeats some days.

Mon: Easy Double (30’/60’) + Strides

Tue: Intervals (Threshold during base and progressing to race pace late season)

Wed: Easy Longer (90’)

Thu: Easy Double (30’/60’) + 10 Second Hill Sprints

Fri: 8-10 Mile Tempo or Race

Sat: Easy (60’)

Sun: 2 Hour Long Run (Hilly Course)

I would structure training so that my runners run fast

I thrived off moderate workouts and moderate mileage in high school, and doubling moderate workouts in college.

Assuming the normal 7 day schedule and assuming you're in base training:

M: 7 / 4 easy + strides

T: 1 mile warmup, 6 steady, 0.5 cooldown / 2 warmup, 3-4 tempo, 0.5 cooldown

W: 5 / 5 easy/recovery

Th: 8 / 3 easy + strides

F: 2 warmup, 6x1k cv, 4x200 @ 800-1500, 3-4 cooldown

S: 4/7 easy/recovery

Su: 13-15 mile long. If you're 14:30, I'd probably have it mostly be easy, but if you're feeling fresh you can push it to low 6's.

Nothing will be back-breaking, but stringing together 8+ weeks of this will give you a great base. I wasn't able to string together more than 2 good weeks in summer, so if I had to change it I'd just emphasize a lot of marathon pace work (probably 20 miles total weekly, split accross 4 sessions on 2 days) while maintaining speed through full-rest efforts at 800/1500 pace

100 mile weeks

10 mile tempos

Vo2 max 3 weeks lead up

Smash those who claim to be good

Not so. We had one Runner under 14:20 and got 18th in the NCAA XC final, and we did not even bring our A game (maybe B) that day. It did not ask how would you win the NCAA's, it asked how would you prepare for it. We were as prepared as can be.

July-August: fartleks & tempos

September-November: Intervals & fartleks

December-February: Fartleks & tempos

March-June: Intervals & fartleks

70-90 mpw, ez runs @7:00 pace, LR 15-17 no faster than 6:20 pace, 2-3 doubles a week, XC paces should be sub 30 min 10k, track paces should be around 5k pace (13:30)

Congrats on an awesome result! You said you were prepared as can be. Would you be willing to provide some detail with regards to your preparation?