Tips For During Practice
Showing up is the first step! Athletes who show up consistently improve 50% more than those who miss more than 3 practices over a season.
Be on time. When you're on time it sends a signal to your team that you care which creates a positive feedback loop within the team. Being on time also lowers stress which is beneficial to training.
Bring snacks, water and electrolyte drinks to stay fueled throughout practice.
Bring layers if it's cold and/or rainy.
Buy new shoes from Super Jock n Jill for each season (Winter, Track, Summer, XC)
Wear a watch. This is how you measure your progress and make sure you run the correct volume. It can be a GPS watch that tracks mileage or a simple Timex.
Track your Training. You can buy a physical training journal or log your miles on an app like Strava. This helps you be consistent, gain confidence, and notice patterns and tune in with your body.
Trust the process. Hard days hard, easy days easy. Follow the rule of thirds: whenever you're chasing a big dream you're supposed to feel great a third of the time, okay a third of the time, and bad or not great a third of the time. This is normal.
Do warm ups, drills, and strength work deliberately. Try to do these with better and better form each day instead of just going through the motions.