Weekly Workouts (2025)

Week 1: June 2 - June 8

Refer to this routine sheet for exercises to be completed before or after runs (e.g., warmup stretches/drills, general strength routines, cooldown stretches, etc). Workouts accompanied by an asterisk (*) are new terms for which explanations have been added to the glossary below this week's workouts. All other terms should already be in the glossary.

Follow DeMatha Cross Country on Instagram or on Twitter. Athletes may send post-run video logs to Coach Puffett if they'd like to be featured on the team's social media accounts during the summer.

Tier 1

M – S&D WU, 50min moderate run*, GS I, CD
Tu – S WU, 30min recovery run*, GS II, CD

Th – S&D WU, 35min easy tempo run*, HC & GS III, CD

Sa – S WU, 30min easy run*, GS IV & Big 10, CD

Tier 2

M – S&D WU, 45min moderate run*, GS I, CD
Tu – S WU, 25min recovery run*, GS II, CD

Th – S&D WU, 35min easy tempo run*, HC & GS III, CD

Sa – S WU, 25min easy run*, GS IV & Big 10, CD

Tier 3

M – S&D WU, 45min moderate run*, GS I, CD
Tu – S WU, 20min recovery run*, GS II, CD

Th – S&D WU, 30min easy tempo run*, HC & GS III, CD

Sa – S WU, 20min easy run*, GS IV & Big 10, CD

Tier 4

M – S&D WU, 35min moderate run*, GS I, CD
W – S WU, 25min easy run*, GS II, CD

F – S WU, 25min easy run*, HC & GS III, CD

Glossary of Terms

Easy run – We most often use this for either an extended warmup leading into a hard workout, such as fartleks, intervals, or a tempo run. If you are going by feel rather than the Tinman Training Calculator, this is a pace that is faster than a trot but slower than your recovery run pace.

Easy tempo run – On the Tinman Training Calculator, easy tempo is roughly 1 minute 20 seconds/mile slower than your current 5k race pace (e.g., if you run 20:00 in a 5k, your race pace is 6:26/mile, so your tempo run should be run at roughly 7:46/mile). If you prefer to run based on feel, conversation should start to become increasingly difficult sometime between the 5- and 10-minute marks of your easy tempo run.

Moderate run – If you are going by feel rather than the Tinman Training Calculator, this should be a comfortably hard pace but not even close to all-out. This is a pace at which you can hold a conversation, with relative ease for the first 10-15 minutes before it gets increasingly more difficult to get full sentences out.

Recovery run – On the Tinman Training Calculator, this is probably equivalent to your “easy/moderate” training pace. If you are going by feel, recovery runs should be run at, roughly, the fastest pace at which you can hold a conversation for at least 20-25 minutes without it becoming difficult to get full sentences out.

Supplemental details (these apply to everyone):

The goal of summer training is to be race-ready at the beginning of the cross country season

• DO stretch before you run. See routines page.

• DO stick to the workout appropriate for you as outlined above.

• DO NOT adjust workout plan or switch between plans without Coach's approval.

• DO strength routines. Consider adding pushups and situps as an every-morning routine (start easy early in the summer and build up).

• DO cross training (with coach input) - It is a good thing to substitute a run with a pool workout or do a pool or bike workout in addition to your runs when available. The opportunity for this disappears in-season, so summer training is a great opportunity. Biking and elliptical work are also excellent forms of cross training. If these options are available to you, Coach Puffett will work with you on how to best implement these into your training plan.

• DO consider running one 5k road race in July or early August – go to parkrun USA or RunWashington to find a race. Your performance will give you a baseline of where you are as we get set to begin the official season and will help Coach Puffett place you with the correct training group when the season begins.

Heath Examination, Medical History and Emergency Contact forms 

• PDF copies of these forms can be found here: DeMatha Athletic Forms.

• Must be completed and turned in to DeMatha via the Athletic Trainer System portal before the first official practice on August 12th. 

• Must be dated after June 1.

• No forms = no practice. No exceptions!

Final note: Summer training is the foundation for the cross country season. Talent will only take you so far. If you choose not to train, your competition will pass you when you reach that plateau and will expose your lack of commitment.