With no mandated training program, many collegiate athletes take the summer off and relax in whatever cool and shaded shelter they can find to escape the fierce summer heat. For the women of the Oregon State cross country team however, slacking off is not an option.
With training expectations laid out by the coaching staff, it’s up to the athletes to put in the time, and the miles, to be successful in the fall. OSU cross country assistant coach Andrew Wartenburg explains that the coaches can write up training programs and workout schedules, but they mean nothing without the women who put in the work.
“We hope that the athletes are accountable and motivated enough to hold their feet to the fire over the summer,” Wartenburg said. “There is a lot of trust involved, but for the most part, the women do a good job of pulling through on their end.”
In addition to running workouts, resistance training exercises were added to the athletes’ summer repertoire. Wartenburg said that the team was encouraged to hit the weight room to increase core, upper and lower body strength – anything that can give the runners an edge. The cross country coaching staff stresses that added strength not only makes for a better runner, but also a better overall athlete.
Another change the Beaver runners made this summer is that a large group stayed behind in Corvallis to train together. Senior distance runner and co-captain Lorene Young decided to forgo going home to Klamath Falls, Ore. with the mindset of staying to run with her team.
“My main focus for staying here in the summer was to train with my teammates,” Young said. “It’s nice to be able to have your teammates to train with during long runs and having them around makes you more motivated.”
The groups workouts help keep the athletes focused on improvement, but Wartenburg feels that it also helps build camaraderie and team cohesion. At the start of the season the team generally holds a team camp focusing on bonding, but through the dedication of many of the women, the team will already be well-integrated, which will pave the way for greater growth and development.
It is through this extra progress that the team hopes to advance its goals of reaching the regional and national meets. As Young points out, if the team can motivate each other to get through running 50 or 60 miles a week over the summer, they’ll be more likely to go the extra mile for their teammates during the season.
-Robert Ingle, The Daily Barometer
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