Like many of you, I have been busy balancing ACT's with a difficult senior schedule and official visits.

Remaining focused on training and goals have been my priority. 

It’s the most exciting time of the season for any cross country runner, NOVEMBER, when it actually counts!  Not to marginalize any particular race or event, but my approach has always been to focus on State and peaking at Foot Locker South.  

I have found that many high school runners have nothing left in the tank by the time the Foot Locker Regional Championships are contested.  This is evident by many runners posting much slower times at the season finale than their earlier season bests or PR’s. This is a result of goals that vary amongst teams.  Many programs go hard from the beginning of summer and race, race, race, sometimes multiple times per week throughout the season without breaks.

FSU Pre-State Invitational 2014 - by Bob Murphy/Justshootitphotography.com

Some programs choose to pick their spots and prioritize the marquee meets and focus on the championship season.  Obviously the size of team may dictate some of those strategies by having the ability to rest runners as opposed to running everybody at every meet.  My approach does not mean that I believe either approach is wrong.  It just means much more to me to finish my season running my fastest when it matters most.

A competitive runner who trains year round does not use the season to get into shape.  They use their season to get faster since they already have an established base which is maintained and improved through year round training and commitments.  A personal record at Foot Locker provides a huge amount of momentum and confidence going into the off season winter training for track.

For me, I can’t stress enough how much this helps to plow through the off season workouts and visualize the potential success that awaits as a result of the hard work being put in.  I learned long ago, from an experienced coach at a camp in Colorado, a very relevant analogy to an entire season approach.  You spend the entire off season filling your bucket with water (Your training is what fills the bucket with water).  The idea is to get through the entire season with using the least amount of water in the bucket as possible.  Racing uses a lot of the water.  Too much racing and over training will deplete the bucket with nothing left when you need it (Late in the season at races like State and Foot Locker).  Training through the season with adequate recovery has been the emphasis and has proven successful. 

My training has gone great and I am feeling fit and ready to go for the final stretch.  One of the things I am very proud of has been my methodical approach to each season and achieving my goal of running my fastest on the last race of the year.  I have been fortunate to PR the last two years at the season finale at McAlpine Park in Charlotte.  This year’s goal is no different. 

For the past five years my training and development has been geared towards the ultimate goal of competing at the next level in college. No short cuts with a consistent approach to increased mileage, continued core development, and a focus on quality work outs. This conservative approach as I developed physically and mentally has been vital to remaining healthy and showing consistent improvement throughout high school. 

I feel strongly about my approach especially since it’s clear that there are many similarities in what college coaches are looking for and the way they approach their runners as well as their seasons. 

Most college programs run very few meets and focus on Conference Championships, Regionals, and Nationals.  They don’t run their varsity runners at every race and they focus on building throughout the season to ultimately be running their best when it matters most.  My official visits have reaffirmed this.

Official visits have been very beneficial in the decision process as well. The recruiting process has been exciting and informative.   I am very grateful to the athletes and coaches that have made me feel welcome during my official visits.  I anticipate making a decision in the near future and will be sharing with DistancePreps.  Good Luck to everyone on the remainder of the season!

Zach

Zach Weaver
Class of 2015
Pasco High

PR's:

800 2:06

1600 4:30.32

3200 9:30

5K 15:38

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