WOODBURY — Over summer break, Nonnewaug boys cross country coach Deborah Flaherty was able to host two practices a week for her runners. Flaherty has stressed the importance of the preseason and how it affects runners during the actual season.
Before summer practices were available, some incoming freshmen and returning runners weren’t physically ready to compete again the following year.
“Summer workouts are personalized for each of my runners’ running ability, freshmen to seniors,” Flaherty said. “It helps prevent putting too much too soon on my players because it can cause injuries that may affect them throughout their whole season.”
This personalized workout system helps all runners prevent physical strain and smoothes over any minor hiccups they need to tackle before the season starts. These summer practices also allow incoming freshmen to gauge their own skill level and help build upon it to get to where they need to be on Nonnewaug cross country.
Runners like Mackenzie Scully, a junior on the girls cross country team, appreciate the new summer training sessions.
“The addition of summer sessions have helped the runners’ bodies get back into rhythm,” Scully said. “They’ve also prepared our minds for this upcoming season.”
The benefits that players gain from these sessions are not just physical, but mental. Mentality, like in all sports, is a big part of a player’s success during the season. It’s a determining factor between a slow time and a personal record—even state qualification.
“We are a team, but when you run an individual race there’s no timeouts, no passing the ball, and no second chances,” Flaherty said. “You have to carry the weight of the race on your back.”
Once the gun goes off, the pressure of racing can hinder the mindset of runners.
Flaherty and Scully both use motivative mantras to help them while preparing for the season. Sayings like the ‘faster you run, the faster you’re done,’ ‘no pain no gain,’ or ‘if you’re not hurting, then you didn’t go hard enough’ can motivate the hard work that is demonstrated on the team.
“Cross country season is very short,” Flaherty said. “We start in September and end in October, so preparing and being the best you possibly can for the season is vital to our success.”
