With the track season rapidly approaching, the boys long-distance track team has been making great efforts to ensure success for this upcoming season. Although the winter months may be frigid, these athletes have been gearing up since the end of the cross-country season in late September, implementing strength, endurance, and injury prevention strategies.
“The team, as far as I know, is working very hard. Like I say, I think it’s really impressive that there is a committed squad of runners getting ready for the track season, especially because they are almost all younger, so they will be on the team next year” freshman Eddie Loberg said
Strength is a big part of the track season, both physically and mentally. Throughout the season, athletes work hard, coming in early to school for physical strength training, and then working hard to strengthen their minds as well.
“We try to meet twice a week before school to work on multiple muscle groups” senior Thomas Martin said.
Injury prevention is one of the most important parts of the winter season. Whether an athlete is recovering from a previous injury or trying to avoid getting injured, it is crucial to stay healthy and give your body the time it needs to rest. The distance team takes this into account, making sure to have adequate time for stretching, as well as sparing enough time for schoolwork and overall rest.

“Cross-training is key for building volume while staying injury-free, and making sure to implement fun training days. For example, on Fridays, we go and play frisbee down at the bay. My friends and I also do indoor and outdoor biking and skiing for fun, and this helps us prepare for track” Loberg said.

During the winter months, the athletes work on a variety of skills, including long runs, tempo workouts, and fartlek training sessions. These months are critical for volume training and often are the toughest both physically and mentally, due to stress from school and the hard work and dedication the athletes have to put into goals they have set.
During the off-season, some athletes prefer to participate in other sports instead of solely training for running, while most continue to run and Nordic ski. Nordic skiing works different muscles than running but can often maintain endurance.
“I do different sports because I don’t want to put a ton of stress on my knees. They tend to get irritated if I overtrain, and Nordic skiing is nice because I’m not using all the same muscles and joints that I would be using for running. It’s a break for my body, as long as I’m not falling over” senior Lauren Masica said.
With the track season rapidly approaching, the Orono long-distance track team has been putting in a lot of hard work to prepare for their upcoming season. They have not just been training hard, but also training smart to have the best possible track season.