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Champions are made in the off-season - Gulf Coast HSPublished by
We're fond of saying "Champions are made in the off-season". The off-season is instrumental for laying a good foundation for the upcoming competitive season. Here is how Gulf Coast High School distance plans on getting ready for Track.
 The Gulf Coast Girls XC team enjoyed considerable success this past season winning the Collier County Conference and District Championships. The Girls team finished 3rd at Region and was 8th at the State Meet led by Junior Caroline Barlow's 4th place finish in 3A. 6 of their 7 runners at the State XC Meet set personal records. The Boy's ended their season finishing 9th at Districts.
The Gulf Coast distance squads are coached by Paul Barlow.
DISTANCEPREPS: What's the post season recovery and build up for your distance squad?
COACH BARLOW: As for our team, the transition is underway from XC season to Track. We start with 10 full days of complete rest beginning with their last race. So for some of our team that ended this week and after next week they all will have been rested. They've been working very hard since June, so this down time is critical for their bodies to recover but also mentally it allows them to begin again fresh.
DISTANCEPREPS: How do you keep your runners motivated during the off-season?
COACH BARLOW: For those who are not involved in a winter sport, the Gulf Coast Winter Run Club was started years ago. This is a student organized and managed club that brings the distance and occasional sprinter athletes together to start working out. We add weight training and suggested workout plans, but pretty much leave it up to the team to organize days and times to meet and run. This keeps the training fresh and attendance is always good. The motivated athletes rise to the occasion and lead the way for the others.
DISTANCEPREPS: What's circled on the calendar for the 2013 Track and Field season?
COACH BARLOW: This year we are looking at both FSU Relays and the UF Relays for at least our distance team. We've not recently participated in an indoor meet and we are considering one this year. We also always look forward to the Naples Invitational meet that typically kicks off our season. It is a fun meet of relay races and allows the team to race different distances. |
