How to Run a Faster 800m: A High School Distance Runner's Guide to Training and Racing the Half Mile
The 800m sits at the intersection of speed and endurance, and most high school runners train it wrong. Here's what I've learned coaching athletes through this event and how to actually develop as an 800m runner this summer.
What Is Lactate Threshold Testing and Why It Matters for High School Runners
Most youth athletes train by feel. We use data. A tiny blood sample from the fingertip tells us more about your fitness than any generic training plan ever could. Here's what lactate threshold testing actually is and why it matters for high school runners.
Summer XC Enrollment Is Open: Your 10-Week Roadmap to an August Breakthrough
Cross country races are won in July, not October. The aerobic engine you race on in the fall is built during the unglamorous summer weeks of consistent, progressive mileage. The work that happens with no meets, no crowds, and no one watching.
That's exactly why summer is so easy to waste. Without structure, most runners either do too little (a few jogs a week, no progression) or too much too soon (jumping mileage, getting hurt by July). Both roads lead to the same place: a flat, frustrating fall season.
The Summer Training Window: What Indiana High School Runners Should Do Right Now
Spring track is over. The next 10 weeks will define your fall cross country season. Coach Justin Roeder covers base building, running mechanics, strength training, nutrition, blood work, and the mental side. Here is a complete summer guide for Indiana high school runners in Westfield, Carmel, Noblesville, and beyond.
11 Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Scholarship Offer
Most families celebrate the offer before they understand it. Indiana running coach Justin Roeder spent eight years coaching and recruiting at the NCAA level and knows what coaches know that families don't. These are the 11 questions you need to ask before you sign.
Why Your High School Runner Benefits from NCAA-Level Coaching
Your athlete's school coach is working with 40 runners and a full teaching schedule. NCAA-level coaching is built differently — individualized, periodized, and purposeful. Here's what that actually means for your high school runner.
How to Send a Recruiting Email That Actually Gets a Response
As a former NCAA Division I head coach, I receive dozens of recruiting emails from high school athletes every week. Most of them go unanswered — not because the athlete isn't talented, but because the email doesn't give me what I need to take the next step. Here's what separates the emails I respond to from the ones I don't.