(Laura Duffy Photo Credit (c)2018)

By Tanner Dodd

 

Nick Doud is a senior at Bloomington High School. I came across Nick on Strava this past summer. I was in immediate awe when I looked at Nick’s training. Doud put in 60-80 miles per week throughout the summer putting me on notice. I was admittedly taken off guard by some of the training runs that Nick was doing weekly.

Throughout the 2018 cross country season, I made it a priority to follow Nick’s training and results. There was a clear indication that the work he put in over the summer elevated him to a level that was above his competition.

Nick finished the 2018 Cross Country season with an absolutely stellar performance at the IHSA State Cross Country Meet finishing 5^th overall in the 2A Boys race with a time of 14:59. His race tied the best pace performance by an individual runner at Bloomington High School.

It was  tremendous that he finished fifth in the 2A State race.  That race was not Nick’s best performance on the year. He also managed to win the 1A/2A race at the Peoria Invitational in late September in an outstanding time of 14:47 winning by almost 20 seconds ahead of a good field. It was the second-best time in the program’s history at Bloomington.

Watch the Peoria 1A/2A race here.  Watch Nick Doud Interview

Even though Nick received deserved accomplishments and accolades in this 2018 Cross Country Season, what puts the icing on the cake was that this season that the team had in finishing third in that 2A state race. Led by Nick, the Purple Raiders’ put on an absolute show for the 2A boys cross country scene throughout the whole season.

Nick is a hard-working young man with great intent within the sport. With his work ethic, and overwhelming passion for the sport, the possibilities for Doud are completely endless especially with his work ethic and overwhelming passion for the sport.

Nick heads into the 2019 Track Season with personal bests of 4:29 and 9:30 for 1600-meters and 3200-meters. After witnessing how much work he puts in not only on the roads, course, or track, but even outside of the running aspect of the sport, I thought it would be productive to dive a bit deeper, and publicly post Nick’s training throughout the month of December.

I reached out to him. He was more than willing to put together a day-to-day analysis of his training throughout the month. His training log should give others out there a look at what it takes to truly put in the work to be great at distance running on the high school level.

After his training in December was completed, I asked Nick what his goals were for the upcoming track season.

“For track, I have the goals of sub 9:10 in the 3200m and sub 4:20 in the 1600m. Both of these time would also give me the school records here at Bloomington High School. It is something that I’ve been striving for ever since I began running in 7th grade,” Doud stated. “In addition to these goals, I want to qualify for the 3A state track meet in the 3200 Meter Run and to become an all-state runner in that event. I realize that that is a very lofty goal, especially in 3A, but I know I have and will continue to put in the work to get myself to Charleston.”

Although it is almost always pertinent to success to set goals for yourself, it is of the most importance to work towards those goals. I can undoubtedly vouch for Nick and the hard work he has and will continue to put in throughout the future is of an extremely high and competitive level.

This is Nick’s documentation of his own training throughout the entire month of December. I hope you enjoy the read, and learn something from this analysis:

 

December 1

Today was Sunday, which usually means long run day, and today was no exception. I met up with Brett Haffner who now runs at Illinois State, and went on my 90 minute long run with him. I felt very smooth and controlled and was able to hold consistent splits throughout the run. I was able to run in shorts and a long sleeve today, and I realize there’s not too many of those days left. I should also add that I never look at my watch on typical runs, only on workout days. I won’t see my pace until after I’ve finished the run and saved it on my watch.

Total: 13.4 miles (6:42/mi)

 

December 2

Today was an easy 7 miles, which is typical for me after a long run or hard workout. Today’s weather sucked, contrary to yesterdays, as it was windy and rainy. However, I powered through it and it wasn’t all that bad.

Total: 7.3 miles (7:08/mi), plus .4 miles worth of strides, 7.7 miles on the day.

 

December 3

Planned off day. On my off days I try to stay away from any form of training, as I

find that’s what works best for me. I only cross train on days that I run.

 

December 4

I went on an hour run with my teammate, Quinn Olson, A.K.A. “Big O.” It was a solid run at a pace that wasn’t quite easy but wasn’t moderate either, so an “easyish” run. I have my first workout of the winter tomorrow, which will be a 4 mile tempo. Excited to see how that goes. I’ve been feeling really well on my runs lately, so hopefully that carries over into tomorrow.

Total: 8.7 miles (6:49/mi), plus .3 miles worth of strides, 9 miles on the day

 

December 5

This was my first workout of the winter, and I performed well. I started off a little too quick (5:30) but was able to hold it. I began to fade a little on the last mile, and actually had to stop really quick to use the bathroom (something that really needs to be avoided during a tempo), but overall it was a good workout.

Splits: 5:30, 5:28, 5:24, 5:24 (21:47 at 5:26/mi)

Total: 2.3 mile warmup, 4 mile tempo, and a 2 mile cooldown for 8.3 miles on the day

 

December 6

Another easy 7 miler today with Big O. My legs, understandably, were a little tired from yesterday’s effort, but I actually felt strong on this one. Changed things up and headed on the east side of the trail instead of going north.

 

December 7

No school today for me as I’ll be driving myself to Indianapolis for my official

visit at Butler. Super excited for this one, as they are a really great program and an even better school. Woke up and did a fairly easy hour by myself. There’s really not a whole lot going on at 8:30 in the morning in central Illinois. The drive to Butler was really easy and I made it there in good time. I have no idea what I’ll be doing in terms of training while I’m here, but I’ll try to stick close to my normal running schedule.

Total: 8.9 miles (6:46/mi), plus .2 of strides for 9.1 on the day

 

December 8

I’ve been having a great time so far on the visit and have really enjoyed what this school has to offer. Woke up pretty early to go to practice with the team, and had to watch them do their core routine. I wouldn’t mind doing their routine, however, weird NCAA rules prohibit a recruit from stretching or doing other running-related stuff (that isn’t running) with a team They had their “easy” days, which for their 10k guys is 10-15 miles. Decided that today would be my long run day and went 11 with the team. Had a good time, and the run went by super fast thanks to the constant change in scenery.

Total: 11.2 miles (6:33/mi)

December 9

This was the final day of my visit and I was looking to go on an easier run, due to yesterday’s long run. I went with the other recruit and his host, and we went on a shorter run than the rest of the team. It was a cemetery loop that was a touch longer than 7 miles. There was constant turning throughout the run but it went by fast just because of the constant change of scenery. After my run, I packed up my stuff and got ready to leave. I had a great time on this visit. I drove home from Indianapolis and felt like I should go on another shorter run. I went out for a 30 minute run and I felt great and just got moving. So, today I ran twice, and in two different states. I finished off my 30 minute run with some strides.

Total: 7.4 (6:49/mi), 4.5 (6:39/mi), .5 miles worth of strides for 12.4 miles on the day

Weekly Mileage: 57.7 (including an off-day)

 

December 10

Today was an easy hour after a pretty hectic week and in preparation for tomorrow’s hill workout. I went east/west on the trail with Big O. I felt fine but made sure to keep it easy. It’s nice to have Quinn by my side during these kinds of runs because he keeps it slow and honest.

Total: 8.5 miles (7:03/mi), .2 miles worth of strides for 8.7 miles on the day

 

December 11

Today was my “hill” workout so I ran to Ewing park (3 miles) at a decent pace and did 12 hills (3 sets of 4). This consists of sprinting up a 250 meter hill (more like a gradual incline) and running back down. Each set is conveniently one mile, so the total volume for the workout is 3 miles. After the completion of the workout, I ran back to school at a pace faster than the pace it took me to get to the park.

Total: 3.1 miles to the park (6:58/mi), 3 miles of hills (5:58/mi), 3 miles back to the school

(6:30/mi) for a total of 9.1 miles on the day

 

December 12

Today was just an easier 7-mile day. I felt a little sore from yesterday but not too much so I was able to go quicker than a normal easy day. Shoutout to Bryce for always pushing the pace on easy days! After my run at the school, I headed to the gym to get a leg workout in and some core.

Total: 7 miles (6:54/mi)

 

December 13

It was really gloomy out today, so really it’s just another day in Illinois. I had a nice easy hour with Big O again. This time I really focused on recovering and getting my legs ready for my big session tomorrow. Not much to say about this run. Just another day of running.

Total: 8.4 miles (7:09/mi), plus .3 miles of strides for 8.7 miles on the day

 

December 14

Today was my 18th birthday, so I decided to have a little fun in a not-so-fun and actually quite a miserable manner. I decided to do 18x400 on the track next to my school. I went on a 2-mile warmup, threw in some strides, and got ready. I kept track of my splits by telling Big O them, and then he’d write them down at the end of every rep, while also keeping track of my “rest,” which consisted of me doing core for 45 seconds and then getting right back up and running into the next rep. The goal was to gradually work my way down throughout the workout. I started in the high 70s range (78-79) and by the middle part I was down to 73-75 and by the last three I was 70,71,64. I wanted to really throw in a hard one at the end because I was feeling strong, despite the minimal rest. I should touch on the fact that the weather was not so conducive to a great workout. It was really foggy (where you were on the track, you couldn’t see its counterpart), and the wind on the home stretch of every rep was brutal. This was a great session and I’m really happy with the results, as I averaged 74 seconds. After I got done, I jumped the gate to get out and headed on my 2-mile cooldown.

I would also like to mention that later in the day I bowled a 166 and dubbed New Balance Indoor Pole Vault champ and world silver medalist, Zach Bradford. I need better competition.

Total: 2.3 mile warmup, 4.5 mile workout, 2 mile cooldown, 8.8 miles total

 

December 15

Today the plan was to get in some easy miles, but also a fair amount of them, because I want to reach the high 60’s in weekly mileage. I went out for a 7-mile run in the morning, then went back home for a few hours, then went back out to go on another 30 minute easy run, and then throw in some strides. After my second run, I went to the gym for “arm day,” and then did some core. Overall this was an extremely productive day and accomplished my goal of recovery and a decent amount of mileage.

Total: 7.2 miles (7:11/mi), 4.4 miles (7:08/mi), .3 miles worth of strides, 11.9 miles on the day

 

December 16

Another Sunday, and another long run. I’m still sore from Friday, but I wanted to make it a solid run. The thing about my long runs is that I start off very slow (around 7:20), and then am finishing my last 3-5 miles in the low 6 minute/high five-minute range. For example, my first two miles were 14:23, while my last 2 miles were 12:21. Long runs are my favorite day, as I just get to warm up and get into the groove.

Total: 13.1 miles (6:32/mi)

Weekly Mileage: 68 miles

 

December 17

Today was another planned off day, as I had run 13 days in a row. The general rule for our program is one day off every other week and I find that that works well for me. I took some time to roll out but that’s it. This was a great day to catch up on some school work before the end of the semester, and I took advantage of it.

 

December 18

Today was an easy hour run in preparation for my workout tomorrow. I went on a typical north/south trail run with Big O. I felt great after taking yesterday off and maybe was going a touch too quick.

Total: 8.6 miles (6:59/mi)

 

December 19th:

Today I planned on doing a Fartlek at Ewing. I got up in the morning before I had to go to school and did a 10 minute warmup there and threw in a few strides to get ready. Fartleks are one of my favorite workouts and today it showed me why. My Strava post will help best describe this workout without having to go into excessive detail. Finished it up with a 10 minute cooldown around the park. I’m glad to get this one done before school.

Total: 1.6 mile warmup, 6.2 mile fartlek, 1.3 mile cooldown, 9.1 miles on the day

(See Strava Picture)

 

December 20

Today was my first day of winter break so I was able to sleep in a little bit more than usual, which was really nice. I drove to the school to run on the trail since I was getting a little tired of running around my neighborhood and went on a really easy 7 mile north/south run. I decided I’d double just to get in a few extra miles and recover a little bit better from yesterday’s workout so I toughened up and ran around my quite boring neighborhood. I went on a 30 minute easy run around State Farm and through some other surrounding neighborhoods as well. Kept it controlled and smooth throughout.

Also, I decided to get some leg and core work in after the run so I drove to the gym to get that done.

Total: 7.3 miles (7:15/mi), 4.3 miles (6:53/mi), .3 worth of strides, 11.9 miles on the day

December 21

Today was another hill workout so I drove to the school and then ran to Ewing. My run there was actually quite slow, like a lot slower than usual, and I’m not really sure why. My first set of hills was also at 6:20/mi, which is a lot slower than normal, so I had to wake myself up and attack the workout harder than I normally do as I knew I was capable of going a lot faster. The last two sets I was able to get back to normal and average around 5:40/mi for the sets. After the workout, I ran back to the school at a significantly faster pace than it took for me to get there.

Total: 3 miles to the park (7:13/mi), 3-mile hill workout (5:55/mi), 3 miles back to school

(6:38/mi), 9 miles on the day

 

December 22

Today I woke up fairly early to get in an easy hour by myself. Nothing really

new here, just another typical north/south run by myself on the trail. The weather has been really nice these past few days and I realize I need to take advantage of that because “good weather” is hard to come by in the winter, especially in Illinois. I jinxed myself. Later in the day the weather actually got pretty bad outside so I headed to the gym to run on their 180-meter track. It’s not a very good track to begin with, and I need to stay away from indoor tracks as much as I can, as they’re not too good for your body. However, it was convenient for me as I was able to transition from running to doing arms & core in their weight room. This was a really solid and productive day of training.

Total: 8.5 miles (7:02/mi), 4.3 miles (6:59/mi), .3 miles worth of strides, 13.1 miles on the day

 

December 23

Today was Sunday, which would normally mean I’d be going on a long run, but I want to wait and do that on Christmas. So, I decided I’d make today a decent effort but not too long or too intense either. I went out for a faster-than-usual run around my neighborhood. Felt really smooth on this run.

Total: 9.2 miles (6:30/mi)

Weekly Mileage: 61.6 (including an off-day)

 

December 24

Today I headed out on an easy 10 miler, as I’m going for a pretty heavy week in terms of mileage and intensity. I grabbed Big O at mile 2 and we ran around town for a bit until I hit 10 miles. It was a really solid run, as it was an easy effort but it was also pretty quick.

Total: 10 miles (6:49/mi), .3 worth of strides, 10.3 miles on the day

 

December 25

Today was my Christmas long run, so I headed out of my house on a 15 miler, which consisted of me going 7.5 miles out, and then 7.5 miles back. The weather couldn’t have been any better, as it was 45 and the sun was out, but I overdressed and sweat through everything I was wearing. Despite all of that, I had a great time running through Uptown, which was dead quiet and I just had a great time soaking it all in. I took the run fairly easy until about 10 miles in, where I began to hit some miles in the low 6-minute range.

Total: 15.2 miles (6:46/mi)

 

December 26

My plan is to double today, so I headed out for an easy hour run around my neighborhood, which I call the “State Farm loop.” This consists of me running around the State Farm headquarters and around some other places near my house. It’s a good loop and fits well within the hour time frame I have. I got to just over 8.7 miles during this run. I waited about another 6 hours before I went on another easy 30 minute run. I hit just over 4.2 miles and then did 4x120 meter strides. Also went to the gym after this run to do some leg and core work.

Total: 8.7 miles (6:56/mi), 4.2 miles (7:01/mi), .3 miles worth of strides for 13.2 miles on the day

 

December 27

Today the weather was terrible outside so I snuck into Illinois Wesleyan’s indoor track to get a 4 tempo in. I did a 2 mile warmup with some strides and then put on my new flats (Brooks Asteria) and started my tempo.

I was a little too conservative at the beginning (5:46, 5:49) although I did have to weave around some people who didn’t want to get out of lane one. I was way too relaxed at this stage of the tempo so I dropped down to a 5:40 and was still feeling really strong. I finished off my last mile with a comfortable 5:15 to put me at 21:30 for 4 miles (5:37/mi). Although my tempos are typically around 5:20/mi I’m not disappointed with this given the fact that I wasn’t tired at the end of this tempo as I typically am. Although this was slower than most of my tempos, I’m not disappointed by any means, given the fact that I’m going through a really intense week of training and that I forgot to bring a shirt to run in so I was running in a long sleeve the whole time. I finished off with a 2 mile cooldown for 8 miles this morning (and 64 laps around the indoor track).

Later in the day I went out on a 5 mile shakeout around my neighborhood at a really easy and relaxed pace.

Total: 8 mile workout, 5 mile shakeout (7:14/mi), 13 miles on the day

 

December 28

Today I drove to the school to go on an easy 10 mile north/south run. I felt a little tired from yesterday, but not too bad. These kind of runs can sometimes be monotonous as I realize I’ve ran this route hundreds of times before, but I just let my mind wander and it isn’t too miserable.

Later in the day I headed to the gym to get in some core and leg work.

Total: 10.2 miles (7:04/mi)

 

December 29

Today was another hill workout. I realized that I had been hitting the pavement a lot recently so I just drove to Ewing, ran 3 miles around the park, did my 3 mile hill workout, and then ran another 3 miles around the park. Today’s hill workout went nicely, and I can tell I’m getting in better shape.

Total: 3.2 miles before workout (6:53/mi), 3 mile hill workout (5:46/mi), 3.3 miles after hill workout (6:24/mi), 9.5 miles on the day

 

December 30

To get back on track with my regular routine, I went on a long run today since it’s Sunday. I went all the way north until the trail ended (6.1 miles out), then all the way back and then added on an extra mile once I got back to the school. I kept it pretty easy throughout as I was a little tired from yesterday’s workout and the whole week in general. This ended a really solid week of training, as I did not miss any workout or long run.

Total: 13.1 miles (6:49/mi)

Weekly Mileage: 85.3 miles

 

December 31

Today was a planned off day as I had not taken one in 14 days. I needed this one after a really solid week of intense training.

 

Beyond the month of December, Nick’s ambitious behaviors and his road to success are sure to continue. With Nick, it’s not questionable whether or not he genuinely works for the successes he’s attained thus far into his running career.

Needless to say, this upcoming track season brings for Nick, his teammates, and supporters tremendous appetency for more successes within this sport that he rightfully deserves.