When and where we practice
PTC Flash (Ages 7-14): Practice is held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM and Saturday from 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM unless there is a Meet.
PTC Flash Lite (Ages 5-6): Practice is held Tuesday and Thursday with activities focused on developing a love of running. These athletes also have the option to race at meets.
Contact us for more information about practice location or schedule questions.
If practice is canceled due to severe weather, we will send a WhatsApp notice and post on our Facebook by 5:00 pm during the week and 8:00 am for Saturdays.
Join WhatsApp to get notifications on practice cancellations or relocations and other important information.
Click the link above and follow the prompts to download the WhatsApp app. Important team announcements will be communicated via this WhatsApp group.
Athletes are not required to attend all practices, though it is encouraged. We understand that some athletes may have scheduling conflicts during the season or that some athletes may need additional rest between practices.
A typical practice starts with 15 minutes of warm-up drills and exercises, 20-40 minutes of running, and 15 minutes of strength & conditioning and stretches.
New! We have training resources newly available for parents, coaches and athletes. Visit our Running 101 page here on the website for videos of common running drills, stretches, strength & conditioning, form and more!
Please make sure your athlete dresses comfortably and appropriately for the weather. The beginning of the season is still very hot. Every athlete must bring a water bottle or two (labeled with their name, please) to ensure plenty of hydration!
Learn More!
Training Groups
Our first two weeks of practice will involve monitoring the athletes in order to divide them into appropriate training groups, including a time trial. Athletes are placed into training groups based on ability, not necessarily the age group they will race with. We will create team bonding opportunities for athletes’ race groups throughout the season. It is important to respect the training group athletes are placed in to and understand that your athlete should not be running as hard as they can each practice. Athletes (and parents) sometimes are motivated by moving up to “faster” training groups throughout the season, but each training group will get progressively faster and athletes will benefit the most, and prevent injuries the best, by staying in their assigned groups (with the exception of unique cases). Their training group will provide them with a variety of easy running and structured workouts targeting paces that will challenge them appropriately and make them faster runners. We follow science-based training philosophies that lead to optimal performance, injury prevention, and ultimately encourage athletes to enjoy the sport of running.
Regarding beginners, our team is a developmental group, and we will work with your beginner to prepare them for meets. We have a run/walk beginners training group that progresses run to walk intervals over the course of the season through a structured program. If you have an athlete that would fit this category we highly encourage parents to volunteer and run/walk with your athlete.
Note: Ideally, all athletes should be able to run their USATF race distance by the first meet.
To learn more about training philosophies and a science-backed approach to running check out our Running 101 page.
Cross country suggested times:
2K (1.24 miles) for athletes 8 years old and under less than 15 minutes
3K (1.86 miles) for athletes 9 - 12 years old less than 21 minutes
4K (2.49 miles) for athletes 13 - 14 years old less than 24 minutes
5K (3.11 miles) for 15+ years old in less than 28 minutes
