Chris Fox can always tell if a runner put in the necessary work over Winter Break. The Syracuse track and field coach can’t see it with his own two eyes — his runners are back home for break.

But when his team returns, Fox can always weed out the ones who slacked off.

‘They can see you’re a little soft, maybe not so cut up. People will know. It shows immediately,’ said Fox.

With nearly a month layoff between the fall and spring season, Fox’s team — the long-distance runners, in particular — departs for Winter Break, and it’s up to the runners if they want to push themselves out the door every day to stay in shape. Fox and his staff designate 70 to 100 miles for his athletes to run each week. For the three weeks, they are on their own, including numerous ‘tempo runs,’ during which a runner should be running at 100 percent for five or six miles. In addition, the long-distance runners try to continuously stretch and work on core exercises.

Though all the athletes got a two-week resting period following the NCAA Tournament that took place in late November, it was time to get back to work once Christmas was over. And for distance runner Joseph Bubniak, it’s not always easy to get back into the swing of things.

‘It can be tough to force yourself out the door every day, especially when it’s cold and you can be doing so many other things,’ said Bubniak, who trained at home in Danbury, Conn., over break.

Sophomore distance runner Andrew Nelson said it’s a gut check for all the runners because they are on their own, without Coach Fox or anyone else pushing them to get their workout in.

‘Mentally, it’s a challenge,’ said Nelson.

Fox knows it can be easy to relax for the first time in four months once a runner is back home. Fighting the temptations of not putting the work in is the toughest part.

Fox said it’s more of a problem for freshmen to push themselves on their own, but as they mature, it becomes second nature.

A prime example, Fox said, is Bubniak. Last year, as a freshman, he didn’t run too often at home. Now, Fox said, Bubniak realizes how important it is to stay in shape because the SU track team is one of the top northeast programs in Division I.

‘As we’ve established this program as pretty competitive, the kids know they got to do work when they go home, or they won’t get an opportunity when they get back,’ Fox said. ‘They’re pretty much exposed in the first workout or two. If they didn’t do the work, they’re probably not going to run in any meets.’

Fox thinks that despite the temptations to take an extended holiday from training, it’s good for all the runners to have alone time to run in a less pressured atmosphere. The training regimen is there, but it isn’t as strict as an everyday practice from the regular season.

Bubniak and Nelson both said the practice over break is less structured and more modified. It’s more relaxed and about getting 10 or so miles in each day.

But after the long break, it feels good to reunite with the team. Bubniak and Nelson will run in SU’s first meet since the break this Saturday.

‘Coming back, you start getting back in the groove. You have a huge group to train with, so motivation definitely goes up,’ Bubniak said. ‘It’s definitely good to be back.’

dgproppe@syr.edu

Published on January 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm