Optimal Performance Running Academy

June 11 – 9:00 am – July 25 – 10:30 am

Certified Running Coach Colleen Prudhomme and Track & Cross Country Coach Jeff Dickman have created a summer running camp for middle and high school cross country and track athletes. This run camp will include a lot of fun as well as some tough workouts, but also some really great knowledge to help the cross country or track athlete become better prepared for the next season of competition.

REGISTER HERE!

Here’s the Run Down

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. starting June 11th through July 25th, 2024. No sessions the week of July 4th.

Where: Lake Rebecca Main Parking Lot (by big playground). Most often, we will meet at Lake Rebecca; however, we will meet at other locations throughout the summer so we can mix up the running experience. Parents and runners will be notified with plenty of advanced notice.

What: Runners who participate in the Optimal Performance Running Academy will benefit from experiencing a quality training plan that includes excellent run workouts, core strength workouts, mobility and flexibility work, and useful information on pre and post workout and race nutrition. The objectives of OP Running Academy are that each runner will:

Understand the correlation between nutrition and performance.
Understand the correlations between strength training in performance and injury prevention.
Be able to identify various recovery methods, injury interventions, and how to recognize the difference between typical soreness and injury.
Be able to identify training zones, types of workouts, and purpose of workouts.
Be able to understand and implement various race strategies and tactics.
Learn how to develop mental strength for training and racing.

What else: Snacks provided

REGISTER HERE!

OP Running Academy Coaches

Coach Colleen Prudhomme

Colleen Prudhomme CPT, BCS, UESCA Certified Running Coach, Certified Speed & Agility Coach, Certified Weightlifting Performance Coach began Total Strength Fitness in 2016. Over the years, she has found that her strengths lie in working with athletes who want to perform better at their sport. Colleen is a driven athlete (Boston Marathon qualifier, Triathlete, Ironman finisher, Ultrarunner, and SwimRunner), but even more than this, it is her passion to help others discover what they really can accomplish in the sport they love. Colleen has worked with numerous runners who compete in distances from 100 meters to 100 miles. As a strength coach, she understands the key role that strength training plays in preventing injury and improving a runner’s performance. For the past 5 years, Colleen has provided the strength training program for Rockford High School’s boys and girls Cross Country Teams and Track & Field teams. Every athlete who has worked with Colleen has heard her say, “You are stronger than you think you are,” because it simply is true. So many athletes have yet to discover all that they are capable of achieving. She knows that our limits are far further out than we realize.

Coach Jeff Dickman

Jeff Dickman just completed his 7th season (2023-24) with Rockford High School (MN) Boys and Girls Cross Country, and his first as Program Director and Head Coach. He has also been the Boys and Girls Track and Field Coach (Distance/Mid-Distance) at Rockford since 2018.

Philosophy – Pursuing excellence by developing and inspiring athletes through physical, mental, and race strategy preparation and execution. Our Cross Country team operates under OWL Culture – Own the Controlables, Win the Day, Lead Where You are Able and we focus on Commitment, Consistency, and Confidence in all of the athletes in our program

Boys and Girls Cross Country (2017-2022)

Dickman was named the 2019 Section 5A Girls Asst. Coach of the Year and has coached 3 All-State athletes, had 4 athletes qualify 8 times for the state meet including a Section Indv. Champion in 2019. Coach Dickman has had 3 athletes win 4 Individual Cross Country Championships in the Wright County Conference -West Division, and 8 runners earn 17 West Division All-Conference Awards. Dickman has coached the girls 5k school record holder (22′) and was also coach for the Girls 2021 Wright County Conference – West Division Team Championship (Rockford’s first girls conf. title since 2004).

Boys and Girls Track and Field – Distance & Mid-Distance (2018-2024)

Dickman has coached the following events for both boys and girls: 3200m, 1600m, 800m, 400m, 4x800m & 4x400m relays. He has coached 7 athletes to 9-All-State awards, 2 State athletes to top-12 individual finishes in the 800m, two girls 4×800 relays to podium finishes (2021 – Class A, 2022 – Class AA), a 4×400 girls relay to the state finals (2022), 2 Section Champions (800m – 2018, Girls 4×800 – 2022), 7 Wright County Conference – West Division individual champions, 3 – 4×800 relay conference champions, and 3 school records in the girls 800, and boys and girls 4×800 relays. Additionally, Coach Dickman was part of the MSHSL Girls T&F Team Podium finishes in 2019 (3rd Class A), 2021 (1st Class A), 2022 (3rd Class AA) and MN State Class AA Girls True Team Runners-up in 2021-2022. His athletes have been part of Girls Conference Championships (18-19′, 21-22′) Sub-Section Champs (19′, 21′) Section Champions (18′-19′, 21-22′) and Boys Conf. Champions (2019, 2022) Sub-Section Champions (18′-19′, 21′)

REGISTER HERE!

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Coach Colleen, and she’ll get back to you.

Optimal Performance Running Academy has been a big success! We are so grateful to the athletes and parents who gave us a shot. We are excited about what we plan to do for our third summer of OPRA to help our area runners get ready for another season of running!