Game version
Course planner: walk a short course with a partner and decide together where to settle and where to surge. Then jog the plan together.
Surge and Settle
Practice short pace changes and getting back to rhythm quickly.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Run steady for 3 minutes.
Core: Two. Compare only with your own last plan.
- Ages
- 14 and up
- Time
- 18 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Loop, watch
- Level · skill
- Advanced · Race Tactics
The steps
How it works
- Run steady for 3 minutes.
- Surge for 20 seconds as if moving up in a race.
- Settle back to steady straight away.
- Do 5 surges.
Coaching point
Surge, breathe, settle.
Safety: Drink water and eat a meal or snack before and after, run in the cool part of the day, and stop and tell an adult if you feel dizzy or sick. Thunder or lightning: go inside now and wait 30 minutes after the last one.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a level: Less (one surge), Core (two), More (three). Compare only with your own last plan.
Story
You are explorers with a map, planning the best path.
My best
Beat your own count
Compare only with your own last plan. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
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