Thursday, December 22, 2011

Snow, finally!

I went out with an alum last night, and when we got home, there was four inches of the white stuff on the ground.  This morning, a little over seven, in my estimation.  What does that mean for your training today?  Well, nothing different, really.  You get to go out for a good snow run!!  Get all those hip flexors, ACLs & MCLs and extensor digitorum brevis muscles (yeah, I googled that last one) good and sore by running in the deep snow for a while.  And instead of doing push-ups, go shovel your driveway, as well as the neighbors on each side of you.  Seriously, skip the push-ups, do the shoveling instead.  It's a great total body workout, and wonderful way to help our your neighbors.  Don't let a little weather get in the way of your consistent training.  Just make some small adjustments; in clothing, pace, and mode; and get the job done.

SEP

Monday, December 19, 2011

Clean Cage

I didn't get in a 40 minute fartlek today, even though I was hoping to. Instead, I spent quite a while cleaning out the cage, and organizing all of our soft goods for the upcoming season. The good news is, all the winter track kids will get to do some "Shopping" when they get back from break, as we have some extra shorts, some wind suits and some rally towels that need to be moved out.

Hopefully everyone did their lunges to warm up today, and is making sure to get lots of sleep.  Medium long aerobic run tomorrow!

SEP

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Winter Break Training

I want to keep it very simple for winter break training.  I will not have any personal contact with anyone, so I want to keep the training simple, but effective.

We will have one speed day a week, one overdistance run a week, multiple strength sessions, as well as multiple recovery days.  I suggest staying on the schedule I put out, but if you need to make slight modifications, then don't let the schedule get in your way.  Just make sure to get in lots of quality miles, quality strength, and a dash of speedwork over the winter break.

All of these workouts should be preceded by a short warm-up and the lunge routine.  Do these workouts early in the morning, before you have time to figure how how to procrastinate them away. 

Mondays - 40 minute Fartlek off-road (trails)
Tuesdays - 45 min EZ Aerobic run w/Push-Up Pyramid
Wednesdays - 50 min Creative run w/calisthenics every ten minutes
Thursdays - 60 min EZ Aerobic run w/Push-Up Pyramid
Fridays - 20 min Recovery run
Saturdays - 75 min OverDistance run
Sundays - Off Day w/focus on Hydration, Nutrition and Relaxation (HNR)

Even though I will not be around in person, I will be reachable at all times.  If you have any questions, if you start to feel injured, if you need any clarification on anything; please let me know.  We can work on it via text or email or blog comments and keep you on the right track!  You all have been working very hard since October, we don't want to let it waste away in the next two weeks!

SEP

Friday, December 9, 2011

The benefits of eating those EZ peel oranges

California Cuties

In addition to being loaded with vitamins and minerals, Cuties are free from fat, trans-fats, cholesterol and sodium.

Vitamin C

Cuties are a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that may help boost immune function1, keep skin looking youthful, enhance iron absorption and protect against diseases like cancer, high blood pressure and stroke.

Folate

Cuties contain folate, which some research shows may play a role in maintaining a healthy heart. Consuming folate during pregnancy has also been shown to reduce the risk of birth defects.

Potassium

Cuties are high in potassium, which helps the body maintain proper fluid balance, transmit nerve impulses, improve muscle contraction and maintain normal blood pressure.

Fiber

Cuties are a good source of fiber, with nearly 14% of the daily recommended amount in one serving.

(reproduced from the California Cuties website)

In college, my ski coach would leave out a box of those mini-oranges in the ski locker room every Monday. He encourage us to eat a box a day, as a team, and he would replenish them as soon as they were gone.  High in vitamin C to prevent colds, full of water for a little hydration, and easy to take "to-go", they were (and are) a perfect winter snack. Eat two or three a day, eating healthy fruit is one of those little things that help you become a champion!

SEP

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Frozen Beard Run

Great run this morning; super cold, windy, heavy snow that turned wet as the temp rose throughout the day tried to stop us, but 8 hardy runners forged on.  By the end of the run, I ended up sporting a great ice beard, a couple of kids got frozen hands, but for the most part, everyone made it unscathed to the bagel store.  It wasn't snot freezing weather, but it was close.

So, even though the roads were pretty hairy, (which is why I do not fault anyone for running at home), huge props got to Janey, Laura, Julia, Johnny, Zach, Ciara, Charlyn and Jess, for getting in seven great miles in a little over an hour up here in the DTC.  Running through moderately deep snow is a great workout, it adds a hint of resistance, but it also forces you to stay balanced, to stay alert, and keep those secondary running muscles engaged to prevent slips and falls.  It was a great workout, one you can look back on when it is windy in the spring and say, I ran for an hour in that, a little wind is nothing!

Great job everyone, see you all Monday, with a sparkling cleaned out cube!

SEP

Friday, December 2, 2011

OverDistance Run

We're bringing back the #chstrack Saturday morning runs in the Tech Center! Yay, these are some of my favorite workouts. Starting at my place at 830, we run up to nine miles. Sme groups run a little more, some a little less. All of us need to run for over an hour however. Running for over 60 minutes will develop those tiny little muscles, streamline the mitochondria that power those muscles, as well as make the bronchioles and aveloi in our lungs more efficient at transferring oxygen and carbon dioxide. Also, running for an hour makes the bagels taste that much better! I plan on being done with the run and the bagels by 1030 or so, if that helps with planning rides. Chloe Beth and I will see you all tomorrow! SEP

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Creative Run

Another great practice today.  (I hope this gets to sounding like a broken record.)  We ran a creative run, where you stop every ten minutes to do some type of calisthenic.  I started with the whole team, but by the end, I was running with the 8th graders.  The 8th graders and I ran 6.3 miles in just under an hour, which is a pretty good pace.  I was psyched to feel better after yesterdays horrible run, and I was very pleased we had so many fast kids out there dropping me like a sack of potatoes!

SEP

Monday, November 28, 2011

Tempo Ladders Details

For those of you that have a Runkeeper.com account, (and it should be ALL of you), we ran about 7000 meters today.  Probably about 600-800 meters in warm-up/cool-down, and a little over 6400 meters of gold pace intervals.  Sure, it was in a circle over and over again, but running is running, and you should post in your training logs, be proud of it, and build from it.

I really liked how the recovery breathing went.  I like the fact that we are actively recovering, focusing on our bodies, instead of just mindlessly paying attention to the watch.  When you run, you have to be in charge of your body.  Not the watch, not the coach, racing is something you control.

Excellent job everyone, have fun on the captains run tomorrow, and see y'all for an epic creative run on Wednesday!

SEP

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you had a great day spending time with your family and the people who love you. I also hope you got outside and got some fresh air. I got about 20 minutes of trying to mountain bike through the snow. Not very aerobic, mostly just spiking the heart rate, but it got me off the couch for a little bit. Anything to help break up the monotony of eating and watching football has got to be good for me, right?

See you all Monday, tempo ladders! Keep up the good training this weekend. I hope to get some quality Nordic ski time with Beth and Chloe!

SEP

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Tying up Loose Ends

47!  Wow, we have 47 athletes signed up for Wolverine Winter Track, that is fantastic!  47 kids all at practice working hard, being dedicated, achieving excellence; that is awesome!  (However, only 41 have paid the appropriate fees.  If you are one of the six, make your checks out to CHS T&F, or you will not practice next time out.)

I am missing USATF membership numbers and Wolverine TC paperwork from Coleman, Corrina, Devin, Emilie, Fred, James, Jaylene, Jess, Kaylee, Kristen, Mariah, Nolan, and Olivia.  I am missing just a USATF membership number from Ryan.  I am mssing just Wolverine TC paperwork from Gracie.

No USATF membership or no Wolverine TC paperwork, no practice, no exceptions.  I gotta have that proof of insurance and emergency numbers before I can let you practice, it is for your safety first!

Please sign up for Runkeeper.com, so I can help with your training over Thanksgiving Break.  The prescribed workouts are on the left sidebar, make sure to find the time to complete not only the running portion of the workout, but the lunges to warm-up with, and the push-ups to finish with.  Running is important, but so is general strength at this stage of our training.  General strength prevents injuries and allows us to train harder in the spring.  Don't neglect general strength!  It's just as crucial as running!

Have a happy Turkey Day everyone.  See you next Monday!

SEP

Friday, November 18, 2011

Online Training Log



Training logs are super important, especially during the off-season.  I still have handwritten training logs from my high school days, are they are a valuable resource to my training and racing.  They were valuable to me to look at, but uber-valuable for my coaches to look at to see how my training was progressing and how it can be made even better!

Nowadays, however, the online training log options are spectacular.  If you have a GPS watch, or you run with a smartphone, you can automatically track and upload all of your training instantly!  You run with your fancy watch or phone, plug it into your computer, get online, and zoooop, up it goes into your training log!

So, your homework for this weekend, other than the running of course, is to get going on runkeeper.com.  Register on that community, send an invite out to me for your street team, and use it to enhance your training and racing!

SEP

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Tempo Repeats

Training in the gold zone makes you rich!


Today we did tempo intervals, in groups based upon ability levels.  I was pleased that each group ran about 18 min worth in the "gold zone", which is great for pushing that lactate threshold up.  Running right below the "orange zone" in a controlled comfortable manner will make you a better runner in so many ways, it will take a separate post for me to explain.  So, you'll just have to trust me, today was a great workout for everyone, and you all should be happy with the important deposit of gold running you made in your training bank today.

Excellent work from everyone, but make sure to get me your paperwork and fees and such on Monday!  You cannot have another great practice without all of that turned in.  You need Wolverine Track Club paperwork found here, a USATF membership number found here, and a check for 50 dollars written out to CHS T&F.  Thanks go out to the athletes who have already taken care of that.

Have a great captain's practice, see you all Monday!

SEP

Monday, November 14, 2011

Great First Day!

WOW!  With almost 40 kids showing up to practice today, I was very excited about our first day of practice.

I was pumped to see all the returning faces, and excited to see some news ones as well.  Hopefully everyone gets signed up at Runnkeeper.com and we can all become "street teammates".  As I told one athlete today, we are a team, and the goal is to make you, the athlete, fast.  Open communication between coach and athlete is the only way to achieve that goal. Online training logs are a great way to keep that communication open.  Sign up to Runkeeper.com now, don't wait!

For practice today, we ran a 1600 m time trial today in some chilly blustery conditions, and I though all the runners did extremely well.  This is our baseline data point for now, the one we will build all of our tempo intervals and Kenyan run paces from.  (Yep, we're doing Kenyans, but not for a while.)

Nov. 14th, 2011 - 1600m TT - CHS Track

Remember, BRC shoe night is Tuesday night, hope to see lots of you there!  And one last piece of logistical info.  I got some paperwork from some kids, some checks from some kids, some USATF numbers from some kids.  All of the paperwork and fees need to be in by Monday the 21st, get it down now, so you don't have to worry about it!

SEP

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Winter Running Gear

I ran yesterday morning before school started, (12 hill repeats!) and it was pretty chilly outside.  When I left, it was 27 F, when I got back, it was 28 F.  I was very grateful that I had proper running gear, such as gloves, a thin hat, some good synthetic long underwear, and a nice running top.  If it was colder, or if I was planning on not doing hills, I would have worn some long pants and warm socks.

Proper running gear is important, because throughout the winter, we will be training outside no matter what the weather.  As the old Scandinavian saying goes, "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing".

So, if you have all this gear, dust it off, make sure it fits, and put it in your gym bag and leave it there.  Warm clothing is no good if you leave it at your house.  If you don't have this gear, don't fret, you can always get it at the Wolverine Winter Track Club Shoe Night on November 15th, at the Boulder Running Company - DTC.  Shameless plug, I know, but they will have all the equipment you need at great prices.  Early X-mas gift perhaps?

SEP

Friday, November 4, 2011

Winter Track Club Registration Form -- UPDATED


Above is the Winter Track Club registration form.  If you can bring this, filled out completely, on the first day of practice, that would expedite things tremendously for the club.  Any checks should be written out to CHS Track & Field.

Make sure to sign up to become a USATF member, it's only 20 bucks for students, and it lasts until December of 2012!

All athletes, regardless of events, should be there on the 14th.  If you can't make it that specific day due to prior commitments, please see me or Coach Bowman and we can make alternative arrangements.

SEP

Update - Our club name is WOLVERINE TRACK & FIELD  and our club number is 0269.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Winter Track Shoe Night




Boulder Running Company in the Denver Tech Center has graciously allowed our Winter Track Club to have a shoe night on Nov. 15th.  I am pretty excited by this, as it will allow all of our athletes to get in the best shoes for winter training leading spring race season.  Pete, Mike and all the big guns at BRC DTC will be there to help everyone out and get them in the best shoes for you and for running style.

With chili, lemonade and deals galore, if you need new shoes, or you need an early X-mas present, be at the store on Nov. 15th at 7:00 to get that all taken care of.

Directions are easy, I-25 to Arapahoe, then west on Arapahoe about 500 meters.  You can't miss it!

SEP

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Finally, a running post...

Coach Whitenack tweeted this link about the history of barefoot running. Not just the history of the famous race in Central America, but the real history, dating all the way back 100 years.  As an aside, if you are on tiwtter, you should follow Coach Whitenack.  He does not tweet a lot, but when he does, it is worth your while.  Follow him @Ryannack

Check it out here:  NY Times Magazine, The Once and Future Way to Run.

Even though it is written by Chris McDougall, who is the most famous proponent of barefoot running, what I got formt he article is about form, not footwear.  How you should land on your forefoot, not your heel, no matter what type of shoe you are wearing. How ankle angle, and keeping your head up contribute to good form.  It references the Pose method, which is related to the Chi method, which is related to the Evolution method.  (See a great write-up of these methods here.)

So, read the article, tell me what you think.  And get ready to try and do the 100-up on the first day of practice on the 14th!!

SEP

Music Post

Sitting in front of the computer on a snow day. wow things have changed since Pearl Jam was the only thing I would listen to.  Back in those early 90's, snow days meant skiing, skiing and more skiing.  Driving crazy-a$$ roads to the trails, trying to get at least three hours in, then a strength session, then tiredly driving home.  Man, those were the days, huh? :)

And all we listened to was Pearl Jam, who is featured here:  (Grantland.com alerted me to this YouTube clip, but I have spent twenty minutes digging though more.)

I think a lot of bands can be instantly recognized by one aspect of their music.  The Police with Stewart Copeland on drums.  Or Primus with Les Clapyool on bass.  But Pearl Jam, to me, is all about Eddie Vedder's voice.  Just watch this song, my favorite one from their first album.



Just awesome, just frickin' awesome!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

MWC Alum News

I love hearing about all this alumni news, it gives me great joy to see Chap alums running so well in college!

This weekend was the Mountain West Championships, and Alex Balsiger competed for Colorado State.  He ran a 26:34, good for 6th on the team (he is usually 7th or 8th) and 32nd overall.  He went through the 5 km mark in 16:02, which beats his HS 5 k PR by one or two seconds!  Not bad, for an 8 km race!

Percentage wise, it was a tight race, as Alex was only 5.5% back of the leaders, who were in the low 25's.

Great job Alex, that's an awesome performance!

SEP

WTC Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts, musings and ideas while we get ready for winter track.

8th graders:  I am issuing a challenge to all 8th graders, do you think you have what it takes to hang with elite HS athletes?  Are you ready to run, run, lift weights, and then run some more? If so, come on out for winter track at Chaparral.  So far, over 15 8th graders have expressed interest in participating in the club, which is awesome!  The more 8th graders, the better the program will become now and in the future.

USATF membership:  The main reason we need you signed up for USATF is for insurance purposes.  If you roll an ankle and shred your tendons while training with us, USATF has insurance that covers that.  I did some more digging in the USATF membership website, and it is only 20 bucks for a youth, and if you sign up after Nov. 1, but before Nov. 14th, you get a free month of membership.  In other words, instead of expiring on 12/31/11, it would be good for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012.

All HS XC athletes:  Take these next two weeks off.  Rest, heal, catch up (or get ahead) on schoolwork.  The potential to get run down and injured by not taking two weeks off between seasons is for outweighed by the potential benefits and gains you can make by being rested and ready to go.  Trust me, relax, get rested, you won't lose a ton of fitness, and be ready to go on the 14th, physically and mentally.

Nov. 14th:  Bring clothes to run in.  Bring in any fees (payable to CHS T&F) or proof of membership.  Bring water.  Bring good running shoes. Bring a positive attitude.  Bring a willingness to work.

Schedule:  It is looking like the distance kids will be training Monday and Wednesday.  It looks like the sprinter kids will be training Tuesday and Thursday.  Athletes can also create custom schedules with their coach on the days that they can come.  All fees and membership information will be due on the 21st or the 22nd, depending on the athlete's schedule.

Any questions, feel free to email me.  I am really excited for the first practice, I think we have a group of athletes that are going to be super fast in the spring!

SEP

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Winter Track Club

Over the hills and through the woods......


Even with the falls sports gearing up for their championship meets, the track coaches have been hard at work getting the winter track club ready for the 2011-2012 season.

You should see signs popping up around the high school with more info, but it will be a similar set-up as last year.

We plan on starting Nov. 14th, meeting two-three days a week, having "captains practices" on the days where we don't meet officially, and offering not just running instruction, but all sorts of cool stuff that will make you a more complete athlete.

The club fee is 50 bucks, all of which goes back into the track account, and you will need to be a USATF member, simply for insurance purposes.

And we will be meeting outside, at the track, no matter what the weather is, for daily practice.  (Would you expect anything else from me?)

So, start getting psyched for winter track!

SEP

P.S.  I assume most of you who read this blog are distance kids.  So, please, tell ALL athletes that they are welcome at the club.  Sprinters, jumpers, throwers.  Freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors (We are even opening up the club to 8th graders this year!)  I found out at League Championships last year that we need a complete team to compete at the highest levels.  So, if any of your friends have a desire to become better athletes, have them come to that first meeting in the 14th!  They are more than welcome!

More Alumni Racing

After some more digging, I found out that Ryan Bull, who is an Oredigger, ran a PR of 28:03 for an 8k at altitude.  (His PR for an 8k at lower elevations is 26:46.) This was in the open race at the RMAC championships, won by Western State Univ. on both the men's and women's sides.  This time would've put Ryan in 52nd place in the varsity race, which is pretty awesome!


Fantastic job Ryan, a 28:03 around Willis Case GC is not easy at all.  i've golfed there and there are some hills there to be sure!


SEP

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Western Kansas Alumni News

Just heard that our old friend, Nate Purdue, went 26:17 in an 8km regional championship race today.  That works out to a low 16:00 5k, which is quite fast, especially for 8k pace!

Congrats Nate, way to run fast when it counts!

Any other alum news out there?

SEP

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

15 Foods

Here is a list of 15 foods every runner should be eating.  I think I eat about ten of them regularly, which is pretty good.  The only one I can't stomach, yogurt. Blech!

Via: Runnersworld

Enjoy, this is good reading, and a good list to take to the grocery store.  But of course, if you buy it, you gotta eat it!


Monday, September 19, 2011

Weekend of Running and Philosophizing

Philosophizing, is that even a real word???

/checks middle school dictionary
//discovers it is a real word, even with a "z" in it.


This weekend I was lucky enough to participate in a 12 km trail race up at Devils Thumb Ranch up in the mountains.  It was a really difficult race, as it was all on narrow or wet or rocky trails, it started at 8600 ft, eventually climbing up to 9000 feet, and the competition was pretty stiff.  The results are not posted online, but according to my Garmin watch, I ran the 7.6 mile course in one hour and thirty seven seconds, for a nice even pace of 8 min/mile.

Beth and I nordic ski pretty regularly at DTR, so I was knew what the trails and what the steepness would be.  The race started out pretty flat, but then was going to climb two monster hills.  One hill I have skied a number of times, and I knew it was moderately tough, and the other hill was an unknown to me.  This presented a little bit of a conundrum during the race.  I didn't know how hard to push myself on the opening fields, as I didn't want to burn myself out for the two hills at the end.  I ended up not really pushing it until 3-4 km into the race.  The race turned onto a flatter trail that was after a short little steep climb.  By then, the all the racers had really thinned out, and I just felt it was time to get going and start reeling in racers before the big hills.  I might not pass them, but I felt I needed to be close to them at the start of the hills to be able to make my move going up the hill.

So, my plan of saving for the hills was somewhat thwarted, as the first hill was bypassed, and the second hill was not as brutal as I thought.  That meant I had tons of energy for the killer downhill off the unknown hill, and it was a BLAST!  Right at the start of the downhill, I passed two people, then I was behind a guy in red, and I just couldn't get around him.  It was a narrow, rocky, tree-y trail, and we were just bombing down it.  It was more of a free-fall than a run, and it was so exhilarating.  We were leaping off rocks, flying over streams, dodging a horse in the trail (yeah, there was horse and cowboy in the middle of the trail).  I felt like I was 15 years younger, when I used to run off the mountains in NH as fast as I could.  We ran at this breakneck pace for at least two kilometers, then it opened up into the meadows again.  We were about 3 km from the finish, so I just took off as hard as I could.  I had one mini-hill to lose red guy, then tried to chase down gray guy.  Those last two kilometers, I was redlining it, and when I finally finished, I was 100% spent.  All I remember is slowly falling to my knees, then rolling over onto my back, then Chloe launching herself up onto my stomach.  It was a tough race, but it was more fun than tough, which is how races should be.  Huge shout out to Igor and the crew at DTR, the put on great races no matter what season it is.

So, where is the "philosophizing" you might be asking?  It hit me during the race, that I, as well as others, are too caught up in results of racing.  Sure, it is great that James Kadolph ran a 16:05 at Liberty Bell, or that the Sierra 8th gr. girls went undefeated in 2011, or that the CHS boys 4 x 800 team was State Champs this spring.  I do not want to take anything from those accomplishments.  However, when I was trying to strategize during the race, when I was tapping before the race, when I was flying down that hill at the end of the race, I realized it didn't matter what place I got, all that mattered was that I was having fun and I was pushing myself to get better.

Sometimes websites and coaches and parents and athletes can get too caught up in "What was your time, what was your place?" instead of worrying about "How did you race?"  Bode Miller once said (and I am paraphrasing) that it didn't matter whether he got a medal or not, what mattered was how he raced.  He likened a ski race to a work of art, and I really can see where he is coming from now.  I might not have won the race this weekend, but I was really psyched with how I raced, with how I fought, with how I prepared.  And I think we need a lot more of that in running.  We need more of focusing on the total picture, not just the end result.

SEP

/commence hammering me with "you hypocrite" comments. :)

The snow-capped mountains are much more impressive than my struggling form. 

Chloe with her hot cocoa,  a veteran of the race watching circuit.


The best support team anyone could have!

Slavins Invite Pics

Here are some pics from the Slavins Race on Friday afternoon.

Jess in the water, Char above the water.

Mariah and Kat splashing through the gulch.

Emilie leading Ashley through the water hazard.

Sierra Boys - 3rd place overall


Sierra Girls - Undefeated 2011 season

Lots of trophies, lots of ribbons, even more smiles.

Friday, September 16, 2011

More MS XC Bragging

Today we took the athletes to the Slavins XC meet up at Harvard Gulch GC today. It was a HUGE meet, with over 850 athletes running. Without a week of disciplined practice, the boys got an astounding third overall, and the girls came in first! One of the boys mentioned it today, but our 8th grade girls won every race they competed in. They went 6-0 in dual meets, then won their district championship, then won this prestigious invitational meet against schools from all over the city! I think that is a feat that has never been accomplished, and most certainly will never be duplicated. Just amazing, this class of female, and male runners, they are just amazing. We certainly will miss them next year.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Middle School XC Champs Results

8th grade girls repeated as division champs again this year, as well as the 8th grade boys.  Winning the DougCo division title two years in a row is a very impressive feat, so huge congratulations are due to those  guys and girls.

The 7th grade girls came in 3rd, the 7th grade boys came in 4th, which was a great showing out of nine teams participating.

Overall the Sierra Eagles came in third, which we are very proud of.  It was a great year, and it bodes well for running at Sierra and at Chaparral.

SEP

Friday, September 2, 2011

Jenny Barringer Simpson World Champion

This is a great video of JBS winning the 1500 m gold in the world championships the other day.  People are commenting on her shock and disbelief after she wins, but what I notice is her calmness and composure the entire race.  There is a fall, right in front of her, she avoids it without breaking stride.  And during her delayed slingshot, there is not tightening up, no tenseness, just smooth striding it out home.  What an awesome race, yeah Jenny!



Friday, August 19, 2011

Sierra MS XC Results

Everyone that has asked me about how the middle school XC season has gotten the response of "Great, just wonderful.  This is a great team, one of the best we have had in years." or something to that effect.  We have a great group of 8th graders who are wonderful leaders, and a great group of 7th graders, who are talented and eager to learn.  That leads to some pretty good results, as you can see below.  We raced Cimmaron MS yesterday, at their place, and we won by over 100 points int he combined score.  Not a bad way to start the year!

7 Boys

7 Girls



8 Boys


8 Girls

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Started Running

Despite the fact that we were unable to make the run at my house work, it was a great start to 2 good weeks of training for me. I hope you have all decided to start a "revolution" in your training too. You know 4th of July coming up and all. We are into the time where we only have 6-7 weeks of "summer time" so I hope we can do some serious training this month. Just get out and run, 5-6 days a week even if it is 10 minutes, write your days down and start challenging yourself. I have and feel so much better these days. I ran in Niagara Falls Canada and in Buffalo New York this week.
Hope to see you all soon

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Alternate Run Option

Since Sep will be busy for the next 2 weeks, I would offer up a run in the mountains at my house. Flying J open Space in Conifer backs to my house. It will take about 10 minutes longer to get to my house than to get to red rocks.
9:00am Boymel's house./ Wednesday 6-22

Carpool from Chap meet at 8:10-8:15
It is some great ease into altitude running with not a ton of hard hills. A 6 mile and 4 mile loop are easy from my house. I have even been known to make smoothies for these occasions.
email me and let me know if you are coming. Then I can hit you with an email on how to get to my house.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Red Rocks

The good news:  We had a great turn-out, and a great workout today at Red Rocks!

The bad news:  Due to prior engagements, I will not be able to attend the next two weeks of Red Rocks sessions.

However, you are more than welcome to head up on your own, just be careful and be hydrated!

SEP

Thursday, June 9, 2011

"The Jump"

More blatant stealing from coachjayjohnson.com

Jay wrote an article for Running Times magazine on how to make the leap from decent track star to excellent cross country star.  I think his ideas a re fresh and innovative, but still appeal to my old-school sensibilities.

It's long, but it's worth it.  Read it, take Jay's advice, get super fast for the fall.

The Jump - By: Jay Johnson

SEP

Lazy Afternoon Thoughts


Went out to dinner last night to Carmine's on Penn, with the 4 x 800 5A State Champions from this year.  We had a great dinner, the five of us devoured multiple baskets of bread, and then almost three plates of excellent pasta.  IF you have ever been to Carmine's, you know that one plate can feed 3-4 people, so we were just chowing down.  It was a lot of fun, I am glad the guys could come out, and I love the tradition of treating a state champion relay team to a nice dinner.  Been out five times now, would love to go out some more!


Just got back from a killer run. (to work off all that spaghetti, I guess.)  I went over 13 miles in about 1:45, for an 8:08 mi/min pace.  I was just feeling it, so I kept going, and going, and going.  I was hurting the last 1.5 miles, but the rest of the time, I was just cruising.  Longest run of the past ten years for me, I am pretty psyched!

The Seppala's are going to be pretty busy this Saturday, we got a huge crawfish boil Saturday night, and before that, there is the Great Divide 17th Anniversary party.  I hear there is going to be a real live Yeti there, that gets to dance on stage, hang out for picture ops, and generally create major mayhem and mischief.  I can't wait to get my picture taken with the beast, hopefully it dances like the guy in the suit on the right of the stage.


Finally, lots of people have been blaming ME for their inability to get to Red Rocks last Tuesday. :) :)  Here is the final word on it!  If you have ever run for me, be at the CHS Track at 8:30 on Tuesday!  Alums, present runners, anyone is welcome!  We're gonna change it up a bit this week, park in a lower lot and get right into some small stair warm-ups.  Should be fun!  See you all there!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Gymnastics in the Summer

I have been communicating with Coach Tom about the best way to keep up your general strength over the summer.  We were trying to figure out how to incorporate gymnastics into that, and this is the plan.

We both think the most efficient method for summer gymnastic strength training is the Sunday Open Gym sessions.  Since most of you are experienced gymnasts, this session will allow you to work on your routines, which will build your overall strength the best.  If you are not an experienced gymnast, that's OK too, as there will be plenty of coaches and assistants there to help you get into the swing of things. (pardon the pun.)

The first open gym is this Sunday, the 12th.   I will be there, so will Chloe depending upon her nap schedule (the open gym is from 11:30-1:00, right during Chloe's naptime), and Castle View's own Will Bakemeyer (pole vaulter and gymnast extraordinaire) will be in attendance as well.

This session on the 12th is free, however other Sunday Open Gym sessionswill cost 10 dollars.  If you are under 18, and you have not previously worked out at Alpha Gymnastics, bring a parent to help with waiver and sign-up forms.

The schedule for the rest of the summer is:

July 10th (whoops, I said the 19th earlier, typo!)
July 17th
July 24th

All of these are Sundays, all of these sessions are from 11:30-1:00.

These gymnastics sessions are open to all past and present high school athletes, no matter what school you are from or what sport you play.  Coach Tom and I firmly believe that gymnastics can be beneficial for all sports, so we want as many athletes there pushing each other to greater heights.  Summer training is about getting not just faster, but stronger too, and gymnastics has been proven time and time again to just for all athletes!

SEP

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Sep's Summer Training Guidelines




The summer is a great time to stockpile some serious training.  I think the summer is perfect for accumulating miles, keeping your tempo speed up, gaining overall strength & flexibility, and most of all, having fun while running.  I love training in the summer, I still have some training logs from the mid-90’s, when I was in high school and training for ski season during the summer.  The summer was where I got a jumpstart on my competition, and it is where you can start laying the foundations towards achieving your goals in the spring.  Remember how crazy and fun State meet was?  If you want to be right in the middle of all that, you need to have a great summer of training.  


I am not going to give you a day-by-day training plan, but I will be able to suggest some general guidelines that you can modify to fit your needs and your schedule for the summer, so you can go back to school in better shape than you left school in!


The first rule is each week you need to take at least one total rest day with no running at all, and one day where you do an easy 20 min jog. (Like we would do on Thursdays when we would jog to the pool and back.)  Recovery is the most often overlooked phase of summer training.  Do not neglect your sleep, your hydration and your nutrition.  I repeat, do not overlook your sleep, hydration and nutrition.  


So, that leaves 5 days a week of serious training.  One of those days we will be organizing trips to Red Rocks.  This is your serious speed and strength day, treat it like an interval day.  This will be Tuesday, and we will be meeting at the Chaparral track at 8:30 to carpool over to Red Rocks.  Make sure to bring a big bottle of water and a little bit of money in case we stop for Gatorades on the way home as well as your training shoes and an extra shirt.  Don’t forget to eat a light breakfast beforehand!  A banana, some oatmeal, something needs to be in your stomach for this workout.  This is a “red” day, where you will go until you are exhausted, so be prepared! 


One other day during the week should be tempo running.  These can be intervals in a park, fartleks along a trail, anything where you pick up the pace just a little bit for 1.5 to 4 minutes.  Remember, tempo running is not “all-out” (that’s what Red Rocks is for), it is just a slight uptick in speed.  Don’t take a lot of recovery between these speed sessions; if you need a lot of rest, you were probably going too fast.  Email me, and I can give you your paces for track tempo intervals.  If you want to do one or two of these on the track to get a feel for it, that’s probably a good idea.  But, don’t do all of your summer tempo work on the track, just do enough to get a feel for the pace.  Most of your summer tempo work should be on trails, in parks, or on dirt roads.


The other three days are straight-up running days.  One of those days should be a medium length day, one should be a long day, and the other should be a super-long day.   Make sure you have a difference between the length of your long run days, but keep the pace appropriate.  These are your long run days, not your race days.  I usually try to do a creative run on my medium run days, that’s where you stop every five minutes to do some type of calisthenic, either push-ups, sit-ups, tricep dips on a bench, tuck jumps anything you can think of to get some general strength in.  My long runs and my super-long runs are just that.  Straight running, no stopping, at an easy pace.  


And you already know this, but before all of those workouts, you should warm up with the form drills.  After each workout, cool down with the lunge routine.  I’m not a big proponent of strength in the gym in the summer, I think through Red Rocks, creative runs, and lunges, you can get all the running strength you need.


Let’s look a typical week, just to give you an idea of what your schedule might look like.
SUN:  Super-Long Run (60 min)
MON: Day Off
TUE: Red Rocks
WED: Medium Run (30 min)
THU: Long Run (45 min)
FRI: Tempo Running 
SAT: Active Rest (20 min)


Now, you won’t be running the same distances all throughout the summer.  Or maybe you will start off with longer runs already.  That’s fine, but make sure to progress appropriately. My guideline is, increase each run length (except the active rest day) by five minutes every two weeks.  That will give you the stress you need to to keep up with your fitness level. 


You can change this weekly schedule around to however you want, but look at a few principles.  I never have two interval days back-to-back.  I made sure you had a day off before the hardest day of the week.  I also made sure that the runs were all of differing length.  When you set your schedule, make sure you follow these rules.  Summer is meant to be fun, not rigid and stressful.  Set up your schedule to make sure you get the most fun and the most running in that you can.


One more thing.  I strongly suggest keeping a training log. I have always kept one, and not only does it allow me to look back and learn from my experiences, but it also keeps me motivated.  I now use an online training log, www.runkeeper.com.  It’s free, and it really perfect for the type of training we do.  Plus, it allows me as your coach, to keep track of what you are doing from afar so then we can make necessary adjustments if needed.  It also allows me to motivate, communicate, cajole, and encourage, even if I am in Long Island, or Winter Park, or wherever I happen to be that week.  Go check out that site, sign up (it’s free!), and allow me to be on your “street team”.  Signing up for runkeeper, plus a watch and www.runningmap.com, (an online mapping program that allows me to see the length of my run in miles), is all you really need to maximize your efficiency this summer when it comes to your training.  Isn’t technology amazing?

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  Lao-tzu said that hundreds of years ago, and it means you gotta start your training today, and keep running one day at a time.  You will notice the difference by the time school starts, I promise, if you are diligent and consistent with your training.  If you have any questions, please email me and I will get back to you as soon as I can,
SEP

EDIT:  This post is a work in progress, check back often for more ideas, thoughts, comments and musings about summer training.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Training

I am not one to say I am putting in a lot of miles, I've done that in my life and now I run to stay healthy, in-shape and not look too much like a "mom". However, I have found that I can set a few minutes aside each day to run, I may have to get up really early or go on my lunch hour but I can do it. It is time for you all to set time aside. You don't have to run a ton of miles but make your time count. If you only get 15 minutes in, it is better than nothing. Get 15 minutes in, trick your body and run 3 really hard 1 minute speed changers. or do the last 5 minutes at an increased pace. This will not make you have a great base or increase your ability to produce speed in May next year but it will make your body and mind feel better about the ability to run and train. We will need to start running, we will need to start training but for now, just set your time aside and go for a run.
I am and boy do I feel better when I do.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Reflections

Sorry I couldn't be at the Banquet to get some closure on the season. I will finish all the splits for the season and give them to Sep by Friday so he can get them out to you all on the blog. I normally get that done and hand it out at the banquet.
I want to tell you how impressed I was with the transitions, growths and improvements you all made. It was fun to be a part of your individual achievements. Track is such a great balance of individual efforts and team achievement. The boys finishing 3rd in state is a great example of that. Gavin top 3 in all 4 events? 4 x 800 with a state title, Austin with an amazing PR and 4th place finish:)
You all were such an important part of team and individual growth. Thanks for being a part of the team and letting me watch and participate in your growth.

Chloe's Second Birthday Party

Here is a great picture of Chloe at her second birthday party a couple weeks ago.  Yeah, it has nothing to do with track, but it's still a funny picture. 

"What?  Only a stinkin' cupcake???!!!"

Monday, May 23, 2011

Summer Training Guidelines

I read this, and it sounded really, really familiar.  I have been preaching this philosophy for years now, but Jay explains it much more eloquently.

So, after you've had some rest, shoot me an email, and in a few days turnaround, I can get you a training program for the summer if you wish.

SEP

Thoughts on State Meet Track Day Three

(Sorry these are a little late, I went to bed pretty late after a coaches celebration party....)

We wrapped up the Colorado State Track meet with fantastic weather, and some great results.  We had Gavin McHenry going top five in all three of his races, which put him on the podium in all of his races, an impressive feat indeed!  (So impressive, it got a scout from Stanford asking me LOTS of questions about him, very cool!)  We had Keagan racing in the mile, and running at ought race to finish just out of the podium spots.  And, in the highlight off the day for me, we had Brendon Austin absolutely nailing the shotput to come in an astounding fourth!  I am not a throws coach, although I pretend to be sometimes, so I will quote Coach Whitenack, who certainly does know a thing or two about putting the shot.

From NackforTrack.com:
"I loved seeing Brendon Austin(Chaparral) throw the shot the most. Brendon is one of my favorite track athletes, because he had all the opportunity and temptation to solely pursue another sport (football), but did not. I honestly have no idea why. It's never come up in any conversation. I like to think it's because he likes to compete, and he'll take competition in any form, whether it be on the field or in the ring. I would also hope it's because of moments like he had on Saturday. Brendon started the day as a #13 seed, but ended in 4th because of a 4ft 8 3/4in PR throw. That is insane! He basically had a 10% improvement in the span of one throw. That might not sound like much, so for some perspective that is like a 100m runner slicing off 1.1 seconds in a race, a miler cutting off :27 seconds from there already fantastic 4:30, a high jumper reaching a height of 6 to 8in higher than they have previously seen, a 3 to 4ft PR in the triple jump, or a 1.5ft improvement in the boys pole vault. Simply amazing! As a former thrower I wish I had video, because the PR throw was a thing of beauty. Oh, and by the way, despite being a multi-sport athlete Brendon is still going to college to play football. He will be playing at an obscure little place called Stanford. Glad he could still put the pieces back together to slide in there."



Coach Whitenack, I couldn't have said it any better myself, I am so proud of Brendon, his accomplishments not just yesterday, but for the past four years deserve major respect.

As a boys team, we came in a tie for third overall, which I am very pleased with.  I would've been happy with 5th, so third is a real bonus.  I thought everything we did all year, including winter training, to extensive tempo running (in meets and in practice), and pure speed days; then mixing in a high level of discipline and team sacrifice; all of this contributed to our great showings at State, both for the men and women.  I am eager for a break, but I am eager to start it all up again.  I wish Coach Hawk the best, I think he is has been one of the most even-keeled and professional coaches I have ever met, so I want to build on his legacy and make this team even better next year.  We are losing some stud seniors, but we have some up-and-coming studs rapidly rising through the ranks.  That all starts during the summer.  If anyone wants a training plan, shoot me an email and Coach Boymel and I will formulate you one.  I want to start up Red Rocks again, I want to expand gymnastics, I want to go to summer camps, I want to make sure all of you have done the work necessary to have an even better season in 2012!

Enjoy your break, keep checking the blog every once in a while for random summer updates, and keep running!

SEP


Saturday, May 21, 2011

Musings on State Track Day Two

With all of the rain and lightning from yesterday, the second day of the state meet was a loooong one.  Our first event was the 4 x 100 prelims at 1:35, the last was the 4 x 400 prelims at 6:45.  I will give the meet directors, officials and volunteers credit though, the meet yesterday ran very smoothly, and I noticed no problems with trying to shoehorn in 50% more meet into one single day.

With Thursday being full of high points, I felt Friday we had our share of more high points, but unfortuntaley, we had some low points too.  I thought the girls sprint medley ran fantastic.  We came into the event ranked 13th, we left with medals and standing on the podium in 8th place.  That is really,  really awesome, I am so happy and proud for those girls.  I thought the Devan ran a really good race in the open 800.  She ran a 2:15, came in 8th, got on the podium, and had a very good showing in her first state meet.  I am excited to see how she builds on that for future years.  And our boys 4 x 400 team, which was comprised almost totally of younger kids, represented themselves very well too, gaining valuable experience and getting that first State meet race under their belts.

Even though they were really expecting to win and they came in second, how can you not be proud of our boys 4 x 200 relay team?  Second place is the highest place CHS has ever scored in that event at State, we bettered our time by 2-3 seconds, and we were right in the mix of things the whole way through.  Excellent job men, you represented CHS to the best of your abilities and that is all we can ask for.  Watch out for them in that 4 x 100 today.  I got a feeling they are going to race lights out.

The last race I want to talk about is the open 800 for the men.  Nate Purdue had high expectations for this race, but ended up finishing out of the medals.  That was a big disappointment, but Nate learned a lot about himself in that race.  I still say the open 800 is the toughest race out there, it is an unlaned sprint, with pushing, shoving and tripping going on for 799 meters.  Add a wet track, and 18 guys just getting after it, and you are gonna have a Castle View kid getting tripped up and flying out of the pack, or a Poudre kid getting pushed off the track on the backside.  To anyone that saw it, it was just a brutal, slugfest, Nascar style of race, and kudos to Connor Winter, who ended up victorious.  I think Nate knows that this race does not define who he is as a runner though.  Nate is defined by the entire body of work, not just one single race, and the body of work says he is a true champion who will be remembered as one of the best runners CHS has ever produced.

We got one more day, one more day to set some school records, win some medals, and get on the top of that podium!  I think today the weather will finally be good track weather, and if you can avoid the traffic revolving around the U2 concert this afternoon, it's is going to be a prefect day!

See everyone at JeffCo or tonight at the banquet!

SEP

Friday, May 20, 2011

Reflections on State Track Day One

Reflections is certainly a good title for this post, as you were seeing reflections in puddles everywhere by the end of the day.  On the track, in the bleachers, on the mats.  The rain came down just as we were about to start our heat of the 4 x 4 relay, and it came down in buckets!  Lightning, thunder, torrential rain; we experienced it all under the cover of our Taj Mahal-esque tent.  When they finally postponed the meet, getting out of the parking lot was a disaster, and of course traffic was pretty rough too.  A tough end to a really successful day.

Because of this rain delay, the schedule got changed around quite a bit.  Updated schedules can be found here, at Coach Whitenack's site, as well as at the State CHSAA site.  Please check those schedules out, and if you have any questions, get in touch with one of your coaches.

Other than the monsoon, though, I would say it was a very successful day.  We had both throwers climb up onto the podium and we had all of our sprinters and sprint relays qualify for finals. The girls 4 x 800 ran a season best with that particular line-up, and the boys 4 x 800 won the 5A state title outright!  This win was achieved through a special combination of DEDICATION, TALENT and SACRIFICE.  All of the runners had been working on getting fast since Halloween.  The talent level was amazing, as each guy went under 2:00 on their leg.  The sacrifice shown was critical, as they committed to this race and to each other above all else.  I am very proud of this group, I feel that they deserved this win, and that they were truly the best 4 x 8 team in the State.

This win is a testament to the team culture we have built at CHS.  Without everyone chipping in, we would not have been on the top of the podium. Without Zach and Ryan, the two alternates who pushed and encouraged and cheered those guys in practice and races every day, we wouldn't have won this race.  Without all the JV runners, who brought so much to workouts and to the team that allowed them to reach their potential, we wouldn't have won this race.  Without Boymel and Jimmy and Harris and Dianne and Cory and Craig and Katie and Eric and Tom, who contributed in so many ways every single day to get these guys faster, stronger, tougher, we wouldn't have won this race.  Without the athletes families, who are truly the backbone of these these guys, we wouldn't have won this race.  Without the support and legacy the CHS alums have left, we wouldn't have won this race.

And I wouldn't have been able to contribute to this the way I do without my wife Beth, who for 8 months out of the year, supports, encourages and helps me in so many ways that allow me to do what I am truly passionate about.  She is my rudder, she keeps me on course and focused, she is the best friend/wife/mom anyone could have, and I am truly grateful to her.  Thanks doll.

SEP

P.S.  As the tradition goes, I get to take the 4 boys out to dinner anywhere they want to go, my treat.  We have been everywhere from Hooters to Vesta Dipping Grill.  So, Keagan, Justin, Johnny, Nate, you figure out what you want to eat, we'll figure out a date, and we'll do it!

P.P.S.  One more thing.  If anyone out there (Susan, Cheri, Karen, anyone...) has some pictures of not only the race yesterday, but of these guys racing at all this season, could you please send them to me?  I would love to have copies of them!  I'm gonna comb through the awesome CHS website, but if you have any "hidden" ones, I would love to see them.  Thanks!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

State Meet Logistics (UPDATED)

We qualified 26 kids to the State Meet this weekend, in a multitude of events.  I am not sure if that is a record, but is a number we are pretty proud of!

We start on Thursday morning at 8:15, and hopefully end on Saturday afternoon at 4:15.  That makes for a long three days, so make sure you are rested and ready to go.

State Meet Schedule for Chaparral is:

THU
8:15 SMR (P), 8:30 Discus (F), 8:35 100m (P), 
8:55 3200 (F), 9:25 4 x 200 (P), 
11:20 4 x 800 (F), 12:25 200 (P), 1:30 4 x 400 (P)

FRI
10:05 4 x 100 (P), 12:00 SMR (F), 12:50 800 (F), 
1:40 4 x 200 (F), 4:10 200 (F)

SAT
10:30 100 (F), 10:30 ShotPut (F), 2:50 4 x 100 (F), 
3:10 1600 (F), 4:15 4 x 400 (F)

Women compete right before the men do, (P) stands for preliminary round, (F) stands for final round.

Like I said, a busy three days, and that doesn't even consider the banquet on Saturday night at 6:00 pm at Chaparral!

If you are not competing on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, please make sure to get your uniform turned in to Coach Hawk as soon as possible.  You don't want a exorbitant fee on your CHS record.

On Thursday, there will be a bus to the State Meet, and we expect all the competing athletes and the alternates to be on that bus.  The bus leaves CHS at 6:15 sharp.  I will not be on the bus, I will already be at the stadium setting up our camp in an ideal spot.  To say it is going to be crowded is an understatement!

So, make sure you are getting some sleep, eating well, and staying hydrated.  This is going to be a big weekend for us, I think we are primed for some awesome performances at State!

SEP

UPDATE:  My mistake, I thought the discus events were one right after another, with the ladies going first.  It is actually men throwing the disc at 8:30 on Thursday, then the women throw the disc at 11:30 on Thursday.  Can't wait to watch Brendon and Mia compete Thursday morning!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

League Championships Overview

Wow, 107 points. The CHS boys team scored 107 points... and came in third.  If you had told me at the beginning of this week we would score 107 points, I would have taken it in a heartbeat.  I guess that just goes to show you how deep and strong the Continental League is in Track & Field.

I thought we did everything we could on to try and win the championship on the boys side.  The distance kids were run into the ground, but scored points in all of their events.  The sprinters were in up to six races over two days, and were not only scoring points, but winning their events.  I am so proud of the vaulters and the throwers for getting valuable points in their events.  We did everything we could; we let no stone unturned from a coaching/planning point of view, and the athletes all did their jobs better than I could've hoped.  I am very proud of everyone, sometimes you can do your best and not come away reading your goal, and this was one of those times.  But, we can be proud in saying we did our best. Men, we can look in the mirror and honestly say we gave it our best shot, not just in the competition, but in the preparation as well.  Good job, excellent job.

Not all is sadness though, we have a long, long list of League Champions.  Let's start with the women, who had a very fine showing at these League Championships.  Even though we were thin in some events, I thought the girls out there represented themselves and their school very well, and I am very proud of them too.

2011 Continental League Champions Women

Mia Davies  Shot Put  33-10.5
Devan Foster  800m  2:15.95
Mia Davies  Discus  112-8.5
(Yep, Mia is a DOUBLE League Champion!!)


2011 Continental League Champions Men

Gavin McHenry  100m  10.83
Gavin McHenry  200m  21.74
400m Relay   Ian Campbell, Ty Whipple, Curtis Ray, Gavin McHenry
800m Relay   Ian Campbell, Ty Whipple, Curtis Ray, Gavin McHenry
3200m Relay  Justin Bills, Johnny Bacovin,  Zach Young,  Nate Purdue
(Ummm.... yeah, Gavin has FOUR League Championships on his belt, that's not a typo.)


I want to throw a big shout-out to all of the parents and volunteers who helped us pull this meet off.  We were hosting the meet, it is an important meet to host, and I thought everyone who pitched in did a fantastic job.  Big thanks to Greg & Karen Grimm, Ivan & Cheri Whipple, all of the timers, officials and announcers, Chris Clemensen, Linda Cherry, and Gary Thompson.  I am sure I forgot a few people who helped, but thank you to everyone, it was because of you that we beat the rain on Saturday afternoon!

Now the question is, where do we go from here?  Looking at the CHSAA rankings, it seems to me that we got a lot of athletes and relays qualified for State Championships.  However, it is still relatively early in the weekend.  Things can change on that varvee board on Sunday afternoon.  Scratches, name corrections, all sorts of funky stuff goes on the day after League Championships.  Here is my advice.  If you are an individual athlete who is in the top twenty of your event, plan on being at practice on Monday.  If you are on a relay that is in top twenty, be at practice as well.  (If you are an alternate, which is a very important part of that relay, your coach will be in touch with you on Sunday evening.)  I see qualifying for State as an opportunity not only for one more week of Sep facetime :) , but also as chance to compete on the biggest stage Colorado Track & Field has to offer.  More on this later in the week, but CHS T&F has done very well at these State Championships in recent history, and their is no reason to expect that we will not do very well this year.  We need to re-focus our efforts for this week, as shining on the State Meet stage is truly an honor!

SEP

Friday, May 13, 2011

Deleted Posts

I apologize if you were looking for some posts that seem to have been deleted.  To be honest, I have no idea why or how they were erased.  The information in them was important, but not crucial, so it really isn't a big deal.

SEP

Thursday, May 12, 2011

A little later

In some ways, this is better for us. The work outs are done, there is some time for fine tuning and teamwork but no need to work out hard again. We will use our League meet to finish out our hardest work outs and best performances. Last night was the most important night of sleep for a Friday meet and tonight is the most important night of sleep for a Saturday meet. Rest up, visualize all the speed and power you have put into your work outs and know they will come out in the next 2 days. We will use this delay to our advantage and be more prepared.