Last tough week of work.

This week of competition mixed with practice is all set up by design, all part of THE MAIN THING.  I want tired legs after our meet this Saturday at Monticello.  We worked pretty hard today, doing some 400s at Pells Park.  Tomorrow is a meet at Rossville, which we'll use as a good way to learn how to run as a group, then we'll come back with some intense work on the hill on Wednesday followed by a very competitive home meet with Mahomet on Thursday.  That's 4 consecutive days of pretty tough work.  We'll have some fun with a DQ run on Friday, then come back for the last bit of tough work at the Monticello Invitational on Saturday.

This tears us down that one last time before the Sectional meet and puts our bodies into the position to have an optimal performance on the day we want it.  Note, we are talking the physical here, not the mental.  That's where focus and desire come into play, which I doubt will be much of a problem.  I'll do my best to keep this group grounded and on task.

This then sets the table for high quality, low quantity work next week, with Tuesday being the PBL Invitational, which gives us an early week focus and an opportunity for non Sectional team members to really put it all on the line with one last great effort for the season.  Those next 3 days will be the easiest days of practice for the year as we're going to have VERY WELL RESTED legs for THE MAIN THING.

After the PBL Invitational, only the top 8 runners will have to practice.  HOWEVER, I will expect the entire team to come to the Sectional on our home course on October 12 to support the team!!!

I'll have more for you about Saturday's meet on Wednesday, meanwhile, I look forward to seeing our girls and guys pack run tomorrow.  It's amazing how it feels to run with a bunch of team mates.  This is an experience one never really forgets.

St. Joseph - Check!

We can put a check mark next to the St. Joseph Invitational and call it a very successful day.  Lots of really great times and performances.  Yes, a few disappointments by a few, but on the most part we found that we're where we need to be.  The team's haul of 15 medals was pretty impressive, with a surprise or two mixed in.  Let's celebrate today's effort and achievement over the weekend then get right back at it again on Monday.

So, THE MAIN THING continues as our theme for this year, and in two short weeks we'll see just how successful our team was in focusing in on and achieving a very high goal.  Yes, it takes some sacrifice and lots of hard work but in the end it is so satisfying to know that we did OUR BEST.  I know our best effort will be at the Sectional meet at our place on October 12.  All of our focus and energy are now on the Sectional, with everything else serving as preparation for the big event.

This next week is super important in preparation for the Sectional.  It will be our last hard week of practice before we let off the gas pedal for the final push.  I think we'll go back to Pells Park for some quarter mile repeats on Monday, compete at Rossville on Tuesday on a course we really enjoy, hit the hill on Wednesday, compete against Mahomet on our home course Thursday, and enjoy a nice DQ run on Friday before turning our sights towards the Monticello Invitational on Saturday.

A Snappy Workout

I told the team yesterday that we would be done by about 4:30 today, and I was just about 2 minutes off, according to my watch.

We discussed tomorrow's meet, all the differences we'll have to deal with:  1.  A 5th/6th grade race for boys and girls running all at the same time.  2.  A 7th/8th grade race for boys and girls running at the same time. 3.  Warming up together in those groups. 4. Where a "bib" with a computer chip in it, that will electronically record places and times of each athlete as they cross the finish line.  5.  The awards ceremony after the event.

The team then practiced warming up in those groupings for tomorrow's race, including drills and strides.  We then did a light 5 minute run then ran 10 x 100 meter strides at race pace, followed by another 10 minute light run through "Narnia", at least this is what the team calls it.

And of course, the best part was the giant tootsie rolls I had for each of them after practice.

So, tomorrow is the next MAIN THING.  It is my hope that we are focused on the task at hand and put down some excellent performances.  Physically, we are ready.  Now, we have to prepare our minds for tomorrow's challenge.  I know we will perform very well.

The Magical Hill

We really worked on good running form tonight on the hill.  What a better place to work on form than running up and down the hill.  Running up forces us to keep our heads up, with eyes on the summit and knees driving forward,while running downhill causes us to lengthen our stride, and cycle the legs faster so as to not fall flat on our faces.

I was really watching for and attempting to correct form faults, and spent the entire session doing that.  After we were done, I specifically showed the importance of: 1.  Relaxing the jaw and letting it just hang open so air can freely pass through the mouth.  2. Completely relaxing the hands so the arms swing forward and back freely, and having an impact of breathing with a relaxed chest cavity.  3.  Driving arms forward and back instead of across the body, so we can run in as straight of line as possible.

We were very encouraged with the workout and know that the team learned a lot.  We noticed a lot of improvement and heard lots of positive feedback from team members saying they could actually feel the differences in the corrections.  It is my hope that we can translate this experience into tomorrow's workout and ultimately into THE MAIN THING on Friday, the meet we've been focusing on since Dawson Lake, the St. Joseph Invitational.

I distributed reminders to those who have yet to pay for their team shirts.

Kickapoo Adventure

I would hope that today's performance is another bit of a stepping stone for THE MAIN THING coming up this Friday at St. Joseph.  The whole fact of the matter, it most certainly is just that and we'll continue our quest with a pretty good workout tomorrow, then some light stuff on Thursday in preparation for Friday.  The plan seems to be coming together.

I thought today's performances went well.  I tried something totally different in my approach today for meet preparation, and it seemed to have the positive effects I was hoping for.  I'm not going to be totally straight forward at this point in what I did, but distractions and busywork do pay off.  Let's see if a little reverse psychology can work a little magic.

Our girls are working to the best of their abilities and a creating their new team identity.  What I absolutely love about this group is the fact that this group works pretty hard and are really great to be around.  I know we'll continue to improve and I really look forward to see how we perform on Friday.

The guys worked the bullet well and got into pretty good race position right from the get go.  We've still got some conditioning to work on, since that last 600 meters is still not what I want to see.  I"m still interested in seeing a certain group of 6th graders break out for  terrific run, and I think Friday might be that day.  I thought that was happening today, but it didn't quite manifest itself as I thought.

Let's enjoy this better weather.

I Love Pells Park

What a nice day for a workout.  So nice, I decided we would run over to Pells Park and do some quarter mile repeats.  The team was really happy to get away from working out on our delightful course, so their eagerness should not have astounded me.

It's almost exactly a mile to Pells, so it was really cool to see the team trot on over while chatting and generally goofing around.  A far cry from a month ago when we had to stop about every other block.  How refreshing.

We went through our regular stretching, drills, and pull out routine before doing 8 repeat quarters with a 90 second rest interval.  We responded real well to the work, but by #7 we were getting gassed.  That's exactly what I wanted to see.  The kids worked their tail off on #7, since that's always the toughest one to get through.  After all, anyone can do the last one, which I told them to give it a real go.

We're working pretty hard these next couple of days, with our Kickapoo run tomorrow.  A pretty tough course, yet we look forward to the challenge.  Even more so, Friday is THE MAIN THING we've been focusing in on for the last couple of weeks, so I look forward to some fantastic performances.

Light and Snappy

I needed a evening of rest, and that's what I did Friday evening.  Normally, I'd come home, blog, update stats on the site, and try to wrap up any other loose ends before going into the weekend.  This Friday I went out to El Toro for dinner, came home, talked to my parents, talked to my wife (who went shopping with her sister, so didn't get home until 8 PM), and went down to my easy chair and fell asleep.  It's been a long week and rest was the order of business.  Yes, coaches get tired too!!!

Yesterday's workout was a lot of fun and really light and snappy.  Changed some things up in the warm up and cool down, just to give the team a break from the routine.  I know they liked that a lot.  We talked about Thursday's meet and all the variables associated with our performances and moved on from that.  I reminded the team that THE MAIN THING is coming up at St. Joseph next Friday, so be ready to do great things then.

During our drills I took time out to remind the team about what the reason is (THE MAIN THING) we do the drills and how they can have a very positive effect in developing speed.  I also discussed my first season experience as a cross country runner way back in 1969, when I was a freshman at Rantoul.  I described my trials and tribulations and how my coach encouraged me to finally get out of my comfort zone.  I think the team needs to be aware that every athlete goes through these things and we all have to start somewhere.  I know and understand what it's like, so it's pretty easy to relate.

I think the biggest thing the team needs to be aware of is that we are on the verge of making the next step.  I can have some degree of control over the type of work we do and encourage them through the mental process.  What is more difficult is finding a way to make each person "hungry", a reason to get better.  So, finding the solution to that problem is something that is always on my mind.

This reminds me of the Edison's quote “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” 

My challenge to each team member is to have the hope of trying to see this.  And what's neat, we will see some great successes in less than a week, as we focus on THE MAIN THING.

I distributed T shirts to the team many wore them with pride to practice.  Check out the embedded quote.  It's my favorite.

Lake of the Woods Hi Tower and Hill Roll

My first job out of college was as a camp counselor for the YMCA in Champaign, with camp being held at Lake of the Woods.  This was right before I started teaching at Paxton High School in August of 1977.  I've many fond memories of that place not only because of that experience, but it also served as my high school's home course my senior year at Fisher.  There were other good races there too, and I also recall our class picnic the Sunday after Prom my senior year.  Oh the memories of this place.

Those fond memories also bring with it some not so fond memories, as it seems every year we run at Lake of the Woods, I come home with a bitter taste in my mouth, with the exception of last year's Sectional meet.  Last year I lit up the team after a totally bad performance and I really didn't want to do that this year.  This year's team has a different dynamics, with a very young girls squad and a guys squad that has enough experience to be dangerous, if they want to be.

Today wasn't much different in my feelings, as we looked like we were running in quicksand.. Now, mind you, I know our kids are tired from some hard work and I knew there would be a drop in performance, but I didn't expect quite this much of a drop.  I suspect the combination of tired legs and hot, humid conditions made for a bad mix.  Only time will tell.

We talked briefly about that before our cool down, trip to the Hi Tower and roll down the hill, an annual tradition.  Then,  Coach T and I shared some thoughts with one another on the bus trip home.  After what we saw today, I now have a clue on just what we need to do to prepare for our Sectional meet in 3 short weeks with this year's teams.  I honestly think we will see totally different teams on that day.  My gut says that.

Team shirts are in so I will distribute those tomorrow.

Hard day on the hill

We've got a tired team, and that's all by design.  This week and next are the two most important of the season as we try and ready ourselves for the Championship Phase of the season, and that certainly is THE MAIN THING, reaching our goal of being at our best for the Sectional.

We pushed the hill pretty good tonight with 8 repeat fartlek style runs around the loop.  It was warm and humid, so we had the sprinklers going and had plenty of water to keep the team hydrated.

The biggest issue we have right now is getting the group to work as a unit, which can be such an awe inspiring experience.  Been there, done that, seen it lots of times.  The problem is, we are hot and cold on this concept.  One practice or meet, I think we have it, the next day, it's like looking for Santa Claus in the middle of summer.  So, hence our frustration as a coaching staff.  I'm still searching for that one magic bullet that will get them to really buy into the concept, so I'm still looking.

I have a couple of other tricks up my sleeve so I'll be rolling those out over the course of the next few days as we approach what should be the best part of the season.  I have a hunch it will all turn out just fine, but I still scratch my head, then express it here.

So, we look forward to a tough course at tomorrow's Fab 5 race at Lake of the Woods.  I will be very interested to see how we respond to my "special powers" talk today, and that starts when we get on the bus.  I look forward to some good eye contact.

And you think you've got it bad.

This Saturday's PBLHS Cross Country Invitational left me with something I had never witnessed before, and Coach Tipsord did a GREAT job relating this to the team at Monday's practice.  Of course, this was a meet day, of which I'll get to in a bit, but first something even more important (I should have written about this on yesterday's blog but had other pressing matters to deal with).

We were talking about team members whining and complaining about different things, sometimes seemingly giving up in practice or maybe even a meet, or feeling sorry for themselves.  Coach T interjected what we both saw at Saturday's race...............  a BLIND young lady run the open race with the aide of another fellow student athlete.  He was quick to add, "If you think you got it bad, there is always someone else out there who has it even worse.  Be thankful for what you have."

And so, a real life lesson for the day........  When I saw this young lady running, my sore ankle and knee became very insignificant.

Today's meet featured some great competition all across the board.  Plenty of runners of varying abilities taking advantage of the nice weather to put out a good effort.  Generally speaking, our course is slow, so if our team thought they would run as fast as they did at Dawson last week, that wasn't going to happen for lots of reasons.  We had a pretty tough workout yesterday, and I did not expect much pep in the legs.  As a matter of fact, we hadn't talked too much about today's meet because THE MAIN THING is our focus on the September 27 meet at St. Joseph.  That will remain THE MAIN THING all the way to that date.  Nothing else is important as our training, combined with the competition, with all things pointing towards the 27th.

I thought our girls closed the gap quite nicely on today's opponents and the effort was there. BUT, we have to learn to get out better in the first 200 meters of the race.  We become much too complacent and are out of the race before it even begins.

For the guys, we lack discipline before we run, and I am expecting the 8th graders to clean this up, or else I'll be forced to deal with it.  It's time to stop horsing around, as some of the guys call it.  Our pre meet demeanor and mental preparation are what will make us or break us.  We've got to become like "Jedi Knights" and use all of our collective forces of positive energy to focus our energy.  This team will not come even close to reaching its potential without clear, concise FOCUS.  We still don't get THE MAIN THING.  The head Jedi Master is about ready to summon his powers and perhaps exile a few wannabee team members from away meets or even off the team.  It won't be the first time this has happened.

So, may THE MAIN THING be with you!

Is this real?

After the blast furnace we've suffered through to start the first half of the season, I'm asking myself if this weather real or not, and I'm sure the team must be thinking the same.  Wow, was it nice to run practice in nice temps, and boy did we run.  Our intensity was pretty darned good, and the team really worked well with the 90 second rest interval between the 400's we did.

The deal of the day was if EVERYONE ran the 400's without any walking, the entire team would do one less than what was planned.  BINGO, we ran one less.  Way to go TEAM.

Tomorrow's meet will feature 7 teams and will a nice FALL CHALLENGE, as I've named this meet.  There will be our normal two races, girls followed by the guys.  The competition should be very good for all ability levels and we expect another nice day to compete.

T-shirts may be in by the end of the week, if all goes well.  I know the kids are anxious as they have been asking.

Banana Relays

We zipped through a fun, light practice tonight with a team favorite, the Banana Relays.  It's always been interesting to me to watch how some teams "protect" their banana from the elements of hand off after hand off, while others throw caution to the wind and end up with only a fragment of a peel at the conclusion of the run.  And of course, we "judge" which team as the best looking banana afterwards to declare the relay winner.  It's all in fun and the kids to enjoy the event.

Of course, they were all more interested in the school dance, so we tried to have them out of practice in plenty of time to get ready.  It all worked out well.

We discussed our training for the next couple of weeks and what to expect, with our eye set on September 27 as our next BIG race.  Yes, we have 3 races in between, but THE MAIN THING is September 27.  Those other races just help to get us there!!!  Simple concept.

We reminded everyone of their responsibility to get mileage in during the course of the weekend.  Gosh, it's hard to believe we have now reached the half way point in the season.  It does go fast.

A Dandy at Dawson

In typical Panther fashion, history again repeated itself at Dawson Lake, with tons of PERSONAL RECORDS for the season and/or the career of most of our runners.  I was definitely impressed and know there is MUCH MORE to come.

Of our 40 competitors, all but 3 were under 19 minutes.  OH MY GOSH, I was a proud pup.  I had a group of about 6 of our team running with me and the goal was to break 20, heck we not only did that but we broke 19.  Now mind you, ask those kids how much talking was going on the entire time...... I mean, they must of thought I wouldn't shut up.  I literally grabbed a couple by the hand and had them run lock step until the last 400 meters.  To watch what happened brought a real smile to my face.  We passed the mile mark in a tad under 9 minutes and I told them they were on pace to run 18.  Check that, I YELLED they were on pace to run 18.  Now, here's the kicker, now that the group has accomplished this, there is no turning back.  WE KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO!

And the rest of the team, I asked in the post run meeting how many had their best times ever, and boy did I see a lot of hands go up.  I can't say enough of how we all felt about today.  And the best part, WE KNEW AND TOLD THE TEAM EXACTLY THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN, if they kept the faith and did what we asked in practice and the weekends on their own.  It sure is nice to say, SEE, I TOLD YOU SO.

Now, for the reality check.  The next 2 weeks are going to be another break down of bodies in the cycle.  We're going to work pretty hard this next week to 10 days so we are ready for the next big meet we want to do well at, the St. Joseph Invitational on September 27 (THE MEDAL MEET).  How we compete the next 3 meets and the times we put down will not compare to today, since our physical and mental preparation is for the 27th.  Everything else in between are stepping stones to get us to that point.  My challenge is to keep the team believing in the PROCESS, since that is THE MAIN THING.

We'll enjoy today's accomplishments and have some fun in the cooler weather tomorrow with the ever so coveted BANANA RELAYS.  I'm sure the team will monkey around a bit tomorrow with their fruit, so let's hope no one slips on a banana peel.

The Team Concept - We are getting it.

All of my direction about working as a team is beginning to pay off and we're finally getting it.  I'm seeing some leaders emerge, those who you might least expect, and it's beginning to look like a Panther time of days gone by.  PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE is what it's all about, and dividends will be paid in the long haul.  I'll be interested to see how our leadership performs tomorrow, at Dawson Lake.

Today's workout was another scorcher, but we worked pretty tough back on the hill, with sprinklers blasting and plenty of water to be had by all.  We've not really backed off all that much from what has been planned, so with falling temps, we're going to see falling times.  Just what we expect, especially at Dawson tomorrow.

The team is excited and primed for some personal bests for this season tomorrow.  I look forward to assisting our group of runners who are in that 19 to 22 minute category of running 2 miles.  I'm running with them and going to do my darndest to get as many of them under 20 minutes as I possibly can.

We're looking forward to a cooler day tomorrow and some great times on a fast track.  We can't wait.

Sweat Equity

Sweat was abounding with today's heat, but the team was up to the task and developed some mental and physical toughness through it all.  This team is not going to get better by shying away from even the worst of conditions, and we must be prepared.  After all, if the Sectional were held on a day like today, we'd be running regardless (except for a thunderstorm).  So, we've got to be prepared for anything and everything. We were pleased with the overall effort of our 5th and final exhibition meet, as we turn our sights towards Dawson Lake, our first gauge of success for the season.

I know the team is looking forward to the meet and is excited about posting some great times.  The coaching staff is of the opinion that this group will earn everything it can get, so we are all anxious for Thursday.  I know the focus for the last few days has been towards this particular meet, as the kids have been talking about it quite a bit.  I'm anticipating a very focused and determined group for the remainder of the week.  After all, if we can run in today's conditions, and perform reasonably well, imagine what we can do with much more favorable weather on a "fast track".  ZOOM, away we go!!!!

One more day of heat to contend with, so we'll enjoy a reasonably tough fartlek style workout on the hill tomorrow, with sprinklers blasting away!!

The Comfort Zone

Today's heat and humidity took us right out of our COMFORT ZONE, something that played right into today's team meeting discussion.  As novice runners, our rookies have to learn to get out of their comfort zone and let the mind take over the body.  Yes, the body says to slow down, but those with a strong mind have the ability to control their body and trust their instincts.  Good, experienced distance runners have the experience to consistently run out of that zone and know how to take their bodies to the limit.  Hopefully, our team can learn to do just that, if we want to be competitive by season's end.

We hydrated well, and worked on the BULLET tonight while running 6 x 400 meters at a prescribed mark.  We wanted to go 8 x 400 tonight, but common sense ruled on this one, due to the heat, and we backed off.  There was plenty of water available during the workout, and we gave the team a little less of a warm up run and cool down run as well.  All went well.

Funny thing, once we were outside in the heat and the bodies adjusted, there weren't too many complaints.  We do adjust to the elements, its just that we are comfort creatures and don't like the extremes.  However, the body is amazing and will adapt to the elements rapidly.  We just tend to be whimps with our air conditioning and heating systems in this modern world we live in.

Let's hope that we don't have to whimp out tomorrow and can get the meet in.  Otherwise, the plan is to jog to Pells and do a mile time trial around the park.  The team actually looks forward to that possibility.

Swirl and Hurl - It's a Myth

The annual "Swirl and Hurl" Dairy Queen run was once again much talked about by the veterans all week, while the unsuspecting rookies (at least some of them) fretted over the prospects of running across town, then coming back, after downing their ice cream, and run hard enough to "toss their cookies".  Of course, the whole thing is a practical joke, as the rookies do get "lined up" to run but are stopped after running about 50 yards by the vets who are cheering them on at the "gauntlet" by the ditch.  The chatter by the veterans prior to the run are detailed "lies" about their experience with the run, while the rookies are not too amused.  It does make for rather entertaining conversation, that's for sure.

Our thoughts now turn to week #5 of the season, where we look forward to a good meet on Tuesday, followed by our first AWAY meet at Dawson Lake.  We circle this meet as one where we are shooting for some terrific times and performances.  And of course, I always run this race with our back group, pacing them to break 20 minutes and keeping them focused.  After all, who wants to be beat by "an old man"?

I challenged the team to get their weekend mileage in and to continue getting all homework assignments in.  So far, so good on the eligibility side of things.  Let's hope this trend continues.

Proper Preparation = Success

As we assembled at the greenhouse as we always do before a race, we reminded the team about the discussion on the importance of preparation, per yesterday's team meeting.

We we pleased to see that the team took it to heart and did was was necessary to not only be ready to compete, but also do a nice job competing!  Well done, my good and faithful Panthers!!!  Let's continue what we did well today so that is makes us better as the season progresses.

The weather was pretty nice tonight, with a nice northerly breeze, which helping things out a lot, comfort wise.  I spent time talking about the "bullet" when it comes to putting the team in championship position right from the start.  We will practice that a lot more as time goes on, with Monday being the next big opportunity.  I also urged the rookies to walk less and run more, just to lower their times.  In most cases, we were successful with that.  With a few more days of conditioning, we should have most everyone at the point of being able to run the entire distance without stopping.

During the final team huddle, I reminded everyone of next week's first away meet at Dawson Lake, our first big "check point" for the season.  This is a race we always point to, and we'll be ready to rip some fine times and personal records next Thursday.

Swirl and Hurl is tomorrow.  DQ here we come.  Oh, the rookies are nervous about this one.  It's always a shocker!

Preparation

We spent quite a bit of time talking about the importance of PREPARATION.  And THE MAIN THING about PREPARATION is those who prepare, succeed, those who don't generally fail, unless they are flat out lucky.

Coach T and I both observed yesterday's PREPARATION by the team and saw a lot of things we did not like.  We were very candid with our thoughts and challenged the team to LOOK IN THE MIRROR to see how they seem themselves as part of the solution.

We addressed each grade level and how we see them fitting into the puzzle, with predefined roles and expectations.  Mind you, when there is a tradition of excellence like we have, the expectation level is quite high.  There was a nice interaction between the team and coaching staff, then the real proof was whether the team would take our challenge to heart and translate it into positive action.

It was amazing to see the change before our very eyes.  TEAM instead of I........  working together, encouraging one another, working diligently during practice, all the way through the cool down.  Bottom line, message delivered, message received, message put into action.

Now, the real test begins with tomorrow's meet.  Pass or Fail?  I have my hunch which one it will be.  We have history and tradition on our side.

We Labored after Labor Day

It was all too obvious to me that the team was not ready for today's meet.  It's funny how I knew this, but there is a way which I ALWAYS can tell how we will perform:  The intensity of our pullouts from the starting line along with the team clap/huddle.  It's ALWAYS spot on, and today was no different.  We were just going through the motions and boy it it show today.  No fire as a team.  NONE.

Now, I'm not saying that some individuals didn't run well, far from it, there were some nice performances, but the standard we have set as a TEAM is yet to be matched.  We have MUCH work to do to rise to the level of tradition and excellence of past Panther teams.  And it's just not by showing up and/or putting on the uniform.  I think some team members sadly mistaken that just because we put on the uniform and run in the top 7 that the team is suddenly good.  WRONG.  Look at today's team scores.  We were spanked, and by some teams that rarely, if ever have beaten us in the past.

It's time to WAKE UP and realize that we have to work smart and well in practice each day, without excuses, and do the things that are important.  All the little things that this group is apparently taking for granted, from the warm-up, to the stretching, to the work to be done on a consistent basis.

So, if I sound a little more than perturbed about today's performance, I am.  Complacency is a word that is not part of my vocabulary nor part of my demeanor or fiber.  Never has been, never will be.  My job is to shake this word out of existence with many team members.

I told the team Friday's scheduled DQ Run is dependent on Wednesday and Thursday's performance at practice and the meet.  Let's see if the group decides to respond.