Conference Champs

The weather couldn't stay perfect all season, but yesterday was still a shock. The wind off of the lake probably took ten seconds off of the final times. However the runners didn't seem to mind.

It was close but the Varsity boys managed to pull off first place by four points. They defeated a very motivated Whitnal team that has been talking smack and predicting that they would crush us all year. Which of course just made it all that more satisfying. Dennis led most of the race despite the wind and had the kick he needed at the end to be the overall champion. He ran 16:05 so he is still a few seconds shy of the school record. Kevin ran a gutsy race and finished 6th. Andrew was back in form and ran 10th (17:00). David battled a bad back for 23rd and Brian stepped up and finished 30th. Jon and Christian will round out the State varsity squad with Sam, Ben, and Jason in reserve.

The JV Boys just missed beating Whitnall by two points. But they all ran really well. Sam was second overall and ran most of the course by himself.

The varsity girls continue to get better every week despite injuries and yesterday was no exception. Becca moved back up to the front after struggling most of the year and was our top finisher. She was followed closely by Morgan and sarah. They finished 4th in the standings and took a little unfair ribbing from Pewaukee but they are in a great position to surprise some teams at sectionals next week.

The JV girls also ran very well with a number of notable pr's. There are several girl's towards the back of the pack who have made some huge gains this year. Heidi in particular knocked a minute off of her pr and just missed breaking 20 minutes.

Pictures are up in the slide shows as well as a late set from the Shorewood Invite last week.
All of the images can be downloaded and sent to wallgreens right from your chair so feel free to print anything you want.

Next week is sectionals. The grouping and course are new this year and it will be very tough to move on so please come and cheer. It really makes a difference to the runners.

Great race everyone !

Competition at conference

First year in the woodland, people are asking who the competition will be.

Individuals ( based on best times this season):

Phil Thomas 15:59
Dennis 16:04
Nick Szczech 16:05
Limoni 16:09
Kevin 16:22
Labbs 16:38
Bigsby 16:40
Andrew 16:44
David 16:54
Bron 16:58

Teams :

Thomas Moore
Shorewood
Greendale
Whitnall
Pewaukee

If Andrew and Brian can recover from their injuries we have a very good chance to win this.

Conference tomorrow !

Woodland Conference CC Meet

Friday, October 13, 2006 at Sheridan Park in Cudahy
Bus leaves SHS 12:30pm!!!
Time Schedule:

2:30pm Boys’ J.V.
3:05pm Girls’ J.V.
3:40pm Boys’ Varsity
4:15pm Girls’ Varsity
5:00 Awards

ALL ATHLETES WILL DRESS IN TEAM APPAREL…no exceptions.
(warm-up pants & jackets)

Woodland Conference orange, long-sleeve t-shirts $15

Directions
Take Lake Drive/Lincoln Memorial Drive downtown.
Enter I-794 E/Lake Parkway
Exit E. Oklahoma ramp
East on Oklahoma .7 miles
Bear right onto S. Lake Drive
2.5 miles south on S. Lake Drive


We are of course in a brand new conference this year so this will be our first race ever on this course. The scuttlebutt is that this is a very flat and very fast course ala Arrowhead. That should work in our favor. On the downside it could be very cold and very windy tomorrow so having enough time to warm up could be key.

I have no idea why this is scheduled in the middle of the afternoon on a school day, but at least it is close to home and traffic shouldn’t be an issue.

The future

Despite our small size, the Shorewood CC teams have been very successful over the last decade. This is not an accident but the result of a lot of hard work. I think that it is important to note in particular just how much Mr. Haury has done to recruit and encourage runners in the middle school, who then go on to run at a very high level in high school. Our ability to consistently field some of the fastest freshman in the state year after year is only possible because of the way he nurtures the middle school program.

Thanks Bill !!

With that intro, there are a number of really exciting eighth graders this year who could be a real help next year. On the boys side, Joe and Adan have been running at the front of most races and they have been well under 12 minutes for two miles. That's outstanding.

Even more impressive on the girl's side is Emily who is running almost as fast as Joe. In the last race at Greenfield park she was 30 seconds behind him, giving up 20 seconds in the first mile, and 10 seconds in the second mile finishing around 11:45.

The future looks great.

Eagle Invite results

eagle invite 06

Sep 4, 2006 - 57 Photos

Last saturday was picture perfect. The weather was cool, the grass was short, and the times were fast. Almost everyone ran a PR and several people PR'd by more than a minute. The full results are up at Wisconsin Runner, the direct link is here:

http://wisconsinrunner.com/results/2006eagle/

I'm sorry I don't have time to put up a real post but I will get to it before the end of the week. In the meantime I am trying out a new way to post pictures. If you click on the picture at the top of this post it should take you to an album of images from the meet. Let me know what you think.

This weekend is the Shorewood Invite. Volunteers are appreciated. The weather is supposed to be sunny and 70's.

Update: I fixed the link so it includes all of the races. Sorry 'bout that.

Where's Jake?

Jake now has a pair of college races behind him. He appears to be running fourth on his team and has been covering the five mile distance in about 28:00. Nice work Jake.

Strategy ?

In reading through a recap of the Griak meet on Dyestat I thought the following detail was interesting:
-----------
This race went out a bit quicker than Mead was used to, given the deceptively slow course. “I thought the guys would eventually slow down and that I could make it to the front,” he said.
He did that at the mile, passed in 4:59, with a group of about 10 with him. Then between 1.5 and 1.75 Mead started pulling away. “I didn’t really pick it up,” he said. “I just opened up my stride on the down hills.”

----------------

Learning how to run downhill can help you run faster. Too many people shorten up their stride on the downhills because they are afraid to go too fast. If you are going to surge in a race, why not do it on the downhill ?

Honor roll

For what it is worth if you check out the state honor roll over in the links ...

Kevin is the fastest freshman in the state by about a minute and
Ben is in ninth place.

Two in the top ten is really impressive considering the size of our team.

Kevin was also the top freshman at Griak by about 60 places.

Congratulations guys!

Back from Griak

I am having computer problems ( my hard drive is shot) so posting will be light for a while.

The races were a lot of fun. It didn't rain during the day saturday but the course was pretty saturated already, The college races in the morning churned up the mud and several places looked like cattle crossings. Running through six inches of mud will take a bit off of anyone's time and the consensus is that the course ran about 30 seconds slow by the end of the afternoon. The results are up here :

http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=45840&SPID=3297&DB_OEM_ID=8400&ATCLID=612384

I won't go through all of the numbers here, just a few highlights. Dennis and kevin raced each other the last quarter mile w/ Dennis out leaning the frosh at the line. They were both in front of marquette's first runner and a few steps behind Sean Olson. David had another stellar performance as this is turning out to be his best season ever. Andrew and Brian struggled again. If they had run the same times that they did here last year we would have been third instead of 20th. Both should be able to recover by Conference. Sammy D. ran a PR and finally looked like he did last year. Christian gets a mention for throwing up in his sleeping bag.

Distinguished Alumni Alec Maduzza ran for Nebraska and finished five miles in 27:00.

The girls had another inspiring race. They ran very much together and it was fun to see them yelling encouragement to each other and exchanging high fives during the race. Becky suffered from bad shin splints and did well to finish; hopefully she will be back in form soon. Morgan led the team to ninth place; but the real story was Sarah who had a huge race. She looked like her old self for the first time this year. At this rate she could well be our number one runner by Conference. If the girl's times look slow it's because they rana 5K instead of the usual 4K.

There are some pictures up under the slide show link. Somehow the order of the slides got mixed up. I don't have time to sort them so they are in a somewhat random order. It's not a lame attempt at being artistic.

The next race is the Eagle invite at Parkside. This is the only course that we run twice, so this is where we measure how everyone is doing.

Once again the competition will be huge for this meet. I know I sound like a broken record with that line but keep in mind that just about every meet we run is an open or an invite which means that teams can choose whether or not to come right up until about the week before. For some reason this year a group of better teams have been running at the same events that we are at. This is not normal, but it will help us in the long run. Also keep in mind that we have been running against mostly top tier D1 schools. These guys are not in our section at State. The opposite of this will be the field at our own invite in two weeks which attracts mostly smaller programs and basketball teams.

Griak

This weekend the varsity teams will be at the Roy Griak memorial cross country meet. The meet is hosted by the University of Minnesota and is run on the Les Bolstad golf course.

The morning features the top ranked college teams in the country. This is a chance to see some of the best racing outside of the national meet. It is really amazing to see just how fast these guys are.

The afternoon features the high schoolers. Teams fly in from as far away as California and Florida but the best runners tend to be from the mid west. At the moment the minnesota teams are particularily dominate.

The course itself is very hilly. Times here can be a little slow.

If you are planning to come, come early and pack a lunch. They do sell food on the grounds but the lines can be huge.

Dennis and the boys on TV

Dennis was featured on preps plus TV yesterday the link is here:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=498805

I'm not sure how long the link will be good for. The useless intro and commercials take up the first minute and a half of the video so you have to be patient, but the footage when it comes is worth it. There are some nice shots of the whole team running together as well as a lot of nice things said about Dennis.

congratulations Dennis!

Marquette results

As most of you know by now the race on saturday didn't turn out quite as well as we were hoping. The course itself was in great shape and the competition was as advertised. The races however left more than a few runners with a few questions.

On the girl's side the team ran well together and placed 6th over all. They are excited about Griak this week end and seem to be on track for the season.

On the boy's side, Dennis had a great race. He placed just ahead of a number of top runners who had been pre race picks to win the whole thing. Kevin and David also posted solid performances placing 13th and 25th. Brian, back from a recent illness, was still working out some of the cobwebs. Andrew struggled with a sore hip that has been a concern. The result was that we got thrashed in the team scores, which may not be a bad thing if it takes some of the spotlight and stress off of the guys. We are a talented but thin team and we need all seven varsity runners to come through if we are to achieve our goals for the season.

I had a crazy week end so pictures etc. will go up some time if I can get caught up.

In the meantime, Dr Mahn has some pictures up under the slideshow tab "Mahn Files".

Griak is on saturday.

Race time

4:00 Boys Freshman 4000 M
4:30 Girls JV 4000 M
5:00 Boys JV 5000M
5:30 Girls Varsity 4000M
6:00 Boys Varsity 5000M

Marquette Invite Friday at 4:00

This week's race is the Marquette Invite. Please note that it is being held on a new course this year. It will be held at Washington Park (40th and Vliet). It is also on a Friday rather than the usual Saturday. The races will start at 4:00.

The course is a new variation of Marquette's alumni route. It has been described as two loops around the north end and then one loop around the south end with the finish at the ball fields. The pictures make it look flat but I am told that there are a number of short but steep uphills.

Based on last year, the top teams there could be: Marquette, Catholic Memorial, Craig, Mad West, Shorewood, Neenah, Tremper, WB West, South Milwaukee, and Madison Lafollette.

According to the latest coach's poll the meet will feature the #1, and #2 D2 teams and the #2, 4, 6, 10, 11, 15 D1 teams in the state. The top individual guys are Werve, Christianson, Lund, Lepkowski, and Walsh. It should be one of the best team invites of the season.

I lifted the folowing directions from Marquette's web site :
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The park is bounded by Vliet Street on the south, Lloyd Street on the north, 40th Street on the east and Highway 41on the west. The race starts at the east end of the lagoon. The northern most parking lot off of 40th Street, about a quarter mile south of Lloyd, is the best access. Look for the Training Academy sign.
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Mark your calanders and plan to be there !

Competition?

A quick scan of recent results shows that on Friday night there will be at least twenty guys who have already run under 17:00 this year and there will be at least two who have broken 16:00. There should be 11 guys under 16:30 if conditions are right. That is a very good group of runners.

If Brian comes back and runs close to his average, we have a better than average chance to win the whole thing; which would be nice.

Also, this race will determine who goes to Griak next week so there will be a little more incentive for some of the guys.

Friday, 4:00 Washington Park

New uniforms ...

Ultimate Frisbee ?

I'm not really sure why I find this amusing; but it seems to tie in with all of the Halo and Frisbee that the guys have been playing lately.

http://www.defensetech.org/archives/002723.html

Solid start

It's hard to overstate just how nice the weather has been so far this year. Hopefully it will stay this way.

Both teams showed huge progress last night with just about everyone posting a meaningful PR. While Arrowhead is an unusually fast course we haven't always run our best there in the past so it was nice to see everyone where they wanted to be.

The boys ran without Brian who is recovering from an injury; that left Jon and Ben to hold down the fifth spot and hold it they did. Ben pr'd by over a minute and Jon held him off for his best ever as well. they were 50 and 51 overall which was just enough for the team to claim second. We were 5 points behind Arrowhead but we beat Whitefish bay and catholic memorial. The later was something of a surprise because they put all 8 of their runners ahead of Jon and Ben. The difference was that we put our top four ahead of their number two.

We had four guys under 17:00 and Dennis and Kevin both look like they could break 16 by the end of the year. If everyone can stay healthy and keep improving this could be a very special season.

The JV boys looked solid but not as solid as they were told. For some reason they were presented the second place trophy and actually took it home despite finishing dead last in the JV section. The irony is that CM is the school that should have won it. I don't think that I have ever seen that before.

The ladies had another stand out performance. I can't stress enough how amazing their pack running is. because of the way meets are scored it is almost as important to minimize the gaps between your own runners as it is to finish at the front. The girl's have been working really well together and they have been getting faster every week. They are certainly on track to surprise a lot of people at the end of the season. Kudos in particular to Morgan who finished second on the team. She is getting over her freshman nerves and running with a lot of courage.

All of the results are up at PT Timing the link is on the right as "PT results" I won't put everyone's time here because PT does it so much better.

Pictures will go up this afternoon.

Great Job everyone!

Arrowhead is this Thursday!

The Arrowhead invitational attracts some of the best competition every year because it is a very flat, fast course. This year will be no exception, with most of the top D1 runners committed to being there. The leaders in the boy's race will go out sub 5:00 and will probably still be under 10 at the 2 mile mark. The winners will definitely be under 16. The girl's race will go in the mid 14's. Runners circle this date because it is a rare combination of a fast course with a stacked field.

Don't let the fact that it is on a Thursday afternoon keep you from coming, this is a premiere event and we have a chance to place very well. This is also a fan friendly venue in that you can see most of the race without too much effort.

The races start at 4:00 and they are pretty punctual. Directions and details are on the schedule page.
see you there.

Missing your Claire fix?

Claire, as most of you know is attending the University of Colorado on a full athletic scholarship this year. What you may not know is that she has already been putting up some very respectable numbers. The women's team had their annual pre-season time trial last week. The course is an odd 5.8K or 3.6 miles and Claire finished 3rd in 23.12 which is just under 7 minutes a mile on a very hilly course. She was part of a five person pack that stayed together the whole way. She ran next to another freshman ( alisson). Together they are being touted as the core of what looks like a very dominate team in the next few years. I'll keep you posted on her times as they come up.

Tegenkamp on time ...

Tegenkamp has been posting some very interesting comments in his on line training journal. In this latest he talks about why he dropped out of a recent race :
CONTINUED

---
Truth about Rieti: So I have a confession to make--the DNF at Rieti was not due to tired legs. I went into Rieti with one thing on my mind: .the 3K American record. When the gun went off until the time I dropped out, I never settled into the race. I was forcing the pace and not letting the race come to me. I got a good start, and was sitting in third until the second alley came in on us, and then I got shuffled back to about tenth. For some reason, I got very flustered by this, and sprinted around the group to get myself back into fifth. I don’t know what I was thinking, because it was so early in the race, and no one was going anywhere. That really hurt me, because it never allowed me to settle into a pace. I was pressing so much in the race that I kept running into the guy in front of me and getting spiked. I still have some huge marks on my shin.
Even before the mile, I was already looking at the lap counter, and I was very tight. My mind was everywhere, trying to figure out if I was on pace for the record, instead of competing and letting the time come to me. It is true that my legs were not feeling good, but it was not because they were tired from training--I went through 2K in 4:59! Once I knew I was not going to be able to hold onto the pace anymore, I lost it mentally and just stepped off the track. I do think I can handle that pace, but I need to let it happen, not force it.
It was smart to put another 3K on the schedule this season, but I got greedy after Monaco. Everything has been going so well this season, and I knew I could run faster after the 7:34. I thought I could just step out onto the track and grab the American record. Moral of the story is that no one should ever chase a time. If you get into the race and compete well, the times always follow!
-------

This is really a key point, especially for young runners. If you spend the whole race thinking about your splits and how you feel you will never improve. Races are for racing; save the analysis for the bus ride home.

Rebel Results

Both teams put in a solid performance Saturday. The weather was perfect and the competition was very very fast.

The boys took second overall thanks to a pair of well timed finishing kicks, however the results were skewed because catholic memorial pulled a runner in the last hundred meters because he was having an asthma attack. With him in, CM would have smoked us. On the plus side we did beat Tremper again along with a long list of other good D1 schools. Dennis finished first for the squad and 6th overall but just barely. He had to work to catch Kevin. Kevin posted what I think is the fastest time for a freshman in the state so far this year. His 16:49 would have put him 8th on the final list for all freshman last year. The bonus is that he did it on a real course too.
Andrew was third in 17:12, followed by david ( 17:22), Brian (18:07), Jon (18:42), Ben (19:16), and Sam ( 19:31). very solid.

Full results are up at http://www.wisconsinrunner.com/results/2006_rebel/index.htm .

The ladies were paced by Becky (16:27) who is looking very strong this year; Becca (17:20); and then a six deep pack of Erica, Morgan, colleen, Devon, and Devin between 17:26 and 17:29. If they can all stay together and move up that kind of pack running will win a lot of races.

I'm sorry that I didn't get a watch on the open race. Participants included Bill H, Chris S, Coach K, and mad dogg. If you watch the slide show they look like they had a lot of fun.

Speaking of which my pics are up now at Photo show. The Weir pictures will be up later.

Congratulations to everyone!

The Bus

The bus will leave at 7:30 AM saturday.

They have and will leave people who come late.

The schedule looks like this:

9:45 JV girls
10:15 Freshman Boys 4K
10:45 Varsity Girls
11:15 Varsity Boys
11:45 JV boys
12:45 Open 4K



Anyone can jump in and run in the open race.

Pasta Dinner

This week's dinner for the boys is at Dennis' house. It's too far to walk, so guys should plan to car pool or bring a bike to practice.

The ladies will be at Erica's house I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong). They are also on the near east side just past reasonable walking range.

Badger Miles

Tegenkamp explained the concept of "badger miles" in a recent interview :
---CONTINUED ----

Badger Miles Explained
Everyone seems to have a hard time with this issue; why, I don’t know. Everyone has their own way of counting miles, and at Wisconsin, we count everything at 7:00 per mile pace. There is a funny twist to it, in that we round to the nearest 5 minutes (e.g., 8 miles is 56 minutes at 7:00 pace, but gets rounded to 60 minutes, no rounding down). Even though we count everything at 7:00 pace, that does not mean that I go out and run that pace. Very rarely will I run 7:00 pace--I would not get very good doing that. Usually my runs are done somewhere between 5:40 and 6:20 per mile. That includes easy runs, which are more toward 6:20 pace. The only time I might go slower is after a hard race or on my way back after a break. I usually build into runs, starting out slow and ending faster, gives my legs time to warm-up. I almost always run on some sort of trail and make loops, and there is only one place for us to check out splits in the city, so it is easier to just have a fixed system for counting miles. Here is a Badger miles chart. I hope this chart is the answer that everyone as been looking for-- the secret to our training!

Miles Minutes
0-----------below 25
3-----------25
4-----------30
5-----------35
6-----------45
7-----------50
8-----------60
9-----------65
10----------70
11----------80
12----------85
13----------90 (this is our only break--should be 95)
14----------100 (1:40)
15----------105 (1:45)
16----------115 (1:55)
17----------120 (2:00)

A little extra: we figure for about every 60 miles during base training, you can add 10 miles to your total. That changes during the seasons because workouts are a more accurate account of mileage

-------------------

Notice that they don't even start counting miles until after 25 minutes of running and they don't consider anything slower than 7:00/mile. I know that this is a top ranked D1 college program, but it is interesting to see what their definition of "running" is.

Next race: Rebel Invite

This Saturday 9/2 is the rebel Invite at UW Parkside. This is the premiere course in the midwest, it is also the only course that we run twice every year. This will be a much bigger meet than last week and the competition will be much better. On the boy's side teams to watch will be Catholic Memorial, Tremper, and Marquette. Memorial has finished second behind us at State for the last two years. They are returning almost their whole varsity intact. They are convinced that this is their year to finally put us in our place. They have no idea how good our incoming freshman class is. Kenosha Tremper considers this to be their home course and they are not happy that we seem to find a way to beat them every now and then. Marquette splits their team in half because of it's size. I don't know if they will bring their A or B team.

The 5K course for the guys is very challenging. The first mile is essentially uphill and the grass can be long at this time of the year. The second mile has a lot of fast downhill back in the woods. The third mile consists of a series of rolling hills that separate the runners from the wannabees. The finish is slightly uphill for the last quarter mile.

The ladies run a shorter version that skips the rolling hills.

The schedule looks like this:

9:45 JV girls
10:15 Freshman Boys ( 4K)
10:45 Varsity Girls
11:15 Varsity Boys
11:45 JV boys
12:45 Open 4K

Anyone can jump in and run in the open race. In the past Bill H. and Dom have run and placed.

UW Parkside is a good hour away. There is a map over on the schedule page but mapquest seems to have an odd route. I prefer these directiions:

From Milwaukee take I-94 E to exit 339 (Hwy. E) on the north side of Kenosha. Look for UW-Parkside sign on freeway. Go east 4 miles to the stoplight. Continue about one mile to the first left turn. Look for the UW-Parkside parking lots on your right. The course is at the bottom of the hill below the parking lots.

The course is across the street from Petrified springs state park. Parents will want to get there around 9:00 especially if this is your first time. This is a course that requires a fair bit of moving around if you want to see more than just the start and finish.

See you there !

West Bend results

The weather was remarkably tame compared to past years. It was really only muggy for one or two races. The course was slightly different than last year which should have made it faster but the grass was much longer and the over all times were actually slower than last year.

The ladies put in a very solid day, led by Becky in 16:31; Becca 17:34; Morgan ( a freshman no less) 17:52; Colleen 17:53; and Katja 18:08. Everybody looked good coming in off of summer training and it was very nice to see a freshman break into the top five.

The boys also debuted a pair of fast freshman. Competeing in the sophmore race Kevin won the race outright with a time of 17:09 but was probably under 17:00 ( he had a little trouble staying on the course and finding the finish line). Ben ( not Flanders) ran 19:39 to make the varsity squad for saturday. The vets all seemed to struggle a bit finding fifth gear. Hopefully it was just tired legs from a long week of practice. Dennis 16:56; Andrew 18:03; David 18:07; Brian 18:29; and John 19:34. With the addition of Kevin, the top five looks good enough to go up against anybody at the end of the season.

Congratulations everyone.

Pictures are up in the slide shows, click the "2006 season" tab.

A very fast 5k

American Bernard Lagat is looking to set a world record in the 5k in Berlin next week. THis quote is from a recent interview with the IAAF:

“What makes Rieti so special for middle distance runners is that we have no big meeting feeling,” confirmed Lagat. “I do not feel pressure and I compete very relaxed. I ran badly in Zürich because I felt sick there. But after winning the 3000 metres in Birmingham I began thinking that I could run 3:29 in Rieti. I expect many things in the coming meetings. I will run the 5000 metres in Berlin next week where I face Kenenisa Bekele. I know that he can run under 12:50. If I ran 12:50, I would be very happy."

Bekele typically runs his last quarter in 51. Those are some fast boys.

Dinner tonight

Tonight's spahgetti dinner for the men is at the Erickson's.
The ladies are apparently going to a restaurant somewhere.
The tables will be outside so dress accordingly.
The house is three blocks from the HS; corner of Newton and Oakland.

The food will be ready at 5:00.

First race

The first race is this Saturday in West Bend. I believe it takes about an hour to get there legally. There is a map on the schedule page but the key exit you want to look for off of 45 is Paradise drive.

This is a "grade level" challenge which means that there will be 8 races. They are bookended by the freshman and the order looks like this:

8:30 Freshman Girls
9:00 Sophmore Boys
9:30 Sophmore girls
10:00 Junior Boys
10:30 Junior girls
11:00 Senior Boys
11:30 Senior Girls
12:00 Freshman Boys

The bus will be leaving the High School at 6:30 am according to Sarah which allows the freshman girls enough time to warm up. Parents can get at least another hour of sleep.

There will be medals for the top 15 in each race.

The course is considered to be very slow, but the competition is usually very good.

A "new parent" primer

This post is for parents who are new to the sport and is intended to answer the "dumb" questions that everyone has but no one asks.

1. Get there early. The pre-race environment can be chaotic, so you should leave some margin to be "flexible" if something happens.

2. There are no bleachers at a CC meet. If you don't want to stand the whole time bring a chair or a blanket to put on the ground.

3. Races cover 2-3 miles; most of which are out of sight of the finish line. If you want to see the race you will have to move around. This requires the proper shoes. I have run in wingtips before and I don't recommend it.

4.The scoring is like golf: Low score wins. The places for the top five runners from the team in each race are added up to arrive at the score. ( i.e. If Dennis is first in the race he gets 1 point, If David is 8th he gets 8 points etc... a perfect score is 15). The sixth and seventh runners do not count towards the score but they do displace other runners which can make a difference ( just ask the girls about last year's conference race).

5. Bring a pair of sunglasses or a baseball cap. The sun can be a real hassle, especially at the Arrowhead meet.

6. Bring a stop watch. It's nice to know what times people are running and to help out with splits.

7. Bring a range of clothing. The temperature can and does swing dramatically at some of these events.

8. Bring your wallet. The admission is free( except at State), but there are always shirts and snacks for sale.

9. Bring your camera and help me take pictures.

Parent's Meeting

The official pre-season "parent's meeting" is tomorrow night tuesday Aug 22nd. The event will take place at the middle school. The SIS commons is the lunch area just inside the main door.

Dom and Sarah will cover the basics and answer questions.

There will also be sign up sheets for the spahgetti dinners and other fund raisers.

This is a great event for parents who are new to the sport.

The meeting will start right at 7:00 pm and can last as long as an hour if there are questions.

What's a really good 5k time?

The oregonian filed this report on UW's Matt Tegenkamp last week:
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Tegenkamp came into the meet with the best U.S. mark this season in the 5,000: 13 minutes, 4.90 seconds two weeks ago in Stockholm, Sweden. He came to Hayward looking for some speedwork, and everything went as planned.
Pacesetter Jason Lunn, who had promised to take the field through the first 800 of the 1,500 in 1:54, delivered.
"He was dead-on at every split," said Tegenkamp, who competed for Wisconsin. "It was just easy to get in there, tuck in and follow."
Once Lunn dropped out, the race was Tegenkamp's. He took it, winning in a personal best of 3:36.07. Said Ahmed was second in 3:38.31.

----------
Update: He just posted a 7:34 3k in Zurich ( that = an 8:11 two mile ).

He gives a first hand account of the race here : http://www.kimbia.net/newsarticle000113.html

It is a must read !

Alumni in the news

I'm going to attempt a new "where are they now" type series to try and highlight past Shorewood runners that are still running and running well. First up: I found this recent clipping featuring Ben Schmeckpepper. I believe that I have the right Ben.

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June 5 2006

After several years of sweltering conditions, race day at the 2006 Rhody 5K produced quality racing conditions of low 60's and overcast The race squeezed in between weekend rains, which kept the overall numbers down but saw the largest number of teams scoring in the race. Among those teams, the Boston Athletic Association again led the fields. Construction on the Lincoln Park parking and access roads led to a new course that did not finish on a dog track.

In the men's race, run first, Ben Schmeckpepper (BAA) came from behind in the final tenth of a mile to over take Brian McGovern of Florida for his first New England Championship victory in a respectable 14:49.
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yeah, that's respectable.

Ben also had a respectable career at MIT, making it to nationals as an individual all four years. ( The men run 5 miles in college).

2001 157th 26:22
2002 32nd 25:47
2003 38th 25:55
2004 8th 24:49 - "All American"

If anyone else has any Alumni results please email me and I will get them up. Shorewood has a great tradition and we need to promote it.

Want a banana?

Okay, everybody knows that runners eat bananas because they have a lot of potassium, but why do runners need potassium?

Potassium and sodium ( salt) are the two main chemicals responsible for regulating the flow of water in and out of cells. Say what? Potassium keeps you from cramping up and feeling fatigued during and after a run.

Runners World has an excellent article on it here:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,5033,s6-53-84-0-8955-1-1X2X3-4,00.html

Remember Alan Webb?

Webb is of course the skinny kid from Reston Virginia who pegged the US high school mile record at 3:48 a few years ago. He will be running a mile in Scotland tonight and had this to say to a reporter yesterday:
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"I tweaked my hamstring just after that 27:34 at Stanford, which is a fast 10k for a miler. A couple of days later I ran 20 x 400 with a minute interval. I started with 61-62s and finished at 57 seconds, so I knew I was fit, but then I found I was iron-deficient. So I've rested, and now I am not at my sharpest. I was only third in the 800 metres at the Scottish Championships, so I'm not in 3:48 shape, but I should still be able to go below four minutes on Thursday.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/68054.html
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What caught my eye wasn't just the 20 quarters but the part about being iron deficient. It is really important to pay attention to what you are eating and how much you are sleeping when you run high mileage. You must listen to your body.

The keys to running your best are :

1. 8-10 hours of regular sleep every night. Get on a schedule and be consistant.
2. Hydration. Drink water all day long and then drink some more.
3. Nutrition. A good multi vitamin every day can cover a lot of bad habits
4. Bananas every day are the best way to keep your potassium supply stocked

Every world class runner when asked about their routine always starts by talking about how much sleep they get and then they talk about what they eat, and then they lie about how many miles they run.

Are you getting enough sleep?

Is track a fall sport?

well, no but there are some really cool meets going on right now as people are trying to sort out who will be running in the next olympics. last week was the "road to Eugene" meet where uw's very own Tegenkamp took the 1500 from a stacked field.

The recap in the Oregon Duck is pretty well written:

Men's 1500m: Jason Lunn goes directly to the lead, goes through 300m in 42.5. The runners are already in a long line. Lunn 56.3 at 400 meters. Andrew Bumbalough,Matt Tegenkamp, Said Ahmed and Anthony Famiglietti follow Lunn . AJ Acosta is 3rd from the back. 1:40 with 2 laps to go for the lead pack of 6. 800 meters in 1:54.5 for Lunn. The pack is now 4; Lunn, Tegenkamp, Ahmed, and Bumbalough. Acosta is now 4th from the last. Bumbalough drops out with 500 meters to go. Lunn drops out at the bell. Tegenkamp takes over and Ahmed follows through 1200 meters in 2:53.7. Gabe Jennings is moving well down the backstraight, trying to catch Anthony Famiglietti, who is 3rd, with 200 meters to go. Tegenkamp pulls away from Ahmed down the homestraight to win in 3:36.06. Ahmed, looking over his shoulder, holds on for 2nd in 3:38.31 over a hard-charging Famiglietti (3rd, 3:38.61) with Jennings 4th in 3:38.96. Acosta is 10th of 11 finishers in 3:47.48.

Those are some fast boys.

On a related note, these guys do run in local races and you can step up and run with them sort of.
Andrew ran in the "full moon 5k in madison" last night. The race was won by Chris Solinsky in 14:58. That's a little out of range, but a fair number of people ran the first mile with him (4:50). It's a good way to reset your mental pace and maybe move up a notch. A lot of running is mental, and a lot of that is just believing that you belong up front.

My bad

The Hank Aaron race I have been promoting conflicts directly with the new alumni run. My bad.

Of course everyone should go to the alumni run at Kern park. This is the first ever and it is important to start it off on the right foot. It is also an excellent way to show your support for the team.

So knock that mud off of your spikes and set your alarm for saturday morning. The weather is guaranteed to be perfect and "big bertha" will be happy to see you.

Race Tonight

There are a ton of good races this time of year. You should be in a couple before the season starts.

Tonight is the "full Moon" run in madison. It starts at 9:00 pm for those of you who work during the day. Details are here : http://www.movinshoesmadison.com/full_moon.htm .

Remember, the first official race of the season is now less than three weeks away.
What are you waiting for?

Looking for a good time?

There is a very decent race coming up this weekend over at Miller park. You can actually bike there on the new bike trails if you can't find a ride. We will unfortunately be in the twin cities at another event but I am sure Dom can put together a carpool if there is enough interest.

The run is at Miller park on the 12th, located by the suasage house in the south east parking lot. It is officially The Hank Aaron state trail 5k. It is all asphalt and tends to be pretty (very) fast. The last mile is all down hill. It is a small race but they hand out some pretty decent munchies and door prizes afterwards. The info is here.
http://www.hankaaronstatetrail.org/Fun%20Run%20and%20Walk%201.html

The run is in the morning (8:30) so you have to actually get up, the bonus for parents is that the last two years they had free bakery and coffee from Alterra in unlimited quanities prior to the run.

Sam D. ran last year (20:07); Andrew ran 17:19; Zach McFall ran 17:10

Learn from the best

Haile Gebrselassie is arguably the greatest living distance runner and maybe the best pure distance runner ever. In a recent BBC sport interview he offered a few tips.

What has been the best advice you have had in your career of athletics?

Actually, there are two important pieces that helped me a lot:

1. Work hard! This is what my father has always told me. Nothing comes for free, so if you want to achieve something you will have to work hard.

2. Take your time! This was the first advice of my manager Jos Hermens. He explained to me that if you work hard and make the right choices, things will come your way.
In the beginning of my career I thought I could run a race every week. I felt great and wanted to show people how fast I could run.
Jos taught me not to run too many races and to train and rest well. When I started to do this, my performances got even better!

What do you do to help you recover from your hardest training sessions? How much sleep do you have each day?

I go to bed early (9.30 pm), but also wake up early (6 am). During the daytime I try to sleep, but this is difficult as my daughters try to keep me awake.
For me it is not so important to sleep, as long as I can take a rest. In the afternoon, I try to rest for two hours.
Next to sleeping a lot, massage also helps to recover well from training. When I train really hard, I make sure that I have daily massages.

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Work hard and get regular sleep ... that probably sounds like your parents but it's the truth..

The Schedule 2006

The schedule now has it's own page to keep it from getting buried on the post page.
It is the second link over on the right. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You can of course bookmark it under favorites if you are using windows so you can get at it even easier. I will try to link driving directions and maps to each entry. I have most of them up already.

The season starts in less than a week and we actually have two meets before school even starts. Considering that there are only six meets before conference and sectionals that means that a third of the season will be in the books before the boys even get their books.

heh

Sparse

The summer classic at parkside was last night. Shorewood fielded three runners and a soccer player. Yes a soccer player. Come on people, that's pathetic.

It was a little hot and muggy but everyone who came had a good time.

Andrew ran slow but was still in the top 20.
Sam G. arrived after the start but jumped in anyway, no time but definite points for effort.

Heidi represented the girl's and averaged around 9 min a mile.

And Jordan W. ( sprinter/soccer) flashed his "legendary" kick at the finish.

The event ended with a picnic and prizes.
There was also a truck full of stuff from Pond's ( the premiere shoe store in Illinois). Emily bought a pair of very nice spikes for $10. That was worth the drive all by itself.

Plan to be there next year. This is a great event.

Results are up over at Wisconsin Runner ( link is on the right ->)

Amber Alert !!

Officials are still looking for a white van, reportedly full of distance runners from Shorewood High School. Alledgedly driven by one Dom Newman. The van never arrived at the Parkside summer classic last night. Any one with information on either the missing runners or the wayward coach are asked to contact the Shorewood athletic department.

The new lounge

Ben and others have asked for a "chat room". I have been a little hesitant to explore this because I don't want to police it and I don't have the time or expertise to build one.

I have been persuaded to try a limited version on a trial basis. You will notice a new link on the right cleverly titled: "The Lounge". This link is to a dummy blog that I set up just for comments. You won't be able to start any threads but you can comment on and join any that are there. I'll keep this up under two conditions:

1. People actually use it.

2. That it doesn't get abused ( by which I mean no excessive swearing, no unduly scatalogical syntax, and no personal attacks on people on or off the team.

I will be just slightly more restrictive than dyestat.

If this proves popular it can be expanded.

-The management

Next race : Parkside Aug 5th

I don't know how many of you are running and or racing this summer, but sometimes it helps to run some of the courses that you will see during the season in a more relaxed low stress setting.

Last year Andrew ran in the Parkside CC Classic at the beginning of August. The meet is run on the parkside course which we will race on twice. There were a lot of good high school runners there as well as some people who were lucky to finish. It was a lot of fun and includes a free cook out afterwards ( hot dogs and chips etc..). The cost is $8 in advance and $10 at the gate. I think it would be great if we could get a dozen guys and girls to go down and compete. I would be happy to take a van full if anyone needs a ride. The race is on AUGUST 5TH

The link for the info and the sign up sheet is here.

http://www.wisconsinrunner.com/wccca/UWP_CC_Classic.pdf

This is of course still pre season and totally on your own.
Remember you can't wear your school uniform at any of these events.
Last years results are here if anyone is curious.


Also there is a race on August 12th

There is a decent run at Miller park on the 12th. The Hank Aaron state trail 5k. It is all asphalt and tends to be pretty fast. It is a small race but they hand out some pretty decent munchies and door prizes afterwards.

The info is here.
http://www.hankaaronstatetrail.org/Fun%20Run%20and%20Walk%201.html

You can't enter these once the season starts on the 14th so this is pretty much the last legal warm up.

Mark Your Calendars now.

The Schedule for 2006

Monday, August 14  Season begins
 
Saturday, August 26 West Bend Grade Level Challenge 8:30 am
 
Saturday, September 2  Rebel Invite- UW Parkside  9:30am
 
Thursday, September 7  Arrowhead Invite 4:15
 
Friday, September 15  Marquette Invite 4:00pm New course and a new date!
 
Saturday, September 23  Griak Invite, only the top 10 guys will go.
 
Saturday, September 30  Eagle Invite- UW Parkside
 
Saturday, October 7  Shorewood Invite, we will need help from the parents with meet management
 
Friday, October 13  Conference Meet @ Sheridan Park 2:30pm
 
Saturday, October 21  WIAA Sectionals  Only the top 7 will run.  New sectionals.
 
Saturday, October 28 WIAA State Meet, Only if the team places in the top 2 the week before.

The longest day

Andrew is on his way back from China today. He will have already left Beijing at 4:30 pm this afternoon and will arrive in Milwaukee at 8:30 pm tonight. That's a long afternoon. And yes for those of you who are keeping track he may just get here in time to storm the bastille at 9:00... unless he whimps out.

Good luck to everyone else who is running ( after they help Dom out at the bike race of course).

UPDATE: Back in time. Andrew and Dennis ran together at the front and represented Shorewood well. Dennis came in around 15:50 and Andrew at 16:07. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Keep the memories not the uniform

Dom wants all of the uniforms back so that they can take inventory and order replacements if neccessary. He will be outside of the high school on June 22nd collecting. Please make arrangements to drop off your uniform at that time. He is threatening unspecified retaliation for people who forget or just can't be bothered.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Summer weights

WEIGHT TRAINING FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES

To reach your maximum potential as a runner you need to go beyond simply logging miles on the road or trail. Competitive runners of all levels lift weights in the off-season and many continue throughout the year. The truth is that optimum performance demands entire body strength. For those whose limiter is Force, weight training should be a priority. A weight-training program should be progressive and specific to your individual needs. Utilize the concept of periodization to allow for adequate rest and recovery. Conditioning running-specific muscles can provide an increase of 10 to 33 percent in muscular endurance, the difference between finishing on the podium or the back of the pack.

CONTINUED

The ability to push for long periods is what separates elite runners from the rest. Strengthening slow-twitch muscle fibers permits them to do more work and reserves fast-twitch fibers for when you really need them. Lifting weights is also important for injury prevention and rehabilitation. It is recommended that during the season you complete no fewer than two weight lifting periods.

Warm up and stretch before each session, and cool down for 10 to 15 minutes and lightly stretch afterward. An adequate cool down decreases blood lactate levels and muscle soreness. Wait at least 48 hours between sessions, and remember to replace carbohydrates and fluids

1. Guidelines:

3 sets of each exercise from 8-25 reps. Light weight. Speed of lift is medium, with 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes recovery between sets.
Start with a conservative weight for your first session.
Ideally, you should be sore after the first session. If you are still sore for session #2, push it to later in the week. Soreness + Recovery = Adaptation. This is exactly what we want. Sessions 3 and 4 continue this adaptation.
Core Strength: rather than try to explain a routine in text, I would recommend asking a personal trainer for some recommendations. I will find some good references and post them. Core strength exercises are performed throughout the entire season.

1. Form: if you are unfamiliar with form for the exercises above, now is the time to learn. Ask a personal trainer or qualified friend to show you proper lifting technique for each of these exercise.

1. Guidelines:

For squat/leg press, lat pull-down, and seated row, your objective is to get strong by lifting a heavy weight. Period. Nothing fancy.

1. 1st Set: Warm-up, very light. Stretch and rest 2-3 minutes.


2. 2nd Set: Intermediate, heavier, but still light. Stretch and rest 2-3 minutes.


3. 3rd Set: Work Set. Get aggressive with the amount of weight by picking a load that you can only lift about 8-25 reps. With a spotter, go to failure (you are unable to lift the weight by yourself), and then use the spotter to get 2-3 more reps.

A good goal would be to increase the weight of the work set by 10-15 pounds every other session.
Men’s Cross Country/Track Weight Lifting Schedule

Characteristics:

1. Lift 2-3 times a week.


2. Intensity levels will “parallel” your mileage.


3. If there is an easy week of running, lifting that week will be backed off of.

Week of June 12th- July 9th
{rest periods = 1 minute}
Bench or Vertical Chess Press (2x8)
Upright rows or shoulder press (2x8)
Seated Rows (2x8)
Bicep Curls (2x8)
Tricep extensions (2x8)
Dumbbell Swings (2x15-20)
Plate lifts (2x15-20)
Leg Sled (2x15) use light weights
Toe raises (sled 2x15)
Knee Drives (2x10)
Abdominals





Men’s Cross Country/Track Weight Lifting Schedule
Characteristics:
1. Lift 2-3 times a week.
2. Intensity levels will “parallel” your mileage.
3. If there is an easy week of running, lifting that week will be backed off of.
July 9th- August 13th:
Schedule #2
{rest periods = 45 seconds}
Bench or Vertical Chess Press (2x12)
Upright rows or shoulder press (2x12)
Seated Rows (2x12)
Bicep Curls (2x12)
Tricep extensions (2x12)
Dumbbell Swings (2x25)
Plate lifts (2x25)
Leg Sled (2x20) use light weights
Toe raises (sled 2x20)
Knee Drives (2x15)
Abdominals




Men’s Cross Country/Track Weight Lifting Schedule
Characteristics:

1. Lift 2 times a week.


2. Only major change is your total volume should be decreased progressively.


3. No leg sled or knee drives after October the 1st.


4. During easy week of training, incorporate an easy week of lifting.

In-season workout schedule: August 14th-October 23rd
Rest periods will equal 30 seconds. Weight level will progressively drop.
{rest periods = 45 seconds}
Bench or Vertical Chess Press (2x20)
Upright rows or shoulder press (2x20)
Seated Rows (2x20)
Bicep Curls (2x20)
Tricep extensions (2x20)
Dumbbell Swings (2x25)
Plate lifts (2x25)
Leg Sled (2x20) use light weights
Toe raises (sled 2x20)
Knee Drives (2x15)
Abdominals

Injuries aren't fun

The Shorewood Boy’s Cross Country Guide to Preventing Injuries

We had an inordinate amount of injuries this last season, and we need to adjust what we’re doing to ensure that the incidence of injury – an inevitable part of running – is severely limited within our program. While winning championships is important and fun, it pales in importance to an athlete’s overall health. With that said, here are a few thoughts about general injury prevention…

CONTINUED

1. Make sure the coach isn’t an idiot. Or to put it a different way, make sure the workouts are structured to allow for a gradual increase in overall volume of training. While athletes can handle large volumes and high intensities of training, too much, too soon is a major cause of any injury. Don’t worry – I’m working on this aspect of it!


2. Wear good shoes. New running shoes should be purchased at least three times per year for the normal year-round runner. Further, try to find a shoe model that works well and stick to it. Make sure it accounts for variance in your foot type (high arches, low arches, etc). As a general rule, “lightweight trainers” are not good for the amount of volume we do.


3. Try to run on soft surfaces when possible. While it isn’t always possible, when you do have the chance, run on the grass on the side of the sidewalk (the street side – it’s public property) or on trails. Softer surfaces alleviate some of the pounding that causes injury.


4. Eat a well-balanced diet. A diet consisting of regular water consumption, lots of fruits and veggies, dairy products and other carbohydrates can serve to keep runners healthy and help them recover faster when injuries do crop up. RUNNERS NEED MORE CALORIES THAN NORMAL PEOPLE DO! Make sure you eat a lot! THREE MEALS A DAY (AT LEAST!).


5. GET CALCIUM! Make sure that you’re drinking enough milk and/or getting calcium in some other way. There are many good supplements out there – ask a doctor for the best ones and best ways to take them. Bone health is really important, and it starts with calcium!


6. Get iron in your diet. Although this does not have much to do specifically with stress fractures, young runners are especially susceptible to anemia, a condition characterized by low iron levels. Its onset often means the loss of several weeks or months of quality training and racing. Red meat is the most direct source of iron, but other foods (spinach, beans, etc) and supplements can be used. Consult a doctor if supplementation is the preferred option. Most iron supplements should be taken with orange juice to speed absorption.


7. Stretch regularly. Regular stretching can head off many injuries before they become a problem. Doing our normal drill work is also excellent flexibility work. These can be done on your own any time!


8. Do regular core work. Our normal abdominal circuit should be part of any runners year-round core work. A strong core (abs, back, obliques) will head off numerous injuries.


9. Get sleep. Sleep is often neglected by busy high schoolers, but regular sleep is always necessary for performance in school and in running. Eight hours is optimal, but not always possible. 6-10 is a good range, while always aiming for eight!


10. Take a regular ice bath. This is in the “nice-but-not necessary” category. A regular bath, filled with about 6-8 inches of cold water and lots of ice for about 20 minutes can really help to speed recovery after long or hard efforts. Quick recovery helps reduce injury! Filling your top with cold tap water works just as well.


11. Do yoga. Again, in the “nice-but-not-necessary,” but yoga has the potential to increase both strength and flexibility, which minimizes the risk of injury. (Andrew) ;)

Nothing can guarantee perfect health, but attention to these details can definitely help tremendously. These are all quick and most are relatively-easily done remedies that can deal with injuries before they start. Please NEVER hesitate to contact Coach Newman at: drnew@hotmail.com