State Meet Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 27, Ridges Golf Course, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Girls Championship - 4,000-meters
11 a.m. - Division 3
11:40 a.m. - Division 2
12:20 a.m. - Division 1
Boys Championship - 5,000-meters
1 p.m. - Division 3
1:40 p.m. - Division 2
2:20 p.m. - Division 1
Parking Info: Important!!!! http://www.wiaawi.org/crosscountry/shuttleparking.pdf
We are in Box 13
Chilton is in Box 12
Port Washingtonis in Box 4
Tomahawk in box 18
If you are planning to drive up:
Mapquest suggests taking I-94 to Madison and then going north on 39 to Wisconsin Rapids. It takes just over 3 hours. As you come into town there are plenty of signs for the meet, and most of the traffic at that time in the morning will be going to the race as well. A lot of the cars and vans are painted and decorated so it’s kind of like joining a parade. There are a number of remote parking lots with free shuttle buses that run all day. The best one in my opinion is at the local high school (Lincoln 1801 16th St S Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494) because that is also where the awards ceremony will be after the races. There is officially no parking next to the course but it sure looked like a lot of people parked on the streets anyway. It does cost to get in; $6 I think. They do sell food at the meet but the lines can be huge later in the day, so you are better off packing sandwiches. It is much more of a party atmosphere than most races. A lot of spectators are in costume and people watching can be entertaining. The awards follow the last race and the ceremony is over at the high school. It takes awhile for everyone to get over there and for the officials to organize everything. It also takes a fair amount of time to go through all of the individual and team awards for all three divisions… so if you plan to hang around for the trophy pictures plan on getting done around 5 or 6.The weather is predicted to be windy and rainy, which is not unusual for this meet. The team will set up the usual tent but that is really the only shelter there so dress for the weather.
Directions to the High School are here.
The official list of parking lots is here: http://www.wiaawi.org/x-countryboys/shuttleparking.pdf
See you there!
Friday, October 26, 2007
State Preview
On the boy's side things look like this:
Port Washington is favored to win
Shorewood is expected to be second
With the exception of Chilton, no one else should be close.
This is our usual position coming into this race.
At Sectionals Ports top runners looked like this:
Mark 16:51
Jack 16:54
Colin 16:59
Evan 17:05
Ethan 17:29
Jeff 17:48
(last year at State: Jack 16:30;Mark 17:02; Colin 17:00; Evan 17:22; and Ethan 18:00)
Our Guys looked like this at sectionals:
Kevin 16:25
Andrew 16:32
Peter 17:14
Ben 17:53
Brian 17:54
Brian 17:55
There is some talk that Port wasn't racing all out, but I don't buy that. The times look right for what they have done this season. Jack and Mark will certainly run faster, but the other guys are about where we expected them to be. Running easy at sectionals is about as effective as a prevent defense in football. Champions run to win.
As you can see we match up pretty well through the first three. We get trounced in 4 and 5. Most big races come down to the 5th runner because of the number of runners in the race.
We have a chance to win, it's not a great chance but we do have a chance. I see at least three key elements:
1. Kevin and Andrew must have good races and be n the top 5 overall.
2. Ben needs to stay with Peter and they both need to break 17.
3. One of the Brian's needs to get under 17:30.
If those three things happen we should win.
Alternately if two port runners have a poor race because of illness or weather or injury then we could win without Brian moving up, but Ben would still have to be at or under 17.
There really is no margin of error for us in the team race. We need some breaks.
On the individual side: Kevin and Andrew both have a legitimate shot at winning the whole thing. They should at least be in the top 10. Two runners in the top 10 would be huge for us.
The weather is in our favor. For whatever reason we always run better in bad conditions. If it is really windy and sloppy Saturday, that will be one of the breaks that we have been looking for.
Experience is also in our favor. The ridges course is tough if you have never seen it before and past experience is a huge advantage. As four time winners, we know this course.
What to watch for in the race:
The first mile is very flat and runners come in very keyed up and nervous. The result is that many runners go out way to fast. If there is a pack at the mile mark running some insane time ( like 4:50), be sure that most of those in it will not be in the top ten at the end. If Andrew and Kevin are not in the lead at the mile that is also not a big deal. They know their pace and will stick to it. The second mile starts the hills and reality will set in for a lot of runners who felt good in the first mile. This is when we start to move forward as a team. If we start to lose ground here then it is probably not going to be our day. Our guys should be passing other runners the whole third mile. In particular the last 600 meters is where we generally win or lose if it is close. The guys will be going on the last long uphill coming out of the woods before the finish. It will probably come down to our number 5 runner whoever that is. If they can kick and pass 10 or more people in that last stretch then we will be close. If they are blown and dying then we are probably going to be second.
This is all pure speculation, but it is the typical pattern.
If you are counting places the individual runners who are there without teams do not count in the team scores. They will have different colored numbers ( usually yellow). If you are trying to track between Port and us you need to skip those runners.
Most of the D2 coaches seem to be rooting for us to win. They don't like that Port got dropped down when they are so good. The WIAA has discretion about these moves and could have held them in D1 for another year. This means that we will have a lot of crowd support from teams who might otherwise like to see our winning streak come to an end.
It will be a great race!
On the girl's side:
We have a really young but very talented team. Unfortunately lack of experience will work against us this year, but the experience will make us that much better next year.
They will easily be in the top 10 ( if Chloe runs) and could be as high as 5. I looked at a lot of numbers and I just can't see a scenario that puts them any higher, but I have been wrong before.
On the individual side:
Emily B. had a huge break-out race at sectionals. Her time puts her in the mix with the top ten runners overall. She has the potential to win the whole thing, although that is not likely. Her sectional time of 15:13 on a very tough course was a huge step forward for her. It is impossible to tell if it is a one time event or a permanent shift. I am leaning towards the permanent shift. She looked really good. the ridges is a much easier course for the girls than tendik park because the first mile is so flat. Thus if she just runs what she did at sectionals she should be under 15. I believe that Claire ran 14:50 her freshman year and the comparison is fair. If she can step up another notch I think she can run 14:40 or better. In most years that would put her in position to kick for the win. This year Ashley B has a chance to break 14. She won last year and is the current record holder.
It should be fun to watch.
Port Washington is favored to win
Shorewood is expected to be second
With the exception of Chilton, no one else should be close.
This is our usual position coming into this race.
At Sectionals Ports top runners looked like this:
Mark 16:51
Jack 16:54
Colin 16:59
Evan 17:05
Ethan 17:29
Jeff 17:48
(last year at State: Jack 16:30;Mark 17:02; Colin 17:00; Evan 17:22; and Ethan 18:00)
Our Guys looked like this at sectionals:
Kevin 16:25
Andrew 16:32
Peter 17:14
Ben 17:53
Brian 17:54
Brian 17:55
There is some talk that Port wasn't racing all out, but I don't buy that. The times look right for what they have done this season. Jack and Mark will certainly run faster, but the other guys are about where we expected them to be. Running easy at sectionals is about as effective as a prevent defense in football. Champions run to win.
As you can see we match up pretty well through the first three. We get trounced in 4 and 5. Most big races come down to the 5th runner because of the number of runners in the race.
We have a chance to win, it's not a great chance but we do have a chance. I see at least three key elements:
1. Kevin and Andrew must have good races and be n the top 5 overall.
2. Ben needs to stay with Peter and they both need to break 17.
3. One of the Brian's needs to get under 17:30.
If those three things happen we should win.
Alternately if two port runners have a poor race because of illness or weather or injury then we could win without Brian moving up, but Ben would still have to be at or under 17.
There really is no margin of error for us in the team race. We need some breaks.
On the individual side: Kevin and Andrew both have a legitimate shot at winning the whole thing. They should at least be in the top 10. Two runners in the top 10 would be huge for us.
The weather is in our favor. For whatever reason we always run better in bad conditions. If it is really windy and sloppy Saturday, that will be one of the breaks that we have been looking for.
Experience is also in our favor. The ridges course is tough if you have never seen it before and past experience is a huge advantage. As four time winners, we know this course.
What to watch for in the race:
The first mile is very flat and runners come in very keyed up and nervous. The result is that many runners go out way to fast. If there is a pack at the mile mark running some insane time ( like 4:50), be sure that most of those in it will not be in the top ten at the end. If Andrew and Kevin are not in the lead at the mile that is also not a big deal. They know their pace and will stick to it. The second mile starts the hills and reality will set in for a lot of runners who felt good in the first mile. This is when we start to move forward as a team. If we start to lose ground here then it is probably not going to be our day. Our guys should be passing other runners the whole third mile. In particular the last 600 meters is where we generally win or lose if it is close. The guys will be going on the last long uphill coming out of the woods before the finish. It will probably come down to our number 5 runner whoever that is. If they can kick and pass 10 or more people in that last stretch then we will be close. If they are blown and dying then we are probably going to be second.
This is all pure speculation, but it is the typical pattern.
If you are counting places the individual runners who are there without teams do not count in the team scores. They will have different colored numbers ( usually yellow). If you are trying to track between Port and us you need to skip those runners.
Most of the D2 coaches seem to be rooting for us to win. They don't like that Port got dropped down when they are so good. The WIAA has discretion about these moves and could have held them in D1 for another year. This means that we will have a lot of crowd support from teams who might otherwise like to see our winning streak come to an end.
It will be a great race!
On the girl's side:
We have a really young but very talented team. Unfortunately lack of experience will work against us this year, but the experience will make us that much better next year.
They will easily be in the top 10 ( if Chloe runs) and could be as high as 5. I looked at a lot of numbers and I just can't see a scenario that puts them any higher, but I have been wrong before.
On the individual side:
Emily B. had a huge break-out race at sectionals. Her time puts her in the mix with the top ten runners overall. She has the potential to win the whole thing, although that is not likely. Her sectional time of 15:13 on a very tough course was a huge step forward for her. It is impossible to tell if it is a one time event or a permanent shift. I am leaning towards the permanent shift. She looked really good. the ridges is a much easier course for the girls than tendik park because the first mile is so flat. Thus if she just runs what she did at sectionals she should be under 15. I believe that Claire ran 14:50 her freshman year and the comparison is fair. If she can step up another notch I think she can run 14:40 or better. In most years that would put her in position to kick for the win. This year Ashley B has a chance to break 14. She won last year and is the current record holder.
It should be fun to watch.
Prediction from Skelldoggler
Damn straight...takes those boys from Port to the woodshed! Treat'em like you did Monroe last year! I believe Monroe sat in the top spot all season long last year after a strong D1 showing the previous year. They trashed you guys at Griak during the middle part of the season (Just like Port did) and then you guys returned the favor when it mattered...at State! That's what it's about and that's the way it will be in Shorewood!
1 Shorewood 75 (the 3-6 guys take it to the next level when it matters most)
2 Port 79
3 Nekoosa 120
4 Chilton 135
5 Tomahawk 145
6 McFarland 152
7-14 Everybody else
-------------------
It could happen
1 Shorewood 75 (the 3-6 guys take it to the next level when it matters most)
2 Port 79
3 Nekoosa 120
4 Chilton 135
5 Tomahawk 145
6 McFarland 152
7-14 Everybody else
-------------------
It could happen
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Conference is tomorrow afternoon ( Friday 12th)
Sorry for going AWOL, but work has kept me rather busy of late.
Conference is tomorrow and the info looks like this:
PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS ON FRIDAY NOT SATURDAY
Woodland Cross Country Conference Meet
Friday October 12th, 2007 at Whitnall High School
School Dismissal: 12:30
Race Times:
2:45 Coaches Meeting
3:15 Girls JV Race
3:45 Boys JV Race
4:15 Girls Varsity Race
4:45 Boys Varsity Race
Awards: Will be given out @ 5:30 on the football field.
I realize that many of you will have to leave right after your race for Marching Band, please make a wise decision between Cross Country and Band. Your parents may drive you home once your race is over. Have the green slip signed by a parent.
from I-43 (towards Beloit), go South on Hwy. 100/45 to W. Edgerton Avenue. West on Edgerton Avenue (the first right) to 116th St. North on 116th St to the high school on the right.
The meet is at the High School not at a park.
----
we have never run on this course before so I have no idea how it will run. I have been told that it is flat and fast but that it has stretches of asphalt that will be a pain for spikes. It sounds promising and the weather should be good.
The boys are favored to win the race both as a team and individually if everything goes right. Whitnall could upset, but I doubt it.
See you all there!
Next week is sectionals. It is up by Port washington at Tendick Park. It is on Saturday the 20th. Probably in the morning, but I will check and confirm.
The next week is State at the Ridges Golf Course. That's Saturday the 27th.
I don't know why it has been so hard to get accurate info this year. I apologize.
I do have material from the last several meets. I will post pictures etc. this weekend if I can.
Cheers.
Conference is tomorrow and the info looks like this:
PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS ON FRIDAY NOT SATURDAY
Woodland Cross Country Conference Meet
Friday October 12th, 2007 at Whitnall High School
School Dismissal: 12:30
Race Times:
2:45 Coaches Meeting
3:15 Girls JV Race
3:45 Boys JV Race
4:15 Girls Varsity Race
4:45 Boys Varsity Race
Awards: Will be given out @ 5:30 on the football field.
I realize that many of you will have to leave right after your race for Marching Band, please make a wise decision between Cross Country and Band. Your parents may drive you home once your race is over. Have the green slip signed by a parent.
from I-43 (towards Beloit), go South on Hwy. 100/45 to W. Edgerton Avenue. West on Edgerton Avenue (the first right) to 116th St. North on 116th St to the high school on the right.
The meet is at the High School not at a park.
----
we have never run on this course before so I have no idea how it will run. I have been told that it is flat and fast but that it has stretches of asphalt that will be a pain for spikes. It sounds promising and the weather should be good.
The boys are favored to win the race both as a team and individually if everything goes right. Whitnall could upset, but I doubt it.
See you all there!
Next week is sectionals. It is up by Port washington at Tendick Park. It is on Saturday the 20th. Probably in the morning, but I will check and confirm.
The next week is State at the Ridges Golf Course. That's Saturday the 27th.
I don't know why it has been so hard to get accurate info this year. I apologize.
I do have material from the last several meets. I will post pictures etc. this weekend if I can.
Cheers.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Griak Info
This week's race is in Minnesota, and will feature just the varsity teams.
This is a huge invite that attracts top schools from all over the country. It is also a true invite in that you have to be invited to come.
The morning belongs to the College teams. This is a great chance for runners who are thinking about running in college to see some of the best teams. It's also nice because there are a lot of D2 and D3 college teams here so not everyone is running Olympic caliber times.
The afternoon features the High School teams, and most of the college coaches hang around to watch and make notes.
The high school races are split between the gold and maroon divisions. These are decided by talent and team speed rather than school size.
The guys will be in the Gold race at 1:40. This will be our first chance to run against Port Washington.
The ladies will be in the maroon race at 3:55. This will be a tough race for them because they will run a full 5K instead of the normal 3K. That last mile can be a real shock to the system.
In the past there has been street parking near the course, however this week is parent's week for U of M so things might be more crowded than usual. I also don't know how the missing bridge will affect traffic.
This is a huge event. It is well worth your time to come if you can.
I will post pictures and numbers Saturday night.
Cheers!
This is a huge invite that attracts top schools from all over the country. It is also a true invite in that you have to be invited to come.
The morning belongs to the College teams. This is a great chance for runners who are thinking about running in college to see some of the best teams. It's also nice because there are a lot of D2 and D3 college teams here so not everyone is running Olympic caliber times.
The afternoon features the High School teams, and most of the college coaches hang around to watch and make notes.
The high school races are split between the gold and maroon divisions. These are decided by talent and team speed rather than school size.
The guys will be in the Gold race at 1:40. This will be our first chance to run against Port Washington.
The ladies will be in the maroon race at 3:55. This will be a tough race for them because they will run a full 5K instead of the normal 3K. That last mile can be a real shock to the system.
In the past there has been street parking near the course, however this week is parent's week for U of M so things might be more crowded than usual. I also don't know how the missing bridge will affect traffic.
This is a huge event. It is well worth your time to come if you can.
I will post pictures and numbers Saturday night.
Cheers!
Muskego results
Muskego was a great day all around.
Coming off of a slew of team PR's at marquette, it was easy to think that the guys might take a break this week. They however had other ideas...
Andrew took the lead from the start and battled the whole way. He kicked past a flagging Muskego runner in the last 200 to win by 7 seconds. He was officially clocked at 15:58. That's a new school record and Andrew's first win. Kevin returned with strict instructions from the PT to go easy. He ran 16:36 and looked very comfortable. Welcome back Kevin. Peter stepped up again. He dropped his PR down to 16:44. I have no idea where his limit will be this season but I don't think we are even close yet. Ben had another huge race, running 7:06. It's a safe bet that he will break 17 before the end of the season as well. We are still looking for a fifth runner. Brian V ran 17:51 to finish just ahead of Brian L and Joe. Someone needs to drop under 17:30 and anyone of those three have the talent. The team took first place, which was a nice bonus on top of all of the fast times.
The battle on the girl's side was in the JV race, where several runners battled for a chance to go to Griak. Emily stepped up big and took second on the team, but took a back seat to Ellie because of her season average and Virginia because of seniority. Spence took her anyway.
The girl's have battled injuries and illness all season, but should be good to go at Griak.
Cheers.
Coming off of a slew of team PR's at marquette, it was easy to think that the guys might take a break this week. They however had other ideas...
Andrew took the lead from the start and battled the whole way. He kicked past a flagging Muskego runner in the last 200 to win by 7 seconds. He was officially clocked at 15:58. That's a new school record and Andrew's first win. Kevin returned with strict instructions from the PT to go easy. He ran 16:36 and looked very comfortable. Welcome back Kevin. Peter stepped up again. He dropped his PR down to 16:44. I have no idea where his limit will be this season but I don't think we are even close yet. Ben had another huge race, running 7:06. It's a safe bet that he will break 17 before the end of the season as well. We are still looking for a fifth runner. Brian V ran 17:51 to finish just ahead of Brian L and Joe. Someone needs to drop under 17:30 and anyone of those three have the talent. The team took first place, which was a nice bonus on top of all of the fast times.
The battle on the girl's side was in the JV race, where several runners battled for a chance to go to Griak. Emily stepped up big and took second on the team, but took a back seat to Ellie because of her season average and Virginia because of seniority. Spence took her anyway.
The girl's have battled injuries and illness all season, but should be good to go at Griak.
Cheers.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Late info on Muskego race
Tomorrow's race is at Muskego. I do not believe that we have ever been here before because this is usually the week of griak.
Muskego Warrior Cross Country Invitational 2007
When: Saturday, September 22nd 2007
Where: Lake Denoon Middle School
Muskego, Wisconsin
From I-43, exit on Racine Ave and go south
At Kelsey Road turn right (this is after the High School)
At Crowbar Road Turn left (stop sign intersection)
Turn left into the school’s parking lot
Distance: Girl’s races will be 4000m, Boy’s races will be 5000m
Schedule: 8:30am Coaches meeting (by the concessions)
9:00am JV Boy’s Race
9:40am JV Girl’s Race
10:20am Varsity Boy’s Race (8 varsity runners)
11:00am Varsity Girl’s Race (8 varsity runners)
Cheers!
Muskego Warrior Cross Country Invitational 2007
When: Saturday, September 22nd 2007
Where: Lake Denoon Middle School
Muskego, Wisconsin
From I-43, exit on Racine Ave and go south
At Kelsey Road turn right (this is after the High School)
At Crowbar Road Turn left (stop sign intersection)
Turn left into the school’s parking lot
Distance: Girl’s races will be 4000m, Boy’s races will be 5000m
Schedule: 8:30am Coaches meeting (by the concessions)
9:00am JV Boy’s Race
9:40am JV Girl’s Race
10:20am Varsity Boy’s Race (8 varsity runners)
11:00am Varsity Girl’s Race (8 varsity runners)
Cheers!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Insane workouts part 1
The Ohio State men show a bit of courage in this video. The workout is a 5.5 miles uphill decrease run. My legs hurt just typing that.
http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/speakers.php?sid=428&vid=4771
Remember... Hills are your friend, because they make you strong.
http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/speakers.php?sid=428&vid=4771
Remember... Hills are your friend, because they make you strong.
Need a reason to watch Flo Track?
I've mentioned Flo Track before ( there is a link on the right), however now there is a local angle. They are letting volunteers post video series this year and a red shirt freshman at UW Lacrosse is aparently going to put there whole season on line as it happens. The first video so far is of the Paavo Nurmi marathon, which is run as a five man relay. That makes sense because the men's race in college is 5 miles. Anyway the video is awesome... the link is here:
http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/coverage.php?c=84&id=4763
Enjoy!
http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/coverage.php?c=84&id=4763
Enjoy!
Next
The 16th Annual Marquette Invite will be run on Saturaday, September 15th, 2007, at Washington park. located at HWY 41 and Lloyd.
To get to Washington park take I94 West and exit Hwy 41 North to Lloyd St. Turn right onto Lisbon Ave, then right on 40th St. Use the Parking lot closest to the Park pavilion.
8:15: report to school
8:30: Bus leaves from the SIS parking lot
9:00: arrive a Washinigton park
10:00: Fresman boys race 5K (You may race in this if you wish)
10:30: JV Girls race
11:00: JV Boys
11:30: Varsity Girls
12:00: Varsity Boys
Teams: Catholic Memorial , West Bend West, Madison West, Marquette, Shorewood, Neehah (spit boys team in the varsity race) Kenosha Tremper, Madison La Follette, Riverside and Menomonee Falls.
This very well may be the Second hardest meet all season! The boys will really need to step it up at this meet. The meet will test how strong we are without Kevin. Madison La Follette is the #1 ranked team in the whole state, can we mix it up with them? Catholic Memorial is not happy about the beating you gave them last week. 7 of the top 16 teams in D1 will be at this meet and WCM is ranked for D2.
This is a great spectator course if you are willing to move around. Last year I found that The top of the hill by the band shell allowed you to catch the boys at least three times, four if you are mobile. The weather should be perfect unless Humberto tosses some precip our way.
See you there!
Please note that the time is different from the sheet that was sent home earlier.
Who is our competition ?
For the boys:
While it is really hard to say this early in the season how things will play out at the ridges there are a few things that we know for sure. Top of the list is that Port washington will be very hard to beat. Port was D1 last year where they finished 7th as a team. Their top runner was Joe Hackett who ran 16:30 and was 17th over-all. They got bumped down from D1 and put in our sectional. They replace CM in the sectional so that's a wash in terms of advancing. Tendick park is Port's home course so that's in their favor, but not a huge deal.
I did some digging for historical times and came up with the following:
Port
Runner.........Time at State last year .....Best time this year
Hackett ...............16:30 ...............................17:06
Zauner.................17:00 .............................. 16:56
Allen.....................17:02...............................16:45
Ross......................17:22 ..............................16:52
Jones....................18:00...............................17:20
As you can see they will be tough to beat, and are ranked first in all of the polls.
However they are not unbeatable.
Catholic memorial, Dodgeville, and Hayward could also push us but aren't looking great in the early races.
For the parents, most of the races we run are against D1 schools because of geography. We generally don't see our real competition until State. This year we will see Port at Griak and sectionals before the final run at the ridges.
As far as the girl's go.... I have no clue. Once again injuries and illness have plagued our varsity to the point that I have no idea what our team really looks like. They could be great, if everyone recovers and is still in shape. I believe that the sectional got a little easier as well, so I expect them to make the trip to State, I just don't know what the raod looks like at this point.
Cheers!
While it is really hard to say this early in the season how things will play out at the ridges there are a few things that we know for sure. Top of the list is that Port washington will be very hard to beat. Port was D1 last year where they finished 7th as a team. Their top runner was Joe Hackett who ran 16:30 and was 17th over-all. They got bumped down from D1 and put in our sectional. They replace CM in the sectional so that's a wash in terms of advancing. Tendick park is Port's home course so that's in their favor, but not a huge deal.
I did some digging for historical times and came up with the following:
Port
Runner.........Time at State last year .....Best time this year
Hackett ...............16:30 ...............................17:06
Zauner.................17:00 .............................. 16:56
Allen.....................17:02...............................16:45
Ross......................17:22 ..............................16:52
Jones....................18:00...............................17:20
As you can see they will be tough to beat, and are ranked first in all of the polls.
However they are not unbeatable.
Catholic memorial, Dodgeville, and Hayward could also push us but aren't looking great in the early races.
For the parents, most of the races we run are against D1 schools because of geography. We generally don't see our real competition until State. This year we will see Port at Griak and sectionals before the final run at the ridges.
As far as the girl's go.... I have no clue. Once again injuries and illness have plagued our varsity to the point that I have no idea what our team really looks like. They could be great, if everyone recovers and is still in shape. I believe that the sectional got a little easier as well, so I expect them to make the trip to State, I just don't know what the raod looks like at this point.
Cheers!
Feeling sleepy ?
The new York times has a new article that talks about the sleep requirements of distance runners. The link is here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/health/nutrition/13Best.html?ex=1347336000&en=f0d4067b4beec5ba&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
The short version is that the top athletes describe needing 12 hours of sleep a day ( 10 at night and a two hour nap in the afternoon). This is similar to what the top Kenyan runners have been saying for years. The doctor in the article chalks it up to cytokines. The same chemicals that make you sleepy when you have a cold.
Bottom line: if you are trying to be competitive on 6 hours of sleep a night, you won't last the season.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/health/nutrition/13Best.html?ex=1347336000&en=f0d4067b4beec5ba&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
The short version is that the top athletes describe needing 12 hours of sleep a day ( 10 at night and a two hour nap in the afternoon). This is similar to what the top Kenyan runners have been saying for years. The doctor in the article chalks it up to cytokines. The same chemicals that make you sleepy when you have a cold.
Bottom line: if you are trying to be competitive on 6 hours of sleep a night, you won't last the season.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Arrowhead is not on a week-end
The next meet is back at Arrowhead. It is tomorrow ( Thursday). The fun starts at 4:00 and ends around 7:00.
This is the big race, as opposed to the little race two weeks ago. The boy's varsity race will feature Andrew Perkins and Joe Stillin among others. These guys run to win and they are a lot of fun to watch. This is a very flat and very fast course with a downhill finish that gives up low times to everyone, except apparently when it is under water like last time.
The boys will go out under 5:00 and will probably be under 10 at the 2 mile mark. The winning time should be in the 15's unless the weather is really bad. The girl's race should go in the 14's.
There is a Freshman race at 4:00 but we don't typically run anyone in the warm-up races.
The girl's JV will start at 4:40 but can go early if the weather is bad so come a few minutes early. The last race is the Boy's varsity at 6:00, because it is the marquis feature and they want the crowds to hang around for the end.
This is a great course for spectators. You can easily see the major mile markers and the finish without moving more than a hundred yards or so. However because of the time of day the sun is an issue if it is out. The mosquito's will also be thick and hungry. If you don't have bug spray you will probably want to watch from the car. It is also supposed to rain. They won't cancel unless there is lightening or a flood.
the directions are here:
http://www.arrowheadschools.org/display/router.asp?docid=431
(basically take 94 to 16 to exit 182 and then ask).
There can be traffic at that time so add an extra 20 minutes to your usual drive time.
See you all there!
This is the big race, as opposed to the little race two weeks ago. The boy's varsity race will feature Andrew Perkins and Joe Stillin among others. These guys run to win and they are a lot of fun to watch. This is a very flat and very fast course with a downhill finish that gives up low times to everyone, except apparently when it is under water like last time.
The boys will go out under 5:00 and will probably be under 10 at the 2 mile mark. The winning time should be in the 15's unless the weather is really bad. The girl's race should go in the 14's.
There is a Freshman race at 4:00 but we don't typically run anyone in the warm-up races.
The girl's JV will start at 4:40 but can go early if the weather is bad so come a few minutes early. The last race is the Boy's varsity at 6:00, because it is the marquis feature and they want the crowds to hang around for the end.
This is a great course for spectators. You can easily see the major mile markers and the finish without moving more than a hundred yards or so. However because of the time of day the sun is an issue if it is out. The mosquito's will also be thick and hungry. If you don't have bug spray you will probably want to watch from the car. It is also supposed to rain. They won't cancel unless there is lightening or a flood.
the directions are here:
http://www.arrowheadschools.org/display/router.asp?docid=431
(basically take 94 to 16 to exit 182 and then ask).
There can be traffic at that time so add an extra 20 minutes to your usual drive time.
See you all there!
Rebel Results
I know that this is late, but for those of you who weren't there a brief recap follows.Saturday marked the last time that our seniors will run on the parkside course unless they compete in the NTN festivities this fall or attend a college in the area. For most of them, I think that they are probably happy to relegate the opening hill to the history department where it will grow to epic proportions in the years to come.
The girl's had a very good day with a very young but talented team. The JV women placed 13th and showed good pack running. Bettany and Margo led the charge finishing around 19:40.
The varsity placed 12th overall and had a very tight spread between 1st and 7th. Colleen led the way in 17:03 followed closely by Morgan, Devin, and Chloe. A pair of very talented freshman (Jenny and Nora) followed in 17:55. And Laura finished close behind at 18:04. Good Job Ladies.
The boys have a number of good looking Freshmen as well. Gavin and Aidan ran well together at the front finishing around 19:40 and in the top 25. The JV team was 8th overall.
The varsity boys ran without Kevin again. Kevin is nursing an IT band injury and will most likely be cross training and not racing for at least another week. Without kevin they placed 3rd, with kevin they would easily have been 2nd but would have had no chance at 1st. In the past we have been either 1st or 2nd here so historically this team stacks up to some of the best that we have had at this early point in the season. Andrew took 3rd overall in his first race of the season. He ran 15 seconds 
faster than his previous best on this course posting in at 16:45. He was followed closely by sophmore sensations Peter and Ben ( Ben has the black spikes). Peter took 50 seconds off of last weeks time finishing at 17:26; and Ben dropped 30 seconds to 17:27. Those 
are huge times on a very tough course and bode well for the rest of the season. Brian V was next at 18:07. He looks to be getting his wind back. Brian has run in the low 17's and seems to be on track to get there again. Freshman flash Joe P. was next in 18:28. Like Sam D. in past years Joe was running with giants but held his own. Brian L. and John V. rounded out the scoring. If everyone stays healthy and Kevin makes it back this team has way more potential than anyone suspects. This is going to be a fun year.
faster than his previous best on this course posting in at 16:45. He was followed closely by sophmore sensations Peter and Ben ( Ben has the black spikes). Peter took 50 seconds off of last weeks time finishing at 17:26; and Ben dropped 30 seconds to 17:27. Those 
are huge times on a very tough course and bode well for the rest of the season. Brian V was next at 18:07. He looks to be getting his wind back. Brian has run in the low 17's and seems to be on track to get there again. Freshman flash Joe P. was next in 18:28. Like Sam D. in past years Joe was running with giants but held his own. Brian L. and John V. rounded out the scoring. If everyone stays healthy and Kevin makes it back this team has way more potential than anyone suspects. This is going to be a fun year.
I borrowed a camera for the event but it didn't handle the shadows very well so I don't have a lot of usable shots. There was a video made by the host school that is available for sale on the net. However I don't reccomend it. I have a very fast connection and it still took 50 minutes to download just one race. The image itself is very jumpy and could make you motion sick if you are prone to that ( ala Blair Witch). Finally it is basically 20 minutes of watching people run past the one mile mark, the two mile mark, and the finish.
Next up is Arrowhead !
Friday, August 31, 2007
Set your alarm
The bus will leave at 7:30 tomorrow for the race. Apparently they will leave you if you are late. This may sound early, but it gives the first runners a chance to warm up and wake up before the gun. Parents can sleep a bit longer but not a lot longer. The first race is at 9:45 and Parkside is farther south than you might think and it is a good four miles east of the freeway.
For those of you driving it is easiest to get off of I-94 at county E. The course is on the corner of E and 31 ( green bay). To park you want to go past Green bay on E to the next road ( JR) and take a left. You will see all of the buses parked on your right about a 1/4 mile before the course. There is a parking lot directly across from the course but it belongs to the petrified springs and you will get a ticket if you park there. The police usually have it blocked off anyway so there is little chance of making a mistake. This is a course that requires some walking if you want to see more than just the start and the finish. Plan on covering a good mile in long grass by the time everything is over. The weather should be great. Sunglasses and a fold up chair wouldn't be out of line. The link to the UW-P site is here:
http://www.uwp.edu/map/.
If anyone could bring a camera that would be great. Mine didn't survive the whole vacation and I haven't replaced it yet.
The boys' spaghetti dinner is at the Tyler's tonight.
Construction on the new track also starts tonight.
Cheers!
For those of you driving it is easiest to get off of I-94 at county E. The course is on the corner of E and 31 ( green bay). To park you want to go past Green bay on E to the next road ( JR) and take a left. You will see all of the buses parked on your right about a 1/4 mile before the course. There is a parking lot directly across from the course but it belongs to the petrified springs and you will get a ticket if you park there. The police usually have it blocked off anyway so there is little chance of making a mistake. This is a course that requires some walking if you want to see more than just the start and the finish. Plan on covering a good mile in long grass by the time everything is over. The weather should be great. Sunglasses and a fold up chair wouldn't be out of line. The link to the UW-P site is here:
http://www.uwp.edu/map/.
If anyone could bring a camera that would be great. Mine didn't survive the whole vacation and I haven't replaced it yet.
The boys' spaghetti dinner is at the Tyler's tonight.
Construction on the new track also starts tonight.
Cheers!
Something to think about
I am bumping this quote from the bottom of the page because it is so good.
" A lot of people work hard, put in the work, but feel like they are not ready to reach the next level or are not sure they can reach it. Well racing is a hugely mental thing. And if there is any doubt in your mind as to how you're going to do, when it starts to hurt, you'll start questioning yourself and that will be it. ... It's amazing how we all set mental barriers as to what we can do. Once they run a PR, a lot of people start running that time repeatedly."
Ask yourself every day at practice:
How bad do you want it?
How much pain can you handle?
Where you place on saturday is entirely a function of how you answer these two questions M-F.
" A lot of people work hard, put in the work, but feel like they are not ready to reach the next level or are not sure they can reach it. Well racing is a hugely mental thing. And if there is any doubt in your mind as to how you're going to do, when it starts to hurt, you'll start questioning yourself and that will be it. ... It's amazing how we all set mental barriers as to what we can do. Once they run a PR, a lot of people start running that time repeatedly."
Ask yourself every day at practice:
How bad do you want it?
How much pain can you handle?
Where you place on saturday is entirely a function of how you answer these two questions M-F.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Next race
Date: Saturday, September 1, 2007
Site:
University of Wisconsin Parkside
Format:
JV girls 4000m 9:45. Medals top 10
Feshman Boys 4000m 10:15. Medals top 10
Varsity Girls (8) 4000m 10:45. Medals top 25
Varsity Boys (8) 5000m 11:15. Medals top 25
JV Boys 5000m 11:45. Medals top 10
Open Race 12:15
Shirts will be sold for $9.00
Please park in the Parkside PE parking lot. The POLICE WILL TICKET!!
**The open race is just that, an open race for anyone who wants to run. In the past, several of the coaches, a few parents, and the odd younger siblings have run and placed well. So if you are in shape and would like to run the actual course that the girl's run... throw your gear in the car and plan to join us. It's free as far as I know and you can sign up at the start.
Site:
University of Wisconsin Parkside
Format:
JV girls 4000m 9:45. Medals top 10
Feshman Boys 4000m 10:15. Medals top 10
Varsity Girls (8) 4000m 10:45. Medals top 25
Varsity Boys (8) 5000m 11:15. Medals top 25
JV Boys 5000m 11:45. Medals top 10
Open Race 12:15
Shirts will be sold for $9.00
Please park in the Parkside PE parking lot. The POLICE WILL TICKET!!
**The open race is just that, an open race for anyone who wants to run. In the past, several of the coaches, a few parents, and the odd younger siblings have run and placed well. So if you are in shape and would like to run the actual course that the girl's run... throw your gear in the car and plan to join us. It's free as far as I know and you can sign up at the start.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Parent Meeting
The parent's meeting will be tomorrow night Wednesday, 29Th at 6:00 pm in the SIS commons. If you are a new parent to the sport or if you have questions you will want to be at this meeting.
There will also be a sign-up sheet for the spaghetti dinners. If you would like to host and have a tight schedule you will want to come early so you can get your choice of dates.
See you there !
There will also be a sign-up sheet for the spaghetti dinners. If you would like to host and have a tight schedule you will want to come early so you can get your choice of dates.
See you there !
New season starts early
The season started last week while I was in North Carolina and Michigan. The opening race at Arrowhead sounds like it was a lot of fun, if you like running in the mud. I have no idea what the course actually looked like but it must have really been interesting for the second fastest course in the state to hold the field to 17:00 flat. If anyone wants to send me pictures in a digital format I will happily post them here. The results are up at PT Timing ( the link is over on the right)
Next up is the rebel invite at Parkside. For those of you who are new, this is the premiere course in the state and a course that we love to run. Because this is a permanent course that stays up year round it is the most consistent venue that we run. The weather is supposed to be perfect so it will be a good test of where everyone really is when they aren't swimming in mud. Last years' times can be found at http://www.wisconsinrunner.com/results/2006_rebel/index.htm. In case anyone wants to know.
Andrew modeled the new uniform last night. I was expecting worse. It will certainly be easy to see our runners in the crowd, and the contrast should make the pictures a bit more in focus.
See you all on Saturday!
Next up is the rebel invite at Parkside. For those of you who are new, this is the premiere course in the state and a course that we love to run. Because this is a permanent course that stays up year round it is the most consistent venue that we run. The weather is supposed to be perfect so it will be a good test of where everyone really is when they aren't swimming in mud. Last years' times can be found at http://www.wisconsinrunner.com/results/2006_rebel/index.htm. In case anyone wants to know.
Andrew modeled the new uniform last night. I was expecting worse. It will certainly be easy to see our runners in the crowd, and the contrast should make the pictures a bit more in focus.
See you all on Saturday!
Jenny Crain the "jogger"
I don't know how many of you know who Jenny Crain is or if you saw the news article about her accident last week But I thought I would bring it up for a few reasons.
The first is to reinforce the concept of traffic safety. We have all been told since birth to look both ways before crossing the road and to obey all traffic signals. However we all tend to J-walk when we are in a hurry. In particular, runners hate to stop in the middle of a work-out so we tend to try and keep going whenever possible. We all do. Which brings us to Jenny. Jenny is a world class runner who was a favorite to make the US olympic team for the Beijing olympics. She has been living and running locally for years and can be seen at the front of most of the big road races in the area. Despite what the paper said, she was not "jogging" she was out for a run. She has been running on these streets for 30 years and clearly knows what she is doing. When she got to the corner of Brady and farwell the sign said "don't walk" but like most seasoned runners, she glanced both ways, didn't see anyone and ran right in front of a car. She broke her jaw, her neck, her carotid artery, and any chance at the olympics. She is still in the hospital. That could have been me or any other runner trying to keep moving. It's not worth it. I know you guys are good about stopping for lights but as a parent I can't help but mention it when I see stories like this.
Secondly, she is still in the hospital and things don't look great. I am sure she could use our prayers and support if you are so inclined. Runners are a tight fraternity. We need to look out for each other.
Finally, and I know this sounds petty but it shows just how ignorant the staff writers at the journal are when they write that she was out "jogging". Olympic class runners don't jog. I am sure that the writer has no idea how insulting that is to a runner because they obviously know nothing about running. Just something to keep in mind when the journal finally writes an article about cross country this season and it reads like gibberish. It's not you it's them and they don't care.
The first is to reinforce the concept of traffic safety. We have all been told since birth to look both ways before crossing the road and to obey all traffic signals. However we all tend to J-walk when we are in a hurry. In particular, runners hate to stop in the middle of a work-out so we tend to try and keep going whenever possible. We all do. Which brings us to Jenny. Jenny is a world class runner who was a favorite to make the US olympic team for the Beijing olympics. She has been living and running locally for years and can be seen at the front of most of the big road races in the area. Despite what the paper said, she was not "jogging" she was out for a run. She has been running on these streets for 30 years and clearly knows what she is doing. When she got to the corner of Brady and farwell the sign said "don't walk" but like most seasoned runners, she glanced both ways, didn't see anyone and ran right in front of a car. She broke her jaw, her neck, her carotid artery, and any chance at the olympics. She is still in the hospital. That could have been me or any other runner trying to keep moving. It's not worth it. I know you guys are good about stopping for lights but as a parent I can't help but mention it when I see stories like this.
Secondly, she is still in the hospital and things don't look great. I am sure she could use our prayers and support if you are so inclined. Runners are a tight fraternity. We need to look out for each other.
Finally, and I know this sounds petty but it shows just how ignorant the staff writers at the journal are when they write that she was out "jogging". Olympic class runners don't jog. I am sure that the writer has no idea how insulting that is to a runner because they obviously know nothing about running. Just something to keep in mind when the journal finally writes an article about cross country this season and it reads like gibberish. It's not you it's them and they don't care.
Required reading for runners
Like any sport, runners have their own sub-culture and information portals. You will not see any serious discussion of running on ESPN or any other mainstream media outlet. Non-runners don't care. They can't fathom why runners run and they don't want to. The T-shirts that say " our sport is your sport's punishment" sums it up pretty succinctly. There is also a lack of interest because the sport is dominated at the moment by athletes from east Africa.
However runners do care and the amount of information on current events has never been greater or easier to access. I have tried to help by listing a number of the better running books that are still in print over on the right. If you click on the links it should take you right to the order screen. Also I have posted a number of links to web sites that collect news about running. The two best sites are Flocast and Lets Run.
Flocast posts daily video interviews with current runners and coaches that are incredible, you should book mark them. They also have an archive of famous races that is nothing short of stunning.
"Lets Run" is a pure news aggregator. They collect running news from all over the world and update the links and headlines daily. This is a fantastic resource. For example, they have a series of reports from the world championships being run in Japan this week. In particular there is an article about an Ethiopian girl (21) who won the 10,000m. She stopped half way and got a drink of water because of stomach cramps and then came back to win the race. She ran the last lap in 60 seconds. The link is here http://www.letsrun.com/2007/worlds/dibaba0825.php . You have to be a runner to truly appreciate how impossible that is which is why it's not on ESPN.
Finally, the local and national high school news is collected on Dyestat. There is a message board for Wisconsin runners that used to be pretty good. It has gotten pretty lame recently so I no longer recommend it except for results after major events like State.
Running is a great sport with a rich history... get reading.
However runners do care and the amount of information on current events has never been greater or easier to access. I have tried to help by listing a number of the better running books that are still in print over on the right. If you click on the links it should take you right to the order screen. Also I have posted a number of links to web sites that collect news about running. The two best sites are Flocast and Lets Run.
Flocast posts daily video interviews with current runners and coaches that are incredible, you should book mark them. They also have an archive of famous races that is nothing short of stunning.
"Lets Run" is a pure news aggregator. They collect running news from all over the world and update the links and headlines daily. This is a fantastic resource. For example, they have a series of reports from the world championships being run in Japan this week. In particular there is an article about an Ethiopian girl (21) who won the 10,000m. She stopped half way and got a drink of water because of stomach cramps and then came back to win the race. She ran the last lap in 60 seconds. The link is here http://www.letsrun.com/2007/worlds/dibaba0825.php . You have to be a runner to truly appreciate how impossible that is which is why it's not on ESPN.
Finally, the local and national high school news is collected on Dyestat. There is a message board for Wisconsin runners that used to be pretty good. It has gotten pretty lame recently so I no longer recommend it except for results after major events like State.
Running is a great sport with a rich history... get reading.
Caption contest
Okay, I was told I can't actually do a caption contest for this picture, but I will give a gatorade to anyone who can correctly guess what this is a picture of.
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