Start of the Season... Let's plan!

We begin the official start of the season a week from tomorrow:

Monday, February 7, 2011

Please, please, please have all your paperwork in to Ms. Sommers (fees, physical forms) before 2/7!

My Ramblings (getting pretty good at these as I get older...)

Tomorrow...
Our objectives for this week is to really spend as much time as possible discussing the changes I'd like to introduce this track season.... Therefore, I really don't have a focus on this next week's training... and you know I've been letting all of you take the lead on what you have done this winter.

Our turnout for winter training has been good and the weather's been great... at least compared to last year. However, there's still seven weeks until it's officially spring... and I am the believer that spring is the hardest of our seasons in Flagstaff with it's wind and cool temperatures (especially, compared to the Valley!). So lets spend this week planning.

I ask for your ideas.

I've given you the "building a better runner" dvd. I'd like to incorporate more of the free (little weights we have in the gym closet), I'd like to do more things (then just we all do as a team Stanfords... but still use those in addition), the chin-up bar, medicine balls... and the dvd! We work in pairs or cells. And EVERYDAY we do some "routine" (which needs to be defined/specified).

The first two weeks beginning the "official" practices, all I would like to do is figure out milage goals and then meet those goals. Of course, doing what I'd propose in the paragraph above...

Cassie will get you a more specific schedule but here's what I'm going to ask all to concentrate on:

March
Wednesday, 9th
Sedona Invite
I'd like those who have been running this winter to run this early season meet; however I'll be back in New York working the national indoor meet. Therefore, much discussion needs to occur prior as well as finding an "assistant"

Friday, 25th
Chandler Invite
If any one has a great Spring Break of training, then this is the meet for them. Chandler is one of the biggest meets of the year in AZ. I'll take only those who are ready. It may be an overnighter.

April
Friday, 1st
Scottsdale Distance Classic
My very favorite meet of the season since it is nothing but distance races. And all the races are held under the lights. We always overnight here, so if you cannot, make plans to get picked up.

Thursday, 7th
Sun Angel Classic
I'll only take those who are most competitive to this meet. Although a completive meet, it is run like a trial, as in the best runners are spread out in heats, and then the fastest runners in the 800 and 1600 meters are invited back on Saturday night. What's cool about Saturday's "finals" are sandwiched between college races under the lights (whereas Thursday's events are held in the heat of the day).

Friday, 15th
Blue Ridge Invite
Dom's "favorite"
Attending this meet will need discussion... see directly below

Saturday, 16th
Mt. Sac Relays
Could be interesting... if I remember correctly, a Mt. Sac trip last fall got interrupted?
We bring a mens and womens team to run the 4x1600
http://www.mtsacrelays.com/divisions/hsschedule.html

Friday, 22nd
Joseph City Invite
Details to follow

Friday, 29th
Mogollon Invite
Details to follow

May
Friday/Saturday 13-14th
State Meet
Mesa Community College

Lastly, a big congratulations to Corrie, who was recognized at Saturday night's "Senior Night!" Caroline Rynn shared with the crowd that Corrie was planning to attend U of A and run for Pima Community College! How wonderful!

Friday, 12/31 New Years' Eve

Andrew and I exchanged emaisl concerning practice for Friday and we tentatively agreed to meet at school at 9 AM. It's going to be freezing cold and most likely windy. Oh well. We need to run.

Wednesday, 12/29 and Thursday, 12/30

Winds picked up around 6:30 AM and started buffeting the house. Team practice cancelled for Wednesday, originally meeting in Skydome parking lot, however, due to the gloom-and-doom weather forecast, I call Andrew at 7:45, ask all to run on own (how many did that? Andrew got out for 55 minutes).

After canceling I thought about the boys bball team up in Tusayan. I called Coach and told him to bring them home immediately. Coach calls back later and explains he's not comfortable driving in such conditions. A parent and I go up with the parent transporting 6 of the students back and me driving the van back. Conditions were hairy, to say the least. Return to NPA at ~4 PM safe and sound.

DPS closes I-17 Northbound and eventually 180 and I-40. We arrive back at NPA safe and sound.

Today we awake to 15 inches of snow in town and only 4.5 inches here in Doney. I spend perhaps three hours snowblowing the driveway and shoveling walkways. Now at 9 PM its 9 degrees out, but the wind howls, so factor in wind chill.

Not the greatest training weather.

Practices over Break

Last week (the first week of break), we had a good turn-out, with Monday's run taking off from the Woodlands Village Walmart, down the Urban Trail and into Ft. Tuthill. Interesting to see all the elites that were out that day (O'Neill, etc. and someone who I think was Phil Wharton) and then later getting blown off the trail by Rochelle Kanuho, who came flying by. It was disappointing that when I asked some of our runners if they knew any of these people, and they said they didn't (Phil Wharton is the person who wrote the book on the Isolated-Dynamic stretching we use!).

Then on Wednesday, the run took off from the "Y" (and why?) and then ran along Ft. Valley Rd and then up Quintana. 

No organized practice on Friday (Christmas Eve), however, I was over on Continental Golf Course to check out conditions.

I sent out a bulk email to most who I thought would be interested in practicing tomorrow...

We'll meet at NPA at 9 AM, and if it doesn't snow too much tonight, run on the golf course. As a group we'll discuss where we'd like to run Wednesday and Friday.

Looking ahead. There's a ten miler that we (Andrew, along with Jon and Jordan) ran last year... It's held next Sunday on 1/2. The course goes out and back on one of the canals and is pancake flat. Not certain that many of you will be ready to run 10 miles...

Another race to look at is at the Skydome on Saturday, February 12th. Something to think about and plan on...

See you tomorrow... 

Final Week of Practice

Monday

Track Workout

Pace 400s

12x400 at a "tick" faster than race pace

4 sets of 3, w/ 100 meter jog between each interval and a 400 meter jog between each set.

Pick-up @ 5:15 PM

Tuesday

AM Workout

20 minutes medium run

strides

Kenyans & Stanfords

Wednesday

Off

Thursday

Same as Tuesday

Friday

AM Workout

Big Warm-up w/ Standfords

Depart School for PHX @ ~11:45 (after 4th hour). More details about the complete Fri-Sat itinerary will follow soon (I'd like to confirm everything first with Mr. and Mrs. Pinaire as they will assist in driving and chaperoning).

We have reservations at:

Embassy Suites Phoenix North

2577 W. Greenway Rd.

Phoenix, AZ

602-375-1777

http://embassysuites1.hilton.com/en_US/es/hotel/PHXNOES-Embassy-Suites-Phoenix-North-Arizona/index.do

The plan is to take EVERYONE!

Our motto for this state meet weekend is: ""TEAM!" And we mean ALL!!

On Saturday:

9:00 AM -- Boys Race

9:30 AM -- Girls Race

Ahead to think about is the post-season... although I would really like to focus more on the state meet. However, any serious runner is thinking about running at Toka Sticks in the Nike SW Region Cross Championship on Saturday, Nov. 20th?

If you're healthy and still want to race, go to:

http://www.runnerspace.com/nxnsw

Practice Schedule for October 25th - 31st

All pick-ups at 5:15...

Monday, 10/25
A medium/hard run (a "comfortably/hard run?")
What we are looking for is a pace that none of you is really "jogging" nor "running hard." However, this will depend on how you are coming off the weekend (sleep, etc...).

Course:
Men -- Wakonda -- down Butler to the end, left and around...
Back to Falcon.

Ladies -- Butler to Skyview, to Edgewood, to Country Club (Left) to Continental back to Falcon.
At Falcon you'll do a "progressive" hill workout.

After hill workout, all will jog over to the turf and do the cool down Kenyans.

Tuesday
Needhammer
8x200's just a little quicker than "race pace."
rest interval/jog across infield... as we did last time.
Purpose of these 200's is looking for a little quicker turnover...
Cool-down
STANFORDS

Wednesday
OFF

Thursday
Big Warm-up.
Pre-Race Dinner? My house if... and all invited.

Friday
Sectionals

 AIA Section II

Cross Country Championships 

Friday, October 29, 2010 

Flagstaff, AZ

Location: 

Buffalo Park in Flagstaff.  

Facilities: There will be porta potties available, but no locker room or showers.

Parking:

You may drop off the team and equipment at the park entrance, but busses must park off site at Coconino H.S. or Flagstaff H.S. There is limited parking is on site in a dirt lot when you first enter on Gemini.  Vans and spectators will be directed to park in that lot. 

Athletic Trainers will be on site.

Entry Fee:  AIA is potentially charging a $5 entry fee.

PLEASE inform your parents so they are not shocked when they get to the park.

  

Time Schedule: 

2:30 D III Section II  boys

3:00 D III Section II girls

3:30 D IV Section II boys

4:00 D IV Section II girls

Awards: 

Medals will be awarded to the top fourteen (14) in each section. 

Division III presented at 3:45 pm by the Ramada

Division IV presented at 4:45 pm by the Ramada

Games Committee:  In the rare instance that a games committee is needed for a decision, the following will be represented: 

Trina Painter Flagstaff HS

Mike Elder NPA

Jim Bostwick Mingus HS

Rick Baker Hopi HS

Mike O’Callahan Camp Verde

Preston  Johnson   Coconino HS AD

Course: 

The course is the same course used at the 4 Corners Invitational.  The length is 3 miles on the hard packed dirt trail with one significant hill in the first 800m at Buffalo Park.   A copy of the map is attached. 

Course walk through- 9:00am-1:00pm on Friday, October 29^th.

Rules: Rules are those of the current edition of the National Federation Track and Field/ Cross Country Rules and Records, AIA Constitution and Bylaws and these tournament instructions.

Remember: Section 6 competitor’s uniform Art.7 page 71 …Contestants shall not wear

jewelry. Penalty: (All articles) for illegal uniform, the competitor is disqualified from the event. 

Saturday
A "pick-up" practice... we'll discuss...

Sunday
Long Run

Monday
TBContinued

Practices for Thursday, 10/21... and beyond

Thursday, 10/21
The theme is, "Focus, focus, and focus more!"

We must focus on the fact that no matter what meet we run, where that meet is held, it is all for the purpose of doing of producing our best effort at the end of the year... which is our state meet. "Everything is practice for the state meet." However, for one of our teams, we didn't get to the state meet last year! This year that has got to be our goal.

With that said, we begin to once again focus....

Hills, hills and more hills.
Urban Trail.
Pick up at 5:15.

Friday, 10/22
Green Mtn. run...
Strides, Stanfords..

Saturday
Times for meet and pickup will be announced at later date.
Mile Time trial

Sunday
Long run

Monday...