Over and Out

Ladies,

The only way this could have ended better is if the whole team had come. We settled for 2nd best, and Carrie did not let us down.

Let me preface this post with some information I really didn't want to discuss too much before - that of taper. The way taper works is you time your rest for a specific day. The length of your taper, or more accurately, the duration of the taper effect is dependent largely upon the size and duration of your base. Think of the sculpture example... if you want a big sculpture, you have to start with a large piece of marble. It's pretty much the same thing. In my racing days I would run a 6-month cycle with high mileage the whole time. In the end, I'd brought my body to the near-breaking point. The rest came just at the crescendo of the training, and would give a reliable taper effect.

Our base wasn't nearly at that level, therefore the taper did not last as long. I could ride a taper for a few weeks; your taper wouldn't have lasted more than a week. You didn't have enough time or miles to do anything else. We could not be sure of getting out of Sectional, never mind Regional. I had to choose to taper you for Sectional. Some of you peaked there as a result. Couple that with a sloppy field and short turnaround time to the next meet, and well... easy to see why we got the results we did.

Now the lesson to take away from all of this is miles have to happen. Quality has to happen. It needs to happen from the start, it needs to be consistent, and it has to continue to the end. It's hard - of course. But if you want to be great, you have to train to be great. That's a choice we have to make going into the spring running.

This should not be taken to mean I don't think you girls worked - we were limited by several factors that were beyond your control. In the end though, it won't matter. You have the time/quality in the bag or you don't. The running gods accept no excuses. And this is where you resolve as an individual to do your part to improve yourself over the winter so you come out a terrifying specter of athleticism to all your rivals.

I don't care what you do - run, swim, pedal a bike indoors, go to the gym - but the worst thing you could do is nothing. Endurance athletics are a year-round proposition. You can mix your activities, but you must HAVE activities. You cannot lay around promising to start tomorrow, because tomorrow will never come. You have to drag yourselves out, get in groups, do something. The farther out you start, the far less likely you are to get hurt. Trust me on this - for 20 years I was never seriously hurt at any time, but neither did I take extended breaks.

You should take a couple weeks at the end of any season to recover, but after that, it's back on the horse. You gals have so much talent, and we still have a track season in the spring. I want to see you gals at State meet!

Okay... on to Carrie. The best plan under the circumstances, in my humble opinion, was to A) make certain Carrie was thoroughly warmed up, and; B) have her chase a known opponent. Let's face it, pacing herself has not worked. It's something we'll have to work on in the off-season. For now, a known opponent gives her something easy to chase.

We ran the whole course for warm-up, and I'm glad we did. At first it looked good, then it quickly turned sour a bit after half-mile. There was quite a bit of swampy goo that extended for most of second half of the first mile, then picked up again as we left the wooded portion. We were able to decide on a line that likely kept Carrie out of the bulk of trouble, but the conditions would definitely slow the race down for runners not in front (Carrie ran mid-pack).

From the jump, Carrie looked fine, but she was boxed in and could not find her targets. Nevertheless, she held the same distance throughout the race, itself a victory because it proves she can run their speed. She just can't let them get away from her in the start. Her overall time of 21:25 is solid - not her best, but as stated before, it was unlikely she would be able to run her fastest time today. Best of all, she was in the middle of the fight in a tough field and was moving up the entire race.

For me, I think Carrie gained a lot from the experience. It's a different animal altogether to run in this type of race, and we need someone with the experience to help guide the team next year. So, hats off to Carrie!

There will be a banquet of course, time to be set soon. I'll also need to start collecting uniforms. Yes, I want them ALL in this year - got that seniors? ;)

Quick-hit comments

Ladies,

First, thanks again to Madison and Alli. You are helping, even by simply being there.

Second, I will be taking a bus on Saturday. If you make it, fine, if you don't, fine. It is completely voluntary. If you want to go, be ready to leave by 7:45 AM by the pool. Also bring money for lunch.

Third, uniforms will need to be returned. So far I have Nicole's, Keeley's top, and McKena's uniform. I don't believe anyone else has turned one in yet.

Finally, after your rest, I strongly advise you plan your winter activities in a way to include conditioning. Coach Spence was encouraging runners to swim over the winter, and I don't think that's a bad idea at all. I started life as a swimmer, and it helped my running IMMENSELY. This would be an especially smart move for girls in rehab (Bret, Morgan, McKena) who want to maintain fitness for whatever sport comes next. It's a non-impact workout that builds upper-body strength (Bret!) and VO2 (all). And, having watched you girls swim, I can tell you there are several on the team that could help the swimmers now!

Hey, it's another letter, another item to put on a college resume, and they could use the help. Just sayin'. 

This week

Ladies,

We had a few ladies come out to help Carrie run today - Bret, Alli, and Madison - thanks a bunch! It really does make a difference. Tomorrow Carrie will be running quarters on the track. Come and yell for her if you have the time!

Moving forward to this weekend, the meet for the girls starts at 11:15. Coaches' meeting is at 9:30, it's an hour-and-a-half drive, so... 7:45 would be the likely departure time. It's going to be cold, and it will be a long time out in the weather.

Now you are all welcome to come to the meet - you've earned the privilege. I welcome you to do so. However, here's what you need to understand:

• I can get a bus, but I will only do so if we have enough girls to make it necessary. I can take up to 3 girls in my car (with permission from the school). 
• If you ride the bus with me, you have to ride home with me unless you fill out the paperwork. Likely as not most of your parents won't be showing for the meet, and some of you might be tempted to try to get me to let you ride with another person to leave earlier. I cannot do this under any circumstances!
• You may drive yourselves to the meet - you have as much right to do so as any other spectator. If you don't want to be constrained by the rules, this would be your best option. 

The long and the short of it is this; I would love for anyone who wants to come to this meet to come. I would love to provide transportation. Just understand, for liability reasons, once you ride up there with me, you are riding back with me (unless the paperwork is submitted beforehand). If you want to come and then split before we do, drive yourselves. 

I have to let the Athletic Department know by Wednesday whether or not I'll need a bus. Therefore, I need to know by tomorrow night what you folks plan to do. 

Okay, turning back the page a bit to Saturday's meet...

The analysis isn't hard to figure out... we were tapered for Tuesday. That was my call, because the way things were going there was no guarantee we'd get out. Without a terribly large base, the peak didn't last long. Couple that with a quick turnaround (Tuesday to Saturday) and horrendous course conditions, and finally a far-too-fast first 800, and well... things didn't go the way we'd like. 

I don't feel bad about your effort, because I know everyone did what they could. I feel bad for the team, especially the seniors. I let you down, and for that I'm sorry.

Regional Results

Ladies,

I know it's a hard day for most, but the season is at an end for all but Carrie. Congratulations to Carrie for doing the job today - and it came in the third mile, by the way - but it is a hard day for the rest.

I could go through and break the races down, point out how insanely fast the first 800 was for everyone, but there is little point now. It's done for now, and we'll have to wait a while before we can do anything about it. It's bitter, because this is when the "coulda/shoulda/woulda" starts. Don't do it. Not today. It's too soon.

Better to focus on what positive things came out of the year, or in some cases, years running. You girls came to know one another, you've been through a lot on the training runs, races, bus trips, and just had time to grow friendships that will last a lifetime. You learned life lessons such as the value of hard work, commitment, and unfortunately today how sometimes all you do falls short.

And here's where one of the most valuable of all life lessons occurs.

You won't always win. You won't always get what you want. You won't always get the job, win the contest, or even win the heart of that special person. Sometimes it just won't work out. And it feels like you've failed. Be careful. Your focus is too narrow if you believe that. In the grand scheme of things, that short-term win may not have been the real victory at all. The real victory is one of character and perseverance.

Look, it's easy to look like a winner when you win. What's tough is looking (and acting) like a winner when you lose. We didn't win a place in Semi-State, but we aren't losers. Remember that, and if you do, this form of disappointment can go a long way to mold you into a much better person.

I always look at these things like this... when I stand before my God and answer for my life, I always imagine being shown images of my past, the good and the bad times, and I can't help but believe my God won't care how many medals I won, rather how I conducted myself, win or lose, when things went my way and when they didn't. Your real character, more often than not, is on full display when you don't get what you really want.

Am I disappointed? Of course. But not in you ladies. Not in your work ethic, and certainly not you as young adults. No, I'm sorry our time is at an end. I'm tired and need a rest, but I already miss you ladies. I miss the seniors whom I'll never get to coach again. I miss the opportunities to relive the whole wonderful running experience through your eyes. It's the Peter Pan in me, I suppose, that part of me that will never grow up.

I will break the numbers down tomorrow, at least a bit. For now I want to sit on this, absorb what it all means, and plan for the future. It's a bittersweet moment for sure - we did get a runner through (YAY!), but so many didn't make it.

For now, you are all welcome to come out and help Carrie get ready for next weekend. I know some of you will, some won't be able to make it, but I want to also let you all know you are welcome to go to Semi-State next weekend!

...and now we're upon it.

Ladies,

This is it. This is what the entire summer was about, the whole season. We are upon what might or might not be our final meet. It all depends on what happens tomorrow, and by that I mean what you do with tomorrow.

We absolutely have the ability to beat Salem, to earn that last slot out. We have to do it is all. Easier said than done perhaps, but there isn't much to overthink here. Salem's top 3 are good, but not that much better than ours. No, the damage we do to them is as we've talked about all along - our top 3 close the gap, and our final 2 open a wider gap with their final 2. If we can do that, we squeak by them. They of course will be our target.

A complicating factor will be rain. Tomorrow morning is forecast to be in the mid-40's with rain. That will be miserable, it will slow the race down, and it will be a real slogfest after the boys tear up the course in the first race. That makes the race one of position. In this scenario we actually gain a bit of advantage because we are better used to our course. We still have to monitor our uphill efforts (Carrie!), but the rest of the course should be run aggressively.

If it is pouring rain, I would recommend our top 3 attach themselves loosely to their top 3. Let them slide out a little in the first mile, then smack back hard in the second. Really hard! Their #3 in particular seems vulnerable, and I think if we can get to her, she'll break. Make that happen in the second mile!

You are all rested, ladies. You will find the energy to run hard throughout the race. Madison and Katlyn, you have to start cautiously, but after that, I expect you guys to try to make the next two miles faster and fastest. Chloe and Morgan, don't be afraid to run hard throughout the race. What do you have to lose?

It will come down to numbers in the end. If you want to run next week, there are only two ways to go:

1. We beat Salem, or;
2. You run in the top-35

If you can keep your eyes up enough to count, you should have a fair idea of where you are mid-race. Top-35 will go to Semi-State, I'll practically guarantee it. We have girls that can do that. Take your shot, make it happen!

Now on to other matters...

I didn't misspell anything last night. I have no idea what you guys are talking about. 

You all left your letters in my car. Thanks a lot! Now I have to pour through them all. Let's look at the first one:

"Dear Coach Deckard, 

What are you going to do for fall break? I am going to play basketball all day long, and I think my Aunt is going to have a baby soon. Very soon. Good luck at Sectional.
Love, Isabel"

Response -

"Dear Isabel, 

Do you really spell it that way? Man, I've been messing that up all year. What a dummy I am! 

For fall break I'm going to continue being the outrageously good-looking man I am. I sorta have no choice about it, so I'm going to roll with the hand dealt to me. 

Playing basketball, eh? All day? Don't you get tired? Are you some kind of futuristic basketball player cyborg sent back to the past inspire generations of girls to take up the sport? 

Thanks for your good-luck wishes. We can use all the help we can get! Donations too, I guess. We accept Visa and Mastercard. 

Yours Handsomely, Coach Deckard"

Next letter:

"Dear Alli, 

What are you going to do over fall break? I am going on a cruise. I am taking off the 17th of October. 

You did really go at practice when I saw you there.  

Write back soon when I get back from vacation. 

Your pinpal, Luke"

Response (generated) - 

"Dear Luke, 

I get to spend time around the smartest guy I ever met, Coach Deckard. You can keep your cruise - every day around Coach Deckard is smooth sailing. 

You saw me really going at practice? That's because Coach Deckard inspires me to run faster.  

I'll write you some more about Coach Deckard when you get back. 

In Deckard Worship, Alli"

Gee, that made me blush a bit, Alli. I understand it of course, but wow, really. One more letter:

"Dear Bret,

I am going to play in the leaves at my house. Bret do you know my name? You are kind to me I like you. Can you back to me please? Good luck at Sectional. 

Love, Makarahrose"

Response (generated) - 

"Makarahrose (how do you PRONOUNCE that?!), 

Who plays in leaves? What are you, 9? Man, I haven't done that since I was in 3rd grade. (wait, someone is telling me something) Whuh? She is in 3rd grade? Man, do I feel foolish! 

I'm sure playing in leaves is fun, but I'll be listening to my favorite collection of Coach Deckard hits. Did you know Coach can sing? He surely can, and I would also add he's better than the original artist on every song. It's amazing! Coach Deckard also writes better lyrics, too. And rap? Wow! He can freestyle it like no one else can! Fershizzle.  

Anyway, there's your letter.  

Bret"

I'm getting pumped for this!

Ladies,

I got a very great vibe yesterday during practices. I think you guys are feeling it, taper, and I think Saturday is going to be a great day. I also took some time to look at the Terre Haute Sectional times. You know what I know?

At least some of you girls will be running next week in Brown County.

I hope our team goes, I really do. I think there's a fair chance that does happen. That said, even if it doesn't, I think we get individuals out. How many, I can't say, but someone from Bedford will run in Brown County next week.

I think Salem has run as fast as they can. I don't see any way they run faster, and there's a fair chance they run worse. I think our best race will be Saturday. Don't ask how I know, I feel it, I can feel the momentum shifting. We are better than all the rest of the teams.

Here's something else to think about... Terre Haute is a much flatter course than ours, and the times they had were not much faster than ours. I can see a crazy scenario where one of the Terre Haute schools might not beat Salem (or us).

Look, we've got our work cut out. Nothing has changed there. We have to be better. We will be better. The quality of the field will be better, no question, but I think we'll have more determination to be better, to win those open slots if nothing else.

We'll meet tomorrow morning at 9 AM at BNL. Get revved!

A new day

Ladies,

Last night I felt pretty low. There are times in coaching where an event will come along and make you feel like you know nothing at all about what you're doing. That's what it felt like last night. Things just didn't seem to be going our way on any level, with one very important exception; we did get out to Regional.

I've had time to reflect on it a bit, and honestly I feel a lot better. I'm not saying I got any smarter overnight - that certainly didn't happen. What did happen was I gained a bit of clarity.

First thing I wanted to do (once I had the time) was to compare times from the Ted Fox Invite to Sectional. Both Salem and Edgewood came to that meet, and I wondered if (and by how much) they improved from one meet to the other. Check out the results for each teams' top-5:

Athlete	School	Ted Fox	Sectional
Hannah Sears	Edgewood	19:12:00	19:51:00
Angela Kendall	Orleans	20:39:00	20:19:00
Sandra Warren	Salem	20:19:00	20:21:00
Sydney Calhoun	Salem	21:29:00	20:37:00
Madison Smith	Salem		20:47:00
Celine Hornick	Edgewood	21:25:00	21:56:00
Laken White	Salem	22:34:00	22:49:00
Stacey Nethery	Edgewood	23:14:00	23:17:00
Audrey Litten	Edgewood	23:47:00	23:41:00
Megan Law	Salem	25:19:00	24:45:00
Hannah Davis	Edgewood	23:50:00	25:18:00

Edgewood's girls either slowed down or stayed level. Salem had two girls improve. Sydney Calhoun isn't in the same category - she'd been hurt/sick (I know mother). She's healthier now, therefore she's running more what she should be running - call that one a wash. I guess what I'm saying is the meet appears to have been slow for everyone. That makes me feel a bit better.

Next, I felt like you gals kept your heads. You didn't run great - fair enough. But you didn't run terribly, and better still, you didn't quit on it. We had decent times, but we have to run better. I think we have a great potential to do so, because I don't feel as if anyone completely pancaked themselves last night night. On the other hand, I can't see how Salem runs better. That's pretty much it for them. If we can get a drop out of you girls, I think we compete with them for the top-5 on Saturday.

There's more. My guess is we'll get a few girls through to Semi-State even if we don't get out as a team. I don't think there'll be 10 better unattached girls than we have on our team. Somebody's getting out on Saturday.

Finally, I liked the energy I saw in practice(s) today. I can see taper is kicking in. We have girls ready to pop big. Oh, and Alli looked (and sounded) healthy tonight. It's 180 degrees different from a day ago as far as I'm concerned.

So... let's practice tomorrow at BNL, 9 AM, three miles easy. I can't wait for Saturday!

Sectional

Ladies,

The numbers:

Athlete	1	2	Pace	3	Pace	5k	Pace
Carrie	6:30:00	13:48:00	7:18:00	21:15:00	7:27:00	22:09:00	7:08:43
Danielle	6:32:00	13:42:00	7:10:00	20:57:00	7:15:00	21:54:00	7:03:52
Alli	6:43:00	14:10:00	7:27:00	22:01:00	7:51:00	22:59:00	7:24:50
Madison	7:01:00	14:29:00	7:28:00	22:02:00	7:33:00	22:53:00	7:22:54
Morgan	7:15:00	15:06:00	7:51:00	22:36:00	7:30:00	23:33:00	7:35:48
Chloe	7:22:00	15:06:00	7:44:00	22:30:00	7:24:00	23:27:00	7:33:52
Katlyn	7:22:00	15:06:00	7:44:00	22:45:00	7:39:00	23:44:00	7:39:21

Alright, this was a mixed bag result, but let's face it, things were a bit tense on the front end. 

Let me start by congratulating Katlyn for a PR, and a solid placement on the all-time top-25 board. This was a big time for you - congratulations! I would also note you had only a 17 second per mile drop in your time from start to average, and you negative split your last mile. Well done!

Chloe, you had only an 11 second per mile dropoff from mile one to average. That too is a very solid race, even if it wasn't your best time ever. 

Morgan, you lost 20 seconds. This is getting outside what we want to see ordinarily, but you're hurt, so I consider this a good effort. Best time ever? No. But again, you're hurt. 

Madison, you are at the 21 second mark. While not quite what we want, you were better than you've been the last couple of meets, and you were able to keep miles 2 and 3 close. Not bad.

Alli, you were sick. That should be the end of it right there, but you were able to hold a time that kept us in the meet. Yes, you fell off as the race went on. So what? We needed you and you were there. Total guts, girl. 

Danielle, you focused on the 2nd mile as we talked about. You were a bit quick the first 800 (3:10, or 6:20 pace), but it wasn't terribly so. By hanging in there the 2nd mile you were able to wrap your mind around finishing hard, which you did. Best time ever? No. But it was good enough to help us get out. And for tonight, that's enough.

Carrie, the first 800 was too fast. Way too fast. Where you're trying to race, that line gets razor thin. Think about it... 3:03 is 6:06, or 18:54 5k pace. That would be almost a 2-minute PR. Listen, an average drop from beginning of season to end is 45 seconds to 1 minute. This gets even more true the faster you start the season. After all, there is a theoretical end to the speed one can run, right? The short of it is, you aren't going to drop 2 minutes in one season, much less one meet. It doesn't happen at your level (without drugs). 

Let's look at some more numbers:

Athlete	BNL Inv	Ted Fox	Sectional
Carrie	22:51:00	21:11:00	22:09:00
Danielle	22:56:00	21:39:00	21:54:00
Alli	23:00:00	22:23:00	22:59:00
Madison	24:38:00	22:27:00	22:53:00
Morgan	24:18:00	23:53:00	23:33:00
Chloe	27:12:00	23:33:00	23:27:00
Katlyn	25:33:00	24:09:00	23:44:00

Note the comparison of the three times we've run the course this year. Yes, there were different conditions every meet. The first meet was terribly hot; the second a pretty perfect day, and; the third a relatively warm and humid day (for this time of year). You all have progressed, some ahead of what you should have. Do we need more? ABSOLUTELY! If we are going to get out this Saturday, we'll have to be better. We can be. Here's how.

I want you to consider what being 5 seconds too fast at 800 means. That's 20 seconds per mile, or 1 minute on the total race time. Just for argument's sake, let's say you ladies hit the 800 at, hmmm, 3:20 and held that the whole way? That's 6:40 per mile, which would be 20:40!

What I'm saying is simple... you have to stay to the plan. If you get caught up in the fast crowd, you risk ruining the rest of your race. I say this over and over, but it needs to be repeated... the way to go faster is to go slower on the front. It doesn't matter how fast you can go; it only matters how fast you can hold.

More on this in the next few days. 

Tying up loose ends before Sectional

Ladies,

Tomorrow night, 6 PM, Madison Ryan's house, pasta dinner. It's a pitch-in, so bring something! Contact Madison to see what is need (if you haven't already). Thanks in advance to the Ryan's.

Next, we have a little unfinished business.

Remember that bounty? I haven't forgotten. It looks like three people have reached their goals - Chloe, Morgan, and McKena. That's right, it looks like I'm gonna get it after all.

I don't know what you guys have in mind, but it seems to me that perhaps tomorrow might be the perfect time to do it. Maybe an after-dinner torture? I'm sure my stomach will be all aflutter waiting to see what's in store. However, a deal's a deal, as they say.

Practice is at 9 AM tomorrow, Parkview Track. Three easy miles! 

Last speed workout

Ladies,

For those that were there, today's track workout might have been the easiest you've ever done with me. But... you also ran your fastest. Look at these numbers:

Athlete	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Avg
Carrie	1:26:00	1:29:00	1:27:00	1:26:00	1:22:00	1:20:00	8:30:00	1:25:00
Danielle	1:28:00	1:30:00	1:29:00	1:27:00	1:22:00	1:22:00	8:38:00	1:26:20
Alli	1:28:00	1:30:00	1:29:00	1:27:00	1:22:00	1:22:00	8:38:00	1:26:20
Madison	1:35:00	1:29:00	1:21:00	1:25:00	1:27:00	1:29:00	8:46:00	1:27:40
Morgan	1:32:00	1:36:00	1:36:00	1:36:00	1:33:00	1:40:00	9:33:00	1:35:30
Chloe	1:33:00	1:34:00	1:30:00	1:27:00	1:22:00	1:22:00	8:48:00	1:28:00
Katlyn	1:36:00	1:36:00	1:34:00	1:32:00	1:33:00	1:30:00	9:21:00	1:33:30

and

Athlete	Pace	5k
Carrie	5:40:00	17:34:00
Danielle	5:45:20	17:50:32
Alli	5:45:20	17:50:32
Madison	5:50:40	18:07:04
Morgan	6:22:00	19:44:12
Chloe	5:52:00	18:11:12
Katlyn	6:14:00	19:19:24

Now let's be real - you aren't going to run this fast next week. This type of workout doesn't give you a reliable straight out prediction, especially not the way we did it. What it does do is give you a chance to run at higher speed, and feel relatively comfortable doing it. To do the 5k, you'd need to do 12 of these - in a row. 

So what could you make out of it? Well, how comfortable were you at this pace? Were you in control, or pressing the edge? Most of you look like you were under control. You can tell because of the last quarter or two. Most of you got faster in the end - a bunch faster. That was a kick, and that means you had to be holding something back to have one. 

Starting with the assumption that the effort was appropriate, we then go to the interpretation. My guess is you would be approximately 2-3 minutes slower than the effort tonight, depending on your motivation and/or terrain. That's about 10-15 seconds per quarter slower, or 40 seconds to a minute per mile slower. Let's focus on that per quarter speed though, because in relation to tonight's workout, it makes the most sense. 

Think about this... if you were totally in control in the 1:25 average range, you should be really comfortable in the 1:40 range. That's 6:40 per mile, or 20:34 5k. Hmmm... that would give us three girls under 21:00, two girls just over 21:00, and a couple around 23:00. I would cash that check today if someone would write it!

Get your mind around this; you can run comfortably at speed, but you have to have some control. Do NOT go out full-bore this coming Tuesday, because you'll be toast. Carrie, you might still chase the Salem girls, and maybe not. I want to think about this one. Why? What if the Salem girls go out and throw themselves at the Bloomington South team? That would be a disaster for them, and I'm not sure I want us throwing our races away with them. 

I think the better way is to keep them in sight, then reel them in. If you feel the opportunity about midway to take over, then by all means, do so. However, your best race pace is a slim target, and you have to leave a little something until the second half of the race. You will have to be aggressive, but don't cross the line. First mile, 6:20-6:30.

Same goes for Danielle and Alli. Pick your Salem targets, keep them close, then close out the deal in the second half. You have to be tough enough to do it. And remember you three, you're running like you have to make the top-10 unattached. There can be no assumptions about getting out of Sectional. First mile, 6:25-6:35.

Chloe, this is a big moment for you. Do you realize that you've moved into the top 5 by time? That track workout today was super, and you know this isn't the first time you've looked great in the speed workouts. It seems like a long time to hurt, but it really isn't. Focus on the moment, focus on your form, and if it helps, get mad. Imagine they are hurting puppies up there and you have to stop them. No - they're making kitty sandwiches. That ought to do it. First mile, 7:10-7:15.

Madison, confidence. You've been trying to hang with Alli and Danielle... let them slip slightly in the first mile, then try to bring it back. For you, I think this is a better strategy. Don't blow yourself out the first mile, and be ready to bring it back hard. If you do catch someone, don't linger; get around them and look for the next girl. Work your way through the group steadily. Let every pass give you energy! First mile, 6:50.

Morgan, you are looking better every day. Don't be afraid to press. You're tough. Push as hard as you can starting at mile 2. You are going to PR, it's only a matter of how much. First mile, 7:10-7:15.

Katlyn, this is the biggest meet you've run yet in terms of importance. Be cautious, because the talent will overwhelm you in the way they take off at the start. You'll be just as amazed at the number of girls you pass as the race goes on. 7:20 first mile at the fastest, and I think you're golden. First mile, 7:20-7:30.

Tomorrow is a 3-4 miler. It will be quick!

Where things lie

Ladies,

Things aren't dire yet, but man, we don't need anyone else hurt. It was painful to go to last night's meet and not run everyone, but after today's news, I know it was the right thing to do.

Bret is done. No way I'd risk running her again with the news she got today. Similar news with Diana. Your health is always the most important thing, girls. I cannot and will not risk your safety, ever. No meet is worth it.

Where it stands, we still have a strong enough team to advance. And that's how we have to look at it. We are going to advance. We are going to pass every shirt possible and make it happen. Simple. As. That.

Each of you needs to be thinking hard about the race you plan to run. Go through it in your head over and over until you dream it. Seriously. You will be amazed what an impact visualizing several days out can have on your psyche. Call it a long-range pump. It works!

Tomorrow we are doing some quarters. They won't be too hard, and you'll have a ton of rest. It will be sharp, not hard. Friday is a 3-mile run. That's all. Same for Saturday. Same for Monday. Then we race!

From here on out, there are only two things you can do to help your race: rest, and keep a positive attitude. You, individually, have to believe you are going to have a great race. Believe it, and it will happen.

Jeep Invite

Ladies,

It's late, I have a ton to do before bedtime, so I will keep this short.

Times didn't matter tonight as much as placement and experience. We left 3 of the top 5 out of the race and still competed with the teams - and that's a testament to the rest of you girls for stepping up and running harder. So in that respect, we got a lot of what we wanted out of the meet. You younger racers had the pressure of carrying your team, and that will help you grow.

Carrie, you now know what it's like to lead a race you just might win. No, you didn't tonight. But you were close. You jumped ahead of the plan. You were supposed to be the sprinter, remember? You were supposed to wait to kick. If you had done that, I think this would have worked out for you. This isn't an "I told you so" moment. I mean this in the most encouraging way possible. I love your aggressiveness, your fearlessness. Keep at it! You will be great because of it, not in spite of it.

Madison, it's tough to come off a hard meet like Saturday and run hard again a few days later and have the mental game to do it. I think you did a better job of controlling yourself than Saturday, but we need something in between. It's a hard line to find, and you're a novice racer. It will come.

Chloe, that was probably a very solid race for you. I say probably only because I couldn't see much of it on this course, and I certainly don't have splits to compare. You looked good, that I can tell you. Your placement was also fine.Within 3 minutes of the winner of the race? When's the last time that happened? Never? Good job.

Katlyn, everything I said to Madison and Chloe goes out to you as well. Every word. You did much better than Saturday, and have run yourself back into it. Well done.

Carlee, it's just a shame you didn't have more time with us. You have a ton of potential, we just started too late. Plus I would love to take one more road trip through Amish country! Nice job this season.

McKena, sometimes stuff hurts. It won't hurt you, but it hurts. That's what you have right now. It would have been easy to dodge the run, but you stuck with it. That's a life lesson that hopefully will carry on.

Diana, I don't know what happened. Hopefully we can find an answer soon. Let's start ruling some things out!

Claudia, I went from wanting to wring your neck to hugging you tonight. Way to go in your race! That's the way to end a season, girl!

Taper and beyond

Ladies,

Tomorrow is the NE Dubois meet. This is an odd one, because though the course is a bit short, it also includes one incredible climb out of the lake area. The effect is to negate the shortness with difficulty, so don't expect to have incredibly fast times. Additionally, the area holds rainwater like a Vietnamese rice terrace. Our area saw over 6 inches of rain over the weekend, so... plan to have some fresh socks and shoes for after the meet. If you don't need them, fine, but you'll be glad you have them if you do. Ask anyone who was there last year. They'll tell you.

Our bus leaves as close to 3:15 as possible. It's a tight schedule. The lineup looks like this:

Varsity

1. Carrie
2. Madison
3. Katlyn
4. Chloe
5. Diana
6. Carlee
7. McKena

JV

1. Claudia

I know, it's a bad break Claudia runs the JV race alone, but I won't deny McKena the opportunity to run Varsity, which she earned by beating Claudia in the Ted Fox Invite. Fastest seven always run Varsity, that's how it goes.

By the way... location of the school is:

Northeast Dubois High School

Gymnasium

4711 N Dubois Rd NE, Dubois, IN 47527

Driving Directions

So now we get down to the nitty-gritty...

Carrie - chase the Jasper girls. Allow them some leash on the first mile, then reel them in. They are good, very good. Keep it close and it's a victory.

 Madison - moderate the first mile. You cannot go full-bore on this hilly course. After you climb out of the hole (you'll know what I mean), throw down hard. Pick people off all the way in.

Katlyn - same as Madison. Be a bit more moderate the first part until you get out of the lake area, then drop the hammer.

Chloe - try to keep it pretty even. You haven't raced in a while, so you need this one to get you back in the groove. Hard effort, but save the really hard stuff for the second half.

Diana - just go for it. Seriously. You are going to have very cool weather. This is likely the last race of the year. Go out on a high note!

Carlee - same as Diana, only this is likely your last race ever. Make it something to remember, one way or another. You have absolutely nothing to lose. Make it count!

McKena - you've had hints of something ready to break loose, and this is your last chance this year. Make it happen. Take a chance!

Claudia - same as McKena. It will be a whole year before you get to do this again. Don't waste this chance! 

Girls not racing: I figure you'll have mixed emotions on this one. Part of you will hate to miss a race, but part of you will be happy to miss this one. Satisfy yourselves in that it wasn't your choice to make. You didn't chicken out, I won't let you race and jeopardize Sectional. My call, right or wrong. I may extend this further. I'll text those affected if I need to make changes of plans, but rest assured, this lineup will not change.

HHC

Ladies,

Let's start on the numbers:

Athlete	1	2	Pace	3	Pace	5k	Pace
Carrie	6:21:00	13:48:00	7:27:00	21:00:00	7:12:00	21:37:00	6:58:23
Danielle	6:28:00	13:48:00	7:20:00	21:09:00	7:21:00	21:55:00	7:04:12
Alli	6:29:00	13:53:00	7:24:00	21:12:00	7:19:00	21:58:00	7:05:10
Madison	6:40:00	14:29:00	7:49:00	22:24:00	7:55:00	23:04:00	7:26:27
Morgan	6:57:00	14:52:00	7:55:00	22:24:00	7:32:00	23:05:00	7:26:46
Bret	7:25:00	15:56:00	8:31:00	23:24:00	7:28:00	24:20:00	7:50:58
Katlyn	7:03:00	10:01:00	2:58:00	23:40:00	13:39:00	24:27:00	7:53:14

Okay, the thing that pops out here is mile 2. All of you collapsed a bit on that, though some more than others. 

Madison and Katlyn, you guys were in over your heads at your starting mile pace, that's obvious. We'll have to look at a more rational starting point for you two, because chasing someone out of your zone isn't going to do anything but frustrate you. A 7:10 for Madison and a 7:30 for Katlyn would have been a far better way to go.

Bret, you need to get that hip checked. No question about it, and we need to know ASAP what your status is. We're in the last week of both sports, and you getting seriously hurt doesn't help anyone.

Morgan, that was an outstanding race for you. It was one second off your PR, and that is saying a lot on a day that saw no other runners in the field running particularly fast. You can run in the 22's on our course, and we need you to. 

Alli, gutsy race. I saw that look on your face again, the one I saw the first meet. Glad to have it back! For a while there I thought you might run #1 for us today. You didn't allow the other two to run away from you, where a lot of girls going through what you are would have. Kudos.

Danielle, you didn't let Carrie tear away from you. Bravo! This course favored Carrie, as the many turns caused the need for re-accelerations. Carrie has a faster first step than everyone else on the team. Great job hanging in there. Have pride, have heart, and the rest takes care of itself. 

Carrie, you aren't afraid to race, and ultimately this is going to bring you to glory. Yes, it's bitter to taste a bit of failure (failing to place in top-14), but it also can light a fire that will lift you to greater heights. What we learn by being close but not quite good enough is nothing can be taken for granted, and every day holds a possibility to grow. Take every chance to improve, and day-by-day you will. It will all come together. Remember: it wasn't until Logan Barrett's junior year he finally broke through, but when he did...

As far as the team finish is concerned, I'm happy with it, believe it or not. We improved a great deal over last year, and we were competing legitimately for 3rd. Only 4 points took us from 3rd to 5th. Remember how we always yell about shirts? Shirts equal points. Four shirts and we are 3rd. We were close ladies, much closer than last year. 

Monday is the start of taper. Tuesday is NE Dubois. Fair warning - some of you will not be running this meet. 

Tomorrow and beyond

Ladies,

Tomorrow is going to be short - 3 miles - so make your plans now. It will be quick, very quick, so younger girls especially make plans to be picked up a little after 4 PM.

Saturday we are leaving from BNL pool by 7 AM. DON'T BE LATE! The bus will leave on time.

Tonight's run was about staying sharp and resting, which don't have to conflict. As you saw, the fartleks weren't fun, but they really weren't hard. By the time you got back to the school you were joking around like your normal selves.

As we head into taper, you're going to have a lot more energy. This is normal. Don't do anything silly with that extra energy. I remember one year with the boys as we headed into Conference, one of my kids approached me at the starting line and said, "Coach, I can't go." He'd tweaked his knee the night before and couldn't run on it. This kid was an ironman for me, and would have won Conference that day. I knew it killed him to pull out. So instead my #2 runner won Conference.

How did he hurt himself? Jumping over his bed in his bedroom, just goofing around. He was always a bit of a goof, and he never seemed to resolve his tendency to be that way. He was one of those guys that would bring himself to the brink of glory, only to throw it away with a horrible lapse of judgement. This is sometimes referred to as "being one's own worst enemy."

We are going through one more week of school, then fall break. What's bad about that is it's also Sectional and Regional week. It's not my fault ladies, I didn't schedule it, but we have to deal with it. What's the problem, besides you need to stay in the area if you plan to race these races? It's a huge break in routine. Sleep patterns will change, eating patterns will change, and you will have a lot more time to go out and be your own worst enemies. I sweat this one every year.

Now here's another thing we have to look at... Soccer Sectional. It happens the day before our Sectional, if I'm reading the sports calendar correctly. We may have to look really hard at our roster for this meet. There is a chance we may sit some people out so we can have them for Regional. We'll see how things look a little closer to the event, but everyone better be ready to go if called. Fair warning!

Tomorrow night and HHC

No Danielle, I'm not getting lazy - I'm shifting tactics.

We have to change our focus a bit, because things are going to get very basic, and fast. As we travel through the tournament season, it all boils down to simple numbers.

In HHC, you have to be in the top-14 to be in the money. If you don't chase from the start, you won't be in the money. That's pretty basic.

In Sectional and Regional, assuming the team doesn't get out, you have to be in the top-10 of the non-advancing teams' runners to get out. That's pretty basic too.

So, while I would love to talk about time, it's no longer an option. From now on we have to talk about place. This Saturday, there's a girl from Seymour that is within reach. Carrie, you know who she is. You need to point her out to Danielle and Alli. That's your target, ladies. If you can get to her, stay with her. No matter what, no matter how bad it hurts, stay with her. Practice your tough for later, because you're going to need it.

Madison, Bret, trust in your conditioning. You both can run much faster than you believe. Go hard, and hang in there the second mile.

As for Morgan and Katlyn, well, that one needs no explanation.

That's our strategy girl - heavy on the guts. Kinda makes the next couple of days easier in the mental preparation department, eh?

On to tomorrow, there is a middle school invite. It's a big meet, and they could use some help. If you can hang around, hang around. If you can't, I understand. We'll be chute workers like last year. No biggie, easy really.

We'll run first, a short, sharp workout. No more than 5 miles, and with fartleks. 

Today's workout, Saturday's race, and more!

Ladies,

First, let's clear away the paperwork. Details of Saturday's HHC race are as follows:

Location: Prosser School of Technology, 4202 Charlestown Road, New Albany
Time: Varsity Boys, 9 AM, Varsity Girls 9:35 AM
Awards: 10:25 AM
Leaving BNL 7 AM from the pool

Okay, that being finished, let's look at tonight's workout... I need to break it in half, so sorry!

Athlete	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Average
Carrie	2:51:00	2:49:00	2:55:00	2:58:00	3:04:00	2:54:00	17:31:00	2:55:10
Danielle	2:53:00	2:53:00	2:58:00	2:56:00	2:54:00	2:53:00	17:27:00	2:54:30
Alli	2:59:00						2:59:00	2:59:00
Madison	2:54:00	2:54:00	2:58:00	2:58:00	3:14:00	3:00:00	17:58:00	2:59:40
Bret	3:15:00	3:23:00					6:38:00	3:19:00
Chloe	3:00:00	2:59:00	3:24:00		3:05:00	2:54:00	15:22:00	3:04:24
Morgan	3:02:00		3:12:00	3:15:00		2:58:00	12:27:00	3:06:45
Katlyn	3:13:00	3:09:00	3:05:00	3:06:00	3:08:00	3:01:00	18:42:00	3:07:00
Diana	3:07:00		3:07:00		3:13:00		9:27:00	3:09:00
Carlee	3:27:00		3:13:00		3:43:00		10:23:00	3:27:40
McKena	3:25:00		3:18:00		3:20:00		10:03:00	3:21:00
Claudia	3:50:00		3:42:00		4:00:00		11:32:00	3:50:40

and 

Athlete	Pace	5k
Carrie	6:16:12	19:26:13
Danielle	6:14:46	19:21:46
Alli	6:24:26	19:51:44
Madison	6:25:52	19:56:10
Bret	7:07:23	22:04:53
Chloe	6:36:02	20:27:41
Morgan	6:41:04	20:43:20
Katlyn	6:41:37	20:45:00
Diana	6:45:54	20:58:19
Carlee	7:26:00	23:02:35
McKena	7:11:41	22:18:12
Claudia	8:15:23	25:35:43

Alright... the validity of the results directly proportional to the number of 800's you ran... in other words, the more 800's you ran, the more accurate the prediction.

Looking at the predictions, we have 4 girls set to go in the 19's. Frankly, that's not going to happen. But... backing off a minute gives us... a pretty solid number. Yeah, especially for the girls who did all or most of the intervals, I feel really good about adding a minute to that time. 

You guys might think I'm crazy talking like that, but if you do, you're the ones that are crazy. You ran the splits today. You can do it. You have to be tough enough to take the pain to do it. Oversimplification? Nope. Sometimes it's really that simple. You don't have to be the fastest runner on the course to win... you can be the one who takes pain the longest. 

My pet phrase right now is, "Convince your mind, and your body will follow". That's absolutely the truth. Once you are convinced a time is possible, it is possible. No... it is likely. If you are stubborn enough, if you are willing to hurt enough, it will be absolutely possible. The trick for me is to figure out the trigger that makes you want to hurt that badly. 

This past week it was a particular opponent on another team. This week it may be a rival on our own team. Whatever or whoever it is, use it, make it work. This needs to be something to wrap your mind around, something that will consume your thoughts, a central focus that cuts through pain. Find that, and anything is possible. 

It's nearing the end now. Seniors, you especially have to make the most of what you have left before you. You will never pass this way again, so they say. You want to go out in glory. Want a story for the ages? Here's your chance.