Confidence

Ladies,

The spreadsheet would be way too large to post here tonight, so I condensed it a bit so you get an idea what the numbers actually meant. The clipped version is here:

Runner	Mile 1	Mile 2	Mile 3	Pace	5k
Carrie	6:12:00	6:24:00	6:25:00	6:20:20	19:39:02
Joslyn	6:12:00	6:24:00	6:25:00	6:20:20	19:39:02
Katlyn	6:29:00	6:44:00	6:42:00	6:38:20	20:34:50
Zoe	6:28:00	6:43:00	6:42:00	6:37:40	20:32:46
Chelsey	7:13:00	7:22:00	7:20:00	7:18:20	22:38:50
Cynthaney	7:13:00	7:22:00	7:20:00	7:18:20	22:38:50
Sara	7:27:00	7:45:00	7:41:00	7:37:40	23:38:46
Kate	7:27:00	7:45:00	7:41:00	7:37:40	23:38:46

Wow!

Okay, did you all realize this is the first speed workout where everyone who started finished the whole thing? Every single one? Did you also realize this was the longest distance of quality work we've done all year? Yup. Both are milestones.

What's more, the speed was pretty darn good. I'm not extrapolating much when I say you should be in the neighborhood of these times IF you had a course similar to the track. Of course we don't run like that, but is it hard to believe you could run 30 seconds slower to allow for a course? I don't think so.

I know Sara and Kate can both break 24 minutes. I knew that before the workout. 7:44 is the number, and after today, it has to be easier than ever to believe it's possible.

Chelsey and Cynthaney are also two peas in a pod. Chelsey has already run just shy of the 23:00 barrier. Cynthaney has largely bridged the gap to her. And girls, I cannot express enough how huge it would be for either or both of you to run anywhere near the times you predicted today. You both have the opportunity to be heroes this very Saturday. You both have the chance to deliver a 3rd place for our team!

Zoe and Katlyn, if you can stay focused and on form, push each other, and hang tough, yes, you could run that 21:00 number. Notice I'm not even talking about 22:00 - that's a foregone conclusion. Over the last few days I've talked to both of you about the importance of getting to the mid-21 range. Can you believe it now? I'm not crazy, am I?

Carrie and Joslyn, one or both of you could break school record this year. You need "THE DAY", where everything goes your way, but you know what? School record doesn't have to come from our course. The current one didn't - it came from Brown County. See where I'm going with this? Get yourself to Semi State, you get on that course again, right as you peak. Boom.

Diana, I don't mean to leave you out... you didn't run today out of caution. I can't have you hurt, and I don't think you are. Don't worry about missing a workout. Far better that than getting hurt. As we talked about, your training is in and you are going to do fine. I'm looking for sub-23:30 this weekend. Why not?

Look, I see nothing on the list above that can't happen. In fact, I think some of you will do it for sure. Who? I can't say. You control that. I hope you all do.

This weekend is a great opportunity. The course will be easier than ours, the weather will be PERFECT, and we are heading into tournament. If that doesn't fire you up, I don't know what can!

Down To It

Ladies,

We are down to it. The final weeks of the season are upon us. Conference, Sectional, Regional... Semi State? How far will we go?

Things certainly are harder now that we've lost Madison. I cannot even begin to find the words that will make her feel better about it - what can anyone say? All I can think of are the times I've lost seasons I worked so hard for, right in the home stretch as Madison has. It's tough. All that work... wasted?

No.

Even if Madison can't lace up the shoes and run, she has been and still is a part of however far we go. How many runners have been encouraged by her, motivated by her, cared for by her? Madison's importance only began with her running. Her greater importance has been her influence, and that exists stronger than ever.

This isn't the end of course, only a detour. Madison will be back better than ever. But not this season. That is final, and we all have to come to grips with what that means. For the rest of us, it means we have to dig in, find that greater resolve to accomplish our goals. As crazy as it sounds, sometimes greater adversity simply means greater glory.

In Judges 7:1-8 125,000 Midianite soldiers were arrayed against Gideon's volunteer army of 32,000. The odds were bad enough, but then God asked Gideon to select only the men who lapped water from their hands. Only 300 Israelites did so. With this army Gideon was successful. The lesson? All things are possible when God is involved, and you have faith.

I don't know about you, but I have faith. Tons of it. In you, all of you. I firmly believe that all things happen for a reason, and with the right mindset and faith there is good, always. In the short term this is really bad for Madison; in the long term it may taker her to newer and greater heights. For the rest of you, let it remind you of how tenuous your opportunities are, and how they can never be squandered. Resolve to dig that little bit deeper, for you, for Madison, and for this team you all love.

Be lionesses. 

Ted Fox Invite 2014

Ladies,

It was another great race! Everyone gave it their best, as you should by this point in time. While only a few of you had your best times ever, almost all of you had your best ever time on the BNL course. That's no small thing. Our course is tough. I would rate it 45 seconds slower than Brown County under similar circumstances. That means you could take 45 seconds off your time today and you would see a more accurate depiction of your growth in the last two weeks.

Here are the times from today:

Runner	800	Mile 1	Mile 2	Pace	Mile 3	Pace	5k	MPM
Joslyn	3:15:00	6:36:00	13:26:00	6:50:00	7:23:00	6:42:44	20:49:00	6:42:54
Carrie	3:15:00	6:29:00	13:16:00	6:47:00	7:40:00	6:58:11	20:56:00	6:45:10
Katlyn	3:23:00	6:56:00	14:00:00	7:04:00	8:08:00	7:23:38	22:08:00	7:08:23
Zoe	3:23:00	6:56:00	14:16:00	7:20:00	8:13:00	7:28:11	22:29:00	7:15:10
Madison	3:26:00	7:09:00	14:41:00	7:32:00	8:41:00	7:53:38	23:22:00	7:32:15
Chelsey	3:34:00	7:21:00	15:14:00	7:53:00	8:50:00	8:01:49	24:04:00	7:45:48
Diana	3:35:00	7:22:00	15:10:00	7:48:00	8:47:00	7:59:05	23:57:00	7:43:33
Cynthaney	3:25:00	7:12:00	15:10:00	7:58:00	8:50:00	8:01:49	24:00:00	7:44:31
Sara	3:23:00	7:13:00	15:21:00	8:08:00	9:09:00	8:19:05	24:30:00	7:54:12
Kate	3:29:00	7:13:00	15:40:00	8:27:00	9:33:00	8:40:55	25:13:00	8:08:04

It's hard to tell who to give this race to, if I were to try to award "best race of the day". Obviously you have Joslyn and Carrie breaking 21... then there's Katlyn running even splits better than anyone else... Madison for toughing out a hurt foot... Diana for breaking the 24 barrier... Cynthaney for almost doing the same... it goes on and on. Frankly you all deserve credit. It was a great team effort.

Speaking of which, the 7th place finish is a very good finish in that field. There were some tough teams present! The good/bad news is if Madison had been healthy we would have taken 5th. We would have beaten Columbus East, and been very close to Terre Haute South. The fact is though, Madison IS hurt, so like it or not we will have to deal with that. 

I already spoke of this after the meet, but I want to put it down again in words so it can be reviewed (if necessary). It is never upon any one particular runner to get a team to the next level. Every runner on the team has a responsibility to elevate as the season goes on. Madison getting hurt is not her fault, and there is nothing for her to do but try to get better. 

Interesting fact: lionesses are communal animals. Their success in hunting depends upon their reliance on one another. If a lioness becomes ill, the others will care for her until she can hunt again. The pack realizes the necessity of having a healthy group of animals for mutual survival. 

I like to think of you ladies as young lionesses. You are smart, strong, and you watch your opponents for weaknesses you can exploit, When you are hunting, it's all business; when the hunt is over you retain your playfulness. Yeah, I like that.

Anyway... you lionesses are going to have to care for one of your own. How? By taking a greater share of the hunt. You remaining girls are going to have to carry a heavier portion of the load. Take heart! Look to your left, look to your right, there is a sister right there who shares the load with you. Join your courage and commitment and understand it's a burden you take together. 

Great teams rise through adversity. I believe you girls are a great team, and though this is not the way I would see it tested, I am confident you will find a way to make it work. 

Now to the lighter stuff:

See that? Today we added three new names. Joslyn, Katlyn, and Zoe joined the illustrious group. Diana, though she broke 24, is a bit shy of getting on. Same for Cynthaney. But they were close!

Diana can at least console herself on one issue. She hit her goal today, meaning my beard is going to take some damage. How much will soon be seen, but somewhere in the next three weeks I'll have to wear a paper bag over my head when in public...

	Current Top 25
1	Samantha Sheldon		19:45:00
2	Casey Gillespie		19:59:00
3	Danielle Page		20:27:00
4	Hanna Guthrie		20:42:00
5	Joslyn Wever		20:49:00
6	Elizabeth Sheldon		20:54:00
7	Carrie Flinn		20:57:00
8	Molly McDonald		21:00:00
9	Alli Guthrie		21:27:00
10	Alannah Moore		21:30:00
11	Morgan Bartlett		21:35:00
12	Kathrin Koster		21:38:00
13	Courtney Crane		21:39:00
14	Shelby Bennett		21:39:00
15	Whitley Crane		21:48:00
16	Lauren Boshears		21:54:00
17	Megan Cox		22:04:00
18	Kaitlyn Ueltischi		22:05:00
19	Katlyn Eagan		22:08:00
20	Bret Roberts		22:12:00
21	Keeley Bobbs		22:13:00
22	Madison Ryan		22:27:00
23	Zoe Zollman		22:29:00
24	Morgan Deckard		22:53:00
25	Morgan Benstin		23:04:00

Ted Fox Eve

Ladies,

The first of our final race series of the season is about to begin. Why would I say that? Easy. Three of our next four races will happen at home. They will all be big meets with big ramifications. They also happen to qualify you girls for the All-Time Top-25 board.

Tomorrow's race is a Sectional preview. Most of our rivals will be there, and we will know what we are facing in the coming weeks. Chief of all will be Salem of course, but we shouldn't turn our eyes away from Terre Haute South. Beating either team gets us out of Regional.

As I told you at practice, your mindset over the next four weeks should be to progressively push yourselves harder and harder into the red zone. You have to find your line and ride just under it. That's where the best race is, and the line is tight - maybe only 5 seconds per mile. If you do this right, you will know your limits better than you ever have before.

What is there to lose? Why not take a shot? Race smart, race hard, and hang in there until the end.

Time goals:

Joslyn and Carrie - 20:30
Katlyn and Zoe - sub-22:00
Madison - 22:30
Chelsey - sub-23:00
Diana/Cynthaney/Sara - sub-24:00
Kate - 24:30

See you at the course by 8 AM. Don't be late!

Feeling good

Ladies,

I'm feeling much better about our direction heading into this weekend. The old attitude is coming back, and I saw signs today that people are getting aggressive. Good! That's the momentum we need heading into the end of the season.

Hard to believe, but our season comes down to the next three weeks. Everything that's happened since June, all the sacrifices you've made, all for the next three weeks... imagine that.

I asked Diana tonight if she felt the wind in her hair. Both she and Zoe were confused by that - yes, they felt wind in their hair, but by their expressions you could tell they wondered what I meant by that. Believe me, it's not the first time I've seen that look. Today.

"The wind in your hair" refers to that time period when some event in your life is about over, and you can see the end nearing. For Diana, that's her cross country career. It's a sad thing, and I certainly am not rubbing salt in that, but I think it's worth thinking about while you're still in the moment. Think of it as pre-nostalgia.

For me, that's cause to double down on my efforts like each one could be my last. Fact is, they might! An injury now means the end of cross instantly - we don't do redshirt seniors at BNL. No, anything left to accomplish cannot wait until some faraway time we'll someday get to. We can't even wait until tomorrow. Better to live every moment of it as if it were the last.

Isn't that true for all of us? Sure, only Diana graduates this year, but think of what she has meant to all of us. Think what a great captain she is. This will be a difficult hole to fill. In this respect, we are all going through a senior year, aren't we?

All the more reason to come together as a team, to enjoy these final weeks together. Who knows how it will all turn out, the ups and downs come as they will. We can choose to make the most of it and the time together to build lifelong memories.

I'll tell you this; nothing makes me smile like watching you all pile in a car and run off to do something together. Ask your parents about that one - I'm betting there isn't one that wouldn't trade places with you and be able to enjoy that priceless time of life again.

Shifting gears... revised beard goals!

Joslyn and Carrie - break 20:30.
Katlyn and Zoe - break 22:00.
Madison - break 22:30.
Chelsey - break 23:00.
Diana/Cynthaney/Sara - break 24:00.
Kate - break 24:30.

You can shave, stripe, dye, paint, about anything but tattoo. Plot your evil!

Another day, a better day

Ladies,

Last night wasn't the best of workouts. Thankfully it was an aberration, because tonight was much better. Not without it's problems, but attitude/focus wasn't one of them.

It was a 7-mile run for most. Embedded in the run were some pickups, a quarter-mile in length, with paces between 6:00-6:30 for the most part. Look at the data here and you will see:

Run your mouse along the graph on the bottom. Read the pace!

After thinking about last night, I realized the thing that was missing; Coach Vance. She was not there to urge you on during the hard stuff, and you drifted. Sure, everyone is getting tired, but that's always true. Still, I think Coach's absence was the critical piece.

That's why I ran with you tonight. I was going to be the hard part, and dictate how hard/how long you did it. That way I kept the pace where I wanted it and I would be right there if someone needed a kick in the seat of the pants. Thankfully the kicking part wasn't necessary!

On the front of the group, the pace didn't hurt you at all. On the end, it did. Naturally. Still, every girl on the team has at least 6-flat speed for short distance. I was counting on that.

Turning our attention forward, we have two days left until the Invite. Tomorrow will be another 6-7 mile run. Friday will be only 5. Both days will be at Milwaukee, because I want you all to heal up a bit. We cannot afford to hurt anyone at this point in the season.

Saturday is a big day, especially for runners 6-10. Who gets to run Conference/Sectional/Regional may be settled then. Everyone will train until the end of the season, but the only people sure to race until the season is over are the 7 fastest times of the season. That's the only fair way to do it. I hate that all of you won't be able to race State Series. That's just how it works.

For now, we race at 9 AM. I would want girls there by 8. Members of last year's team remember "The Great Sleepover Fiasco". Don't forget to set your alarm! I certainly don't want anyone to lose their slot because they showed up late. There will be both a Varsity and JV race.

By the way, more and more of you are getting Garmins. I've created a club for that on Strava, and you can find it here:

Stars Girls CC

It only has one member right now - me! C'mon, if you own some form of GPS (and Coach Vance, your Android device works just fine), join in! You'll understand how addictive it is once you try it. 

Busted!

Ladies,

I've said over and over this has been a dream year for me, and I really meant it. I still do. Up to now it's been a smooth as anything could be.

Tonight we finally hit the hard part of the season.

That doesn't mean this has all suddenly changed and it's now a bad season - hardly! No, hard always comes. If there is no hard, there is no challenge. The right way to look at is the first part of the season has brought us here, where we test ourselves and determine who we are.

The word I used to describe tonight was "malaise"... a period of stagnation. You might call it "the blahs". No one was into the workout tonight, that was obvious. Truth is, I've been feeling this coming on since Brown County. That's easy to understand too... whenever you have such a tremendous meet, it's easy to have a letdown of emotion and energy. This is where we have to be most on our guard, because the important part of the season is just beginning.

Two weeks from this Saturday is Sectional. Sectional! We've been working since June for this moment. Don't forget that! It's been a long time coming, and it's almost here. For some of you, this weekend might be the last meet of the year. Everyone needs to be on their game Saturday, because anything can happen.

There is no need for panic. No! What we need is focus, and intensity. Going into Brown County everyone had it. Everyone was fired up, because they knew we have good times there every year. Well, we have good times at the Invite every year, too! And we need them, because we still have ground to cover.

We will be seeing some of our Sectional and Regional competition on Saturday. For many teams, this meet is the Sectional preview. You can bet they'll take it seriously even if we don't.

I'm really high on you ladies. You are a great team. Keep your focus and intensity a little while longer. One way or another, this will all soon be over. It's up to you, between now and then, to determine how good you feel about it all when it's over. 

Getting Close!

Ladies,

It's not far off now. This week is the Ted Fox Invite. It's an important meet for us, because it's the last time we get to run our course before Sectional and Regional. We want to also see how our rivals will run, what kind of shape they are in, and how we compare.

We haven't run our course a bunch this year. I've avoided it mainly because of how the last two years have gone. I'm trying hard to get you all to the finish of the season in one piece and still have enough training to race well. I'm rolling the dice on this one; I'm gambling we will get more out of you by going for quality rather than quantity (and hills).

It's worked so far. We've had some huge drops. I also think there are more to come. Tomorrow we do intervals, and they will be challenging. Don't be afraid; look forward to it. The more you can accomplish there, the more you can accomplish at a race. There is a connection. Make the most of the opportunity!

The rest of the week we'll run at Milwaukee. We have too many people nicked up to stay on the course. Right or wrong, that's my call. Wednesday won't be as hard as last Wednesday, that I promise. It'll be quality, just not as intense.

Thursday and Friday will be rest days. Saturday is race day. Simple.

Take care of icing painful areas. Stretch! Remember, that little bit of maintenance you do at home can make all the difference at practice and/or meets. 

Breaking it Down

Ladies,

We got through it. This is the meet I dread every year. Not because it is a bad race, because it isn't. On paper it's a great meet for us, and gives us a chance to race a little differently than we ordinarily would. No, the major negative is Homecoming always falls on this weekend.

And I can't compete with that.

Couple that with the warmer weather, rougher course, and late start (for the upperclassmen race) and it's a tough race to generate enthusiasm. Don't get me wrong, I think you guys were great; but coming off last week's huge drops, this race can feel like a letdown to you.

Know that I never expected fast times today. No team ran fast. Jasper threw themselves against it twice, and in both cases lost first because of an insane first mile. Example: in the first race, Jasper's #1 hit the first mile in 5:40 (17:34 pace). She finished in 20:00 (6:27). That's a disaster. If she had tried 6:10 she might have held it, but instead she let the Henryville girl, who was much more patient, overtake and destroy her.

Now it was easy to see up-and-down the line how it was going in race one, so I spoke to our girls before race two and advised patience. That worked. Carrie was around #30 at mile one, and finished 12th; Katlyn was maybe 50th at the mile and finished 17th. That's smart racing.

Still, we can't overlook how bravely the girls in the first race went after it. Joslyn was right on the 6:30 I gave her, finishing in 2nd for the Frosh. Zoe also stuck with it, slowing in the second mile but keeping the third even for 9th. And how about the Chelsey/Cynthaney duel? Right down to the wire with nearly identical times! Let's look at the numbers:

Runner	Mile 1	Mile 2		Mile 3		5K	MPM	Kick
Joslyn	6:30:00	13:33:00	7:03:00	20:44:00	7:11:00	21:23:00	6:53:52	39:00.0	5:12:00
Madison	7:15:00	14:58:00	7:43:00	22:47:00	7:49:00	23:30:00	7:34:50	43:00.0	5:44:00
Zoe	7:05:00	14:40:00	7:35:00	22:18:00	7:38:00	23:05:00	7:26:46	47:00.0	6:16:00
Chelsey	7:32:00	15:52:00	8:20:00	24:07:00	8:15:00	24:53:00	8:01:37	46:00.0	6:08:00
Cynthany	7:32:00	15:57:00	8:25:00	24:07:00	8:10:00	24:53:00	8:01:37	46:00.0	6:08:00
Sara	7:33:00	15:57:00	8:24:00	24:20:00	8:23:00	25:09:00	8:06:46	49:00.0	6:32:00
	Mile 1	Mile 2		Mile 3		5K		Kick
Carrie	6:43:00	13:56:00	7:13:00	21:25:00	7:29:00	22:12:00	7:09:41	0:47:00	6:16:00
Katlyn	7:05:00	14:32:00	7:27:00	22:06:00	7:34:00	22:49:00	7:21:37	0:43:00	5:44:00
Diana	7:39:00	16:19:00	8:40:00	25:28:00	9:09:00	26:33:00	8:33:52	1:05:00	8:40:00
Kate	7:40:00	16:19:00	8:39:00	25:20:00	9:01:00	26:09:00	8:26:08	0:49:00	6:32:00

Okay, so that likely went off the page. Sorry about that! I do find the splits interesting, especially one I haven't been able to collect for a while; mile 3. That enables me to get the final 200 meters, and therefore kick speed. I've wondered who on the team had the fastest kick. This pretty much settles it, doesn't it? 

Let me finish with a few comments:

Joslyn - great race. You can't argue with that finish. Way to fight!

Carrie - smart race. Controlling the early part kept you in it. You slowed as it went on as everyone else did, but it didn't destroy you. Thanks for listening!

Katlyn - these are remarkable splits inasmuch as you had so little drop. You earned your medal!

Zoe - ditto what I said to Katlyn (again). You two are two peas in a pod. Nice!

Madison - the rough nature of the course was bound to hurt your hip a great deal. You're going to have to put your eyes in Katlyn's back and hang on for dear life! It was good race, and you only missed medaling by 20 seconds!

Chelsey/Cynthaney - you followed instructions to a "T". I felt there was little between you right now, and you proved it. Way to take it to the kick and fight it out!

Sara - it won't be long before there is another girl kicking it out for a top-7. Good race!

Kate - I didn't mean to sound so harsh earlier, because I certainly am not angry. You are a young racer and don't understand things yet. My point was you never give up an advantage you've earned. Ever. You owed it to Diana to leave her and try to put as much distance on her as possible. She understood that, and that's why she yelled at you. You did exactly what I told you to do though, so in part that's my fault. Your results were fine, but understand you gave up some places by going back to her. In a State tournament environment, that could prove fatal. 

Diana - I'm proud of you. Proud of the way you tried to follow the plan, proud that you kept fighting when you became ill, proud of your attitude toward Kate when she came back to you... Kid, you get it. You understand your responsibility as captain and a member of the team. Your behavior was exemplary in every respect. You are everything a captain should be.

There was another moment that made me smile... after the racing was done, I pointed out to Joslyn that her 2nd in the Freshmen race was the highest finish we've had since I've been coach. "Carrie had 3rd her freshman year," I said. "What was her time?" inquired Joslyn, sporting a wry smile. 

Ah, yes. I love competition! (the answer is "21:11")

Beard Goals

Ladies,

It's funny how life circles about, bringing all the seemingly loose and unrelated strands of our existence together to form the tapestries that are "us". If you will, allow me to delve into that for a few minutes. In my weird way I will eventually make a point (I hope).

I've told you before I came up in a large family. To be precise, I had four brothers and three sisters, some step-sisters, blah, blah, blah. The precise details are too convoluted to flesh out completely, and to be honest aren't particularly germane to the topic. I will say in addition to my brothers and sisters I was raised with an aunt and two uncles that were close in age. If you are counting, that's eleven kids.

It was the 60's, we were poor, and for us it was in every sense of the word a "dog-eat-dog world". There wasn't a lot of food, and what little possessions we had were shared amongst us all. Not always evenly, I might add.

That's right. When you are raised in a family like that, competition is a daily fact of life. You had to fight for food. You had to fight for possessions. You had to fight for personal space. Life was a fight.

Flashing forward to the present, I recently assigned a research/essay to my careers class. Topic: "Nature vs. Nurture". I told them both influenced their lives, but I wanted them to tell me which had more. Of course there is no answer... strong examples can be given to support either side. It's an individual issue with no right or wrong.

Here's the thing... no matter which side you choose, embedded in your answer is an "out" for anything you do wrong. I mean, if you are a product of your environment (Nurture) it's not your fault if you do anything wrong. It's how you were raised. On the other hand, if it's your genetic disposition (Nature) nothing can be your fault because that is how you are made.

Where I was trying to take them, and this may have been way over their heads, is that we struggle with outside influences all the time. We also struggle with the internal ones. We fight against our environment and our own natures, but the truth of the matter is we absolutely have a choice, always, to be our best. No excuses!

Now in my case, I can't tell you for sure if it is my nature to fight, or if that's how I was raised. It's probably a bit of both. What I can tell you is there is a switch in me, and once it is thrown, look out! I don't mean that necessarily as a scary psychopath kind of thing... it's more like I dig in my heels and there is nothing that will alter the path I have set.

When I was younger I tried so hard to avoid conflict with my siblings. This was of course impossible, given our situation, but I always tried. When push came to the inevitable shove, and the first punch landed on my face, all the pacifism was gone. Now someone was going to pay. No matter what else happened, someone was going to pay. The pain I had feared didn't matter. Losing didn't matter. Someone was going to pay.

It surprises me how often that quality has surfaced in my competitive life. I've headed into competitions fearful of things out of my control, stressing about the smallest details. In the early days that tightness would prevent me from reaching higher levels of success. What I learned as I moved on was this: once the first blow has landed and the competition is in swing, all of my fire comes forth and now someone is going to pay. I can keep my head, I can think my way through it, but someone is going to pay. It might be that unknown person in front of me, or the one after that, but someone is going to pay. This turns out to be the healthiest possible channel for how I am. I have taken a potential negative quality and turned it into a positive.

I have to believe we all have that switch - we just have different triggers. If you can find yours, find that one thing that pushes everything else out of your head so you can focus on giving everything you have, then you become great. Some need personal accomplishment, some need something bigger than themselves, a selfless act, and I can't tell you what yours will be. I can tell you you need to find it.

I will offer you something to shoot for tomorrow. Of course the challenge pales in comparison to such weighty psychological debates as "Nature vs. Nurture", but who knows, it might just be the carrot you need to get the job done.

It's time to start putting the beard and hair on the line.

I will set time goals: If you meet/beat them, you will get to assault my beautiful beard and/or head with a set of clippers. Eyebrows too! This will occur at Sectional time, only a few short weeks away. I will allow Sharpies to touch my wonderfully tanned scalp as well.

Goals:
Carrie/Joslyn - 20:15 or below.
Katlyn/Madison/Zoe - 21:45 or below.
Chelsey - 22:50
Diana/Cynthany/Sara/Kate - 23:45

Girls, I am being MORE than generous here. I expect to wind up with an EXTREMELY interesting hairdo before the season is up!

Something Important!

Inquiring minds want to know!

Quick survey

Tomorrow and beyond

Ladies,

Tomorrow will be another short practice. That works out well for a number of reasons I'm sure. Plan to be done around 4:30 (if you get started on time).

Saturday... the day looks like this:

Leave BNL 7:30 AM
Arrive at CC High School 9:00 AM
Freshmen/Sophomore race 10:00 AM
Junior/Senior race 11:00 AM
Leave CC High School 12:00 PM
Arrive at BNL 1:30 PM

Location of the school: get to Marengo by your favorite path. Continue south on Highway 66 and the school is a few miles down the road on your left.

I know this is Homecoming weekend, but let's try to focus on the race for just a little while! After that, if you want to go home with the family, go! Just print me a permission slip and it will be cool. (wink)

Awards: top 15 of each grade receive medals.

That will do for now!

Double-Down and Dirty

Ladies,

It's hard to do back-to-back hard workouts, but sometimes it's harder not to. This interval/tempo combo is a method I used for years. Challenging? Yes. However the reward is a better rest cycle for weekend racing. You effectively get three quality days a week at speed. You can't do it forever, but at this point in the season it is appropriate.

It was a good one today. Everyone showed well in some way. Here are the numbers:

Runner	Mile 1	Mile 2	Pace	MPM	Proj. 5k
Carrie	6:44:00	13:12:00	6:28:00	6:36:00	20:27:36
Joslyn	6:44:00	13:12:00	6:28:00	6:36:00	20:27:36
Katlyn	7:02:00	14:08:00	7:06:00	7:04:00	21:54:24
Madison	7:02:00	14:08:00	7:06:00	7:04:00	21:54:24
Zoe	7:02:00	14:08:00	7:06:00	7:04:00	21:54:24
Chelsey	7:46:00	15:21:00	7:35:00	7:40:30	23:47:33
Diana	7:46:00	15:31:00	7:45:00	7:45:30	24:03:03
Cynthany	7:46:00	15:24:00	7:38:00	7:42:00	23:52:12
Sara	7:46:00	15:25:00	7:39:00	7:42:30	23:53:45
Kate	7:46:00	15:22:00	7:36:00	7:41:00	23:49:06

Carrie and Joslyn ran together the whole way, except for the very earliest portions. Carrie, who was wearing my Garmin, quickly caught herself and brought the pace back to reality. Look what happened as a result. That's a 16-second negative split in the second mile! I have every confidence you girls could hold 6:36 all day long. 

Katlyn, Madison, and Zoe ran a well-controlled tempo. I didn't have to get onto anyone too much. It was nice to see you take turns on the front, too. Believe the numbers you see - you are all ready to go sub-22. 

Chelsey, you really took charge of that group. The pace was about 30 seconds off your PR, but that's exactly what a tempo should be. Did you notice the 11-second negative split? I did. 

Diana, you held perfectly even splits right at your best race pace. I know it didn't feel fun to be passed, but that was PR pace. You had a great workout. 

Cynthany, Sara, and Kate... huge negative splits, all of you, and those are crazy drops! Your confidence is building, so why not take a chance next meet? Hook onto Diana and Chelsey and see how long you can hang on. There is nothing to lose!

Easy workouts the next couple of days!

Intervals!

Ladies,

Sorry for the lateness of the post... I'm getting my desktop together again, and that required a trip to Bloomington for parts. Things are beginning to straighten out for good (I hope), and that's a welcome development.

Let me try to paste the results of the workout today. Here goes!

Runner	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Pace	Proj. 5k
Carrie	3:02:00	3:03:00	2:59:00	3:00:00	2:58:00	3:00:00	18:02:00	6:00:40	18:38:04
Joslyn	3:05:00	3:08:00	3:03:00	3:03:00	3:01:00	2:58:00	18:18:00	6:06:00	18:54:36
Katlyn	3:06:00	3:09:00	3:04:00	3:03:00	3:04:00	3:03:00	18:29:00	6:09:40	19:05:58
Madison	3:06:00	3:09:00	3:04:00	3:08:00			12:27:00	6:13:30	19:17:51
Zoe	3:07:00	3:09:00	3:04:00	3:04:00	3:04:00	3:03:00	18:31:00	6:10:20	19:08:02
Chelsey	3:22:00	3:24:00	3:33:00				10:19:00	6:52:40	21:19:16
Diana	3:22:00	3:25:00	3:27:00	3:29:00	3:32:00	3:32:00	20:47:00	6:55:40	21:28:34
Cynthany	3:38:00	3:48:00	3:44:00	3:38:00	3:30:00	3:26:00	21:44:00	7:14:40	22:27:28
Sara	3:38:00	3:48:00	3:44:00	3:41:00			14:51:00	7:25:30	23:01:03
Kate	3:31:00	3:18:00	3:17:00	3:14:00	3:08:00	3:18:00	19:46:00	6:35:20	20:25:32

There! That seems to have worked! What does it all add up to?

Carrie, you seem to have even splits, but there was still the tendency, especially early on in the workout, to dart out. The problem with that is there won't be any breaks in the action during a race, and once the sustainable line is crossed, the show is over. It wasn't nearly as bad as last week, but it was there. This will be your Achilles Heel until it is resolved. That's the negative - here's the positive. That was 6-flat pace for 3 miles. I know your knee hurts, and it might tomorrow too. There is no other way to get you to your goal. You can bet Sydney and Andrea are doing this. That's who you are racing in the end. I feel like if you can comfortably run 6-flat pace, you should be able to handle 6:30 in a race. That's 20:09, a time I can easily see you doing.

Joslyn, that was a brilliant workout. You were under on every one, and your pacing was flawless. You rode the line just as you should have. You finished with a slower pace than Carrie on paper, but I felt a lot more confident in your ability to hold it because it was evenly split. For that reason I could see you running 6:30 as well, and holding it. That's two girls right at 20!

Katlyn, you have become a monster! I honestly didn't see you running that far under 3:15 for all of them, but you did it. WOW! What you are doing, week after week, is toughing it out, hanging there with the next fastest girl ahead of you, and closing the gap. It. Works. You realize by running that 6:09 average you likely could 5k in the 6:45 range, placing you at 20:55. That's right, sub-21! You will go under 22, there is no question about it; sub-21 is looking more and more certain.

Madison, 6:13 pace had to feel sweet. The projected 21:11 would be a minute P.R. That would be great, too! That is a conservative goal, assuming a good course and a good day (and you rested). Believe it, you haven't lost your speed. Not by a long shot!

Zoe, same as Katlyn. You guys should be breaking 21 in no time. What I want to add to my comments about your workout tonight is how tough you hung with Katlyn. You put your eyes on her and never took them off. That works, because it gives you one thing and one thing only to worry about. Everyone needs their thing, the one thing they can hang onto when it gets tough, and that may be it for you. Regardless, you certainly have the physical tools to get the job done. You also realize that would be 5 girls under 21? (yes, Madison, you will be under 21 also)

Chelsey, you started off like a champ. I know you got sore quickly, but you did attack. The goal I gave you was very aggressive, I know. That's not going to change, because I think on the right day you can do it. We have to get you ready as possible in case the stars align like they did this past week. Could you see another 2-minute drop? Hey, I'm a fan. I think you can do anything right now.

Diana, keep the faith. You are working so hard, and like Chelsey, I gave you a very aggressive goal. At 6:55 you beat the 7:00 load I placed on you. That checks out to be an easy sub-23 time. Yes, it does! I heard you laughing through the Internet. I have spies. Or big ears. Or both.

Cynthany, loved it. Loved. It. You are getting more and more confident, and I'm beginning to see a racer in there I didn't know existed. Sub-24 is on your short list, believe it or not. You are getting stronger by the day. If you can take the pain, you can do the time.

Sara, same as Cynthany almost completely. You guys ran together and against one another today, though at times I did have to holler at you. That's okay, that's what a coach is for! Your ability to handle the pain increases by the day, and as it does your time is plummeting. I cannot see how you don't break 24 in the very near future.

Kate, ah Kate. You just might have the fastest legs on the team. You certainly have the prettiest stride - when you are on step your front leg balances perfectly under your centerline, and your back leg has a good kickup. The ticket for you is keeping things attainable, finding that perfect "carrot" for you to chase. You went easy on the first lap of the first few intervals, then charged in the second half. Once Coach and I picked up on that (pretty much at the same time, BTW), it was time to send you after the big girls - and you kept up. If you could channel a little Katlyn, ask her how she focuses during hard work, and master that quality, you would be running #1. Not kidding.

In summary, I realize the chart above shows times ranging from 18:38 - 23:01. That's not realistic based on the way the workout was conducted. Fatigue would set in, and you would slow. However, my "gut feeling" adjustment is 30 seconds per mile, or 90 seconds total. That is WAY conservative, and gives a very realistic look at what you did (assuming you did all 6). I guess what I'm saying is you can take the goal times I gave you to the bank. They will happen barring the unforseen.

I want to add one final thing... I thank God every day I have the opportunity to work with you ladies. Just know the world might be crashing down around me, but my oasis is the time I spend with you all. Ordinarily by this time of year it's getting harder and harder to keep it up, everyone is tired and grumpy, but not this year. I never want it to end! In almost 40 years of coaching I have never been able to say that.

You are special - each and every one of you.

Fortune Smiles Upon You

Ladies,

I took it as an omen that you were not meant to run today. That's right, when the storm clouds suddenly gathered, it was clear you needed another rest day after that fine display on Saturday. I would have preferred to get at least 5k in, but it is what it is.

Of course that means you should be all the more ready to run tomorrow, and run you shall. We will be doing intervals, 800s to be exact. They will be hard, I won't lie. There is no choice - if you want to get to Semi-State, you have to earn it. This is how it is done.

I'm in a bit of a pickle after the computer crash trying to determine precisely what your pace is. The computer had all my notes and such, so I'll have to rely on the blog entries to determine what I can. What I will be able to get from the blog is your pace from last week. That will be enough, I think.

What we really want out of the workout is an even effort. By that I mean I don't want to see an explosive quarter followed by a fading quarter. I want to see you girls hit the numbers when you should, not before. It will do you no good to teach yourself to explode early. That's not where your best race is, and I won't have it.

Looking at the race results from Saturday, it seems like reasonable numbers might go like:

Joslyn/Carrie - 3:10
Kaitlyn/Madison/Zoe - 3:15
Chelsey/Diana - 3:30
Cynthany/Sara/Kate - 3:50

Let's start there and see where it goes.

The countdown is already beginning. End of season will be here before you know. Sectional only four weeks away? Yup. Let's really dig in here the next three weeks and see what we can accomplish!

Something to Study - Addition to Yesterday's post

Runner	Mile 1	Mile 2	Pace	Final	1.1 mile	Mile 3 Pace	Overall Pace
Joslyn	6:33	13:18	6:45	20:38	7:20	6:40	6:39
Carrie	6:15	13:14	6:59	21:02	7:48	7:05	6:47
Katlyn	6:50	14:08	7:18	22:08	8:00	7:16	7:08
Madison	6:58	14:18	7:20	22:16	7:58	7:14	7:10
Zoe	6:51	14:11	7:20	22:18	8:07	7:22	7:11
Chelsey	7:22	14:57	7:35	23:11	8:14	7:29	7:28
Diana	7:22	15:16	7:54	24:03:00	8:47:00	7:59:05	7:45:29
Cynthany	7:34	15:30	7:56	24:11:00	8:41:00	7:53:38	7:48:04
Sara	7:30	15:32	8:02	24:14:00	8:42:00	7:54:33	7:49:02
Kate	7:38	15:38	8:00	24:40:00	9:02:00	8:12:44	7:57:25

Thanks to my good buddy Timmy G. for alerting me to the error I had in the third mile times. I'd forgotten (in my haste) about the distance being 1.1 miles, therefore the final split was reflected incorrectly. It has since been broken down to a more accurate split, though not perfect. No way to get that from where I was on the course. 

Okay, so looking at this, Joslyn had a near perfect race. The middle mile was only slightly slow, and I do mean slightly. I really have no complaints about it, though I would warn about the second mile doldrums one can encounter. 

Carrie's splits are a bit more erratic. This was a result of that first half of the first mile. This is a good race, but when laid alongside Joslyn's, my point is easily made. This is a minor tweak to your pace, a relatively easy correction to make. 

Katlyn, Madison, and Zoe, I would have you do nearly the same thing again, which is to try to go out at 7-flat. Remember? 7-flat all day? That 10 seconds on the front hurt you in the end. Great races, seriously. You just stepped slightly over the line in the first mile is all. 

Chelsey, you pretty much are like Joslyn... it would be hard to imagine running a much better race. The middle mile was slightly slow, but that might be due to variances in the course. It seems you all dropped a little on that one. You came back the final mile and hammered. Great race!

Diana, you fell off a bit the last couple of miles, but so what. You hung in there longer than ever. I'm coming around to believing you just have to run tough in the middle, pacing be darned. You have nothing to lose by cutting loose, so you might as well. Just know the middle mile is what makes or breaks your races. 

Cynthany and Sara, you ran virtually identical races. Nothing wrong with that as you were fighting each other. You also both came back hard in the final mile and negative split, which is always a good thing. It shows you are still fighting. Great work!

Kate, once you lost contact, your eyes went to the ground and you were just trying to survive it. It was a great race, make no mistake, and I don't mean to sound negative. I will warn you a head pointing at the ground is something I look for when I'm in a race, because I know that person is finished. Eyes should always be up, you should always be watching what is going on around you. You don't want to miss opportunities. 

Okay, here's a thought I will leave you with... you all finished around runners. Let's imagine each of you passed one more person. Just one. You know what would have happened? You would have beaten Terre Haute North. Think on that. Always remember that when you are headed down the home stretch. I have had the agony of coaching a boys' team that missed going to State on the 6th man tiebreaker. It does happen, and it isn't fun! I know it hurts like crazy to push for every last shirt, but it hurts a lot more to miss a season-long goal when you know you could have gone harder, gotten one more person...