Week of Sept 5

What a great official start to the season yesterday!  Cross country is a great sport, and one of the perks to it is seeing so many young athletes rejoice in the successes they've earned through their own hard work.  The season is very early - a lot of work still needs to be done, but when the first meet shows such promise I can only hope it proves to the girls (and everyone else) that their training is working!  Keep it up!

Monday is a special practice on labor day.  We are going to meet with, and perhaps run with, the girls from Woodridge HS.  We are meeting at Pine Hollow picnic area in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  A map of the location is attached.  Here is the address.  5465 Quick Rd, Peninsula, OH 44264

There are a few ways to get there....the easiest is to take the turnpike East to Route 8.  Take Rt 8 SOUTH the Rt 303 exit.  At that exit GO STRAIGHT on old Rt 8.  Turn right on Quick Road and follow for a few miles until you see the Pine Hollow area.  My car, silver GMC Terrain license 13-XK will be there.  I'll be arriving early to measure/mark our route.

Second big thing - this coming weekend is a FAST big meet at Tiffin.  However it is also ACT weekend.  What is nice is our races are in the late afternoon.  Typically all of our girls have been able to take the test and comfortably drive to Tiffin for their race.  It is best to find out who is testing and where, then share a ride to the meet.  Look at the race times for Saturday and let me know if all is not well and we can try to change something.

mileages come out later tonight.

Monday, Sept 5 - practice at CVNP - Pine Hollow.  Hilly run day.  

8:30-10:30...parents feel free to come hike with the family or ride your bike on the towpath a few miles away (or the bike and hike which goes to Stow also a few miles away - no gravel).

Tuesday, Sept 6 - normal SJA Tuesday practice.  Done by 5:15

Wednesday, Sept 7 - AT run at Mastick.  Done by 5:15

Thursday, Sept 8 - normal Thursday cross train at SJA.  Done by 5:00 

Friday, Sept 9 - normal Friday pre-meet at Mastick.  Done by 5:00 then back to SJA for team dinner!!!

Saturday, Sept 10 - meet at Tiffin (hedges boyer park)

3:05 - varsity B (top 3 get plaques) - Conway, Hahn, Vovk, Grant, Hyland, Perkins, C. Wagner

4:00 - varsity A (top 5 get plaques)  - Seymour, M. Wagner, Allen, Keim, Battistoni, Walsh, Saul

4:55 - open....anybody not in first two races.

Sunday, Sept 11 - on own

early notice - September 18th is Heroe's Run - a chance to earn more service hours by working the road race at SJA

Week of Sept 5	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun	total
location	Pine Hollow CVNP	SJA	Mastick	SJA	Mastick	Meet at Tiffin	On own
group	Hill run	Cross train	AT run	Cross train	Pre-meet	Competition	recover
1	4	0	4	0	3	4.5	0	15.5
2	4	2	5	0	3	5	0	19
3	5	3	6	0	3	5	0	22
4	6	3	6	0	4	6	0	25
5	7	4	7	0	4	6	4	32

Week of August 29th

This is the quick version - workouts and mileages sent later tonight.

We loved the "Turkey" theme last night.  Fun stuff and well played.  That can definitely be an unofficial theme for the season.  One of my favorite quotes from 7th grade science class hung on the wall - "It's hard to soar with the eagles when you're working with Turkeys".  So far we have demonstrated mostly Eagle behavior - let's keep it that way or a Turkey (er rubber chicken) may come your way!

1.  Athletes - ask your parents if they are on the email list.  If not, give them my email and please ask them to send me a note so they can be added.

2.  Note to all...After 3 weeks we have not had one day of perfect attendance yet.  Be it vacations, appointments, illness, etc...With 65 active athletes it is hard to expect everyone to be healthy and available every single day, you would expect ONE day!  Sadly, we haven't had perfect attendance for one day (including meets) in 2 years.  I do take it personally to the extent that I go out of my way for the team so I expect the athletes (and by association the parents) to do the same.  We all signed up for this, so let's do this right!  

3.  We will be meeting for a labor day practice next Monday.  As of now we are planning to meet up with another school - Woodridge High School - at the CVNP, specifically Pine Hollow off Quick Road (not too far from Blossom).  Woodridge had 5 girls break 20:00 at the state meet last year - they must be doing something right! (like hills!!!!)  It will NOT be long run day, but it will be hill day.  It's fun to Labor on Labor Day!  No bus will be available, so try to arrange transportation soon.  Parents - this is near the towpath and it's a great area to walk, ride a bike, etc...get your exercise before you eat a lot of burgers, etc...

4.  New athletes...you need to have a 1" binder (used is fine) for this season.  We use it to keep track of everything.  Have it by Friday!!!!

5.  There is a meet this week!!!  Coaches do NOT want to hear about "injuries" for the first time the morning of a race. Example - Suzy walks up to Coach Kieser at 8:30 Saturday morning before warm-up and says "my foot has been bothering me for 3 weeks, but it really hurts today".  Coach Kieser's reply..."cut your foot off, or your head, and run".  Not really, but that's what I WANT to say.  If you come up to a coach about a new injury the morning of a race it sounds an awful lot like nerves and wimpiness.  

Monday, Aug 29 - workout at Memorial - 3:30-5:15 BRING YOUR SPIKES FOR REAL THIS TIME!!!!  Memorial field is 2 miles away from SJA.  Same car rides as going to Mastick.  Parent pick-up at the field.  The location is on valley parkway between Old Hogsback Road and Rockcliff Roads.  

Tuesday, Aug 30 - normal Tuesday at SJA - done by 5:15

Wednesday, Aug 31 - Early dismissal day!!!  fartlek at Mastick - 2:30-4:00.

Thursday, Sept 1 - normal cross train day at SJA - done by 5:15

Friday, Sept 2 - pre-meet day - at Mastick.  We'll have our pre-meet meeting at Mastick, then workout, then caravan back to SJA for pre-meet meal.

Saturday, Sept 3 - first meet of the season!!!  Bus leaves 7:15.  Race at 10:00 for everybody - no JV or open races at this meet.  More info soon.

Sunday, Sept 4 - on own.

Monday, Sept 5 - Labor Day at Pine Hollow of CVNP 8:30-10:30.  About 35-40 min from SJA.  

Week of August 29	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun	total
location	Memorial	SJA	Mastick	SJA	Mastick	Ashland	home
group	intervals	Mileage/xt	fartlek	Xt	Pre-meet	Race!
1	4.5	0	4	0	2	5	0	15.5
2	5	2	4	0	3	5	0	19
3	5.5	3	5	0	4	5	0	22.5
4	6	4	5	4	5	6	0	30
5	7	5	6	5	5	Am race: 6 Pm: 3	4	41

Workout Grid Week of August 8th

Date Week of August 8	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun	total
location	SJA	Mastick	SJA	home	Mastick	Station Rd	home
workout	Short mileage	Mileage	Light hills	Recovery	Mileage	Long run
1	5	6	5	4-6	6	10	0	36-38
2	4	6	4.5	0	5	8-9	0	27.5-28.5
3	3	5	4	0	4	8	0	24
4	3	4	3.5	0	3	6	0	19.5
5	3	2	3.5	0	3	4-6	0	15.5-17.5