We are in our final preparations for the championship part of the season here in EP. Tuesday evening we finished up the conference duel meets with a big win over up-and-coming Morton. That put us at 6-1 for the season, the first time since i was here in 1995. The only team beating us was number seven in the state, Metamora.
Every kid ran big prs last Saturday at the Delevan Classic, bringing home a 2nd place trophy. It was a flighted race and we medaled 6 out of the 7 races! Most suprising were my two 80 lb freshmen who both broke 20 minutes for the first time ever for 3 miles. Actually, neither had ever been under 24 minutes!
Tomorrow is our last invite for the season, the Metamora Invitational. Because we are so young, I am running all the underclassmen in the fresh/soph race so we can bring home some more hardware. I am holding out the top 5 runners for a blowout workout tonight of mile, 2x800, 4x400 at the conference course, as we havent really had a chance to do any real hard workouts in between racing twice a week.
My running is gradually coming around, and I will really start to put more emphasis on it after the season is done in a few weeks. Our goals for the next few weeks are as follows:
2nd Conference (Metamora is just too strong)
Hugh Gill and Kevin Eades All Conference
Repeat as Conference Fresh/Soph Champs
Top 5 Regionals
Top 10 Sectionals
That is a pretty tall order with the group I have, but you got to set big goals if you are ever going to run big. Thanks for reading and I will keep you posted.
Go Raiders!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
2008 XC Season Has Begun!
We finally kicked off the fall season two weeks ago at the Galesburg Invite. Being as young and inexperienced as we are, I didnt expect to bring home any team trophies. I was though anxious to see how well the freshmen and sophmores would race after putting in a pretty solid summer. A couple suprises were: senior David Blackford running 18:17 for his first cross country race ever, sophmore Cody Margetis running a pb of 18:39, and most impressive was freshman Kevin Eades who placed 12th in the varsity race and running 17:10 for his first 3 mile race ever!!! I knew he was going to be good, but didnt realize just how much talent he actually has. After the race he was grinnig from ear to ear, not a bit winded and told me he had at least 30 more seconds in him!
Last weekend we came back to race at the huge Woodruff Invite at famous Detwiller Park here in Peoria where the state meet has been held for the last 30 plus years. Normally the course is track fast and is a great statewide benchmark for coaches to really see what the kids are capable of. But after 10 inches of rain for the week prior, it turned into a mudpit of survival. I have noticed that it is extremely difficult for the young kids to strength races in the mud. In all honesty I really cant say that anybody on the team ran particularly well. Some of it had to do with the rain and mud, a hard week of workouts, 4 injuries and 6 with colds. The talented junior Drew Thomas did finally step up decide to race to run a personal best. The highlight of the meet was watching my 6 underclassmen run in the open race which had 790 participants! Three minutes prior to the start of the race the heavens opened up and the starting line began roaring like the Spartans!!! Althought they got beat down pretty bad, they did say that it was the most memorable race they had ever ran. Unfortunately my camera was ruined and I lost all my pictures of the mess and mayhem.
Tuesday we raced a conference duel meet against our arch rival Metamora (who is ranked nubmer 10 in the state). Although we got beat pretty bad, the big suprise was freshman Kevin Eades outkicking the returning conference farvorite down the homestretch to run 16:20 on a hot, tough and muddy course. What was even more impressive that he did it with one shoe on after losing it on a corner at the two mile!!! Mark my word, this kid may be as talented as any I have ever seen. Not just the physical, but the emotional and mental perspective is going to take him a long way. There were many others who ran big personal bests and are finally starting to figure out that we do have a bit of talent on this team, but that we have a lot of work to do in the off season if we are going to accomplish what we are capable of.
Yesterday was our weekend off from racing, as we held our second annual EPCC Run-A-Thon. The kids get donations, either per mile or for total distance, and they run a mile loop marked in the woods for 90 minutes. This helps pay for the food, equipment, t-shirts, shoes ect... that we need. We raised almost $1,000, then had a great picnic afterwards. Every kid ran at least 10 miles, and Hugh Gill and Kevin Eades ran 13 before I had to pull them. It was a lot of fun to hear them talk about how tired they were but that they could have kept going. For most of them, their longest continuest run ever was 6-7 miles. It is a lot of fun as a coach to see them beat but being so excited that they were able to accomplish things they never thought were capable.
The most exciting part of this season thus far is the parental support that we are finally starting to get. Several parents were out yesterday to help work on the course and then got to talking about bringing a grill to the weekend races and having food for everyone afterwards! That is exactly what I have been working so hard to get established here at EP. A family oriented culture where all the parents are out watching their kids improve week by week. That not only keeps the athletes more interested, but also attracts others who want to be a part of something special.
As far as my running is concerned, it is just biking in the morning and running my 6-10 in the afternoon. Nothing really exciting tp report on that. We are now in the heart of the season and will be racing every Tuesday and Saturday for the next four weeks. Thanks for reading and I will keep you posted on all the success.
Go Raiders
tb
Last weekend we came back to race at the huge Woodruff Invite at famous Detwiller Park here in Peoria where the state meet has been held for the last 30 plus years. Normally the course is track fast and is a great statewide benchmark for coaches to really see what the kids are capable of. But after 10 inches of rain for the week prior, it turned into a mudpit of survival. I have noticed that it is extremely difficult for the young kids to strength races in the mud. In all honesty I really cant say that anybody on the team ran particularly well. Some of it had to do with the rain and mud, a hard week of workouts, 4 injuries and 6 with colds. The talented junior Drew Thomas did finally step up decide to race to run a personal best. The highlight of the meet was watching my 6 underclassmen run in the open race which had 790 participants! Three minutes prior to the start of the race the heavens opened up and the starting line began roaring like the Spartans!!! Althought they got beat down pretty bad, they did say that it was the most memorable race they had ever ran. Unfortunately my camera was ruined and I lost all my pictures of the mess and mayhem.
Tuesday we raced a conference duel meet against our arch rival Metamora (who is ranked nubmer 10 in the state). Although we got beat pretty bad, the big suprise was freshman Kevin Eades outkicking the returning conference farvorite down the homestretch to run 16:20 on a hot, tough and muddy course. What was even more impressive that he did it with one shoe on after losing it on a corner at the two mile!!! Mark my word, this kid may be as talented as any I have ever seen. Not just the physical, but the emotional and mental perspective is going to take him a long way. There were many others who ran big personal bests and are finally starting to figure out that we do have a bit of talent on this team, but that we have a lot of work to do in the off season if we are going to accomplish what we are capable of.
Yesterday was our weekend off from racing, as we held our second annual EPCC Run-A-Thon. The kids get donations, either per mile or for total distance, and they run a mile loop marked in the woods for 90 minutes. This helps pay for the food, equipment, t-shirts, shoes ect... that we need. We raised almost $1,000, then had a great picnic afterwards. Every kid ran at least 10 miles, and Hugh Gill and Kevin Eades ran 13 before I had to pull them. It was a lot of fun to hear them talk about how tired they were but that they could have kept going. For most of them, their longest continuest run ever was 6-7 miles. It is a lot of fun as a coach to see them beat but being so excited that they were able to accomplish things they never thought were capable.
The most exciting part of this season thus far is the parental support that we are finally starting to get. Several parents were out yesterday to help work on the course and then got to talking about bringing a grill to the weekend races and having food for everyone afterwards! That is exactly what I have been working so hard to get established here at EP. A family oriented culture where all the parents are out watching their kids improve week by week. That not only keeps the athletes more interested, but also attracts others who want to be a part of something special.
As far as my running is concerned, it is just biking in the morning and running my 6-10 in the afternoon. Nothing really exciting tp report on that. We are now in the heart of the season and will be racing every Tuesday and Saturday for the next four weeks. Thanks for reading and I will keep you posted on all the success.
Go Raiders
tb
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Its Finally Time to Race
Good morning everyone. As I sit here typing we are only 48 hours from our first race of the year! We have been dealing with a lot of the ussual injury and heat related problems the last few weeks, but hopefully their frail little legs will start to come around just in time for racing season. I think we are a long way from being fully "prepared", but I am hoping that when we start racing running will take on a new priority for a while.
I actually have a great group of young runners who have a lot of ability. In particular, freshman Kevin Eades has been running amazing. He has been ahead of last years state qualifier Hugh Gill on every run. Although I know we are not going to break any records this season, I think we will do some pretty good things. What is difficult for me is knowing how good we are going to be the next two years and trying to stay focused on the season at hand. As good as we are going to be doesnt help the fact that we are going to get beat up a little bit this season. I guess that is all part of the game though.
What I have noticed about myself over the last few weeks is just how obsessively ultra-competitive I am, and I find myself getting really frustrated with the kids who are not that way, which is the majority of them. I believe a lot of this frustration stems from the fact that I set extremely high goals for myself (something I believe is just innate) and I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve those goals. So I guess the real problem lies in the fact that we are just to young of a team to have any sort of long-term goals at the moment. If they only knew how far their talent could take them, they would be a lot more motivated to get up every morning and do all the things necessary to get to the top.
My running has been going great. Well, I wouldnt call it great, but relatively speaking it has been going pretty well. I have been riding for about an hour in the morning and then doing the workouts with the team on most days. My plantar is not hurting, but I can feel it is tight when I get up in the mornings. I am planning on making a trip out east to see Dr. Brian Fullem, The Man, and get fitted for a new pair of orthodics if I ever get the chance to get away for a few days. Knock on wood, I will be finishing up a great summer this time next year.
Thats all I got for now. I hope all that are reading are doing well and I will keep you posted on how the meet goes this weekend. Happy running and Go Raiders!
tb
I actually have a great group of young runners who have a lot of ability. In particular, freshman Kevin Eades has been running amazing. He has been ahead of last years state qualifier Hugh Gill on every run. Although I know we are not going to break any records this season, I think we will do some pretty good things. What is difficult for me is knowing how good we are going to be the next two years and trying to stay focused on the season at hand. As good as we are going to be doesnt help the fact that we are going to get beat up a little bit this season. I guess that is all part of the game though.
What I have noticed about myself over the last few weeks is just how obsessively ultra-competitive I am, and I find myself getting really frustrated with the kids who are not that way, which is the majority of them. I believe a lot of this frustration stems from the fact that I set extremely high goals for myself (something I believe is just innate) and I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve those goals. So I guess the real problem lies in the fact that we are just to young of a team to have any sort of long-term goals at the moment. If they only knew how far their talent could take them, they would be a lot more motivated to get up every morning and do all the things necessary to get to the top.
My running has been going great. Well, I wouldnt call it great, but relatively speaking it has been going pretty well. I have been riding for about an hour in the morning and then doing the workouts with the team on most days. My plantar is not hurting, but I can feel it is tight when I get up in the mornings. I am planning on making a trip out east to see Dr. Brian Fullem, The Man, and get fitted for a new pair of orthodics if I ever get the chance to get away for a few days. Knock on wood, I will be finishing up a great summer this time next year.
Thats all I got for now. I hope all that are reading are doing well and I will keep you posted on how the meet goes this weekend. Happy running and Go Raiders!
tb
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Back To School
We are finally back to class for the 2008-09 school year, and I couldn't be happier. It has been a pretty good summer for a few of the kids, but all-in-all it has been pretty frustrating for me. We had six very motivated and talented freshaman join over the summer, as well as two new juniors. Unfortunately the senior group who I relied on for leadership and rides home are all gone so it was very difficult to get everybody to practice on a regular basis. In some ways it is like starting all over again.
Yesterday was our first practice and I decided to throw a little hill workout at the kids and see who has been running over the summer. It was pretty apparent from the get got that the upper classmen spent their summer playing XBox and that the underclassmen have been doing what I asked of them as there were 3 freshmen in the top 5 throughout the workout! Altought we do not have any superstars, one more year of CONSISTENT training and I could have a pretty dang good team next fall. In particular, freshman Kevin Eades has shown that he has the talent as well as the mindset to be a real special athlete. Mark my word, you will be hearing a lot more about him from me in the future.
There is not much to report on my running. Just plotting away. Actually my motivation has had a real rejuvination while spending so much time watching the games. I have been getting the same question over and over during the last week, "Is it hard to watch?". My answer is always the same, HECK NO! I have to admit that I really wasnt that dissappointed that I wasnt going to Beijing at first, as I didnt have that high of expectations for the Chinese. But after watching the opening ceremonies all I could say was "WOW".
There is nothing more exciting to me that watching the successes and failures of athletes competing at the biggest stage in the world and seeing how they handle the pressures. All the highs and lows, the emotions of the people who have dedicated their lives to one goal is like nothing else you will ever see. It was a little frustrating watching the distance events, particularly the steeplechase, but I just keep one thing in mind, London is only 4 years away!
That being said, I hope everyone is enjoying the big show. I am really suprised and a little jealous that NBC is having such wonderful coverage. I wish they had their stuff together 4 years ago, but is great for track and every other sport for that matter. Take care and I will keep you posted over the season. We have our first meet of the year two weeks from Saturday, so cross you fingers (were going to need it ; )
tb
Yesterday was our first practice and I decided to throw a little hill workout at the kids and see who has been running over the summer. It was pretty apparent from the get got that the upper classmen spent their summer playing XBox and that the underclassmen have been doing what I asked of them as there were 3 freshmen in the top 5 throughout the workout! Altought we do not have any superstars, one more year of CONSISTENT training and I could have a pretty dang good team next fall. In particular, freshman Kevin Eades has shown that he has the talent as well as the mindset to be a real special athlete. Mark my word, you will be hearing a lot more about him from me in the future.
There is not much to report on my running. Just plotting away. Actually my motivation has had a real rejuvination while spending so much time watching the games. I have been getting the same question over and over during the last week, "Is it hard to watch?". My answer is always the same, HECK NO! I have to admit that I really wasnt that dissappointed that I wasnt going to Beijing at first, as I didnt have that high of expectations for the Chinese. But after watching the opening ceremonies all I could say was "WOW".
There is nothing more exciting to me that watching the successes and failures of athletes competing at the biggest stage in the world and seeing how they handle the pressures. All the highs and lows, the emotions of the people who have dedicated their lives to one goal is like nothing else you will ever see. It was a little frustrating watching the distance events, particularly the steeplechase, but I just keep one thing in mind, London is only 4 years away!
That being said, I hope everyone is enjoying the big show. I am really suprised and a little jealous that NBC is having such wonderful coverage. I wish they had their stuff together 4 years ago, but is great for track and every other sport for that matter. Take care and I will keep you posted over the season. We have our first meet of the year two weeks from Saturday, so cross you fingers (were going to need it ; )
tb
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Out With the Old
Well, we are in full swing with our summer training here in Central IL. It was a bit of a rough start as I have lost my 4 leaders from last year. I didnt know how much I depended on them, not just for leadership on the course, but for rides for those who are not able to make it to practice on their own. It was a is frustrating having kids who want to come to practice everyday but have other commitments (work, band, ect) or cannot get rides. We are starting to wrinkle those logistical problems out over the last week.
I have inherited 4 new freshmen, and with a little work, I truly believe we will have a top 10 team in the state of Illinois in 2009! Although it is a bit of work teaching everything over again, I believe it will be very nice to have a new core group to mold from day 1. We started this week with our first hill session, so there were some sore butts and a bunch of whining going the last few days. Today was our first trip away from the home course, where we do most of our practicing. We got a school van and drove out to the Rock Island Trail, an old railroad that was converted into a running trail of crushed cynder. The workout was a 2 mile warm up and then 6 miles of on/off mile repeats (3 hard and 3 easy continues in case you are wondering). Although the long straight ways of the trail can be a bit monotonous, the kids handled it pretty well, and I think really enjoyed going somewhere new to run.
We will also be getting a new volunteer coach starting next week which is ecspecially exciting for me as it can be real burden trying to chase 20 kids around, coach, worry about injury, logistics, ect. Most importantly, it will be nice to teach someone who wants to learn and continue what I started here down the road when it is time for me to step aside.
My running has been going pretty well, just plotting around doing my theraputic 5-10 miles. No foot problems as of yet, so cross your fingers, I may actually be running track this time next year! I have also decided to start volunteering at a local kids charity, The Neighborhood House, which mentors and gives shelter for inner city youth. Probably going to spread myself a little thin, but what the hey, I got the time.
Thats it for now. Happy running and Go Raiders!
tb
I have inherited 4 new freshmen, and with a little work, I truly believe we will have a top 10 team in the state of Illinois in 2009! Although it is a bit of work teaching everything over again, I believe it will be very nice to have a new core group to mold from day 1. We started this week with our first hill session, so there were some sore butts and a bunch of whining going the last few days. Today was our first trip away from the home course, where we do most of our practicing. We got a school van and drove out to the Rock Island Trail, an old railroad that was converted into a running trail of crushed cynder. The workout was a 2 mile warm up and then 6 miles of on/off mile repeats (3 hard and 3 easy continues in case you are wondering). Although the long straight ways of the trail can be a bit monotonous, the kids handled it pretty well, and I think really enjoyed going somewhere new to run.
We will also be getting a new volunteer coach starting next week which is ecspecially exciting for me as it can be real burden trying to chase 20 kids around, coach, worry about injury, logistics, ect. Most importantly, it will be nice to teach someone who wants to learn and continue what I started here down the road when it is time for me to step aside.
My running has been going pretty well, just plotting around doing my theraputic 5-10 miles. No foot problems as of yet, so cross your fingers, I may actually be running track this time next year! I have also decided to start volunteering at a local kids charity, The Neighborhood House, which mentors and gives shelter for inner city youth. Probably going to spread myself a little thin, but what the hey, I got the time.
Thats it for now. Happy running and Go Raiders!
tb
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
No Breaks
Well, we are back at it again. After giving the kids a month "off", practice has officially started for the 2008 cross country season. It was a wonderful suprise to show up at practice on Monday and find some new faces in the crowd. I have inhereted a talented new crop of freshman, whom I am convinced can really make a difference on this team right away. Although we did lose a great crop of seniors, the hard work and dedication of the underclassmen over the last 18 months will really pay dividens this fall.
There is not really a whole lot to report on the coaching end of things. Most of the kids ran our local road race, the Steamboat Classic and fared well. There are two different distances within the race, the 4 miler and the 15k, and 5 of the group actually opted for the 15k! I think I may finally be turning these kids into runners ; ) We will also be doing a 7 mile trail race this weekend at a local park, a race we did last year and had 4 medal winners.
I personally have been trudging through the training and have not had any setbacks as of yet. The toe feels pretty good as does the rest of the body. I have gotten back on a serious core routine and am back to lifting regularly. I also had the priveledge of being nominated the assistant race director of the Steamboat Classic, which took up a big chunk of time over the last few weeks. I have been going back on forth whether I am going to go out to the Olympic Trials next week. There is a big part of me that loves to watch the competition, but it is also a bit painful to watch knowing that I could be in there shaking things up. Call me bitter. Anyhow, that is it for now. Hopefully next time you hear from me I will be another 2 weeks along in my training and I will have 20 motivated kids out for practice everyday at 8 am!
tb
There is not really a whole lot to report on the coaching end of things. Most of the kids ran our local road race, the Steamboat Classic and fared well. There are two different distances within the race, the 4 miler and the 15k, and 5 of the group actually opted for the 15k! I think I may finally be turning these kids into runners ; ) We will also be doing a 7 mile trail race this weekend at a local park, a race we did last year and had 4 medal winners.
I personally have been trudging through the training and have not had any setbacks as of yet. The toe feels pretty good as does the rest of the body. I have gotten back on a serious core routine and am back to lifting regularly. I also had the priveledge of being nominated the assistant race director of the Steamboat Classic, which took up a big chunk of time over the last few weeks. I have been going back on forth whether I am going to go out to the Olympic Trials next week. There is a big part of me that loves to watch the competition, but it is also a bit painful to watch knowing that I could be in there shaking things up. Call me bitter. Anyhow, that is it for now. Hopefully next time you hear from me I will be another 2 weeks along in my training and I will have 20 motivated kids out for practice everyday at 8 am!
tb
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Season Finale
We finally reached the end of a exciting and record breaking 2008 track season. Despite the unusaully cold and windy spring, there were so many things to brag about.
Last I left everyone, the girls were getting prepared for their conference meet. Although were were a bit shorthanded, they ran tough as nails. Junior Emily Gustafson ran the tough 2 mile-mile double, finishing second in both and running a season pb in the process. Then being the team player that she is, she lead off our 4x4 which also finished second. Sophmore Cassie Lohmeir ran the 800/1600 double, placeing 2nd in the 8 and winning the 1600 with season prs in both! She also came back to anchor our 2nd place 4x400. Both girls earned All-Conference honors in the process. Freshman Ashley Schmitt fought through a bad case of asthma placing 5th in the 3200, then came back in the fresh/soph mile and got nipped at the line by .05 for the win. Not to shabby for a little fresh who had never run a competitive 2 mile in her life!
The girls then went on to the state qualifying sectional meet where both Emily and Cassie qualified for the state finals! Emily placed fifth in the 3200 to qualify on time, running a season best of 11:25. Cassie qualified on time as well, running 5:17 to finish for a hard fought third in the mile. I cannot tell you how proud I was of both of them to run though the frustration of not being in the hunt for a win, and to dig in when they both were having an off day to still qualify for the meet. It showed a lot of character.
The state meet was not as exciting as I would have hoped, as both girls ran right off season and personal bests to finish respectable. As it is at any big race though, if you are not one of the stud top dogs coming in, you are really just racing at the mercy of everyone else. It is pin your ears back and pray to God! What we took away from it though is that we do have the talent to compete at a state level, we just need the training to back it up. I really thought the girls would want a long break after a tough, grinding season, but they were asking for summer workouts before we even got back on the van to head home. That just goes to show the kind of competitive, hard working kids that I have been blessed to coach and mentor. I told them, as I have told thousands of young runners, they have the talent and the desire, they just need some CONSISTENT hard work to back it up.
Where to start with the boys? I have to admit, as badly as I wanted to think that the they were capable of running 8 min for the 2 mile relay, we really hadnt done much throughout the season to justify that. But one thing I have learned about high school runners is that they somehow find several gears which I have no idea existed at the most random of times. Thank God all 4 decided to find those gears at the conference meet! With 4 other teams capable of running sub 8:10 in our conference, it seemed a long shot that we would win. I really believed on a good day we were capable of running 8:08-8:12. But after a 1:59 lead-off leg by senior Nick Leiby, a 2:03 leg by senior Brock Kingsland, a 2:01 3rd leg from soph Hugh Gill and a 1:56 leg by senior Shane Lieby we came away with a conference title and a huge season best of 8:02!!! I do not believe I have ever seen a happier group of runners than I did after that relay. Not only was it good enough for the win, but it was the 7th fastest relay in the state of IL! Shane Lieby then came back in the 800 to get nipped for second by the state cross country champ, still running a school record 1:56.5! That was the real highlight of the meet, as the rest of the relay team ran like complete poo. My fault as a coach to let them get too excited at the beginning of the meet.
The fresh/soph kids had an excellent meet as well. Cody Margetis ran a pb in the mile, clocking a 5:12. Sophmore Drew Thomas ran a pr in the 3200, breaking 11 min for the first time. Alex Cortes ran just off his pbs in both the mile and 2 mile, scoring in both. The fresh/soph 4x400 also won, conisisting of two distance kids and two sophmore jumpers. I was really glad that the young kids got an opportunity to see that winning relay though, as it was proof to them that if they just commit 2 hours out of their day, 6 days a week, they can accomplish anything. To some so far in just a short amount of time just reinforces to everybody that there is plenty of talent in this young group.
On paper we were the favorites leading into the state qualifying sectional meet in the 4x800. But I knew it would not be that easy. Getting 4 17 year-olds to perform their best all on the same day is a real challenge. The boys went from the Rocky 1 attitude of "nothing to lose" to the Rocky 4 attitude of "well, all we can do is screw up". That is where perspective comes into play. What I have found after coaching at this level is that high school kids running is so much more mental than physical, and their margin for error, as well as for improvement, is scary big. Just putting the moment into context and helping them realize that this is just a small step in their lives, I think helped calm a lot of their anxiety. Helping them realize that we do not have to all run 5 second prs to make it to the big dance, but just running what we did at the conference meet is all that was needed out of them.
Anyhow, long story short, we ran 8:05 and placed second to our arch rivals, qualifying the first distacne runners from East Peoria for the state meet since 1995 (that being me)!!! Man alive were those boys excited. It wasnt our best time, but it got the job done. Actually, had we not gotten so pumped up and went out in 55 for the first 400, we probably would have run 8 flat. Just like the conference meet, Shane came back shortly after to win the 800 and the rest of the guys ran like poo. But we got the job done.
The state meet was quite anticlimatic, as I held Shane off the relay to run the open 800, in hopes of running 1:55. I really thought we were ready for it, but everybody looked really tired and nervous. Actually, every guy bombed, so I guess I am to blame. Not sure if all the big races had finally caught up with us, or if it was the pressure of the meet, but I guess you cannot replace experience. We had a wonderful time at the meet though, despite the stares and comments that the guys got for dying their hair white!!! We looked like a bunch of little Eminems : ) Although it wasnt our best effort, it is a memory that will last a lifetime for the boys.
Looking back on the last 18 months, I do not think we could have accomplished much more. Regional cross country champs, missing the state xc meet by 10 points, qualifying the first indivilual to the state xc meet since 1995, school record in the 4x400, 400, 800, first distance individual and relay to qualify for the state track meet since 1995, conference champs and a whole lot of personal bests. I do not claim to be an expert coach by any means, in fact I am learning most of it on the fly. Coaching high schoolers is a whole different beast than coaching a handfull of elite athletes. But what I have found at the high school is that there is a lot of talent out there, and if you just give them a little attention and give them some hope and direction, you can make a world of difference. As much work as it has been, I am extremely grateful that ITA has given me the opportunity to get out and touch so many young lives.
Enough of the sappy stuff. Its back to the grind. We have lost a lot of senior talent, but we also have gained a lot of experience and confidence. Unofficial practice starts in a week, so I am going to go fishing and enjoy my break! Happy Running
p.s. I will try to post a few videos of the races taken over the last few weeks later today or tomorrow. They arent exactly Spielberg, but I will get the hang of it.
Last I left everyone, the girls were getting prepared for their conference meet. Although were were a bit shorthanded, they ran tough as nails. Junior Emily Gustafson ran the tough 2 mile-mile double, finishing second in both and running a season pb in the process. Then being the team player that she is, she lead off our 4x4 which also finished second. Sophmore Cassie Lohmeir ran the 800/1600 double, placeing 2nd in the 8 and winning the 1600 with season prs in both! She also came back to anchor our 2nd place 4x400. Both girls earned All-Conference honors in the process. Freshman Ashley Schmitt fought through a bad case of asthma placing 5th in the 3200, then came back in the fresh/soph mile and got nipped at the line by .05 for the win. Not to shabby for a little fresh who had never run a competitive 2 mile in her life!
The girls then went on to the state qualifying sectional meet where both Emily and Cassie qualified for the state finals! Emily placed fifth in the 3200 to qualify on time, running a season best of 11:25. Cassie qualified on time as well, running 5:17 to finish for a hard fought third in the mile. I cannot tell you how proud I was of both of them to run though the frustration of not being in the hunt for a win, and to dig in when they both were having an off day to still qualify for the meet. It showed a lot of character.
The state meet was not as exciting as I would have hoped, as both girls ran right off season and personal bests to finish respectable. As it is at any big race though, if you are not one of the stud top dogs coming in, you are really just racing at the mercy of everyone else. It is pin your ears back and pray to God! What we took away from it though is that we do have the talent to compete at a state level, we just need the training to back it up. I really thought the girls would want a long break after a tough, grinding season, but they were asking for summer workouts before we even got back on the van to head home. That just goes to show the kind of competitive, hard working kids that I have been blessed to coach and mentor. I told them, as I have told thousands of young runners, they have the talent and the desire, they just need some CONSISTENT hard work to back it up.
Where to start with the boys? I have to admit, as badly as I wanted to think that the they were capable of running 8 min for the 2 mile relay, we really hadnt done much throughout the season to justify that. But one thing I have learned about high school runners is that they somehow find several gears which I have no idea existed at the most random of times. Thank God all 4 decided to find those gears at the conference meet! With 4 other teams capable of running sub 8:10 in our conference, it seemed a long shot that we would win. I really believed on a good day we were capable of running 8:08-8:12. But after a 1:59 lead-off leg by senior Nick Leiby, a 2:03 leg by senior Brock Kingsland, a 2:01 3rd leg from soph Hugh Gill and a 1:56 leg by senior Shane Lieby we came away with a conference title and a huge season best of 8:02!!! I do not believe I have ever seen a happier group of runners than I did after that relay. Not only was it good enough for the win, but it was the 7th fastest relay in the state of IL! Shane Lieby then came back in the 800 to get nipped for second by the state cross country champ, still running a school record 1:56.5! That was the real highlight of the meet, as the rest of the relay team ran like complete poo. My fault as a coach to let them get too excited at the beginning of the meet.
The fresh/soph kids had an excellent meet as well. Cody Margetis ran a pb in the mile, clocking a 5:12. Sophmore Drew Thomas ran a pr in the 3200, breaking 11 min for the first time. Alex Cortes ran just off his pbs in both the mile and 2 mile, scoring in both. The fresh/soph 4x400 also won, conisisting of two distance kids and two sophmore jumpers. I was really glad that the young kids got an opportunity to see that winning relay though, as it was proof to them that if they just commit 2 hours out of their day, 6 days a week, they can accomplish anything. To some so far in just a short amount of time just reinforces to everybody that there is plenty of talent in this young group.
On paper we were the favorites leading into the state qualifying sectional meet in the 4x800. But I knew it would not be that easy. Getting 4 17 year-olds to perform their best all on the same day is a real challenge. The boys went from the Rocky 1 attitude of "nothing to lose" to the Rocky 4 attitude of "well, all we can do is screw up". That is where perspective comes into play. What I have found after coaching at this level is that high school kids running is so much more mental than physical, and their margin for error, as well as for improvement, is scary big. Just putting the moment into context and helping them realize that this is just a small step in their lives, I think helped calm a lot of their anxiety. Helping them realize that we do not have to all run 5 second prs to make it to the big dance, but just running what we did at the conference meet is all that was needed out of them.
Anyhow, long story short, we ran 8:05 and placed second to our arch rivals, qualifying the first distacne runners from East Peoria for the state meet since 1995 (that being me)!!! Man alive were those boys excited. It wasnt our best time, but it got the job done. Actually, had we not gotten so pumped up and went out in 55 for the first 400, we probably would have run 8 flat. Just like the conference meet, Shane came back shortly after to win the 800 and the rest of the guys ran like poo. But we got the job done.
The state meet was quite anticlimatic, as I held Shane off the relay to run the open 800, in hopes of running 1:55. I really thought we were ready for it, but everybody looked really tired and nervous. Actually, every guy bombed, so I guess I am to blame. Not sure if all the big races had finally caught up with us, or if it was the pressure of the meet, but I guess you cannot replace experience. We had a wonderful time at the meet though, despite the stares and comments that the guys got for dying their hair white!!! We looked like a bunch of little Eminems : ) Although it wasnt our best effort, it is a memory that will last a lifetime for the boys.
Looking back on the last 18 months, I do not think we could have accomplished much more. Regional cross country champs, missing the state xc meet by 10 points, qualifying the first indivilual to the state xc meet since 1995, school record in the 4x400, 400, 800, first distance individual and relay to qualify for the state track meet since 1995, conference champs and a whole lot of personal bests. I do not claim to be an expert coach by any means, in fact I am learning most of it on the fly. Coaching high schoolers is a whole different beast than coaching a handfull of elite athletes. But what I have found at the high school is that there is a lot of talent out there, and if you just give them a little attention and give them some hope and direction, you can make a world of difference. As much work as it has been, I am extremely grateful that ITA has given me the opportunity to get out and touch so many young lives.
Enough of the sappy stuff. Its back to the grind. We have lost a lot of senior talent, but we also have gained a lot of experience and confidence. Unofficial practice starts in a week, so I am going to go fishing and enjoy my break! Happy Running
p.s. I will try to post a few videos of the races taken over the last few weeks later today or tomorrow. They arent exactly Spielberg, but I will get the hang of it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
