Restart

John Stephen Akhwari - 1968 Olympic Marathon

Winning in last place:

Derek Redmond of Great Britain Finishes His Race

Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter - 1975 Virginia Ten-Miler

I ran in this race - John

1964 Tokyo Olympics - 10,000m Run

Watch the finish of Lt. Billy Mills, USMC - the man whom they said did not have a kick.  Also, watch the finish of the last place runner.  Both finish with dignity.

Life Lessons from Cross Country

Here are some good lessons for life that I would teach my Cross Country runners:

1. Do not cut the course - Treat people with fairness.  Obey the rules.  Do not look for short cuts to success.

2. Double-knot your shoes - Consider all possible scenarios.  Have a back up plan.

3. Do not look back - Keep moving forward.  Do not focus on past mistakes.

4. Run through the finish line - Do not quit.  Do not ease up.  Keep your dignity.  Finish well.

Inspiration - Lolo Jones

Lori "Lolo" Jones, more commonly known as Lolo Jones, (born August 5, 1982) is an American track and field athlete. She won three NCAA titles and garnered 11 All-American honors while at LSU. She won indoor national titles in 2007 and 2008 in the 60m hurdles, and won her first world championship in 2008 in the same event.

In her youth, Lori "Lolo" Jones had a series of obstacles to overcome. Jones attended eight schools in eight years while her single mother, Lori, often held down two jobs to support her family of six. Lolo's father spent most of her childhood either in the Air Force or jail. In third grade, the Jones family settled in the basement of a Des Moines church. During the summer when day camps were offered at the church, Lolo would wake up early to avoid being teased by other kids if they found out she was living in the basement.

When her family was about to make another move, this time to Forest City, Iowa, Lolo told her mother "Mom, I can't go to a city that doesn't have a track. I'm trying to pursue my dream." Lolo and her family parted ways, and she lived with four different families during her enrollment at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. One of those families that took Jones in was Janis Caldwell, who had seen Jones compete at Roosevelt. While Jones stayed with the Caldwells after her senior year at Roosevelt, they gave her free rent even though Jones worked part-time at the Iowa Bagel Bakery, a small coffee shop near her high school. During her junior and senior years, she had lived with the family of former Des Moines Register assistant managing editor Randy Essex and also with the family of Des Moines attorney Kim Walker.

At Roosevelt, she excelled in the classroom, keeping her grades up and playing the cello in the school orchestra. She excelled on the track as well, as Jones was named Gatorade Midwest Athlete of the Year. She also holds the 100-meter hurdles record for the Iowa state track meet with a time of 13.40.

Jones originally intended to enroll at Iowa State University in its Upward Bound/Science Bound program, however Jones had admired the goddaughter of Caldwell, elite hurdler Kim Carson who was an All-American and national champion at Louisiana State University. Carson had promoted Jones to LSU track coach Dennis Shaver. Jones eventually landed a spot on LSU's track team.

In 2002, she was runner-up in both 100-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. In 2003, Jones won the 60-meter Hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships. In the outdoor season, she was part of the winning 4x100-meter team at the NCAA Championships. In her 2004 indoor campaign, she finished second at the NCAA Championships in both the 60-meter hurdles and 60-meter dash. In her 2004 outdoor season, she won the 100-meter Hurdles title at the NCAA Mideast Region Championships, the SEC Championships, and the Penn Relays. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she won another national title as a member of the winning 4x100-meter team. Her terrific career at LSU saw her finish as an 11-time All-American and a 6-time SEC champion. She is also ranked among the top-three all time in both the 60-meter hurdles and 100-meter hurdles.

After failing to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, Jones found herself contemplating her future. After Jones had told Shaver she wanted to retire from track, Shaver replied, "I'll see you at practice tomorrow." Jones' financial situation also was a concern for her, forcing her to choose between focusing on track and not earning a steady paycheck, or use her economics degree to get a regular job. Despite second thoughts, her heart led her back to running. To save money, she would leave the air conditioner off, meaning suffering through the hot Louisiana summer days. She worked numerous jobs after college, working at Home Depot, a restaurant waiter, and a personal trainer at a gym. She chose part-time jobs to have the flexibility to leave the country to compete and still earn income.

After a disappointing finish at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Outdoor Trials, Jones finished second in her first professional meet at Stuttgart. She had a stellar 2006 campaign, which saw her win at Heusden-Zolder in July, running a personal best time of 12.56. At the 2006 World Athletics Final, she finished sixth in the 100m hurdles and fifth in the 100m. She also did well on the European circuit, winning the meet in Ostrava. She finished the 2006 season ranked fourth in the U.S. and seventh in the world by Track & Field News.

Jones won her first national championship in 2007, winning the 60m hurdles at the USA Indoor Championships with a time of 7.88 seconds. In the European winter circuit, Jones won two meets and finished second in two others in the 60m hurdles. In April, she won the 100 meter hurdles at the Drake Relays. At the 2007 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Jones finished third in the 100m hurdles, thereby earning a spot on the U.S. Team at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, where she finished 6th.

Jones started the 2008 season with hopes of making the 2008 Summer Olympics. In Karlsruhe, Jones ran a personal best time of 7.77 seconds and finished second to Susanna Kallur, who broke the world record with a time of 7.68 seconds. Jones' time was the second-fastest ever by an American. She was named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week on February 12 for her performance in Karlsruhe. At the 2008 USA Indoor Championships, Jones won her second straight national championship with a time of 7.88 seconds and also won the Visa Championship Series title for the 2008 indoor season. At the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, Jones won the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.80 for her first world championship.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lolo was favored to win the 100 meter hurdles. In the final, she was pulling away from the pack when she clipped the 9th hurdle (of 10) and stumbled, breaking stride to drop her back to a disappointing 7th-place finish. Teammate Dawn Harper surged through to win gold. Lolo Jones was seen pounding the ground close to tears, trying to comprehend what had happened. "I hit a hurdle about twice a year where it affects my race. It's just a shame that it happened on the biggest race of my life." Jones was later seen crying to herself in a hallway, mouthing,"why, why, why?" The mistake has been compared numerous times to Gail Devers' famous fall in the same event at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Lolo's birthname is Lori, which is actually the same name of her mother. According to Lolo, it was altered to differentiate her from her mother after telephone calls for simply "Lori" would confuse the two. According to her mother, Lolo was always called that since birth.  A 2005 graduate of Louisiana State University, she currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is sponsored by Asics and Oakley. She is Multiracial of French, Native American, African American, and Norwegian descent.  She is also actively involved in Christian Ministry.

Her good friend is Canadian hurdler Priscilla Lopes-Schliep. Graceful in defeat, Lolo Jones demonstrated exemplary sportmanship in congratulating Lopes-Schliep for winning the 100m hurdles final's bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In a CBC Sports XXIX Summer Olympics interview with broadcaster Ron MacLean on August 19, 2008, Lopes-Schliep commented on Jones: "We're good friends. I mean, she came up to me afterwards and said, 'I'm so happy for you guys' (Canada's first track medal since 1996)', like, 'You've been through so much', and she's like, 'right now everything should all come together for you', so she gave me a big hug, you know, I gave her a hug, and a very good sport."

While visiting Des Moines for the Drake Relays, she made a surprise visit to her alma mater, Roosevelt High School, to deliver a pair of new Asics running shoes for each member of the school's track team. She also delivered a $3,000 check to buy indoor practice hurdles and for improvements to repair the school's track surface.

In July 2008, while back in Des Moines for a send-off ceremony before the 2008 Summer Olympics, Jones donated her $4,000 prize she earned from winning the 100-meter hurdles at the Olympic trials to Renee Trout, a single mother from Cedar Rapids, Iowa who was hit by the Iowa flood of 2008. Asics and Oakley each matched Jones' $4,000 prize, bringing the total donation to $12,000. After the sendoff ceremony, Jones flew with Trout to Cedar Rapids aboard a private jet provided by the Iowa Farm Bureau to tour the neighborhoods affected by the flood, including Trout's.

Lolo Jones Interview Video

Lolo Jones Story Video

Lolo Jones Helps Another Video 

Lolo Jones Interview  

Courier Journal - Why I Stopped Subscribing

Several years ago when I was coaching high school sports I quit subscribing to the Courier Journal.  I would "steal" it off the Internet.

I quit subscribing because of their practice of putting advertisements for "Pornographic Industry Outlets" (e.g. "strip clubs) next to the results for high school sports!  When I tried to ask the Courier Journal about this practice, there was no one who would claim the responsibility for the decision and give me any rationale.  So, I quit subscribing and starting "stealing" it off the Internet.

I was at the fitness club last night and was sitting waiting for Lillian.  I picked up the Courier sports section for something to read.  I was interested in the U of L women's basketball team.  I read the first page of the sports section - two of the four articles were about the accomplishments of the U of L women's team.   The articles were continued on page four, so I turned to that page.

The fourth page was filled with articles about female athletes - three articles about the U of L women, and a fourth about another women's NCAA basketball regional.  Opposite, on page five was a large article about girls high school basketball.  On the right half of page five was the scoreboard that had reports on all sports including several high school spring sports.

What did I also find?  On the bottom of page four in the right hand column I found two full color advertisements for "Pornographic Industry Outlets" or "strip clubs."

Seeing these advertisements confirmed my decision of long ago not to subscribe to the Courier Journal.  I can handle the liberal slant of the Courier's news and editorial departments.  I understand these legal businesses have a right to advertise - I don't like it, but there are a lot of things I don't like.  Why must the Courier Journal place these advertisements where young people will see them?  What sort of mixed message is the Courier sending?

There are a lot of young ladies who are following the Lady Cards - with good reason.  Should these young ladies be presented with these images and messages when they are responding to some positive activities?

The Courier Journal has recently eliminated its Ombudsman position.  The Ombudsman is the person to whom one should direct any thoughts on this issue.  I sent an email to publisher@courier-journal.com .

I am not angry, I am just disappointed.

I coached many high school girls.  My daughter is an accomplished U of L athlete.  These ladies deserve better.

My son when he was in high school had to travel daily past a dozen or so of these businesses.  One of the congregations I serve is located between two such businesses.  I grieve for these women who are involved in this business and seek God's guidance on an appropriate way for the church to communicate the Good News to them.

Yours in Christ, John

NCAA Basketball Championships - Women's Bracket Report

I don't have as much knowledge of all of the women's teams that I would like to have.  My record into the Sweet Sixteen is 32-16.

Sweet Sixteen: 7 out of 16 survived

Elite Eight:  4 of 8 are alive

Final Four: 3 of 4 are alive

Championship Game: both are alive

Champion: still alive

Big East: 4 of 7 still alive

NCAA Basketball Championships - Men's Bracket Report

Through last night my men's bracket record is 40-17 (including the play-in).  Memphis killed me (I should have known).

Elite Eight: 6 of my 8 picks are alive

Final Four: 3 of my four picks are alive

Championship Game: 2 of my two picks are alive

Champion:  Still alive

Big East: 4 of 7 still alive

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - My Bracket Results - First Round

I don't know the women's tournament as well as the men's but I was 26-6 in the first round of games.  Here is my record through the first round:

• Sweet Sixteen teams alive: 13/16

• Elite Eight teams alive: 7/8

• Final Four teams alive: 4/4

• Championship Game teams alive: 2/2

• Champion still alive: 1/1

• Big East teams alive: 5/7

NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament - My Bracket Results - Second Round

My overall record through the second round is 34-14.  10 of my picks have survived throught the second round.  Here are my stats:

• Sweet Sixteen teams alive: 10 out of 16

• Elite Eight teams alive: 8/8

• Final Four teams alive: 4/4

• Championship Game teams alive: 2/2

• Champion alive: 1/1

• Big East Teams alive: 5/7

Predictions for the next round:

• Louisville d. Arizona
• Michigan State d. Kansas
• UConn d. Purdue
• Memphis d. Missouri
• Pitt d. Xavier
• Villanova d. Duke
• North Carolina d. Gonzaga
• Syraccuse d. Oklahoma

NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament - My Bracket Results - First Round

I was 24-9 in the first round and play-in game of the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.  Here are my prospects for the future rounds:

• Champion still in = 1/1

• Championship Game teams still in = 2/2

• Final Four teams still in = 4/4

• Elite Eight teams still in = 8/8

• Sweet Sixteen teams still in = 12/16

• Second Round teams still in = 23/32

• Big East teams still in = 6/7

• Kentucky teams still in = 2/3

Second Round (March 21/22):

• Louisville d. Sienna
• Cleveland St. d. Arizona (I did not pick either team to win the first round)
• Kansas d. Dayton
• Michigan State d. USC
• UConn d. Texas A&M
• Purdue d. Washington (I had N. Iowa d. Washington)
• Marquette d. Missouri
• Memphis d. Maryland
• Pitt d. Okla. St.
• Xavier d. Wisconson
• Villanova d. UCLA
• Texas d. Duke (I had Minn. d. Duke)
• UNC d. LSU
• WKU d. Gonzaga
• Syracuse d. ASU
• Oklahoma d. Michigan

2009 NCAA Basketball Tournament Predictions

As of today here are my predictions for the NCAA and NIT tournaments:

Men's NCAA #1 Seeds: Connecticut (Big East), Louisville (Big East), Oklahoma (Big 12), North Carolina (ACC)

Men's NCAA #2 Seeds: Pittsburgh (Big East), Duke (ACC), Memphis (CUSA), Michigan State (Big 10)

Making the Men's NCAA from the Big East:  Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Marquette, Syracuse, West Virginia, and Providence

Making the Men's NIT from the Big East:  Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown, and Seton Hall

Making the Women's NCAA from the Big East:  Connecticut (#1), Louisville (#2), Pittsburgh, Villanova, Notre Dame, DePaul, Rutgers, and South Florida

Making the Women's NIT from the Big East:  Marquette, Georgetown, West Virginia, Syracuse, St. John's, and Seton Hall

Great Sports Moments

For great sports moments go to the posting on May 28, 2008.  It has been updated.  Link to it by going to "categories" in the right column, and clicking on sports.

Great Sports Moments on Video

Derek Redmond - Great Britain - Runner - 1992 Olympics http://youtube.com/watch?v=zyWwSR9xBH0&feature=related

Dan Jansen - United States of America - Skater - 1994 Olympics http://youtube.com/watch?v=1AaNP-OkpBU&feature=related

John Stephen Akhwari - Tanzania - Runner - 1968 Olympics - http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hq3rOMnLGBk&feature=related

Frank Shorter - Runner - United States of America - 1972 Olympics - http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qc52xr-mKiM&feature=related

Yuriy Borzakovskiy - Runner - Russia - 2004 Olympics - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwALCZDUyO0&feature=related (watch the runner who starts in last place)

Lt. Billy Mills, USMC - United States of America - Runner - 1964 Olympics - http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-hptb8&p=billy%20Mills%20video

David Wattle - United States of America - Runner - 1972 Olympics - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LHid-nC45k&feature=related

Kerri Strug - United States of America - Gymnast - 1996 Olympics - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFn47a_Ny0Y

Football Collection:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHkABO0VwCg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YnnnnyMjCw&feature=related

Moral Side of the News (April 6) - President Bush urged to boycott Olympics

Fifteen U.S. House members asked President Bush Tuesday not to attend the Olympic Games in Beijing to protest China's human rights records.   In the past few days, a growing number of lawmakers here in the United States and abroad, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have called on President Bush and other world leaders to skip the opening ceremony in Beijing, a protest they say would send a bold message to China about its crackdown in Tibet, its overall human rights record, and its relationship with Sudan: CNN, ABC News.  This article in the Christian Science Monitor suggests Bush could accomplish something by going to the Games: CS Monitor.  Do you think Bush should attend the Opening Ceremonies? What would a boycott accomplish? Should we not even send a team to China?

There needs to be some symbolic action to send the signal to the Chinese government that the United States of America is on the side of freedom.  From my perspective an absence by the President would be appropriate, but I am inclined to trust his judgment on this matter.  The issue is more complex than simply finding a way to embarass the Chinese.

Dennis Miller (appearing on the O'Reilly Factor) suggested that the athletes should organize event.  They should all enter the opening ceremonies in Tibetean monk robes.  That would be great for the world, but lost on the Chinese people.

It puzzles me that Senator Obama is in favor of a boycott, when he is more than happy to sit down a talk with the leader of Iran - the country who is killing our young men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It also puzzles me that those who were saying that the Iraqi people were not ready for or capable of a democracy assume that the Tibetean people are ready and capable.

Some united voice from Western Civilization led by the United States of America should speak to the Chinese government for years of extermination and suppression of many nations.

Yours in Christ, JOHN

The Moral Side of the News (Jan 27) - Tiger Woods, Jim Brown, and Kelly Tilghman

Topic: Tiger Woods is coming under fire from some, including former pro football player Jim Brown, for not speaking out more forcefully against racially insensitive remarks made by a Golf Channel anchor that led to her two-week suspension from the airwaves: ESPN. Kelly Tilghman returns to the air Thursday following a two-week suspension for saying Woods' peers should "lynch" him in a back alley as a way of challenging his dominant play. Woods, who is a friend of Tilghman’s, accepted her apology, saying she meant no harm. Brown says "He should have come out right away. Instead, he waited until it was politically correct [to comment]," Brown said. "The word 'lynch' ... there is no redeeming part of it. When you say lynch, you're gonna have to pay the price. That is a very embarrassing word, a humiliating one, in the history of our country." Should Woods have spoken out more forcefully, or was he right to forgive and forget?

I never try to judge a whole person by one event or decision.  Ms. Tilghman's comments were more than inappropriate.  She earned a reprimand.  She has apologized personally and publicly.  The Golf Channel could take any action they wanted.

Mr. Woods can make any response he wants.  It seems to me that he has shown himself to be above the remark with his (apparent) acceptance of the apology and by his positive demeanor and comments.

Mr. Brown's public criticism of Mr. Woods was an attempt to bring Mr. Woods back into line.  It irks me that in some circles there is only one appropriate response.  If one varies from the group path, then one is accused of disloyalty or weakness.

Minorities will know when they have been fully integrated into a culture when their self-proclaimed spokesmen allow for a broad range of opinions and actions.  For example, when the African-American "leadership" accepts African-American conservatives without accusations that they have "sold out" or abandoned their race, we will know that we have come a great distance in race relations.

Mr. Brown is correct in pointing out to us the nature of the word Ms. Tilghman used.  Enough said.  Mr. Brown needs to quit trying to enforce a "black" response, and let Mr. Woods respond to the issue for himself.

Yours in Christ, JOHN

U of L Cardinals in the NFL

Currently there are 29 former University of Louisville players that are on rosters in the National Football League.  Here are the current rankings by team.  Say what you will, Bobby Petrino has given his former players opportunities at the next level.  Let us see how many make it to the final cut.  I shall check back after the rosters are trimmed to 44.

1. Atlanta (4) - Renardo Foster, Antoine Harris, Kurt Quarterman, Chris Redman
2. Green Bay (2) Travis Leffew, Jason Spitz
3. Kansas City (2) - Nate Harris, Kolby Smith
4. New Orleans (2) - Curry Burns, Ronnie Ghent
5. Oakland (2) - Michael Bush, Chris Johnson
6. Arizona (1) - Brandon Johnson
7. Carolina (1) - Eric Shelton
8. Cleveland (1) - Ted Washington
9. Dallas (1) - Montavius Stanley
10. Denver (1) - Elvis Dumervil
11. Detroit (1) - Dewayne White
12. Houston (1) - Amobi Okoye
13. Miami (1) - Robert McCune
14. Minnesota (1) - Richard Owens
15. New York Giants (1) - Sam Madison
16. Philadelphia (1) - Zach Anderson
17. Pittsburgh (1) - William Gay
18. San Diego (1) - Roman Oben
19. San Francisco (1) - Zach Anderson
20. Seattle (1) - Deion Branch
21. Tampa Bay (1) - Lionel Gates
22. Tennessee (1) - Brandon Sharp

Preseason NCAA D1 Football Rankings

Everyone has a ranking.   Why can't I?

1. USC
2. LSU
3. Florida
4. West Virginia
5. Michigan
6. Texas
7. Wisconson
8. Louisville
9. Oklahoma
10. Virginia Tech
11. Ohio State
12. Cal
13. Auburn
14. Arkansas
15. Georgia
16. Rutgers
17. UCLA
18. Penn State
19. Tennessee
20. Nebraska
21. Boise State
22. Texas Christian
23. Florida State
24. Hawaii
25. Texas A&M
26. Boston College
27. Missouri
28. Oregon State
29. South Florida
30. Clemson

NAIA Cross Country Preseason Rankings

The University of the Cumberlands Men's Cross Country Team is included in the 2007 NAIA preseason rankings.  William Slider is an current member of the team.  Last year's team finished 18th in the national championship race.

1. Malone
2. Aquinas
3. Mid America
4. Westmont
5. Azusa Pacific
6. Black Hills State
7. California State-San Marcos
8. Oklahoma Baptist
9. Lewis-Clark State
10. Concordia (CA)
11. Cornerstone
12. Concordia (Neb)
13. Cumberlands
14. Albertson
15. Cedarville
16. Doane
17. Eastern Oregan
18. Indiana Wesleyan
19. Simon Frazer
20. Southwestern
21. Dickinson State
22. Lindenwood
23. Vanguard
24. Oklahoma Christian
25. Park

NCAA Division 1 Field Hockey Preseason Rankings

The 2007 NCAA Division 1 Field Hockey Rankings are out and include the University of Louisville at 14th.  U Conn (5th) and Providence (17th) from the Big East are also ranked.  Heather Slider Hawkins (pictured at left) was a senior Captain on the 2000 team that finished the season with a top 20 ranking.

1. Maryland
2. Wake Forest
3. UNC
4. Duke
5. U Conn
6. Old Dominion
7. Penn State
8. UVA
9. Boston College
10. Iowa
11. James Madison
12. Michigan
13. Ohio State
14. Louisville
15. Indiana
16. American
17. Providence
18. Princeton
19. Michigan State
20. Boston University

Cross Country - Chapter Eight - Part Two

• 

                   Academic Awards.  Academic excellence is an important part of the cross country program.  Several varsity awards are given at the state and county level to recognize outstanding academic achievement by athletes.

                   All-County Academic First Team members for 2004 were Tim Blunk, Maddie Dailey, Clay McRoberts, Kelly McRoberts, Isaac Poole, David Read, Sami Siegwald, William Slider, Griffith Brydon-Williams, and Zach Torp.  Those who are on the Honorable Mention list are Jay Connelly, Shelby Dixon, Eric Jeter, Jordan Smith, and Houston Ward.  Kelly McRoberts received All-State Academic recognition.

                   Athletic.  Several athletic awards were earned by Cross Country athletes.  Mileage awards were presented during the season at every one hundred mile threshold.  The record of miles is found above.  Varsity Numbers are also listed above.  Ayanna Jeter and Raleigh Dixon were recognized as future Cross Country stars.

                   Varsity letters were earned by every member of the team.  All team members ran in at least one High School meet.

• 4^th Varsity Letter – William Slider and Eric Jeter
• 3^rd Varsity Letter – Josh Chervenak, Tim Blunk, and David Read
• 2^nd Varsity Letter – Maddie Dailey, Kelly McRoberts, Sami Siegwald, and Zach Torp
• 1^st Varsity Letter – Griffith Brydon-Williams, Jay Connelly, Shelby Dixon, Clay McRoberts, Isaac Poole, Jordan Smith, and Houston Ward

                   The following school awards were presented to runners at the end of the season:

• Boy Captain – William Slider
• Girl Captain – Kelly McRoberts
• Most Improved – Isaac Poole
• Boy Warrior – Tim Blunk
• Girl Warrior – Sami Siegwald
• Best Newcomer – Clay McRoberts
• Coaches Award - Griffith Brydon-Williams
• Coaches Award – Josh Chervenak
• Teammate Award (voted by team) – Eric Jeter
• Teammate Award (voted by team) – Maddie Dailey

Other awards were presented:

• All-Conference – Kelly McRoberts
• All-County Elementary Top Ten Boys – Clay McRoberts

• All-County MSTop Ten Girls – Kelly McRoberts

• All-County MS Top Ten Boys – Eric Jeter

• All-County Class “A” Top Ten Boys – William Slider
• All-State Class “A” Second Team Girls – Kelly McRoberts

                   The Gatorade High School Sports Program provides awards to give to athletes.   These awards were:

• Player of the Year – William Slider
• Player of the Year – Kelly McRoberts
• Will-to-Win – Eric Jeter
• Will-to-Win – Maddie Dailey
• Rookie-of-the-Year – Clay McRoberts

Cross Country - Chapter Eight - Part One

Ending the Season

                   Cross Country season is a long campaign.  For the coach the season is not finished with the last race.  Several other tasks must be completed in order to end the season.  The end of one season often sets the tone for the beginning of the next.

Awards

                   Athletes need to be recognized for their accomplishments and sacrifices.  Student-Athletes deserve to be honored.

                   Awards Policy.  This season (2004) William and I developed an awards policy.  We felt that an established policy before the season would create no opportunity for misunderstandings.

AWARDS, RECOGNITION, AND HONORS POLICY

Mileage Awards during the Season

·          One Hundred Mile Award – a T-shirt provided by the United States Marine Corps – given to runners who accumulate 100 training miles.

·          Two Hundred Mile Award – a T-shirt provided by the Gatorade High School Sports Program – given to runners who accumulate 200 training miles.

·          Three Hundred Mile Award – a T-shirt provided by the United States Coast Guard – given to runners who accumulate 300 training miles.

·          Four Hundred Mile Award – to be determined – given to runners who accumulate 400 training miles.

End of Season Competition:

·         Varsity regional team qualification – earned by runners who compete in a minimum of four high school races.  Middle School runners are eligible. 

·         Varsity regional team selection – the coach may select up to ten boys and ten girls.  Selection is based on time and qualification.

·         Varsity regional declared runner – the coach shall declare up to seven boys and seven girls from the athletes selected for the regional team to run in the regional championships.

·         Varsity state qualification – a runner may qualify to run in the state championships either by being a member of a team that finishes in the top four of the region, or by finishing in the top seven individuals in the region.   

End of Season Team Awards:

·         Certificate of Participation – earned by all runners who complete the season in good standing with the team.

·         Varsity Letter – earned by all runners who make the varsity regional team or contribute significantly to the varsity team (right now this is in certificate form, but I would like to give an actual letter to students if the BSBR funds can handle it).

·         Seven boys and seven girls trophies are provided by Brown School Athletics:

o   Boy/Girl Captains

o   Boy/Girl Leadership

o   Boy/Girl Most Improved

o   Boy/Girl Warrior

o   Boy/Girl Best Newcomer

o   Boy/Girl Coaches Award

o   Boy/Girl Teammate Award (voted by team)

·         Six awards (certificate and shoe bag) are provided as a part of the Gatorade High School Sports Program:

o   Player-of-the-Year (2)

o   Rookie-of–the-Year (2)

o   Will-to-Win (2)

End of Season

• All-Conference
• All-County Adademic
• All-County
• All-State Academic
• All-State

Cross Country - Chapter Seven - Part Four

State Meet Report

                   The championship meets were held on a beautiful, but cool, Saturday (November 13, 2004).  The girls ran at 9:30am and the boys ran at 10:15am. 

                   The team was joined by former teammate Rob Halsell, who now attends college.  Rob has red-shirted for Cross Country, but will run track in the spring.  The runners competed well.  Kelly McRoberts and Maddie Dailey improved their finishes from last year.

                   None of the boys had ever run in the state meet before.  The team was seeded twenty-first and finished twentieth.  The boys improved their team time by almost two minutes over the regional meet.  William Slider ran his last Cross Country race under twenty minutes, leading the team.

CLASS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Varsity Girls, 5K           2003                     2004

Kelly McRoberts (8)     21:13.22/21^st        21:38.28/19^th 

Maddie Dailey (8)         25:28.88/143^rd      24:11.59/113^th 

Varsity Boys, 5K                                     2004

William Slider (12)                                     19:58.69/105^th   

Eric Jeter (8)                                              20:34.17/135^th   

Tim Blunk (9)                                             20:42.75/142^nd   

Clay McRoberts (5)                                   20:48.29/145^th   

Josh Chervenak (11)                                  21:09.18/151^st   

Zach Torp (8)                                            21:09.18/152^nd   

David Read (8)                                          22:26.29/182^nd   

Isaac Poole (7)                                          DNR

Team                     1:43:13.08 (average = 20:38.62)/20^th

Cross Country - Chapter Seven - Part Three

Regional Team Selection

                   It should be simple, but it never is.  Selecting the runners to represent the school at the regional meet is difficult.

                   The female runners were easy to select, since there were only three, and all three are quality runners.  Maddie Dailey, Kelly McRoberts, and Sami Siegwald were named to the regional team.

                   For the boys there were nine runners qualified for the regional meet.  Each runner had competed in four high school level meets in order to qualify for the regional meet.

                   The first four runners were easy to select.  William Slider, Tim Blunk, Eric Jeter, and Clay McRoberts had all proven themselves in meets and were consistently at the top of the team and improving.  William had finished first for the team in every race this year except for one loss to Tim.  Eric and Clay were improving race by race.

                   The difficulty was in choosing runners five, six, and seven for the team.  Runners eight and nine would be on the team, but serve as alternates. 

                   Of the remaining five runners from which I could choose, Griffith Williams did not have quite the quality times the other runners had.  Though I felt comfortable calling on him to run, he would be my ninth runner.

                   I believed that Josh Chervenak, Zach Torp, David Read, and Isaac Poole could all give us good races, but I could only choose three to run and one to be the team’s first alternate.  Each boy had strengths and weaknesses.  Josh and Isaac had committed more miles in training.  Isaac was more consistent, yet he had the slowest “best” time of the four.  David and Zach were the most unpredictable of the four.  Josh had some good races early in the season, but seemed to be slowing.  Eventually, the determining factors were experience, best 5K times, and best 5K times on the course where we would run regionals.  I chose Josh, David, and Zach.

                   I was very proud of Isaac.  He was very much a part of the team.  He attended practices prior to regional and state.  He came to both meets.  I count him as a state qualifier.

                   After I had made the choice I remembered that if Jordan Smith had not been injured in midseason, my decision would have been even more difficult.  He probably would have been our fourth or fifth runner.

Regional Meet Report

                   The Class A Region Two Championships were held on a beautiful Saturday (November 6, 2004) on a challenging course that was wet from rains the previous week.  The girls ran at about 10:15am and the boys at about 11:00am. 

                   Sami Siegwald called in sick and did not run.  We certainly missed her. She had an outside chance at making state and the course would have suited her.  I look forward to her running next year.

                   Kelly McRoberts grabbed the lead early in the girls race.  She was challenged by Lieve Hendren of Kentucky Country Day, who passed Kelly at the two mile mark.  The KCD coach had instructed her runner that if she were not leading Kelly with one-half mile to go, then Kelly would win.  Kelly regained the lead and with a strong finishing kick won the championship.

                   Maddie Dailey ran one of her best races of the season with a consistently strong pace through the entire race.  She finished fifteenth – the fifth individual qualifier.

                   The boys depended on a solid team finish.  Eric Jeter was the top finisher for the team, running under twenty minutes.  William Slider had a difficult race in the heat, finishing behind Eric for the first time this season, but having the highest finish in any of his four regionals (a testimony to the difficulty of the course).  Tim Blunk, Clay McRoberts, and Zach Torp finished as a pack.  Josh Chervenak and David Read bumped several runners from other teams.

                   I had analyzed the boys regional the week before the race.  The top three schools would not be touched.  The race would be for fourth place – and there were five teams that could easily take fourth.  Our solid team finish gave us the fourth place with room to spare.  We qualified for state!

CLASS “A” REGION TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS

Varsity Girls, 5K            2003                       2004

Kelly McRoberts (8)      21:17.65/3^rd       21:42.30/1^st 

Maddie Dailey (8)          24:27.45/21^st   23:50.00/15^th 

Varsity Boys, 5K          2001                      2002                      2003                       2004

Eric Jeter (8)            22:29.4/58^th          22:33.09/51^st         20:06.15/29^th     19:51.3/12^th 

William Slider (12)  19:46.1/43^rd          20:27.81/29^th         20:48.74/42^nd     20:43.5/24^th 

Tim Blunk (9)                                       24:43.29/61^st         21:57.93/49^th     21:21.5/32^nd 

Clay McRoberts (5)                                                                                      21:32.7/35^th 

Zach Torp (8)                                                                      22:10.50/53^rd     21:37.4/36^th 

Josh Chervenak (11)                                                                                     22:48.5/45^th 

David Read (8)                                     22:57.33/53^rd         22:00.71/50^th     24:54.7/57^th 

Team                                                                        1:45:06.40 (average = 21:01.28)/4^th

Cross Country - Chapter Seven - Part Two

Reports of Meets

                   Each meet had its own story for every runner.  Inidividual results for each meet for 2004 for the Brown School are recorded in the book, No Excuses No Regrets that may be purchased from iUniverse Publishing.  Here I report only the results of championships.

Jefferson

County

Public

MIDDLE Schools Region 2 Championships.

6^th Grade Boys, ½ mile

Clay McRoberts (5) 2:46.00/3^rd

Houston

Ward (6)    3:07.00/18^th

7^th Grade Girls, 1 mile

Sami Siegwald (7)       6:43/4^th

7^th Grade Boys, 1 mile

Isaac Poole (7)        5:50.00/8^th 

Griffith Brydon-Williams (7)     6:03.00/12^th 

Jay Connelly (7)       6:37.00/---

Shelby Dixon (7)      6:56.00/---

8^th Grade Girls, 1 mile

Kelly McRoberts (8)     5:48.00/1^st 

Maddie Dailey (8)         6:20.00/3^rd

                                                             

8^th Grade Boys, 1 mile

Eric Jeter (8)       5:14.00/1^st

Jordan Smith (8)        5:48.00/3^rd

David Read (8)          6:03.00/10^th

North Central Kentucky Cross Country Conference.

JV Boys, 5K

Shelby Dixon (7)      29:57/21^st

Jay Connelly (7)       31:12/24^th

Houston

Ward (6)      31:23/25^th

Varsity Girls, 5K

Kelly McRoberts (8)       23:13./3^rd

Varsity Boys, 5K

William Slider (12)      2123/18th   

Eric Jeter (8)            22:11/24^th

Clay McRoberts (5)    23:12/37^th

Tim Blunk (9)              23:14/38^th

Zach Torp (8)              24:12/45^th

David Read (8)            24:42/48^th

Isaac Poole (7)            25:17/51^st

Josh Chervenak (11)    25:25/53^rd

Griffith Brydon-Williams (7)       26:20/59^th

Team        1:54:12 (average = 22:50)/6^th

JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL VARSITY CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Varsity Boys, 5K

William Slider (12)        20:21/73^rd

Eric Jeter (8)                 20:33/78^th

Tim Blunk (9)                20:53/90^th

David Read (8)              21:38/110^th

Clay McRoberts (5)       21:15/101^st

Zach Torp (8)                22:10/117^th

Josh Chervenak (11)      22:34/119^th

Isaac Poole (7)               NTA

Griffith Brydon-Williams (7)     NTA

Team       1:44:40 (average = 20:56)/16^th

                                                                                                                                          

Varsity Girls, 5K

Kelly McRoberts (8)       22:10/6^th

Maddie Dailey (8)           24:56/31^st

Sami Siegwald (7)           26:14/40^th

ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Elementary Girls, 3K

Ayanna Jeter (3)       17:30.08/191^st

Elementary Boys, 3K

Clay McRoberts (5)      12:31.86/10^th

Houston Ward (6)         16:18.08/ 271^st

Raleigh Dixon (3)           21:23.28/369^th

Middle School Girls, 4K

Kelly McRoberts (8)     16:30.15/15^th 

Maddie Dailey (8)         18:35.37/130^th 

Sami Siegwald (7)         19:45.28/193^rd 

Middle School Boys, 4K

Eric Jeter (8)                  14:46.23/23^rd 

David Read (8)              17:08.01/170^th 

Isaac Poole (7)              17:08.80/173^rd

Griffith Williams (7)        18:25.62/271^st

Shelby Dixon (7)            20:42.85/349^th

Team       

28^th Place

Cross Country - Chapter Seven - Part One

Chapter 7

Executing the Season Plan

                   Planning is meaningless without execution.  A plan should be followed to the point where it is effective.  A plan should always welcome flexibility and creativity.  Adjustments shall be required.  As I learned in the Marine Corps, a battle plan is perfect until the first bullet is fired.  A season plan is perfect until the first race.

Tracking the Miles

                   The runners enjoyed watching their mileage accrue through the season.  As a motivational tool I would give T-Shirts as rewards for reaching the 100, 200, and 300 mile thresholds.  The Marine Corps recruiters gave me twenty shirts that I used for the 100 mile recognition.  I had nine Gatorade shirts that I used for the 200 mile mark.  At 300 miles I gave shirts that I got from the Coast Guard recruiter.

                   I only kept track of miles that were run under my supervision.  I know many runners ran on their own either to make up practices or to add to their mileage. 

                   Some athletes played other sports and got many miles in those situations.  In these situations my concerns were to insure proper training for Cross Country, and to avoid injuries through over loading.

                   In addition, preseason or summer mileage was much higher – but less intense – than mileage during the end of the season.  For example, William Slider was averaging fifty miles per week during the summer, but toward the end of the season as we rested before and after meets and as we ran more intervals his mileage “dropped,” though his work did not. 

                   Miles do not measure every component of a practice session.  As a sprinter in college I would be asked how many miles I ran.  That particular day I may have warmed up, completed some drills, run 24x200, and cooled down for a total of about five miles.  The distance runners on that day may have had a twelve mile run.  The mileage did not reflect the equal effort.

                   Still, mileage does measure equally the effort and commitment of all runners since in Cross Country the workouts are the same for everyone. 

                   At the end of the season the runners had compiled the following mileage statistics:

William Slider                467

Eric Jeter                       272

Josh Chervenak[1]        264

Isaac Poole                   230

Tim Blunk                     208

Kelly McRoberts          204

Clay McRoberts           173

Shelby Dixon                174

Maddie Dailey              171

Houston Ward              144

David Read                  141

Griffith Williams            136

Zach Torp                    135

Sami Siegwald              133

Jordan Smith[2]            110

Jay Connelly                 88

Performance Points

                   In Running Trax, Dr. J. Gerry Purdy[3] has developed a means of scoring performances at different distances to show comparative levels of ability and effort.  His intent is to assist coaches in developing interval workouts. I used his charts for the intended purpose, but also to score runners on their relative efforts and contributions to the team over the season.  The scores for each runner are as follows:

Eric Jeter                     4548

William Slider              4420

Kelly McRoberts         4280

Tim Blunk                    3711

Josh Chervenak           3672

Clay McRoberts          3625

David Read                 3233

Isaac Poole                 2988

Maddie Dailey             2970

Griffith Williams 2370

Sami Siegwald             2560

Zach Torp                   2029

Houston Ward             1420

Shelby Dixon               1391

Jay Connelly                1383

Jordan Smith                1150

---

[1] Josh Chervenak had two fewer days available to run than Eric Jeter (JCPS MS meet and Shively Freshman Meet).

[2] Jordan Smith was injured for the last part of the season.

[3] The formula for calculating performance points is:  Point Score = C₁ x (M – z) + C₂ x (e^{C3 x (M – z) – 1})

·       C1, C2, and C3 are constants for the distance run

·       M = Mark (velocity in m/seconds

·       Z = Zero offset

·       E = Natural logarithm (a constant equal to approximately 2.71828183

Cross Country - Chapter Six - Part Nine

November Workouts

Tues 2^nd         Warm Up, 45-60 minute pack run, 4x Strides

Wed 3^rd          Warrm Up, 45-60 minute team run

Thu 4^th           Warm Up, 30-45 Minute Team Run

Sat 6^th             CLASS A REGION 2

Tues 9^th          Warm Up, 30-45 minute chase run (hard)

Wed 10^th    Warm Up, Easy Running, Play Time

Thu 11^th      Warm Up, Easy Running, Play Time

Sat 13^th      KHSAA/USATF STATE

Cross Country - Chapater Six - Part Eight

October Workouts

Sat 2^nd         ATHERTON INVITATIONAL

Mon 4^th       Warm Up, Technique Drills, Hills and Strides

Tues 5^th       Warm Up, 45-60 minute chase run (hard)

Wed 6^th       Warm Up, 4-5 x 400 intervals

Thu 7^th        Warm Up, 45-60 Minute Team Run

Sat 9^th         ROCKET RELAYS

Mon 11^th     Warm Up, Technique Drills, Hills and Strides

Tues 12^th     Warm Up, 45-60 minute chase run (hard)

Wed 13^th     Warm Up, 4-5 x 400 intervals

Thu 14^th      Warm Up, 45-60 Minute Team Run

Sat 16^th       North Central Kentucky Cross Country Conference         

Mon 18^th     Warm Up, Technique Drills, Hills and Strides

Tues 19^th     Warm Up, 45-60 minute chase run (hard)

Wed 20^th     Warm Up, 4-5 x 400 intervals

Thu 21^st       Warm Up, 45-60 Minute Team Run

Sat 23^rd        DeSales Invitational

Tues 26^th      JCPS Championships

Wed 27^th    Warm Up, 4-5 x 400 intervals

Thu 28^th      Warm Up, 45-60 Minute Team Run

Sat 30^th        MEET OF CHAMPIONS

Cross Country - Chapter Six - Part Seven

September Workouts

Wed 1^st       Warm Up, Technique Drills, 3x600 Intervals[1]

Thu 2^nd        Warm Up, 45 Minute Team Run

Fri 3^rd          TEAM PICNIC

Sat 4^th          TIGER RUN

Mon 6^th       Warm Up, Technique Drills, Hills and Strides

Tues 7^th       Warm Up, 60 Minute Free Run

Wed 8^th       Warm Up, Technique Drills, 4x400/800 Continuous Relay

Thu 9^th        Warm Up, 45 Minute Team Run

Sat 11^th        MALE INVITATIONAL

Mon 13^th     Warm Up, Technique Drills, Hills and Strides

Tues 14^th     Warm Up, 70 Minute Free Run

Wed 15^th     Warm Up, Technique Drills, 3x800

Thu 16^th      Warm Up, 50 Minute Team Run

Sat 18^th       TRINITY/SHA INVITATIONALS

Mon 20^th     JCPS MS Region 2 (HS Hill run, Hills and Strides)

Tues 21^st     Warm Up, 45-80 Minute Free Run

Wed 22^nd    MS and Freshman, Others 60 minute run on own

Thu 23^rd      FRESHMAN CHAMPIONSHIP, Others 45 Minute Run

Mon 27^th     Warm Up, Technique Drills, Hills and Strides

Tues 28^th     Warm Up, 60 Minute Free Run

Wed 29^th     Warm Up, 4-5 x 400 intervals

Thu 30^th      Warm Up, 45 Minute Team Run

---

[1] For an easy to follow design for personalized interval workouts see J. Gerry Purdy, Running Trax, 1996.

Cross Country - Chapter Six - Part Six

August Workouts

Mon 2^nd      Warm Up, Technique Drills, 4-9 x Hill Course

Tue 3^rd        Warm Up, 2-3 x Basic Course, 4 x Strides

Wed 4^th       Warm Up, Technique Drills, 2-4 x Hard/Easy Course

Thu 5^th        Warm Up, 60 Minute Free Run, 4 x Strides

Fri 6^th          Warm Up, HS 45 Minute Free Run                                                

Sat 7^th         Warm Up, 1-2 x Interstate Course (Loop Course as needed)

Mon 9^th      Warm Up, Technique Drills, 4-10 x Hill Course

Tue 10^th      Warm Up, 80 Minute Free Run, 4 x Strides

Wed 11^th    Warm Up, Technique Drills, 3-5 x Hard/Easy Course

Thu 12^th      Warm Up, 75 Minute Free Run, 4 x Strides

Sat 14^th       Warm Up, 50-90 Minute Free Run

Tue 17^th      Warm Up, 75 Minute Free Run

Wed 18^th     All-Sports Meeting at School for Parents and Runners

Thu 19^th      Warm Up, 4x400 or 800 Continuous Relay

Sat 21^st       BOWLATHON

Mon 23^rd    Warm Up, Technique Clinic, Hills and Strides

Tues 24^th     45 Minute Free Run

Wed 25^th     Warm Up, 1600m Time Trial, Easy Run

Thu 26^th      Warm Up, 60 Minute Free Run

Sat 28^th       Look at Course for first meet, 75 Minute Free Run

Mon 30^th     Warm Up, Hills and Strides

Tues 31^st     Warm Up, 60 Minute Free Run

Cross Country - Chapter Six - Part Five

The Workout Calendar

                   After establishing the season focus, meet schedule, and goals for the season, William and I began planning workouts.  We usually planned one month at a time to give us the opportunity to evaluate what the team needed.  William was more than a partner in the planning of workouts.  He not only had a coach’s perspective, but a runner’s perspective as well.  If he felt uncomfortable with a workout, then we planned something different.

                   Workouts as they appear below are those designed for the top runners on the team.  William and I worked hard to make each workout appropriate for the age and ability of each runner, yet maintain the team aspect of the workouts.  If you use the workouts found below simply decrease each workout for younger and inexperienced runners as needed.  The workouts are listed month-by-month.

July Workouts

Thu 15^th      Parent and Runner Meeting, Warm Up Clinic, 1-2 x Basic Course, 4 x Strides

Fri 16^th       Warm Up, HS 1-2 x Basic Course                                                   

Sat 17^th       Warm Up, 1-4 x Golf Course

Mon 19^th     Warm Up, Technique Drills, 2-6 x Hill Course

Tue 20^th      Warm Up, 1-3 x Basic Course, 4 x Strides

Wed 21^st     Warm Up, Technique Drills, 2-3 x Hard/Easy Course

Thu 22^nd      Warm Up, 45 Minute Free Run, 4 x Strides

Fri 23^rd        Warm Up, HS 30 Minute Free Run                                                

Sat 24^th       Warm Up, 1-2 x Interstate Course (Loop Course as needed)

Mon 26^th     Warm Up, Technique Drills, 3-8 x Hill Course

Tue 27^th      Warm Up, 50 Minute Free Run, 4 x Strides

Wed 28^th     Warm Up, Technique Drills, 2-4 x Hard/Easy Course

Thu 29^th      Warm Up, 55 Minute Free Run, 4 x Strides

Fri 30^th        Warm Up, HS 35 Minute Free Run                                                

Sat 31^st       Warm Up, 40-80 Minute Free Run

Cross Country - Chapter Six - Part Four

Schedule of Meets (2004)

                   There is a progression to the schedule of meets for the season.  The attempt is to build experience and racing fitness for the regional championships.  Since our regional championships were scheduled for a difficult and hilly course I sought meets that would build toward the regional site in terms of difficulty and hills.  I knew we would sacrifice good times, but I believed it was essential to have the team “toughened” for regionals. 

                   Meets also provide an element of enjoyment and a means to evaluate the effectiveness of individual training.  I tried to give the team a consistent opportunity to race.

                  

CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE

Date                        Meet/Activity

PRESEASON

July 15                    First Day of Practice

August 17                First Day of School

August 21                Bowlathon @ Ten Pins Lanes

September 3            Team Picnic @ Slider’s House

DEVELOPMENTAL SEASON

September 4              Tiger Run @ Seneca

September 11            Male Invitational @ Creason

September 18            Trinity/SHA Invites @ Sawyer

September 20            JCPS MS Region 2 @ Creason

September 23          Freshman Championships

October 2                  Atherton Invite @ Atherton

October 9                  Rocket Relays @ Sawyer

CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

October 16                NCKCCC

October 23               DeSales Invite @ McNeeley

October 26              JCPS @ Creason

October 30              Meet of Champs

November 6             Region 2 Class A @ McNeeley

November 13           Class A State

POSTSEASON

November 14           AAU State

December 4             AAU Nationals

Cross Country - Chapter Six - Part Three

Preseason

                   The preseason began on July 15^th and ended on the day before the first meet.  The focus of the preseason was development of the aerobic base.  The preseason workouts are included in the Workout Calendar in postings to follow.  As a part of the conclusion of the preseason, I had the team run a one mile time trial on Wednesday, September 1^st. 

                   The Preseason ended with the Team Picnic on Friday, September 3^rd.  We had a hard time setting the date due to some family considerations.  The picnic was simply a time for relaxing and building the team attitude.

Developmental Season

                   The Developmental Season included all the early meets from September 4^th to October 12^th.  These meets provided individuals the opportunity to practice racing skills and gain experience.  During this season William and I began to look at runners and their performances for putting teams together for the various championships.  During this period we attempted to get as many runners as possible qualified for the regional championships with four high school meets.  The developmental meet and workout schedules are found below.

 

Championship Season

                   The Championship Season is the focus of the team.  Some overlap does occur with the Developmental Season.  The championship meet and workout schedules are found below.

Postseason

                   The Postseason is an opportunity for runners to continue to challenge themselves at the state and national level with the USATF and AAU meets.  These events are strictly voluntary, training is less intense, and runners are essentially on their own.  Last year several runners participated, but this year no one chose to do so.

Cross Country - Chapter Six - Part Two

This posting is a part of a book on Cross Country by John Slider, No Excuses No Regrets, that is available for purchase through iUniverse Publishing.

                   William provided a more extensive plan of off season workout options for his seventh and eighth grade runners.  He researched appropriate training methods before developing his plan.

Early Summer Training Options for 7th and 8th Graders

During these first few weeks of summer break before practice starts, I would not recommend hard running for anyone.  However, some training would help in getting prepared for summer practice.

·         If you have access to a pool with lap lanes, I strongly suggest that you take advantage of it.  Swimming is one of the best cross trainers for running since it helps build the upper body and increase aerobic endurance without stressing your joints.

·         Be sure to stretch well and at least twice each day.

·         Be sure to drink plenty of water, especially on hot days.  Drink at least one glass (16 ounces) for every 10 minutes of activity before and after your workout.

Below is a weekly schedule and be sure to keep in mind that this should not be at a hard pace, but at a steady and relaxed one.  You should be barely able to comfortably carry on a conversation while you are working out.  There are two options for workouts (A and B), decide to do one each day.  I would suggest staying with either all “A” workouts or all “B” workouts, but you may switch back and forth if you must.

June 10^th – June 30^th

Monday            Workout A:   Swim         20 to 30 minutes

                         Workout B:  Run             20 minutes

Tuesday         OFF             

Wednesday      A: Swim                          20 to 30 minutes   

                        B: Run                             30 minutes

Thursday          A:  Swim                         20 minutes (Slow and Easy!!!)

                         B:  Run                            20 minutes (Slow and Easy!!!)      

Friday            OFF

Saturday           A: Swim                          30 to 45 minutes

                         B: Run                             30 minutes

Sunday             OFF

July 1^st - July 14^th

Monday            A:   Swim                        30 minutes

                        B:   Run                           30 minutes

Tuesday            OFF             

Wednesday      A and B: Run                  30 minutes   

Thursday          A:  Swim                         35 minutes (Slow and Easy!!!)

                         B:  Run                            25 minutes (Slow and Easy!!!)   

Friday               OFF

Saturday           A: Swim                          45 minutes

                         B: Run                             30 minutes

Sunday          OFF

If you have the discipline to follow this, it should help you be ready for the first official team practice on July 15^th. This is probably what most of you should do, but if you think that you may need a harder or easier workout schedule please let me know.

  Have a good summer,

Coach Will

Cross Country - Chapter Six - Part One

Chapter 6

Setting the Season Schedules

                   Once the season plan is formed, detailed schedules must be developed.  These schedules should build toward the season goals.

Goals

                   My season goals for the team are related to the Four Year Plan that I discussed earlier.  Though in my planning Cross Country season would prepare for Track season, still we built toward County, Conference, and Region Championships.

Off Season

                   William and I developed separate but complementary workouts for the off season for our respective teams.  For the High School runners I provided for a period of rest, then light workouts beginning one month prior to the beginning of preseason.

OFF SEASON WORKOUTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL RUNNERS

Experienced runners

·                      Week beginning Monday, June 14^th – 15-20 miles for the week.  Run no more than 5 days.

·                      Week beginning Monday, June 21^st – 18-23 miles for the week.  Run no more than 5 days.

·                      Week beginning Monday, June 28^th – 20-25 miles for the week.  Run no more than 6 days.

·                      Week beginning Monday, July 5^th – 22-27 miles for the week.  Run no more than 6 days.

·                      Week beginning Monday, July 12^th – 3 miles on Monday, 3 miles on Tuesday, off on Wednesday.

Inexperienced runners

·                      Week beginning Monday, June 14^th – 8-10 miles for the week.  Run no more than 4 days.

·                      Week beginning Monday, June 21^st – 10-12 miles for the week.  Run no more than 5 days.

·                      Week beginning Monday, June 28^th – 12-15 miles for the week.  Run no more than 6 days.

·                      Week beginning Monday, July 5^th – 15-18 miles for the week.  Run no more than 6 days.

·                      Week beginning Monday, June 12^th – 2 miles on Monday, 2 miles on Tuesday, off on Wednesday.

Cross Country - Chapter Five - Part Five

                   Technique Work.  We have several technique drills that we have developed for Track.  These techniques are designed to develop strength and proper running form.  William added to these drills, taught them, and supervised them.  We do them once or twice per week.  Runners perform drills for about 20m, then jog 20m.  When rested they repeat the same drill to return to the start.

• Groucho Walk – With the lead leg, step forward in a slow running motion planting the lead foot.  Lower the trail knee to the surface.  The lead heel should be just even with the point where the trail knee touches.  Use exaggerated arm running motion to keep balance.  Lift the body using the lead leg and repeat the process alternating legs.

• Penguin Run – With straight knees and little arm motion run from the “ankles” by pushing off on the balls of the feet.  Propel the body forward by using ankle flip only.

• High Knee – Run with high knee and arm action.  Keep the trunk of the body as straight as possible with no backward or forward lean.

• Fast Feet – Run with short fast strides concentrating on a light touch on the surface.  Do not slam the feet down or shuffle.

• Grapevine – Run sideways crossing the legs over.  Keep the torso parallel to the direction of the run.

• Skip – With a skipping motion throw the body upward with a quick lifting motion of the lead knee and balancing arm.  Land on the trail leg, take a short step to switch trail legs and repeat the process.

• Kick Yourself – Run with short strides lifting the foot toward the buttocks at the beginning of the recovery.

• Backward Run – Run backwards on the toes.  Concentrate on pushing off.

• Zig-Zag – Run a given distance in a zig-zag pattern.

Learning to Race

                   Younger runners especially need to rehearse racing situations.  Many situations may be practiced during workouts themselves.  Runners may use practices to develop a sense of pace and to understand how and why to run in a pack.  Surges and pace changes may also be taught during practices.  Athletes quickly learn to run the shortest distance possible during workouts.

                   Race tactics should be discussed and rehearsed.  I teach runners to run through the crest of the hill, because many runners will slow before the top of a hill.

                   Tight turns must also be practiced.  William learned a technique for making tight turns.  Lean into the turn at raise the arms above the head to change the center of gravity.  A tight turn may be taken in this manner without a decrease in pace.

                   I also teach runners to surge beyond a runner they are passing to create separation immediately.  It is also helpful not to look back when running.

                   The start of a race is critical.  The start determines who will be playing catch up through the first part of the race.  Runners should practice pushing off the lead leg and staying low out of the start.  Runners should also be instructed as to the rules and etiquette of starting – commands, run outs, stacking teams, and stepping to the line.

                   Runners should also be prepared for the finish.  I like my runners to make visual contact with the finish line from 200m if possible.  Runners should be taught to focus on the finish.  I try to convince my runners that if they are with another competitor within 100m of the finish, then they will not be out sprinted.

Cross Country - Chapter Five - Part Four

                   Swimming.  A good complement to running is swimming.  Two of our Cross Country team also swim for the school.  Swimming is a good off season and preseason exercise – especially for younger runners.  Swimming teaches breathing discipline, provides good upper body conditioning, and gives the athlete a solid aerobic and/or anaerobic workout with either traditional lap swimming or water running.  Swimming gives “miles” without the added stress on ankles, knees, joints, and hips.  It is also good for runners recovering from injuries.

                   From observing William, who swims and runs competitively, I have developed a simple formula for computing swimming to running miles:

Freestyle Swimming Distance in Yards x 4 = Running Distance in Meters

Take the distance completed swimming freestyle in yards, multiply by four, and change to meters.  This calculation should give an approximation of the aerobic and anaerobic effort.  For example 200 yards freestyle should be the equivalent of an 800m or half-mile run.

                   Stretches.  William taught the stretching clinic at the beginning of the preseason.  He supervises stretching prior to practices.

                   A consistent stretching program can save you a lot of lost training time from injuries.  Along with appropriately training and choosing the right shoes, stretching is the most important activity you can do to protect your body from the rigors Cross Country.  Stretching after running also reduces muscle soreness.

                   If not done properly, stretching can actually cause injury rather than prevent it.  You should not bounce while stretching.  Bouncing risks pulling or tearing the muscle. Muscles must be stretched gradually and gently.  If a stretch is applied too quickly, the muscle responds with a strong contraction, increasing tension.  If the stretch is applied slowly, however, this contraction reflex is avoided, muscle tension decreases, and the muscle may be stretched longer.  Stretches should be of thirty to forty seconds in duration and several repetitions.  You should neither push through muscle resistance, nor stretch to the point of discomfort or pain.

                   The following twelve stretches are recommended before and after running and in the evening:

1.      Wall Pushup #1 - Stand about three feet from a wall, feet at shoulder width and flat on the ground. Put your hands on the wall with your arms straight for support. Lean your hips forward and bend your knees slightly to stretch your calves.

2.      Wall Pushup #2 - From the previous position, bend forward to lower your body to waist height. Bring one foot forward with your knee slightly bent. Lift the toes of the front foot to stretch the muscle under the calf. Stretch both legs.

3.      Wall Pushup #3 - Put your feet together, rocking back on your heels with your hands on the wall and your arms straight to form a jackknife with your body. This stretches your hips, shoulders, and lower back.

4.      Back Scratch - Grab your elbow with the opposite hand and gently push the elbow up and across your body until your hand reaches down to "scratch" your back. Gently push on your elbow to guide your hand down your back as far as it will comfortably go, stretching your triceps and shoulders. Stretch both arms.

5.      Hamstring Stretch - Lie down with one leg straight up in the air, the other bent with foot flat on the ground. Loop a towel over the arch of the lifted foot, and gently pull on the towel as you push against it with your foot. Push only to the point where your muscles contract. Stretch both legs.

6.      Quadriceps Stretch - Kneel on your knees (without resting back on your heels). Lean back with your body erect and your arms to the side. Hold for 15 seconds.

7.      Heel To Buttock - Stand on one foot, with one hand on a wall for balance. Hold the other foot with the opposite hand and raise the heel of the lifted foot to the buttocks (or as close as comfortably possible), stretching your quadriceps. Keep your body upright throughout. Change legs and repeat.

8.      Hip & Lower Back Stretch - Sit on the ground with your legs crossed. Lift your right leg and cross it over the left, which should remain bent. Hug the right leg to your chest and twist the trunk of your body to look over your right shoulder. Change legs and repeat (i.e. looking over your left shoulder).

9.      Iliotibial Band Stretch - Lie on your side with both legs bent in running position. Bring the bottom leg toward your chest and then bring the top one back toward your buttocks, so that the running position of your legs is exaggerated as possible. Hold for 30 seconds then flip sides and repeat.

10.  Hamstring & Back Stretch - Lie on your back with your knees bent. Hug your shins to your chest to stretch your hamstrings and lower back.

11.  Bridge - Lie on your back and, with your feet flat on the ground, lift your hips up until your body forms a flat plane. Repeat this one ten times for 30 seconds each to stretch your quads and lower back.

12. Groin Stretch - Seated, put the soles of your feet together. With your elbows on the inside of your knees, gradually lean forward and gently press your knees toward the ground.[1]

---

[1] Josh Clark, “Stay Loose,” coolrunning.com.

Cross Country - Chapter Five - Part Three

The Cross Country Season Plan

                   Once we had the athletes, the single peak focus events, and all the preparation completed, William and I turned to the task of developing the season plan.  He and I worked closely together, using our combined experience to construct the best plan possible for the team.

                   The Building Blocks.  There are five essential building blocks for a successful Cross Country season.  The coach supplies three of the blocks during practices, the runner supplies two of the blocks during practices and competition.

                  During practices the coaches provide the following:

·         Progression – There is a plan to the season and each workout progresses through the season to bring each runner to his or her highest level of performance.

·         Intensity – Each workout (some more, some less) will have within it an element that will challenge the runner beyond what he or she believes can be done.  Portions of some workouts are designed to extend runners beyond what they have accomplished before.

·         Consistency – There is consistency within each workout and throughout the season.  The overall plan assumes (but does not require) consistent attendance and effort.

                  During practices and in competition the runner and only the runner will and can provide the following:

·         Enjoyment – A coach cannot make a sport fun.  The runner must find enjoyment in the sport itself – practices and competition.

·         Effort – Excellence comes before success.  If a runner puts effort into excelling each moment, then success will follow.

                   Training Needs.  I have already written about the body’s response to training and the various training needs for runners in sections above.  What is important here is that in constructing the season plan, William and I were aware of and focused on the need to train the runners in several ways – aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, strength, speed, and technique.  All five of these areas not only fed into the progression, consistency, and intensity of the whole; but within themselves there also needed to be progression, consistency, and intensity.  In short, every workout had and purpose and fit into the overall plan.

                   Weight Lifting.  Brown School Cross Country did not currently have the facility or opportunity for training with weights. I am very uncomfortable encouraging any training that I cannot supervise.

                   As a rule Middle School runners should not attempt any serious weight lifting – especially anything requiring lifting above the head.  Bicep curls and other simple exercises with dumbbells are fine, but not required.  Serious lifting can wait until age fourteen or fifteen.

                   William does lift two or three times per week.  His upper body work is high repetition and low weight.  For his legs he tries to maintain his strength for Track.  I do recommend leg curls (2 sets of twenty-five) to help avoid hamstring pulls from exhaustion.

                   Abdominal Strength.  The abdominal (stomach) muscles are a critical part of any athlete's conditioning.  Abdominal muscles are particularly important for running.  Training the abdominal muscles has recently been the subject of more misinformation and mythology than any other part of the human anatomy.  Though I would not suggest that Middle School runners should overwork abdominal muscles, it is good to establish proper habits early.

                   There is nothing unique about abdominal muscles as far as training and response to training is concerned. The principles that apply to biceps and triceps apply equally to abdominals. The three critical elements of any training regime are intensity (muscular overload), progression (increased intensity from workout to workout), and consistency (proper spacing of workouts to avoid over-training or under-training).

                   Most people do sit-ups or crunches as an abdominal exercise.  While these exercises can satisfy the “intensity requirement,” they are rarely employed to satisfy progression and consistency.  Muscles will only develop in response to overload that is above normal. If a person does twenty crunches every day for a year, that person's abdominal muscles will only develop to that level of performance.

                   To force new development, intensity must increase. Adding a few crunches every day only increases duration; there are better way to get results.

                   Exercise equipment for abdominal muscles that is currently advertised does not allow for increased intensity (adding weight resistance).  Some have rubber bands or similar devices to add a bit of overload, but it's a trivial amount.  Adult abdominal muscles are capable of being developed to the point of doing crunches with weights of 100, 200, and even 300 pounds.

                   The top three exercises for improving abdominal muscles are weighted crunches, weighted incline sit-ups, weighted sit-ups.  Weighted Crunches are performed by using a rope handle attachment on a machine, grasping the ends and pulling the cable until it is tight and the hands are resting at the side of the head near the ears.  By contracting the abdominal muscles in a crunch the athlete lifts the shoulders off the floor and draws the weight stack up an inch or two. The athlete should choose a weight that will allow only do eight to twelve  repetitions.

                   If there is no access to a low pulley, there is a good alternative.  Use the high pulley that is normally used for lateral pull-downs on a machine.  Kneel on the floor or sit in the seat directly under the rope handles that are attached to the high pulley.  Lock the legs under the hold down. Pull the handles into position next to the ears, then contract the abdominal muscles into a crunch that raises the weight stack an inch or two. Again, choose a weight that will allow only do eight to twelve (8-12) repetitions.

                   For me the optimum abdominal exercise is the weighted incline situp.  Lying on an incline bench, I do situps while holding a weight against my chest.  The limitation of this exercise is that eventually it will not be possible to hold enough weight safely.  I do a session of weighted incline situps three or four times a week.  In each session I do 100 situps without a weight, then I add two and one-half pounds of weight every twenty-five situps.  I increase the repetitions by five each session.  So, by the time I reach 200 situps I have completed 100 with no weight, twenty-five with two and one-half pounds, twenty-five with five pounds, twenty-five with seven and one-half pounds, and twenty-five with ten pounds.

                   Weighted situps are another alternative.   The athlete lies on the floor and does a sit-up or crunch while holding a barbell plate against the chest.  The feet will need to be hooked under something.

                   Abdominal muscles may be worked daily, but an every other day schedule is appropriate as well.  Set a goal number of repetitions (e.g., fifty) and starting with the base weight increase repetitions by at least five while maintaining the weight until the goal of repetitions is reached.  Remember that improvement will only occur when the muscles are overloaded.

                   When the goal repetitions are reached with the base weight, increase the weight by five to fifteen percent and drop the number of repetitions for the initial workout at that weight.  Repetitions should not return to the initial number, but to about sixty percent of the goal of repetitions.

                   Failure to progress (to increase the intensity of the weight or the number of repetitions) will indicate an equipment problem (e.g., too many weights to hold) or the need for recovery (rest of a day or two) between sessions.  When it becomes impossible to add weights because of safety issues, lower the weight and increase the repetitions, then work toward the increased goal of repetitions.

                   Results can only be seen if the abdominal muscles are not covered by fat stored by the body.  To remove lose fat, increase the aerobic workout (running, swimming, etc). 

                   Remember, muscle takes up less space than fat, but muscle weighs more than fat.  Therefore, a slight weight gain may be experienced when abdominal muscles become conditioned and waist size decreases.

Cross Country - Chapter Five - Part Two

Focus Events

                   The athletes who run Cross Country at the Brown School for the most part are Track runners who enjoy Cross Country and use it to prepare for Track.  Some are involved in other sports throughout the year.  A few only run Cross Country.

                   Based on last year’s performances, I determined that there were several athletes – two girls and five boys – who could form the nucleus of the 2005 Track team.  These runners would not be special “coach’s favorites,” but an analysis of their Track events would be the basis for developing a focus event  (or focus events) around which I would build a year-long training program to peak in late May 2005.

                   These athletes and their projected track events for 2005 are:

·         William Slider, Senior, 200m, 400m, 800m, 300m hurdles.

·         Tim Blunk, Freshman, 400m, 800m.

·         Madeline Dailey, 8^th grader, 200, 400, 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles.

·         Eric Jeter, 8^th grader, 400m, 800m, 1600m.

·         Kelly McRoberts, 8^th grader, 400m, 800m, 1600m.

·         Zach Torp, 8^th grader, 3200m.

·         Clay McRoberts, 5^th grader, 3200m.

                   These seven runners and their events suggested to me two training foci for the 2004 Cross Country season – 800m and 3200m.  Cross Country provides a great background for these two focus events.[1]  During practices in July and August before the start of school as a distance base is developed there would be little difference between the two groupings of runners.  As the team moved onto the track for speed and anaerobic work once or twice a week, these groups would split for more specialized work focused on the two events.

                  

Periodization and

Single

Peak

                   American Cross Country and Track in high schools are organized in such a way as to require athletes to reach peak performances two (or even three) times in one year – early November for Cross Country, early March for Indoor Track, and late May for Outdoor Track.  I prefer to have a consistent and year-long focus for the athletes with one peak in late May or early June for Outdoor Track.  Indeed, double or triple peaking will certainly diminish the quality of the primary peak and possibly the quality of any or all the peaks.[2]  With the understanding that a single peak over an academic year better serves my runners than multiple peaks, I determined that the peak for the school year would be late May for Outdoor Track when the regional meet would take place.

                   Having established the peak for the year, I could then divide the year into training periods.  This task is called periodization.  In periodization, the entire year is divided into periods and sub-periods in order to organize progression, intensity, and consistency of workouts to increase performance toward the peak.  Each workout should fit into this periodization and contribute to the peak.  The periodization plan for 2004-2005 looks as follows:

• Rest – from after the state Track Meet to the start of preseason

  Cross

  County

  (June 1 through July 14).  Runners are free to pursue other sports, summer track events, or a schedule of easy running that I give them to do on their own.  Some I am sure do nothing, but that is their choice.
• Base 1 – Preseason Cross Country – from July 15^th to the first meet (September 4^th).  This period includes four days of distance runs (three for Middle School runners), one day of hills, and one day of speed play or tempo running.  I also offer water running and swimming in the mornings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until the beginning of school.  When school starts on August 17^th I substitute a day of intervals on the track for the tempo run.  For the top runners mileage should reach about fifty miles per week.  Strides and techniques follow workouts throughout the Cross Country period.
• Base 2 – Developmental Season Cross Country – from the first meet to the meet prior to the conference championships (September 4^th through October 15^th).  During this period runners get used to competition, work on qualifications for regions, and experiment.  Adjustments are made to the training schedule to allow for appropriate rest before meets.  Mileage will drop gradually.
• Base 3 – Championship Season Cross Country – from the conference meet to the state championship (October 16^th through November 13^th).  The regional teams are selected during this period.  Mileage continues to drop gradually.  Hills are no longer a part of the workout and another day of intervals is added.  Rest before and recovery from competition is important.  Some runners will continue by choice to run in USATF and AAU events through December 11^th.
• Transition – from the last Cross Country meet to the beginning of Outdoor Track practice (March 1^st).  During this period I encourage Swimming and/or Indoor Track, but some athletes move into Basketball.  A few do nothing.  This period is a time for building anaerobic endurance, continuing the aerobic base, strengthening the upper body, and improving speed.  Swimming provides a means for a runner to do the first three.  Indoor track begins the process of developing the runners “Track legs” and also is a time to work on hurdling or other techniques.
• Peak 1 – Developmental Season Track – from the first outdoor practice (March 1^st) to about May 1^st.  The focus here is to continue to develop anaerobic endurance and each athlete’s understanding of his or her events.
• Peak 2 – Championship Season Track – from about May 1^st to the last track meet.  The final touches to the runners speed and techniques are the focus here.  Confidence should build for the peak – regional competition.

---

[1] Peter Coe, Winning Running, p62.

[2] Peter Coe, Winning Running, p79.

Cross Country - Chapter Five - Part One

Chapter 5

Formulating the Season Plan

                   Without a plan the season becomes a haphazard collection of workouts with no specific purpose.  In formulating the season plan the coach must evaluate key athletes and their events, put together a plan for the entire year, then divide the year into periods and sub-periods – seasons to weeks to days – so that everything fits together with purpose and focus. 

Training Principles

                   Training must be as specific as possible to each element of the event on which the athlete is focusing.[1]  An important element of an event is the estimated aerobic/anaerobic energy contribution to the running of the event.  Training should reflect the needs of the focus event for aerobic/anaerobic performance.   Again, aerobic running is accomplished within your capability to use oxygen.  Anaerobic running is oxygen debt – running outside your capability to use oxygen.  The estimated aerobic/anaerobic contribution for selected events in Track are as follows:[2]

Distance          Aerobic           Anaerobic

400m               30%                 70%

800m               57%                 43%

1600m             76%                 24%

3200m             88%                 12%

5000m             93%                 7%

                   Heart rate is the best field measure for your response to training.[3]  There are three heart rates of which you should be aware – Maximal Heart Rate (MHR), Training Heart Rate (THR), and Resting Heart Rate (RHR).  Assuming good health, your MHR may be estimated by subtracting your age from 220.[4]  The MHR for a fifteen year old is 205 beats per minute (bpm).

                   THR varies with the focus of the workout.  For aerobic training THR = 65-75% of MHR; for anaerobic THR = 85-100% MHR; and for threshold training (where fatigue sets in) THR = 75-85% MHR.  The following chart may provide some help:

Age     MHR               Anaerobic THR      Aerobic THR

12        208 bpm          175+ bpm               135+ bpm

13        207 bpm          175+ bpm               135+ bpm

14        206 bpm          175+ bpm               134+ bpm

15        205 bpm          174+ bpm               133+ bpm

16        204 bpm          173+ bpm               133+ bpm

17        203 bpm          172+ bpm               132+ bpm

18        202 bpm          171+ bpm               131+ bpm

                   Your pulse may be easily taken by placing a finger (not the thumb on the neck or wrist where blood vessels are close to the surface.  For an exact time count the number of beats over one minute.  For an estimate use fifteen seconds and multiply by four.

                   Your RHR should be monitored at home at it is fun to watch the RHR lower over time as you get into running condition.  When I was in my early twenties in the Marines with nothing else to but train to run marathons, my RHR would dip below 40 bpm.  Young athlete’s probably will not have an RHR that low.  If your RHR is more than 5 bpm above normal that may mean that you have had insufficient recovery from the previous workout.[5]

                   Unless there is an increase in stimulation, an organism will habituate (get into a rut) and will not adapt further.[6]  Training must increase in intensity in order to improve performance through adaptation.[7]

                   The physiological functions that you need to train for Cross Country running are aerobic endurance (base running), anaerobic endurance (intervals, tempo runs, and fartlek), speed (short intervals and strides), and strength (hills).  Though aerobic training raises the maximum steady state,[8] attention should be given to all areas.

                   Interval training may be very beneficial when done properly.  Interval training should specify the frequency of practices, the number of set in a practice, the number of repetitions in a set, the distance to run, the target time, and the duration of the recovery.  Any of these factors may be manipulated to increase intensity.[9]

                   Runners under the age of fifteen can handle a great deal of aerobic training because their capacity to use oxygen in relation to their body weight is greater than an adult.[10]  These ages are ideal for developing the runner’s aerobic base.

                   Runners under the age of fifteen, however, cannot tolerate much anaerobic training.  At distance between 300m and 600m they stress themselves too much.[11]

                   Much has been made of Kenyan runners and their training secret.  The Kenyan secret is no secret at all.  Their training is very high in aerobic mileage; they do not do excessive anaerobic workouts; they consume no diet supplements; and they usually do not wear shoes, which allows their feet and ankles to function normally and more efficiently.[12]

                   Rest is an important part of training.  Hard training is intense and places the athlete on the edge of physical collapse.  Well-trained athletes are more prone to infections.[13]

                   Athletic improvement comes during adaptation.  Adaptation is an organism’s response to stimulation (stress).[14]  Rest and recovery is essential because that is when adaptation occurs.

                   For Middle School runners I try to maintain five days of running including competition, and two days of rest.  High School athletes and older should rest every seventh day.[15]

                   It is hard for younger runners to be patient.  Though some success may arrive immediately, you should be prepared to invest four years before you reach your potential.[16]

                   Do not be frustrated.  Be patient.  Kip Keino, when he was fifteen, could only manage a 5:56 mile.  He later became the first in the line of great Kenyan runners.[17]

---

[1] Peter Coe, Winning Running, p65.

[2] Larry Greene, Training Young Distance Runners, p36.

[3] Larry Greene, Training Young Distance Runners, p43.

[4] Larry Greene, Training Young Distance Runners, p44.

[5] Larry Greene, Training Young Distance Runners, p44.

[6] Peter Coe, Winning Running, p64.

[7] Peter Coe, Winning Running, p66.

[8] Arthur Lydiard, Distance Training for Young Athletes, p19.

[9] Peter Coe, Winning Running, pp64-5.

[10] Arthur Lydiard, Distance Training for Young Athletes, p13.

[11] Arthur Lydiard, Distance Training for Young Athletes, pp13-4.

[12] Arthur Lydiard, Distance Training for Young Athletes, p23.

[13] Peter Coe, Winning Running, p15.

[14] Peter Coe, Winning Running, p64.

[15] Peter Coe, Winning Running, p17.

[16] Arthur Lydiard, Distance Training for Young Athletes, p15.

[17] Bernd Heinrich, Why We Run, p194.

Cross Country - Chapter Four - Part Three

Team Leaders

                   My practice is to appoint captains based on seniority and past performance.  I appointed William Slider as the team captain.  He is the only senior and has provided leadership to the younger runners in races, in practices, and in school.

                   William and I agreed to appoint Eric Jeter the Middle School boys team captain and Kelly McRoberts the Middle School girls team captain.  Both are quiet leaders, but respected within the team as the top Middle School runners.  Kelly will act as the girls varsity team captain as needed.  William and I will appoint other captains for specific races as needed.

Team Policies

                   William and I set team policies based on policies developed over past seasons.  The team policies for 2004 Cross Country covered many areas.  Our philosophy was to not make a rule that would hurt the team or be impossible to enforce. 

                   Team policies are an important part of forming the team.  Runners and parents should know ahead of time the requirements of team membership and the expectations of the coaches.

2004 Cross Country Policies

1.      Practices are voluntary. Runners and their families decide if they practice.  The coaches decide whether a runner is fit and capable of competing in a meet.  The coaches assume that if a runner is not at practice that he or she is progressing in training at the same pace as the team.

2.      Participation in other sports is not discouraged.  Athletes must understand, however, that practices and training in another sport will not prepare a person for the specific competition needs of cross country as well as following the cross country practice schedule.

3. School policy does not allow an athlete to quit a sport in order to begin another sport.  An athlete who is giving his or her best effort will find, however, that coaches are flexible in these situations. 

4.      Every athlete is expected to follow the rules for maintaining academic eligibility . If an athlete is required to attend study skills or is ineligible only the Director of Athletics will inform the coach. School policy does not allow an athlete to avoid study skills by quitting a sport.

5.      Cross Country practices will be held outdoors at area parks, inside the school, local high school tracks, and other designated sites depending on training needs and the weather.  The school provides TARC tickets.

6.      The coach will bring water and other necessary equipment to the practice. Athletes may bring their own water to practice and must bring their own water to competitions.  Families are encouraged to help in providing cups.

7.      Runners are released from practice and competition at the site.  The exceptions to this rule are when practices are held on school days at a local high school track or when competitions are out of town.  Runners should not leave practices or competitions without seeing the coaching first.  Parents or other designated persons may collect their athlete at the site.

8.      Coaches set aside large blocks of time (especially in the summer) for practices and competitions, and are at every practice.  Coaches will wait a reasonable amount of time for a runner to be collected, then the coach will take the runner to wherever the coach needs to be or to the coach’s home. 

9.      Runners should be prepared to run outside every day.  Sweat pants, hats, and/or hooded sweatshirts are helpful as the season progresses.  On non-school days practices will be cancelled due to weather conditions by the coach at the site.  On school days if there is bad weather the team may practice in the school building.  The coach is not allowed to hold practice if the heat index is above a certain level or until thirty minutes after the last observed lightning.

10.  If school is cancelled or if JCPS schools are dismissed early, there will be no practice.

11.  Runners should have appropriate shoes.  Good training shoes are important.  See the coaches for details.

12.  Beginning with the first day of practice and ending on the day of the fall sports banquet team members shall conduct themselves - in school and out of school, in uniform and out of uniform – appropriately at all times in a manner that will bring credit to themselves, their families, their school, their team, and their sport.  In the case of inappropriate sportsmanship or conduct the coach (in consultation with school administrators, if necessary) will decide on fitting disciplinary action.

13.  Uniforms are required for all competitions.  All runners will wear the uniforms in accordance with the National Federation of High Schools and the Kentucky High School Athletic Association rules. 

14.  There shall be no visible jewelry or tattoos worn by runners at competitions.  Only "natural" hair color is appropriate.  These National Federation rules are strictly enforced especially at varsity meets.  Ask the coach about hair ties, hats, gloves, etc.  Captains shall decide on the color of T-shirts (no printing) that may be worn under uniforms.  "Jog bras" may be of any color.

At competitions all officials and coaches of other teams shall be addressed respectfully as "Sir", "Ma'am, or Coach."  Before a race, as the opportunity is presented, opposing runners will be wished well.  At the completion of the race while in the chute at a minimum the runners that finish immediately before (if any) and after shall be congratulated.  When a runner finishes a race he or she shall return to the finishing stretch to cheer on teammates as soon as possible.  There shall be no trash talking.

Cross Country - Chapter Four - Part Two

This posting is part of my book on coaching cross country.  It may be purchase through iUniverse Publisihing.

Team Roster

                   The Cross Country team roster fluctuates through the preseason.  Runners quit when the demands of the sport are realized.  Others join late.  The roster is closed on the practice before the first meet.

Individual Preseason Evaluations

                   At the end of preseason I evaluated each runner and their potential contributions to the team.  With so many young runners I knew there would be some surprises.  Most of the runners, however, I knew and a projection as to their individual progress and team contribution.

                   William Slider. (12) As the only senior and most experienced runner on the team, William entered the season as the top runner after having been second on the team for the last three seasons.  William is a dedicated trainer and student of the sport.  William has been named an All-American for Cross Country, Swimming, and Track by Athletes of Good News.  He is the team captain and Middle School coach.

                   Preseason Projection:  William should provide the team consistent leadership, times, and places.  I look for him to set the pace for the team’s lead pack in races.  We need him running around 19:30 for the 5K.  He has a good shot at making state.

                   Josh Chervenak. (11) Josh is in line to be team captain next year.  Though he possesses a great deal of potential, he has had some frustrations in past seasons.  In his freshman year he had a season ending injury in his first meet.  Josh started his sophomore year strong, but his training and times slackened and he fell to eighth on the depth chart.  At the end of the 2004 preseason Josh was second in miles run. 

                   Preseason Projection:  The team needs Josh to reach his potential.  I believe Josh can run in the low 20 minutes for the 5K and be a part of the final seven runners for the regional meet.

                   Tim Blunk. (9) Tim is the third high school runner on the team as a freshman.  Tim had a breakthrough year in 2003/4 beginning with the last half of Cross Country season and through track season.  He is a quite runner who is just now learning how good he is.  With a pacer he should be able to continue his improvement.

                   Preseason Projection:  I look for Tim to join William in a team leading pack with times in the mid-nineteen minutes for the 5K. With Tim in the lead pack our team may post a good finish in the regional meet.

                   Eric Jeter. (8) Eric will eventually develop into a dominating high school middle distance runner.  As an eighth grader he already was on everyone’s list to be the top 800 and 1600 runner in Middle School track in the county.  He was the only runner on the team coming into this season to have beaten William in a 5K race, which he did once. 

                   Preseason Projection:  I look for William, Tim, and Eric to form a solid lead pack for our team this season.  Eric should be running in the mid- to low- nineteen minutes for the 5K.  With a solid performance from Eric, we should place high in the regional meet.

                   David Read. (8) David is a part of the talented group of eighth grade runners that were the backbone of the team.  In the past David has been hampered by some injuries, and a potential growth spurt this season may slow him a little. 

                   Preseason Projection:  I anticipate that David will certainly be a part of the “Varsity Ten” and that he could solidify a spot at the regional meet by running under twenty-one minutes for the 5K.  We will definitely depend on David for good finishes in Middle School competitions.

                   Jordan Smith. (8)  Jordan has much untapped potential as a runner.  He has great natural ability, but seems to hold himself back.  As he learns this sport, he will be able to unleash himself.  He has an injury to his foot that took him out of track last year.

                   Preseason Projection:  Jordan can very easily join the lead pack of William, Tim, and Eric and be a top five runner under twenty minutes in the 5K for us.

                   Zach Torp. (8) Zach completes the “fearsome foursome” of eighth grade boys distance runners.  He was ranked second in the middle school 3200m in track for the county in 2004.  What hurts Zach in Cross Country is that he also plays soccer in the fall. 

                   Preseason Projection:  Zach was able to post a fantastic 3200m time in Track last year with little training.  If he is able to get enough mileage for the 5K, he will be in the group of seven regional runners at the end of the season.  If the miles are there he could run close to twenty minutes for the 5K.

                   Jay Connelly. (7) This season is Jay’s first with the team, but he is adapting well to Cross Country training.  He appears to have some long sprint ability, which will be enhanced by Cross Country training.

                   Preseason Projection:  Jay might be a season away from being an impact runner for the team, but he is an unknown factor.  As he learns the Middle School distances (2K and 3K) he could very well compliment the solid group of developing seventh graders on the team.

                   Shelby Dixon. (7) Coming back after a season off, Shelby shows improved aerobic endurance.  Now he needs to add to that some anaerobic endurance.  He is willing to do the work, and that is what it will take for him.

                   Preseason Projection:  Shelby should provide the emotional leadership for a balanced group of improving seventh graders.  Shelby will probably do better at longer distances. 

                   Isaac Poole. (7) Last track season Isaac began to explore his “inner distance runner.”  At one time he thought of himself as a short sprinter, but through gentle coaxing and some successes at the 400m and 800m distances He has come to see himself as a distance runner.

                   Preseason Projection:  Isaac should begin to produce some good times at Middle School races and continue his successes in this area.  I look for a mile time under 6:30.

                  

Griffith Brydon Williams. (7) As our team’s philosopher-in-residence, Griffith has come this season taller and more focused on his running.  He continues to take pride in winning the warm-up jogs.  In preseason practices Griffith has shown an increased adaptation to running longer distances.

                   Preseason Projection:  If  he can transfer the competitiveness he has shown during practice to races, he should contribute to the team’s success.  I look for him to be right with Isaac at the one mile mark.

                  

Houston Ward. (6) Initially, Houston appeared uncertain as to how to respond to the demands of Cross Country training.  He is new to the sport, but toward the end of preseason he showed an enjoyment of the longer free runs we have.

                   Preseason Projection:  My hope for Houston for this season is that he learns to enjoy distance running and to appreciate the challenges of distance racing.  He is so new I cannot make a projection for him.  I sense that he will be a pleasant surprise to us all.

                   Clay McRoberts.  (5) In his Fourth Grade year Clay already was competing effectively against varsity runners in Track.  He has the ability to train long distances, and the talent to produce some quality times at the Middle School level.  He could very well win the Sixth Grade Championship and will be a solid contributor for the Middle School team.

                   Preseason Projection:  Based on last year’s track times, Clay could dip below twenty-three minutes in the 5K.  He may very well make the varsity ten for regionals – possibly even the final seven.

                   Madeline Dailey. (8) The talented group of eighth grade boys is complemented by an equally talented group of girls.  Madeline is a returning varsity state meet qualifier.  She plays also plays volleyball in the fall.

                   Preseason Projection:  I look for Madeline to make state again this year, place high in Middle School races, and run about twenty-three minutes for the 5K.  She works hard and it should pay off.

                   Kelly McRoberts. (8) Kelly placed third in the regional championships last year.  She is truly the team leader, holding almost every girls school record for Cross Country.  Kelly has a solid work ethic and enjoyment of running.  She likes to compete with the boys on the team.  Like Madeline, Kelly is an all-round athlete who excels at any sport she attempts.

                   Preseason Projection:  I look for Kelly to be at the front of any race she runs.  She should be a top finisher in any Middle School race and could very well win conference and regions.   Kelly should flirt with the twenty minute barrier for the 5K all season.  Given the right conditions she should crack that barrier.

                   Sami Siegwald. (7) A rapidly maturing runner, Sami has been putting in the miles and steadily improving through the preseason.  She is small, but pushes herself in workouts and races.

                   Preseason Projection:  Sami should finish high in Middle School races.  I am looking for her to go under twenty-five minutes for the 5K and if she can get in the mid-twenty-fours, she could make the varsity state meet.

Cross Country - Chapter Four - Part One

Chapter 4

Forming the Team

                   When forming a Cross Country team, the coach needs to recruit new runners, develop a commitment in new and returning runners, evaluate runners, assign leadership roles, and establish team policies.  All these tasks must be accomplished prior to the start of preseason practice.

Recruiting New Runners

                   Cross Country is a “hard sell” at Brown.  I have tried to understand the reluctance of Brown School studentes to participate in Cross Country.  I am sure this reluctance has to do with the invisibility of the sport at the school, the lack of encouragement for athletics at the school, and the commitment that the sport requires.

                   Cross Country, however, would seem to be a natural fit for the typical student that is attracted to Brown.  It is an individual sport within a team context.

                   I try to identify potential runners throughout the school year.  I observe students, usually at the end of the day as they socialize in the lobby.  I receive referrals from teachers and runners.  William was helpful in recruiting runners.  Any referrals or suggestions are aggressively pursued.

                   Toward the end of the school year I post a sign up sheet for the coming season.  I also contact runners from the previous year.

                   I have not been given much support in contacting new students.  I try to attend new student orientations.

                   The sign up sheet usually nets a large number of potential team members.  When they discover, however, when practice starts and begin to dwell on the demands of the sport several students will drop from the team.  This year William had eighteen middle school runners express an interest in running.  Only thirteen (72%) remained with the team.

                   In 2004 I had eleven high school runners express an interest.  Eight (73%) dropped from the team before the season started, leaving the team with three high school runners prior to the start of the preseason practice.

Cross Country - Chapter Three - Part Eight

Academic Considerations

                  

The Brown School has the strictest academic requirements of any school of which I am aware.  At the Brown School athletes are required to maintain a “C” or above in every class.  Each Friday during the season teachers report to the Director of Athletics on the academic performance of every athlete.  If an athlete falls below a “C” in any class, the athlete must attend Study Skills for three weeks (fifteen days).  Study Skills are held every day after school for one hour.  Participation in Study Skills takes precedence over any practices or competitions that are held at the same time.  An athlete is ineligible to practice or compete after the third time assigned to study skills or when he or she has a reported “F” in a class.

Getting Ready for Volleyball

One of my hobbies now is officiating high school volleyball.  I enjoy maintaining my connection with the sport through officiating.  A long time ago I played beach volleyball in California and was player/coach for my base team in the Marine Corps.  We participated in military tournaments on the West Coast.  I have coached middle school and high school volleyball and run summer camps for young players.  I have also officiated sand lot volleyball.  The high school game is the most enjoyable for me.  This is my tenth year with the Kentucky High School Athletic Association and the Kentuckian Volleyball Officials Association.  I am assigned matches throughout Jefferson County as well as Oldham and Bullitt Counties.

The annual rules clinic is today.  Teams have been practicing since July 15.  Play begins in the second week of August and ends with post-season play in October.

Cross Country - Chapter Three - Part Seven

This post is part of a book on Cross Country, No Excuses No Regrets, by John Slider.  It may be purchased through iUniverse Publishing.

                   Female Runners.[1]  Coaches, parents, and female runners themselves should be aware of (not alarmed about) several issues related to the response of the female body to running.   These issues are both physiological and cultural.

                   Poor nutrition is often found in female athletes. Poor nutrition underlies symptoms such as tiredness, performance plateaus or decreases, burnout, and repeated injuries.  Female athletes may diet more aggressively than their non-athletic counterparts.  They diet in order to loose weight to improve performance.

                   Few girls can get by with less than 1200-1500 calories per day.  Extremely low fat (below 10%) diets have risks for females even if the overall caloric intake is good.  The consequences of low fat diets include low energy and performance, deficiencies of iron, zinc, magnesium, and folate, as well as vitamins E, B⁶, B¹², C, and A.   These minerals and vitamins require fat in order to be absorbed by the body.

                   Female athletes are prone to iron deficiency.  Girls require 18mg of iron per day.  Most girls do not get that much, and excessive perspiration can increase iron loss.  Menstruation increases the need for iron intake.  Iron deficiency without anemia often occurs in young female athletes.  Iron-rich foods, dietary supplements, and vitamin C which helps absorb iron are helpful.  Caffeine blocks iron absorption.

                   Calcium is another nutrient where female athletes have a higher need than males.  Most girls fall short of their calcium needs.  Half of all female runners do not get enough calcium.  Stress fractures can sideline a runner for an entire season and are the most tangible immediate risks of calcium deficiency.  Jumping and running increase the risks created by low levels of calcium in the body.

                   There are three major physiological issues for females related to diet.  These three issues are called the Female Athletic Triad – amenorrhea, eating disorders, and osteoporosis.  These three issues are of growing concern due to the increasing pressure on adolescent girls to maintain an “ideal” body weight.

                   Athletes are not immune to these cultural pressures.  In fact, many sports easily lend themselves to further increasing the pressure to be thin that girls feel.  Distance running is a sport where girls frequently are concerned about their weight and appearance.  This concern can lead to eating disorders ranging from poor nutritional habits to anorexia and bulimia.  Eating disorders can result in serious endocrine, skeletal, and psychiatric disorders.

                   Amenorrhea is the lack of menstrual periods.  A larger number of female athletes have amenorrhea than the five percent (5%) of the general female population.  Why athletes sometimes stop having their periods or have irregular periods is not known, but the correlation between athletes and increased occurrence of amenorrhea exists.

                   Decreased estrogen levels associated with amenorrhea may be the cause of premature osteoporosis found among female athletes.  Osteoporosis is the loss of bone mass.

            Premature osteoporosis is treated by reducing training intensity and providing nutritional counseling.  Osteoporosis may also be the result of low calcium intake or absorption.  Calcium requires fat in the diet in order to be absorbed.  A source of calcium and adequate fat in the diet will help avoid premature osteoporosis. 

---

[1] “Nutrition for Female Athletes,” Karen Sarpolis.

Cross Country - Chapter Three - Part Six

                   Website.  In the past I had a team website.  The runners and families seemed to appreciate it.  I elected not to publish a website this year (2004) because of the expense and time involvement.

                   Web Log.  A web log (blog) is an excellent means for communicating with athletes and parents who can check the blog anytime they wish.  I have developed a blog for the teams I coach and have found it very good for communicating and storing information.[1]  I am able to have religious content on the blog since it is mine and I do not require any athlete to access it.

Medical Issues and Considerations

                   A Cross Country Coach has to have a basic understanding of medical issues and considerations related to the sport.  Coaches should have some knowledge of the typical injuries that may occur in the sport so he or she can provide advice related to prevention or treatment.

                   Physical Examinations.  No athlete should participate in any sport without an appropriate medical examination and clearance to participate.  A “Physical Exam” not only protects the coach, it gives assurance to the athlete’s family.  JCPS and

Brown

School

policies do not allow an athlete to practice or compete without proper medical clearance.  The school provides the opportunity to complete a sports physical at minimal cost.      

                   Insurance.  JCPS and

Brown

School

policy requires all athletes to participate in the “catastrophic” insurance program.  The cost of this insurance for high school students is $15.  There is no cost to middle school students unless they run in high school meets.

                   Weather and Water.  Cross Country runners in

Kentucky

, with their season beginning on July 15^th and extending through the second week in November, can experience a full range of weather conditions.  Runners must take care to dress appropriate to the weather conditions.  Remember, it is easier to take something off what you are wearing, than to put something on you forgot to bring.

                   Heat Illnesses.[2]  Distance running produces heat from the metabolic process.[3]  Heat also comes from external sources – the sun and air temperature.  Heat is dissipated from the body through convection and the evaporation of perspiration or other liquids on the surface of the body.  Because they have a large surface area in relation to their body weight and do not produce perspiration at high levels, younger runners are more susceptible to heat injuries.

                   All runners and coaches need to be aware of the possibility of heat injuries.  The KHSAA forbids practice or competition when the Heat Index is above 104 degrees.

                   There are three different types of Heat Illness.  Heat cramps are an extremely painful muscle spasm usually in the legs or abdomen.  Cramps occur due to an imbalance between the water and electrolytes in the muscle.  Heat cramps are treated by taking the person to a cool place and having him or her drink large quantities of water.  Mild stretching is also helpful.

                   Heat exhaustion occurs when an athlete fails to replace fluids lost through perspiration.  The symptoms of heat exhaustion are profuse perspiration, pale skin, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, headaches, rapid pulse, and possible hyperventilation.  A person suffering from heat exhaustion should be taken to a cool place.  Clothing should be loosened and wet cloths applied.   Medical attention should be sought.

                   Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency.  A person with heat stroke may suddenly collapse and become unconscious.  The person suffering from heat stroke will have flushed red skin, very little (if any) perspiration, and shallow breathing.  Medical attention is needed immediately.

                   Heat illnesses may be avoided by wearing light weight and light colored clothing.  Water and fluids should be available and taken.  Eating smaller (but more) meals also helps.  Young athletes may not voluntarily drink water and need to be reminded.[4]

                   Water.  Sixty percent of the body weight of a human is water.  Water is required in the blood for cooling the body.  Dehydration is a loss of body fluids and results in the heart working harder to pump the blood.[5]  To replace fluid losses runners should drink before, during, and after workouts.  Hydration needs to take place throughout the day – not just during practices.

                   As a rule I bring a barrel of ice water to practices.  I encourage runners to stop as needed, and often I tell them to take water.

                   Lightning.  Another weather concern is lightning.  Our rule for the team is during practices if you hear thunder or see lightning return to the team area if possible.  If I see lightning I am required by the KHSAA to suspend practice for thirty minutes after the last observed episode.

                   Most lightning strikes occur between 2:00pm and 6:00pm.  June, July, and August are peak months for lightning strikes.[6]

                   Nutrition and Supplements.  I have dealt with diet already in the section on the physiology of running.  Let me reiterate that I do not recommend any supplements or additives.  A multi-mineral and vitamin pill is sometimes helpful, but nothing is better than a well-balanced diet.

            Training Kit.  Even a Cross Country team should have a training kit.  The kit should include basic first aid supplies, athletic tape, scissors, elastic bandages, cold packs, and any other materials deemed necessary.  It is also helpful to have some pliers and extra spikes. 

---

[1] www.kickthedustoff.blogs.com/bearsports.

[2] Sports Medicine Handbook, KORT, p4.

[3] Bernd Heinrich, Why We Run, p69.

[4] Larry Greene, Training Young Distance Runners, p28.

[5] Larry Greene, Training Young Distance Runners, p28.

[6] Sports Medicine Handbook, KORT, p5.

Cross Country - Chapter Three - Part Five

                   Email.  William and I both used email to send newsletters, give immediate results, and send any quick changes or reminders to families.  Though this method is efficient, not everyone on the team could receive email, so we always made hard copies of what we sent.

                   During the 2005 season an issue developed over my use of my own email address to communicate with parents and athletes.  I signed my emails with “Yours in Christ, John.  One parent objected.  The Jefferson County Public School system has a policy that is interpreted to exclude my use of this signature.  Because of this policy, I stopped using emails for communication.  One administrator observed that I probably would not want one of my children’s coaches signing emails, “Yours in Satan.”  My response was to ask if the Jefferson County Public Schools viewed Christianity as much of a threat to children as Satanism.

                  I found this policy very distasteful to me personally.  It is also inconsistent with the mission and values of the Brown School.  This mission is to recognize, respect, and foster the unique potential of each student in an informal environment that reflects the diversity of our community.[1]  In this spirit the expressed values[2] of the school are:

1. An informal and unthreatening environment of diversity will create an atmosphere of mutual respect in which students, parents and staff will work together.
2. Each individual will be encouraged and allowed to freely yet responsibly express him/herself, confident that s/he will be accepted as capable and unique.
3. Difference and diversity will act as bridges rather than barriers to communication.
4. A healthy honest self-concept will promote in students a desire to learn more about self and the environment.
5. Self-discipline will be nurtured as an essential part of the learning process.
6. The adult community will maintain high expectations and respect for the achievement of each student's personal best.
7. Creativity, innovation, and flexibility will be regarded as necessary elements of education by the entire community.
8. Every individual will have a responsibility to contribute back to the greater natural and social community from his/her Brown School experience.

                  Though I seek to live by a specific faith, I had assumed that my coaching style and personal conduct was in keeping with the mission, values, and policies[3] of the Brown School.  I know I have not always in every instance reached these high standards, but I have tried.  I hope at least that my intent and spirit have shown through my efforts.  I do not believe my faith has harmed any child under my supervision.

                  During the 2004 season, Marcia Morton,[4] as Director of Athletics, had the uncomfortable task of telling me that signing my emails (by automatic signature) with “Yours in Christ” was not acceptable at the Brown School.  As a compromise – uncomfortable as it was for me – I changed my signature to “Yours in __________.”  I will say that this compromise did open some doors to witness about my relationship with God through Jesus Christ, but it never felt right.  My emails to family and parishioners went out with that signature and raised some other questions.

                  When my coaching duties were over for the 2004/5 school year I changed the signature back to the original.  It may seem trite to some, but to me and to whoever is offended by it, the signature is important.  I have to find another way to fit my faith into the Brown School’s mission and values of diversity, mutual respect, and free expression.

                  If this issue were the only instance of controversy, I could very well see that you would think it is not worth the time I am devoting to this letter to you.  There are other indications that expressions of my faith are at odds with the mission, values, and policies of the Brown School. 

                  Fellowship of Christian Athlete (FCA) is a school organization recognized by the Jefferson County Public Schools and the Brown School.  Yet, Marcia has had to remove FCA newsletters that I have prepared and posted on the sports board.  As I have struggled to organize an FCA for Brown School students, flyers I have posted have been altered (e.g., tearing from the flyer the word “Lord”).

---

[1] http://www.jcpsky.net/Schools/High/Brown/mission.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] I cannot locate a specific written policy governing the issue in question.  In  the JCPS Substitute Teacher Handbook, p9, in the section entitled “In the Classroom” I do find the following: “[The substitute teacher is] specifically cautioned about the following: … Do not present sectarian views in religion or partisan or sectional views in politics.”

                The JCPS Principal’s Planner pp77-8 has the following statements:  “As a public school district, Jefferson County must be neutral regarding religion, but this neutrality exists in tension with the JCPS District responsibility [is] to be sensitive to the needs of individual students and their families so that no students (sic) are penalized because of their belief.”

                The Kentucky Revised Statutes provide some written guidance, but still there is no written policy regarding the particular issue in question.  See the attached applicable Kentucky Revised Statutes.  Frankly, these statutes do not give me specific guidance

As I understand the verbal direction I have been given by the JCPS in order to be neutral I cannot use any word that references my faith (e.g., Jesus, Christ, Lord, God, Holy Spirit) in a conversation or communication with a student/athlete or parent.

[4] I do not want to give the impression that Marcia Morton has behaved in any way other than as a friend to me.  I recognize that she is in a difficult position, and I do not desire to put her in the middle of this issue. 

Cross Country - Chapter Three - Part Four

                   Preseason Information.  William and I started handing out preseason information at the end of the 2004 Track season.  We both designed suggested off season running programs. 

                   William put together a letter and running plan for the Middle School athletes.  William’s preseason information was much more extensive than mine – which is hard to do.  He had a great letter.  His attached workouts will appear with mine in the section on off season training.

                   First Practice Packet.  William and I compiled an extensive First Practice Packet that included team roster, prospective schedule, meet availability form, uniform order form, team records, team policies, contact information, and other items.  Since we are free to add runners to the roster up to the first meet, we had to keep copies of the First Practice Packet available.

                   Newsletter.  I like to use newsletters to provide runners and families with upcoming meet information and results of previous meets.  My newsletter for Cross Country, The Bear Runner,[1] is given to runners and families on Monday practices during the season.  I also post a copy of the newsletter on the Sports Board in the lobby.  I put copies in the mailboxes of faculty and staff members.

                   In a typical newsletter I include results of the previous meet.  The most important information concerns any upcoming meets – runners entered, race times, reporting times, and directions.  I also report on best times and regional qualifications.

                   William, as the Middle School coach, took over the newsletter responsibilities for his teams.  He elected to provide newsletters during the preseason.  The name of his newsletter was The Bear Crossing.

---

[1] As titles for newsletters I used a play-on-words based on the school mascot – the Bear.  The High School Cross Country newsletter was The Bear Runner.  William used Bear Crossings for the Middle School newsletter.  Other titles were The Bear Swimmer (Swimming), The Bear Tracker (Track), and Bear Witness! (Fellowship of Christian Athletes).