Prepping For Districts, More Food Talk and Happiness

First, a moment of celebration. BOTH TEAMS MADE IT TO DISTRICTS!!! That's amazing! Especially because the guys haven't gone in twenty years and last week they snagged the 8th spot in Metros by ONE point! So that's super exciting. Now let's prepare for this week...

Just because it's the last meet doesn't mean it's an excuse to slack off. Think of it as one final chance to get that PR! You'll be running with the fastest people in the District- let them lead you to a faster time! As the coaches mentioned, some of our team will likely end up being the last finishers in their respective races. Don't let that discourage you! Every one of us is running this race for us. We're all trying to do our best, no matter what the circumstances that surround us on race day. I understand that sometimes it feels like there's no reason to push yourself if you can't go anywhere from this. At State last year I ran one of my slowest times all season. I thought, before the race, that I didn't care what time I ran or how well I did. I was just excited to just have fun being at State! And while that's great, and it was a fantastic experience, and we should all aim to have a fun time at Districts, I was disappointed in myself after the race. Not because I didn't place high enough or really even because I didn't run fast enough. I was disappointed because here I was, having earned this opportunity to run at State, something I'd been working towards ALL YEAR, and I felt like I didn't even try to run well. I felt like I'd just wasted my opportunity.

Guys, we EARNED Districts. Show the race some respect and give it everything you have. You know how when we do mile repeats, you save yourself in the beginning a little so you have energy left to run your final mile? Then, on your final mile, you use every bit of power you have left in your legs? Well, treat Districts like that. You've got NOTHING to lose. So go for it!!

As far as eating, stick to the same general idea as last week. Healthy, nourishing foods. Feeling nasty on race day because you ate something funny does not make for an enjoyable experience. I have one other thing I'd like to mention about food, though- please don't not eat. I know sometimes people get insecure about their weight, and some runners think that maybe the lighter they are the faster they'll be. And while this may be true to some extent- if you weigh 600 pounds you probably aren't going to be able to run a 4:30 mile- it's not enough of a factor to freak out about AT ALL. I've been there before and avoiding or obsessing over food is not going to help you with anything. It's not going to make you faster or help your self esteem or make you healthy. Actually, it will make you weak and possibly a slower runner. You could get injured due to lack of nutrition. I really, really don't want anyone on the team to have similar problems to the ones I used to have. So don't freak out over food this week, okay? Just stay healthy and be smart (and drink water).

Finally, I just want to say this: we are the STARS of cross country right now at Sealth, guys. We are setting school records (or at least coming close to them), growing the team larger than it's been in YEARS, and getting further than we've gotten in years too. We have the best cross country team in West Seattle! Okay, so West Seattle is the only other school in the neighborhood that we compete against, but still. This is our time, and I'm incredibly grateful to be a part of it with all of you.

Let's go rock Districts!! :D

Finding Your Inspiration

We all have off-days. Not days where you have a day off from running, but days when your train of thought runs a little like this: why am I running this hurts this is crazy I don't feel like running anymore I wanna go home and sit on the couch with a blanket and the TV and eat junk food all day why would I choose to go running I suck at running I could be painting/singing/driving sports cars right now... You get the point. Sometimes there are just days, or even weeks and months where you just don't know what your motivation to run if anymore.

I don't know about you, but I REALLY HATE those times. They make you feel like you will never be good enough or strong enough or fast enough. The worst thing is that it's all in your head. When you lose sight of your inspiration or motivation, you can't ice or do core work or use a roller to make things better. You have to train your mind to find your motivation again.

For some people, it's helpful to remember why they are running. It could be for a person who was important in your life and has passed away, for a goal like being faster or being able to run further, or to feel stronger. If none of these are the reasons you run, just remember to run simply for yourself.

Something that's always useful for me is looking up running quotes and just having them in your mind. You don't have to sit down and write an essay on what each one means to you, but it's a good idea to at least consider the ones that really mean something to you, if only for a moment. Sooo here are some of my favorites.

For days when you're feeling lazy and tired and too sick to run...

No matter how slow you run, you're still lapping everyone on the couch.

When you're fighting for a position in a qualifying race and you feel like you can't run any harder.

The body achieves what the mind believes.

And my absolute favorite, all time quotes, best for those d

ays when you completely psych yourself out before a race and are overwhelmingly scared to fail...

What would you do if you knew you could not fail? 

Now go do it.

Eating For A Big Race

Hey guys! I'm sure you all know that this Thursday is the Metro Championship meet. As in, BIG IMPORTANT RACE. Yay! I want to make sure no one gets a stomachache on race day or starts randomly puking because they ate something funny. So here's my idea of race week nutrition, based on experience and way too much knowledge about nutrition.

The Week Leading Up To The Race...

 Don't eat a lot of crap. You know what I mean... Cheetos, Snickers, 7-11 Slurpees... I don't care if those are your favorite foods, they have no nutrition and won't help prepare your muscles for Thursday. Just try to be eating healthy this week. You don't have to go out looking for organic chicken and chia seeds all week (even though chia seeds are AMAZING) but just avoid the things that have an ingredients list a mile long, please.

The Day Before The Race...

Again, just eat smart. Don't eat a bunch of spicy food or you WILL feel awful the next day. On Wednesday night we're actually going to have a pasta dinner so everyone gets some good carbs into them. Carbs are good because they provide energy that --trust me-- you will NEED for Metros. On Wednesday you should also really try to stay hydrated, even if you have to pee a million times in an hour.

The Day Of The Race...

Eat a good breakfast with protein and carbs- a bagel with peanut butter, eggs, potatoes, cereal... DO NOT eat anything weird like leftover nachos with chili sauce. Also avoid anything really greasy. Hydrate more in the morning, but don't try and drink 8 gallons of water if that's not what you're used to. For lunch again, simple carbs and water are good. Bread, granola bars, trail mix, bananas... Finally, I don't recommend eating anything at least two hours before the race, but if you're starved then have half a cookie or something REALLY EASILY digestible and simple that will stop your stomach from rumbling but won't make you puke. For me part of a simple granola bar works, but Coach Glover recommends something lower in complex carbs and higher in sugar and simple carbs. A few pretzels, a cookie, a cracker, etc.

Aaaand After The Race...

Eat whatever you want. You don't have to run for the next 24 hours. :)