Last Meet

Hey everyone!

I thought I should toss one more post up here before the season ends… So, I know I've been gone for the majority of the season, and I can't really say I've seen you all working your butts off to get where you want to be… But I know you have been, because I've been seeing the results! Our first meet of the season was miserably rainy and cold, but you all ran through it, dealt with it and showed up at practice the next day ready to work again. That was an amazing way to start the season, especially for the new runners who weren't used to this sort of strange masochism. I didn't know if our new team was going to stick with this sport, or how hard they were going to work, but it seemed like we were off to a good sport. That was all I saw before I left for a month, pretty much.

I came back expecting more of the same, I guess, but I was astonished at how the team had grown in the time I'd been gone. I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised, as you all showed up at practice even after the first meet. Still, it was amazing to come back and see the way a group of random people who, just a month ago, had been relative strangers but were now incredibly supportive of each other and enthusiastic about working towards improvement. What I saw, on my first day back, was a real team.

This was proved to me again at the second meet I attended, a whole month later, which, in contrast to the first was brutally hot. I actually think the heat set some new Seattle records that day! I didn't compete at this meet, just ran around taking pictures (some of which will be at the end of this post). Because of this, I got to observe a lot of interactions between people on our team, and like I said, it was amazing. I saw friends cheering their friends on, of course, but also cheering on people they'd never met before this season. If someone was complaining about their shins, someone else would ask if they needed ice. If a person was out of water, a teammate would help find them some Gatorade or direct them towards the water fountain. Names don't matter here- the point is that we have really become a solid, strong team this season. Though I'm glad for the trips I got to go on this spring, I definitely wish I could have been there more with all of you, because you know how to make a person feel like a teammate.

So what's next? You guys got the team thing down; nailed it. I've been hearing about and witnessing PRs every week, maybe some school records on the guys' distance team (or at least close!). Athletic.net shows our team is improving in leaps and bounds as far as times and placing at meets. Plus, we're HUGE this year. Guys, I ordered over $1,000 worth of sweatshirts for less than 20 bucks each, and not even everyone on the team bought one. You do the math! (Also, those of you missing sweatshirts-- we're working on it, I promise!) The growth of our team represents the fact that we're really becoming something other people are interested in being a part of, and that's pretty cool.

Although all that's fantastic, I didn't really answer my own question- what's next? Well, next week is our LAST MEET of the season, unless you qualify for Metros (and there are definitely a few of you looking at that!). So… One more meet. I mean, technically there's still Metros and All-Comer's, but it's our last regular season meet. So tonight (if anyone is still awake, as it's already 10:30 PM…), tomorrow and Thursday morning, my advice is this: relax.

Yup. Relax. You've worked hard for this. You've pushed your body through speed workouts and long runs, multiple races and meets, crazy weather, maybe some injuries, and more. You've done the work. This week is to show off what you've got. If the last few weeks are any proof, you've got a lot. So Thursday, go out there and kick some ASS. Show 'em how tough you are. Guys, we're going to ROCK this meet. Are you ready?

Yes. You most definitely are. Let's do this!

And check out the pictures of you all WORKING IT last week for inspiration! :)

Track is Coming!!

Wow, it's 2014 guys. That means a couple of things; first of all, TRACK IS COMING so if you want to do well you'd better get off the couch and start running! Secondly, I'm graduating this year. So are like 10 other people on the team. Which means that we're going to make this year our absolute BEST yet, before we all leave Sealth. Sound like a plan?!

I know some people haven't been running, which is fine 'cause you probably needed a break after cross country. Maybe you did a winter sport. Maybe you just sat around on the couch eating your grandma's holiday cookies all day. Whatever happened, I get it, because I wasn't running much either.

But now we're halfway through January, and if you want to be successful during track, it is TIME to be running again! It might seem like a drag, but there's a saying about running (it applies to most things, actually) that I like: "The first three weeks are always the hardest. After that, it becomes habit."

If you're simply unmotivated and can't figure out a way to get off the couch, I have some ideas...

1. Pick a sport that inspires you. It doesn't have to be running; I chose ballet. Watch films about it, read about it, learn about it, and be inspired by it. Be inspired by someone else's sports story. Read about the Olympic athletes headed to Sochi. In all likelihood you'll be encouraged by the successes and failures, dreams and work ethics of other athletes. It will almost definitely inspire you to get back in shape yourself!

2. RUN WITH OTHER PEOPLE ON THE TEAM. This is beneficial for both you and everyone else on the team, as it encourages more of us to run. We have a Facebook page. Use it! If you want a running buddy post on the page when and where. With at least a day's notice someone will likely show up. PLUS Greg is currently at SWAC every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 3:15 PM to run with us. This Thursday the 23rd I will even be bringing chocolate chip cookies.

3. If you're busy after school and can't run with us for some reason or another, you have other options. On Tuesdays at 6:00 the Nike store downtown has a super-fun group run through the city, and at 11:00 on Saturday mornings West Seattle Runner has a teen running group. I've been to both and they're tons of fun! Plus sometimes it's easier to run when you know there's a certain place you're supposed to be at a certain time.

4. Does any of this encourage you to start preparing for track? I hope so! I know that a lot of you have also already been training, so good job to all you who have done that. If you're STILL unmotivated, still thinking you're going to wait until actual practices start to get in shape... Well, at least work out a LITTLE. Explore your athletic side! Go on a hike or a bike ride- I know some of the guys and Glover have been into cyclocross racing. Swim, rollerblade, whatever suits you. I've been spending my weekends between the ice rink and ballet studio! It's not running, but it's keeping in shape. Ideally you should find a cardio activity to prepare your lungs for the beating they're going to take during track, but as long as you're keeping fit SOMEHOW.

Hopefully I'll be seeing more of you guys out on the track and getting your mileage up! Don't forget- you can still get 500 and 1,000 mile shirts by the end of track season! :)

Metro League Championships 2013

As you're all aware, this Thursday we are headed back to everyone's favorite course at Lower Woodland (what, is it just me? :P) for the Metro League Championships! Our annual pasta dinner will be held on Wednesday at Coach Greg's house (details are on the Facebook page). This week- and the next two weeks for those who qualify for Districts and beyond- mark the end of cross country season. The workouts are getting easier, the runs are getting shorter... I mean, when does a half mile warm-up qualify as practice? We're tapering, people. We're getting ready to run one of the biggest (if not THE biggest, for some) meet of the year. Not in size- there will only be 7 runners from each team in the League for the Varsity races- but in guts, effort and willpower.

All I can think is, "wow."

Guys, this has been a phenomenal year so far. Some of you started running just THIS SUMMER. You couldn't make it a mile without stopping and now you've completed 5k races on one of the most difficult courses in the entire STATE. That's awesome!! Those of you who had run before have also shown improvement, whether in your times, enthusiasm, or simply a better understanding of and respect for the sport. All season long, each and every one of you has proved, in some way or another, that you are capable of far more than you imagined. Maybe it was summer mileage, completing a race, finishing a long run, or simply showing up to practice. Whatever it was, you did it.  And now we're here, ready for the post-season. I'm confident. I hope you're all as excited and prepared for Metros as I am, because guys? We GOT this.

Some people ask us why we run. I've never, ever been able to answer that question. Maybe some of you have. I usually just mumble something random like, "uh... 'cause it's fun?" But if someone ever asks me why I run for my team, I know exactly what I'd say.

You guys are the most hard-working kids I know. We've got people showing up at 9 AM on Saturdays to go for a run before they've eaten breakfast because this matters to them. I can count at least three injured runners off the top of my head who have come to nearly every practice and meet... because this matters to them. The team matters to them. Why? In cross-country, we make sacrifices every day. We sacrifice comfort when we race to pursue a time, an achievement, self-satisfaction. We sacrifice lazy Saturday mornings or after-school activities to practice and get better. We sacrifice junk food while preparing for a meet so we have faith that we can perform well. Who better is going to understand these things than those who experience them with you every day? For the last four years, I have found no one I connect with better than my teammates. We've all seen each other at our very best- PRing in a meet, pushing the pace in a workout, or just being excited about a personal accomplishment. The thing that really makes us stronger, though, is that we've also all seen each other at our worst- muddy faces after slipping in the mud at Bellevue, crying after a bad race, vomiting on the finish line.... But we don't judge. We embrace the beauty of the guts that come with this sport. The fact that this year we have such a large, confident group of runners just proves it. Just yesterday we split into girls/guys teams for a little competition, and we had both teams cheering before the race, just like at a real meet. We are fierce, we are competitive, we are loyal, and we are strong.

I want you to gain two things from this post. First, I want you to know how much you all mean to me, and how much I'm sure you mean to one another. I've said this before and though it may sound like I'm gushing, I will say it again and again, because you guys have the power to change each other's lives. As a team, we are a hundred times better than on our own. Not to say that we aren't all great on our own! But hey, isn't a big group of great people better? So just keep that in mind when you race this week; your entire team will have your back and be cheering you on like there's no tomorrow.

Second, I want to make sure you walk off that yellow bus this Thursday with an unshakable confidence. Here's why you should...

You have worked every damn day for MONTHS to prepare for the post-season. You are rested, relaxed, and ready to fight.

You have nothing to lose by running your hardest. Pain is temporary. What is pain compared to the satisfaction of having a fantastic race for the end of your season? Push yourself. Remember, you always have more left than you think!

As my mom likes to say, "Beating the competition is relatively easy, but beating YOURSELF is a never-ending commitment."

I'll see you all on the starting line... smiling. Let's go, SEAHAWKS!

 :D

Nutrition and Health

Hey everyone!! It's been a while since I've posted anything, as I've been busy running (as have all of you, I hope!) but I've wanted to write a nutrition post for a while. Before I start, I want to congratulate everyone who has been running this summer, whether on their own or with the team- we're looking strong! The mileage chart is pretty dang impressive and I'm super happy that everyone seems to be getting ready for the season. Our first meet is in a month, which is CRAZY, but I think we're going to be as prepared as we can get! On that note, don't forget to grab your sports packet and any physical forms you might need from the main office at Sealth (or you can download them here). And now, on to nutrition!

So I wrote a bit about food and eating and stuff a year or so ago, but mainly in regards to the days leading up to a big meet. If you're interested, you can review them here and here. Now I want to talk about nutrition in general, as far as fueling your body for training and generally eating in a way that will benefit you.

To start with, why is eating any different for a distance runner than anyone else? Well, as athletes we burn more calories, lose more electrolytes and sodium, and need more protein for muscle recovery than inactive people. Runners expend quite a bit of energy, and if we don't recover properly we can get injured or have our performances drop. That's not good. What can we do to prevent it?

THE BASICS

1. Drink water! This is probably the oldest and most basic advice, but it can be tough to follow. If you already drink a lot, good for you! But if you're like me, you forget, or don't think you're thirsty, or don't want to drink too much and end up with side aches. My trick? Try carrying a water bottle around everywhere and take a few sips every half hour or so. If nothing else, try and down a water bottle after practice, so you will at least regain most of what you sweat off. Nuun (which you can buy at West Seattle Runner or QFC) is a fantastic electrolyte drink. It works amazingly and is free of all the sugars and food coloring used in "sports drinks" like Gatorade. Have you ever looked at how many grams of sugar are in a bottle of Gatorade? About 34. That's a lot. If you can't visualize how much sugar that is, check out these examples!

2. Maintain a balanced diet. Okay, I'm sure you've heard this in health class every year since you were ten, but what does it mean? Make sure you're getting protein, carbs, fresh fruit and veggies EVERY. DAY. Female runners, who are more likely to be anemic, should make sure they're getting a lot of iron (kale or other dark greens, beans, nuts and seeds are all good sources). Make sure you'e not eating too much or too little, and aim for at least 3 meals and a snack or two throughout the day.

Yaaay random veggies!

3. Keep crap to a minimum. I'm not even going to be nice about this one. One of my favorite quotes is, "There is no such thing as junk food; there is junk, and there is food." I personally am a big believer in avoiding processed foods and added sugars in my diet, though I know for most people that's not always possible. Eating entirely clean is often impractical, as well, due to lack of convenience or availability and the fact that it gets expensive quickly. So although I would love to encourage everyone to eat fresh fruits and veggies for every meal, I will only advise you include those in every
meal. As I mentioned above, focusing on nutrients and a BALANCED diet is essnetial. If you subsist solely on lettuce then sure, you might be thinner and think you're going to be lighter for running, but you're never going to have enough muscle or energy to do anything. Vary it up!


THE EXTRA STEP

Eating healthfully most of the time and drinking a lot of water are the biggest aspects of staying healthy and preparing yourself for cross country season. However, there are a few other things you can tweak in your life to give you a little more of an edge...

Nutritionally... You know how at Jamba Juice, you can add a "boost" to your smoothie? Seek out superfoods at places like Super Supplements and add them to various meals throughout the day. In my house we always have chia seeds, flax meal, spirulina, bee pollen, and maca root. These are all in the form of mostly flavorless seeds or powders, so you can throw them in smoothies or juices. Or baked goods. Or egg dishes. Or cold cereal and oatmeal. Or just sprinkle them on top of fruit or a salad. You can use them for anything! Some less versatile add-ins are protein powder and wheatgrass. Protein powder again works well in smoothies and baked goods (just look at this this protein powder pancake recipe!) and wheatgrass is a great in juices or on it's own in "shots."

Pomegranate and kiwis are great post-workout snacks; pomegranates are full of antioxidants and kiwis  have almost as much potassium as bananas!

Mentally... Try to avoid stress. I know homework, maybe a job, friend drama or stress in your home life can add up. Then you go and throw the pressure of running well on top of it? Well, there are days when it can be too much. Just remember to take a little time for yourself every day and to breathe. Don't be afraid to ask someone for help if you're overly stressed about a project or deadline or something. I know this is kind of vague, but what I'm trying to say is that being uptight and overworked is going to do more harm than good. Just something to keep in mind!

Physically... Obviously, come to practice and complete every workout the way it's intended to be completed. If it's a hard workout, push yourself, and if it's a rest day then make sure you get that rest. Then? Sleep! It's a lot easier to race on 8 hours of sleep than it is on 3- I know this from experience. Lack of sleep won't mess with your body too much unless it's a matter of consistent deprivation (we're talking 1-2 weeks here) but you'll be mentally exhausted, which is not the best way to start practice- or a race!

Finally, here are some websites and blogs to check out for health tips...

• fitbie.com, recommended by Levi
• fitsugar.com (mainly for the girls...)
• runnersworld.com
• anutritionisteats.com
• thehealthyhedonisttalks.blogspot.com- this is actually a blog run by a friend of mine, but she's really knowledgable about health and is a former high school xc runner herself!

Questions? Things you'd like to add? Talk to me or one of the other captains and we'd be glad to help. See you all at practice this week!

Injury Prevention

Hey guys!

 Are you as excited as I am?? Cross country is coming up fast and summer is already upon us. It's time to start training! As we begin increasing our milage to prepare for cross county season, it's important to make sure we avoid injury. Of course, if you are going to get injured it's better to have that happen now so you can recover before actual racing season, but it's better to simply avoid it all together. Those of you who have received your training plans have probably noticed that every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday you're supposed to be doing injury prevention drills. If you ran track you may be familiar with these drills, and if you're a new runner, showing up to practice will benefit you, as I and the other captains can demonstrate them. As it is I am going to try to outline the basic drills here...

1. The first thing we do is a set of different kinds of walking. Basically, you walk about 25 meters for each exercise. First you walk on the outside edges of your feet, then the inside. Then walk with your toes pointing in, almost touching when you're standing still. Next, walk with them turned out. When you turn in and out, it's important to turn your legs from your hips and not your knees! Finally, walk backwards on your tiptoes and forwards on your heels. When you do these you should be barefoot and on soft ground, like turf or grass, but put your shoes back on when doing the heel drill so it doesn't make any injuries worse! We do these drills to strengthen all the muscles around your shins and ankles and feet to support your legs.

2. Toe taps! The captains have begun incorporating the 20 slow toe taps, 20 fast and 20 side-to-side routine to prevent shin splints.

3. Finally, 20 calf raises. Basically, stand tall and slowly rise to your tip toes, then come slowly back down (all the way!) to the ground. This will help strengthen your calves, obviously, which is just good for running in general as well as fending off injury by helping stabilize your leg muscles.

As far as general injury prevention....

- make sure you're warming up before running, and stretching afterwards. This will help ensure your muscles don't tighten up, which reduces the risk of straining or pulling them.

- Make sure you switch out your training shoes about every 400 miles. Remember this: http://chiefsealthxc.blogspot.com/2012/06/running-shoes.html.

- If your knees are hurting, refer to this old post: http://chiefsealthxc.blogspot.com/2012/09/awkward-runners-shin-splints.html.

-If you've got arch issues (tight arches, tight achilles and calves...) put a dish towel on the floor and scrunch your toes up about 30 times. This will make your arches sore but that's only because it's strengthening them! Make sure to be stretching your arches and calves too, and use a roller ball (like this one) on your feet to release tension.

Got questions about a specific injury? Ask a coach or captain and we'll help you out. Don't wait until you're seriously injured!

See you all at practice tomorrow-- 9:00 am at SWAC!

What's Next?

Hey everyone!

First of all, I want to congratulate you all on a truly fantastic season. We had an amazing group of runners this year, both old and new. People PRd, persevered through injuries, and some made it all the way to Metros! Those who didn't had an incredible time at All-Comers. I  think some non-distance runners may have made it to Districts but this is the distance blog so although I congratulate them, I'm not focusing on them. Anyways, I'm not going to spend too much time on how great we were this season because I kind of already did that in the last post. Instead, I want to talk about what's next.

The school year is coming to a close and with it, the end of high school for some of our teammates. I believe I speak for the team when I say we will miss all of the seniors that have run cross country and track with us over the past few years. Specifically, though, I want to say goodbye to three of our captains: Lisel Perrine, Bryson Good, and Jesse Simpson. You know these guys as leaders, teammates, and most importantly, friends. It'll be strange and a bit difficult to start the new season without them, but I hope you all join me in wishing them luck in the next phases of their lives. I know they will be successful and strong in whatever they choose to do, and I'm very glad to have gotten to know all of them.

So, back to the kids who are still at Sealth... what IS next? I know some of you are moving on to soccer or swimming or whatever else, and I wish you luck. But for those of you why are planning on joining us for CROSS COUNTRY (!!!) as a veteran or a newcomer, it's time...

to rest. Yup.

Although I am incredibly excited for and looking forward to cross country, I want to stress that RIGHT NOW you should be resting. Within the next few weeks we'll figure out when summer practices are and Greg will start handing out those packets he's been talking about. We'll go on adventure runs and get ice cream afterwards and we'll see how many of us can get our 200 mile shirts before the season actually starts. We'll compare our awkward running tan lines (along with some burns) and wear out our favorite shoes. But RIGHT NOW you should be on your butt on the couch or something, not running. Taking time off, even it's only a week, will help prevent injury. Not only will it give your body a chance to recover physically, but it will give you a mental break from training, racing, tapering, peaking and everything else that went with track season. REST IS GOOD. When you get to the point where you can't focus in school because you're staring out the window, wanting to feel that ache in your lungs, the stretch of muscles under your skin as you fly across the ground... Then you're ready to start training again. We'll be waiting. :)  So go eat all the things you don't eat while training, do all the things you don't have time for during the season and stay posted- I'll put up summer practice times soon! Plus some ideas for fun running events this summer. OH and also! The spring sports banquet will be next Tuesday, May 21st at 6:00. I hope to see you all there!


...are you resting yet?? :P

On Being A Team

Although right now I should definitely be doing my homework instead of blogging, today's meet impacted me so much that I feel the need to share it with you all before I become lost in a weekend of work. So, this will be relatively short, but important!

Today's weather was beautiful, right? The sun made a rare appearance and encouraged everyone to go out and enjoy it. Everyone except those of us racing on a shade-free track during the hottest part of the day (which, by the way, was 71 degrees). I saw tons of runners return to the stands after their event exhausted, guzzling water and wishing their lungs would return to normal while battling sunburns. I experienced the effects of the heat, too, and had my lungs pretty much seize up for the entire two miles I ran. My point here is that the weather today was surprisingly tough. Not to mention the injuries! But I'll get to that later.

Now this sounds like the most negative, whiny post I could have written. But look closer. Look at what we did today, as a team.

We all crossed finish lines. No one dropped out in the middle no matter how much they were hurting, even if they were seriously injured and perhaps would have really benefitted from quitting. But that's just it- we're not quitters! We had at LEAST four people get hurt/injured today, and I swear over half the team is suffering from, recovering from, or on the verge of another injury. When we get to a meet, do we sit there and sulk and complain? No! We make jokes and laugh, we goof off and take great pictures. We share stories and tease each other in a way that only people who are truly comfortable with  each other can. We have fun, and after seeing how the team reacted today, I'd say we make the best of things too.

As you may have noticed, we don't have enough uniforms to go around. Instead of people selfishly holding on to their clothes for fear of not having a uniform for their own race, we make do trading jerseys and shorts so that everyone who deserves a chance to compete and earn a score (which a. you have to have a uniform for, and b. everyone deserves) gets one. We're cool like that.

I've learned a lot so far this season. Not in the way you'd expect- not much related to running form or new workouts and the like. I'm actually having the slowest track season I've ever had and have been extremely disappointed with my performances. Yet somehow, this is also the very best track season I've ever experienced. What makes the difference?

You. All of you. You guys are my team and this year I've grown to realize just how damn grateful I am for all of you. We are a group of runners that are more fun-loving, enthusiastic, supportive of each other and fun to be around than any other I know. I am excited to go to practice every day, even if I have the flu and shin splints and probably even if I had three broken limbs, simply because I get to be with my favorite people ever. I don't think I can even fully explain the extent to which you all matter to me, and I hope you all feel the same way about each other. I am constantly amazed at the strong program we are building at Sealth, and that's not just because we got lucky and happened to get a few good runners. It's because our runners are not just runners. They- we- are hard-working, inspiring, tough, crazy, weird, outgoing and just plain freaking magnificently awesome.

I am incredibly grateful for every minute I spend with you guys as a team, and I hope I'm not alone in recognizing that our team is truly indescribable. Thanks, everyone. :) I'll see you all at practice!