Week 6: Oshkosh Lourdes Invitational

Everything that happens to us is in our best interest...

Our focus this prior week was to put in a huge week of training, as we are at the mid point of the season and preparing for later championship racing.  We had a great team workout Wednesday, bringing a lot of focus and intensity.  With that, we brought more of a workout focus to the Angel Invitational, focusing on trying to progress the 2nd half of the race and pack up early.  

Early on, things didn't go quite as planned.  Carson Shane rolled his ankle badly in the first 800 meters.  Our secondary pack was also not together in the position we planned.  One of those was in our control, while the other was not.  We will learn from not packing up early and how that negatively affected our ability to progress.  It's EASIER to race fast and keep the pedal down when our teammates are around us.  We will look to bring better positive affirmations, and not let courses or conditions be a factor that limits the skills that we build in practice.  Our guys are prepared for the hard courses, and need to be confident that the course doesn't dictate how we finish in a race.  Don't mentally disarm yourself of the skills you have built!  Trust where we are headed and where you are.

With the non-controllable of a man rolling an ankle or not racing because of sickness, we look to the team to step up.   This is selflessness, and our reason that every man is so important!  Carson Shane is the definition of the type of athlete we want in the program.  He could have pulled off and not finished, but he had a team only mindset and ran the rest of the 5k on a bad ankle.  After the race, he was more upset that he thought he let his team down.  He definitely did NOT let his team down, but it was amazing to see his thoughts go to his team rather than himself.   His gutsy finish also pushes other team's possible 4th or 5th scoring runners back, increasing their score.  A truly selfless run. That's the attitude that brings out our best races, when we give up our own egos for the better of our team.  The other 6 guys must pick up for the team when these things happen.  I'm proud of our guys stepping up!

With those learning lessons, our team is definitely in a fantastic position.  We're on pace or ahead of where we were last year in our progression.  We will come into this Saturday more fresh and feeling fast, and the guys will bring a lot of positive affirmation and self talk.  We have to embrace no limits and love one another as we look to turn our amazing fitness into some memorable races.  None of our guys have even scratched the surface of what they are capable of this fall.  We have to ask ourselves, "why not us?".  We have the guys, now we need to come in with the belief that we are the best team in the race and look to race fearless!

Our top 5 varsity average was almost a minute better than last year at this meet.  The shorthanded JV team also finished 3 places higher than last year. 

Robert Petrovick followed our race plan to a tea, moving up in the 2nd and 3rd miles and scoring for JV.  He stepped up for Joseph Hertel who we gave off to get healthy from his bronchitis, and Alex White who had a slight off day but will definitely crush next week.  Joey Elliott really stepped up nicely along with Jack Hutter as well, finishing as our 2nd and 4th men respectively!

In the varsity race, Joshua ran a more controlled effort, focusing on the 3rd mile as we look to make that a strong suit as we enter championship season.  He looked good cruising to his 3rd victory of the season after having one of the best workouts I've ever coached on Wednesday and a monster long run Monday.  This was Hale's first individual champion at this large invite since 2002.  Liam Kelley held on as our 3rd man but is going to break through in the coming weeks.  His workout Wednesday was the best of his career, and it takes more than just one good workout or week in this sport to have things come together.  He's turning up the heat and will be dangerous down the stretch.  Our large crew 2-7 all have front runner capability.  I look forward to watching them run beyond their belief this next weekend at Oshkosh.  They will need to run selfless and FEARLESS.

Most of our frosh guys ran at Arrowhead on Thursday.  I was invited the week prior and thought it was a good opportunity for our developing group this fall.  Tony led the crew to a 20th place finish.  He also has been fantastic helping lead our standards and no limit beliefs.  He was great working with kids at our youth camp last week as well! Tyler Koney raced his best race and ran more aggressive than he has been.  The frosh group is learning to face more discomfort and that they can race faster, and practices will help translate to this!  Take risks and put yourself out there!

As we move into fast racing, we are not focused on winning or what other teams are doing.  We're focusing on each moment and our 'builds'.  Love, selflessness, embracing pain, and having no limits.  With those builds, love will be our driving force as we look to race fast this next week and enter the off weekend on a high note.  Being the best teammates, showing character, and putting in our max effort for another is what winning looks like.  We are ambassadors for others, showing what it means to be a fun and loving team that inhibits no limitations on human capability.  What are you going to do for a teammate this week to make them better?  How will you exhibit selflessness and no limits?  Let love lead us, and come in confident and relaxed as it's the daily habits that produce the amazing moments!

p.s. - thanks as well to Liam and Max for also helping at our youth camp and being great with the kids!  And Matthew, Jack, and Chase for helping at the youth race Thursday.  Also thanks to Brennan and Joshua for going to Lane to speak and run with the team.  We love building excitement and happiness with our great sport!
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Week 6 Information

Monday's practice will be at normal 3:15 p.m.!  Lockerroom is available, we will plan to meet in Dewitt's room to start.

We're really excited for the Lourdes Invitational.  We will have a team tempo run and some quick wheels work one day this week, and put in another purposeful week.  We're coming into this invitational ready to unleash.

The pasta party this week is at Joseph Hertel's house! 9814 W. Montana Ave.

Please be sure to be focusing on OUR game days which are usually Saturdays, and not staying late at football games or forgoing sleep and nutrition because you see your non CC friends doing so.  A lot will be going on with homecoming week approaching.  Remind yourself that the work you put into this sport and the rewards of that are much more valuable than the instant gratification and non effort needed to have fun at Homecoming.  I am definitely encouraging you to get involved with the events in a positive way, but do not sacrifice your positive habits by doing what is easy or not taking care of your sleep and nutrition in a vain effort to please others.  Live the counterculture and do what is right for you and your team.  Sacrifice the short term gratification, you'll thank me some day.  

This weekend we also have 8 middle school boys traveling with us to compete in the middle school race prior to ours!  We are taking a bus this year, and are planning it showing up! HA!  (Those from last year remember our debacle)  We will have the middle school boys with us, so we be willing to share our culture and standards and make them feel welcomed in.  Many could be future teammates or if you're a senior, future members of a team you will forever look at as a strong program!

Important information for parents coming this Saturday!  You must park at the high school and take the shuttle, there's a cost as well and the shuttles are really quick.  Read through the information sent to the coaches below,

Meet Information from the hosts

Here's our transportation information below.  Our varsity guys, due to full bus with middle school boys, will take the school van with Dewitt or myself.   I'll communicate with them as the day approaches.  We will all be there for every race together. 

Hale Meet Info as of Monday

^Again, do not think varsity vs. JV, think ONE team.  Both races will be amazing opportunities this week and heading into October!!  We have a deeper roster and some guys getting healthy on the JV side.  Please be mindful of lineup changes based on how the week goes as usual.  

Looking ahead a bit for planning...
The weekend of October 5th we will be off of racing!  This is an opportunity for a mental and physical break as we head into some fun races.  Some of our guys may be given a run assignment, but there will be no formal meet up on that Saturday.  The rest of the week will be normal practices, including our Lakefront Run on Monday the 30th!  We will plan to have 14 guys run to the lake as an annual tradition.  Earn that right to be one of them!  Our other guys will be following same route as an out and back effort.