This week will mark the start of a new phase in our training for the season. We have been doing a lot of volume since June with the addition of a few tempo workouts each week during the month of August. Although we will continue to incorporate at least one tempo effort a week, starting in September we will begin to include some race pace specific workouts. This is to help you handle the demands of a competitive 5K and to make you faster. The running we have done over the last 3 months should have us prepared for this type of work. 

How do I Make Varsity?
This week we have 2 meets on the schedule, the Joe Davis Classic and the University of New Mexico Lobo Invitational. At both meets we will be entering a varsity team. If running in a varsity meet this season is something that interest you then it is important to understand what the coaches look for in athletes in-order to move up. Race performances from one week to the next are important, but not the only thing we consider when creating our varsity line-ups. The coaching staff also looks at practice effort, attendance, sportsmanship, your ability to be coached, Saturday practice appearances, desire to improve, and level of maturity to in-order to handle varsity competition. 

This season, there will be 5 more meets where we are allowed to run additional athletes at the varsity level or may be sitting our top 7 boys and girls to rest. This will open up several chances during the season for people to step-up and compete in varsity races.

Here is a great article for anyone who is interested in trying to make a varsity meet this year, or anyone who simply wants to improve to get the most out of their ability
10 Tips for Making Varsity XC (Article from Running Times)

Joe Davis Invitational
When: Thursday, September 4th
Where:  Monument Valley Park, Colorado Springs (map)
Schedule and Line-ups:

• Varsity Boys 4:00 p.m. (run up to 7, score 5) J.Romine, Mackay, Lovejoy, Fu, Burgoyne, Hart, N.Romine (warm-up leader)
• Varsity Girls 4:30 p.m. (run up to 7, score 5) Soares, Suntken, Nats, Hendren, M.Fitzsimmons, Bauer, Smetanka (warm-up leader)
  
• Open Boys 5:10 p.m. (all remaining runners not going to New Mexico)               Warm-up Leader: Jessica Harris
  
• Open Girls 5:40 p.m. (all remaining runners not going to New Mexico)                                 Warm-up Leader: Weaver
  
• Awards 6:15 p.m. (team meeting after)

Transportation: 
Athletes are out of class at 1:15 on Thursday. 2 busses will be leaving for Colorado Springs at 1:30. Athletes are welcome to ride home with their parents after the meet, however, there will be a return bus. Athletes may not ride home with other families unless your parents have talked to Coach Dalby or Selle.
Course Map: North Monument Valley 5K Map (pdf)
Meet Site: http://co.milesplit.com/meets/171567-joe-davis-classic#.VAOtXRbalUQ
Awards: Custom engraved plaques will be given to the top 3 individuals in the varsity race.  Ribbons will be given to the top 10 finishers in the Open Races as they enter the chute.  Trophies will be given to the top 2 teams in each varsity race.  

University of New Mexico LoBo Invitational
When: Leaving Friday, Sept 5th at 8 a.m. and returning Saturday evening around 7 p.m.
Where:  Albuquerque, New Mexico
Cost of Trip: Athletes should bring money for lunch on Friday and Saturday along with dinner money for Saturday on the way home. The coaching staff and athletic department is taking care of hotels, meet entries, and dinner on Friday night for athletes. Dinner will also be covered for parent chaperones on Friday night. 
Schedule and Line-ups:

• 8:45 Varsity Boys: Matzke, Smith, Hellier, Grover, O'Sullivan, Currie, Spieker
  
• 9:30 Varsity Girls: Fitzsimmons, Chipman, Walton, Goodrum, Haberkorn, Parker, Easton
  
• 1:00 Awards

Transportation: Parents and coaches will be driving private vehicles. 
Meet Info: https://admin.xosn.com/pdf9/2762999.pdf?
Meet Site: http://nm.milesplit.com/meets/178543-unm-lobo-cross-country-invitational#.VAOyThbalUR
Course Map:  https://admin.xosn.com/pdf9/2762617.pdf?
College Race: 
In addition to the HS races there will also be a mens and women's collegiate race at the Lobo Invite. The University of New Mexico is one of the premier NCAA Division 1 programs in the country and we will plan on staying to watch them race after the varsity HS races.
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express
             2500 Menaul Bolevard NE
             Albuquerque, NM 87107
             1-505-881-0544

Nutrition, Sleep and Hydration for Distance Runners
I have received  a lot of questions recently about sleep, hydration and nutrition for our athletes. Here is a link to a document I created a few years ago to help you out.
Nutrition, Sleep and Hydration for Distance Runners (pdf)

I also recommend the following book:
The Feed Zone: Fast and Flavorful Food for Endurance Athletes (Amazon.com)

"Going the Extra Mile"
For those athletes that are "Going the Extra Mile right now here is what I suggest for the week:
Option #1: Wake up early before school 1 day this week and get in an extra 30 to 35 minute easy run to start your day. 
Option #2: Run an easy 30 to 60 minutes this Sunday on your own or with a teammate.

Future MVHS XC Invitational
For those parents that said they were willing to help out with hosting a meet next year I have not forgotten about you. I am waiting until the end of the XC season to start working on the meet as things right now are a little hectic. 

Schedule for September 1st-7th
Mon-MVHS 6 p.m. (Vista 500)
Tue-MVHS 3:10 p.m. 
Wed-MVHS 3:10 p.m.
             Team Dinner at Sarah Parkers after practice
Thur-Joe Davis Classic, Monument Valley Park
             Varsity practice at 3:10 (site TBD)
Fri-MVHS 3:10
         Varsity traveling to New Mexico
Sat-MVHS 7 a.m. (Race pace workout)
          University of NM Lobo Invite
Sun-30-60 minutes on your own, or rest

Team Dinner
When: Wednesday, Sept 3rd after practice
Where: Sarah Parker's House
What to Bring:

• Frosh: Desserts & Water
  
• Soph: Fruits or Salads
  
• Juniors: Pasta dishes
  
• Seniors: Main (protein)
  

Conditions were not ideal but we did an outstanding job as a TEAM at Arapahoe. Out of 59 competing teams we finished in the top 5 of all 6 races. Field sizes in each race were also extraordinarily large on Friday. To give you an idea, a race with more than 200 athletes is usually considered a pretty big race. At Arapahoe the varsity races were each around 380 runners (compared to 300 last year) and between 450 and 600 in the other 4 races. Here were some of the TEAM highlights on the day. 

• The Frosh/Soph boys were meet champions for the 3rd year in a row w/36 pts. An unbelievably low score considering there were 580 athletes in the race. If we would have scored our #8-#14 runners instead of our top 7 from Arapahoe we would have scored 171 pts, still good enough for the win. Our underclassmen have been working exceptionally hard ever since June. You have also been very consistent about in getting in your training everyday. I hope this shows you what consistent hard work in the off-season can do for you. It is paying off right now with some awesome race performances!
• The Frosh/Soph girls were also meet champions at Arapahoe w/69 pts in a field of 534. We have some very talented underclassmen ladies on the TEAM that are just now learning how to race and train competitively. If these girls keep progressing I'm confident that many of them will end up on our varsity this season.
• Varsity Boys were meet champions for the 3rd year in a row. We were tested by a very good Palmer Ridge, Boulder and Monarch team at Arapahoe. We still have a lot of work to do if we are going to compete with these teams and others such as Arapahoe and Fort Collins later in the season. However, considering the amount of work that we have put in as a TEAM over the past 2 weeks this is a very solid start for us on tired legs.
• The Varsity Girls were 5th in a field that featured 8 teams that are currently all ranked in the top 10 in 5A. This was a really good start to the season for us. We also finished this week ahead of League rivals ThunderRidge (5A #5) and Rock Canyon (5A #9) this week. We have a lot of work to do if we are going to be able to stay ahead of both of these teams when it matters most, but we are headed in the right direction. 
• The JR/SR boys and girls both finished a very solid 4th place. This is a race where a teams depth really shows. We also had several athletes in both the boys and girls race that are right on the edge of making our varsity. The kind of depth that we are showing right now is exciting to see! Most teams can find at least 5 runners to score in a varsity race, but the really great teams have lots of depth past 5 runners that are pushing each other to be their best. 

A very impressive start to the 2014 season for Vista Nation XC. Here is where you can find all of the post race analysis, results and highlights on Colorado Track/XC.com:
Arapahoe Meet Articles, Results, Photos, and Video

Shutterfly Photos
Vista Nation XC Shutterfly Photos from Arapahoe have also been posted. You will need to subscribe to our site in-order to view and upload our XC photos.http://vistanation.shutterfly.com/

A Coach's Perspective on the Time Trial
Vista Nation had an amazing 2 mile time trial this past Friday. In fact, it was the best time trial we have ever had as a TEAM. I want to put a few things in perspective for everyone to show you what I mean.

• # of boys within 1 min of the 1st place finisher: 11 (13 within 61 seconds). Last year we only had 6.
• # of girls that broke 14 mins: 7 (compared to 3 last year)
• Boys TEAM average # of seconds improvement from 2013 to 2014: 77 seconds
• Girls TEAM average # of seconds improvement from 2013 to 2014: 48 seconds 
• Biggest Improvement, Boys: Jordan Atkins, 339 seconds
• Biggest Improvement, Girls: Jessie Ehrman, 127 seconds

Here are the results form this years time trial. I have also included last years results so that you can compare last year to this:

• 2014 Time Trial Results (link)
• 2013 Boys Time Trial Results (pdf)
• 2013 Girls Time Trial Results (pdf)

It's hard to compare this year to last year when things were not exactly the same (conditions, workouts, etc). However, here are 3 things I know for sure after analyzing the time trial results.

• As a TEAM, we trained hard this summer. We are very well prepared right now and are in great shape entering the season
• We still have more work to do. Being fit in August does not mean being fit in October/November.
• Hard work pays off. Vista Nation is in for a very successful season if we keep working hard. 

"Going the Extra Mile"
For those athletes that are "Going the Extra Mile right now here is what I suggest for the week:
Option #1: Wake up early before school 1 day this week and get in an extra 30 to 35 minute easy run to start your day. Wednesday is probably your best day to get your extra run in this week.

Option #2: Run an easy 30 to 60 minutes this Sunday on your own or with a teammate.

TEAM Dinner before Arapahoe
When: Thursday, August 28th (after practice)
Who: All members of the TEAM
Where: Delany Fitzimmon's House (an email will be sent out w/ the address during the week)
What to Bring:

• Frosh: Fruits/Salads
  
• Sophomores: Pasta/Main
  
• Juniors: Sides/Appetizers
  
• Seniors: Desserts/Water

Arapahoe Warrior Invitational
This Friday is our first XC meet. Every member of Vista Nation will get a chance to race. Here are the details for the Arapahoe Invitational:
When: Friday, August 29th (Friday)
Where: DeKoevend Park (Arapahoe and University) 
Out-of-Class: All XC athlets will be let out of class at 2:00
Busses: There will be 2 busses to DeKoevend leaving Vista at 2:15. All runners should be on the bus unless they talk to Coach Selle or Dalby during the week. Please arrange your own ride home after the meet, there is no return bus.
TEAM Meeting: After every meet we always have a TEAM meeting at the conclusion of the awards ceremony. This is where we hand out trophies and superman shirts for outstanding performances. Parents are encouraged to be at our TEAM meetings after each meet.
Schedule and Lineups for Arapahoe: 

• 4:00 Frosh/Soph Boys (all frosh/soph boys on the TEAM)
• 4:03: Frosh/Soph Girls (all frosh/Soph girls not running in the varsity race)
• 4:50: Varsity Boys: (Smith, Currie, Matzke, Spieker, Grover, Hellier, N Romine)
• 5:20 Varsity Girls: (Fitzsimmons, Easton, Chipman, Walton, Nats, Soares, Goodrum)
• 5:55: Jr/Sr Boys (all Jr/Sr boys not running in the varsity race)
• 6:00: Jr/Sr Girls (all Jr/Sr girls not running in the varsity race)
• 7:00: Awards Ceremony and TEAM meeting: Please plan on staying for the awards ceremony and TEAM meeting after the meet. This is where we hand out trophies and superman shirts for outstanding performances. Parents are encouraged to be at the TEAM meeting. 

Warm-up: We always ask that parents, fans, and spectators to leave the athletes alone the 60 mins leading up to race time. This allows the runners to focus on their race and warm-up without distraction. 
Warm-up Leaders for Arapahoe:

• Fr/So Boys: J. Romine/Lovejoy
  
• Fr/So Girls: Ehrman/Shwartzkopf 
• Varsity Boys: N.Romine
• Varsity Girls: Goodrum
• Jr/Sr Boys: O'Sullivan/Cushatt
• Jr/Sr Girls: Smetanka/Haberkorn

Course Map

• Course map (Jpg, click to view)

Saturday Practice and Breakfast Afterwards
On Saturday we are meeting at the Bluffs Regional Park (Yosemite and Lincoln behind Super Target) for a long run. We would like every member of the TEAM to be there. 

Afterwards, we will be heading to Einstein Bagels near 470 and Yosemite for breakfast. Please bring $$$ to eat after the run. 

Labor Day Practice and the "Vista 500"
On Monday, September 1st (Labor Day) we will have practice at 6 p.m. This is traditionally the day we run our "Vista 500 workout" on the track. The coaching staff realizes that many families will be out of town this weekend. This is why we are pushing practice back to 6 that evening. We would like to ask that athletes make arrangements to be back in town in time for our Vista 500 workout on Monday night as it will be one of our only quality workouts that week. 

Homecoming Week and Leagues
Each year, the League meet is always our most important TEAM competition. Our goal each year is to try and sweep the varsity, JV and open races at this meet. 

This season,the League meet happens to be the same week as Homecoming. Because it is such an important event for our TEAM we are asking that athletes not participate in events such as Powder Puff football, dodgeball and volleyball. 

The reason we are asking this of our athletes this week is to make sure we are fully prepared going into the League championships in all 6 racers. The coaching staff fully understands the commitment we are asking of our athletes this week. If this will be an issue for anyone we ask that you come talk to us sooner rather than later. No one on the team will be denied the opportunity to run at Leagues based on their decisions during homecoming week. However, our line-ups for the different races will be determined based on what extra curricular events athletes decide to participate in during the week. 

New Mexico Trip 
Next week is our varsity trip to Albuquerque New Mexico for the LoBo Invitational. We will be taking between 14-18 varsity athletes on this trip. The coaching staff will start letting athletes know on Monday if they are racing in New Mexico. However, athletes not asked to attend this week will still have an opportunity to earn their trip by racing well at Arapahoe on Friday. Here are the details for the New Mexico trip.
Who: Our to 14 to 18 boys and girls after the Arapahoe Invitational will be able to attend.
When: Leaving from Vista on Friday, September 5th at 8:00 a.m. and returning after the
               meet around 7:00 p.m. on September 6th.
Cost for Athletes: Athletes will need to bring enough money to cover lunch on Friday and Saturday, along with dinner on Saturday night ($25-$30 total)
2014 Lobo XC Meet Info:  https://admin.xosn.com/pdf9/2762999.pdf?
Course Map:  https://admin.xosn.com/pdf9/2762617.pdf?
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express
             2500 Menaul Bolevard NE
             Albuquerque, NM 87107
             1-505-881-0544
Parent Drivers: If there are any parents that plan on going on the New Mexico trip to watch their athlete run and would be willing to transport other athletes to Albuquerque please email coach Dalby.
College Race: In addition to the HS races there will also be a mens and women's collegiate race at the Lobo Invite. The University of New Mexico is one of the premier NCAA Division 1 programs in the country and we will plan on staying to watch them race after the varsity HS races.

Schedule for Aug 25th-Labor Day
Mon-MVHS 3:10 p.m.
Tue-MVHS 3:10 p.m. 
Wed-Rocky Heights 3:20
Thur-MVHS 3:10 p.m.
Fri-Arapahoe Invitational @ DeKoevend Park
Sat-The Bluffs Regional Park 7 a.m.
         Panera Bread at I-25 and Yosemite after
Sun-30-60 minutes on your own, or rest
Mon-Sept 1st, MVHS 6 p.m. for the Vista 500

2 Mile XC Time Trial
Friday is our annual 2 mile XC time trial being held at MVHS. This is our opportunity to get in a low key competition with just our team before we race our first 5K the next week at the Arapahoe Warrior Invitational. This is also an event that we use to help determine our frosh/soph, JV, and varsity line-ups for the Arapahoe Invitational. 

Please note that we moved the time trial to 6 p.m. (instead of 5 as originally planned) to give more parents an opportunity to come out and watch after work. We will also be discussing fundraising details with everyone after the time trial for about 10 mins.

We are currently trying to arrange a social event for athletes, parents, and coaches after the time trial has concluded. Details will be emailed out to everyone later in the week. 

Athletes will need to arrive at Vista by 5 p.m. next Friday to warm-up together. The time trial will start at 6 p.m. and will be concluded by 7. 

"Going the Extra Mile"
Now that school has started we will no longer be meeting on Tuesday's in both the a.m. and p.m. Instead, I would like those athletes that are "Going the Extra Mile" right now to choose one of the following options.

Option #1: Wake up early before school 1 day a week and get in an extra 30 to 35 minute easy run to start your day.

Option #2: Run an easy 30 to 60 minutes on Sunday

King Soopers AND Safeway Cards
We are offering both King Soopers AND Safeway cards this year.
MVHS XC receives %5 of all purchases on these cards, which really adds up! 
We will have cards available at the Time Trials on Fri., 8/22 for easy pick up.
Bring $5 cash for each pre-loaded King Soopers or Safeway card.
Place your orders with Kristin Venable (Kristin.venable@comcast.net or text 303-907-0479)

Please indicate number and type of cards. Cards will be available for pick up at the time trial, team dinners and XC meets throughout the season.

Schedule for August 18th-24th
Mon-MVHS 3:10 p.m.
Tue-MVHS 3:10 p.m. 
Wed-Redstone Park Tennis Courts 3:20
Thur-MVHS 3:10 p.m.
Fri-2 Mile XC Time Trial 5-7 p.m. 
        -Team event after (details to come)
Sat-DeKoevend Park 7 a.m. 
Sun-30-60 minutes on your own, or rest

Monday begins our first official week of the CHSAA regulated XC season for 2014. Please take a look at the details below to know what is going on this week. On the days that we meet at Vista please meet in the grassy area in front of the building.

Monday Practices This Week
We are meeting twice on Monday. Once at 7 a.m. with our sophomores, juniors, and seniors for a hill workout. We are meeting again with everyone at 3:10 for the weight room and for those that are doing a second run of 30-35 minutes. Meet in front of the building Monday afternoon.

Registration
You must be registered by tomorrow afternoon in order to participate at practice. Athletes that have not registered will be asked to leave practice until your registration has been completed. You will also need to make sure that you have a physical on file that does not expire during the season (end of October). Here is where HS athletes can register for XC this year.
http://crosscountry.mountainvistaonline.org/reg/info.php?sid=2000&bk=undefined

Run Colorado Spike Nite
Next Thursday is our scheduled Spike Nite at Run Colorado. This is our opportunity as a team to get fitted for new shoes and racing flats. 20% off will be given to all MVHS and MRMS athlets that are in need of running shoes or gear. Pizza will also be provided for our team from 6 to 7:30 that night. 
Vista Spike Nite at Run Colorado Flyer (pdf)

As a rule of thumb, never run more than 500 miles on a pair of shoes. If you are not logging your miles I suggest buying new running shoes about every 2 1/2 to 3 months. 

Saturday Practices During the Season
Starting this Saturday (August 16th) we will begin holding Saturday practices for the entire team. We will meet at 7 a.m. for these runs early in the season. As we move into the fall and the weather cools down we will potentially move to 8 a.m.

2014 Meet Schedule
The meet schedule has been finalized and is up on the schedule/calendar page. The meet schedule should not change at this point, however, practice times and locations will probably move around a little still. 
2014 Meet and Practice Schedule (link)

Schedule for August 10th-17th
Mon MVHS 7 a.m.-Hill Workout
       MVHS 3:10 p.m.-30-35 min run + weights
Tue MVHS 3:10 p.m.-aerobic run + strides/injury prevention
Wed Redstone Park Tennis Courts 3:20-Cruise Intervals w/short rest
Thur MVHS 3:10 p.m.-Aerobic run + weights
              Spike Nite @ Run Colorado 6-7:30 p.m.
Fri MVHS 3:10 p.m.-Intervals on Griggs/Poston Loop
Sat East/West Trail Head 7 a.m. (Long Run)
Sun 30-60 minutes on your own, or rest

Team Handbook
Please take a look at our team handbook to learn more information about practice, meets, lettering, etc.
MVHS Cross Country Team Handbook (PDF)

Team Policies
I. Attendance at all Practices and Meets
     a. Athletes must be at all scheduled practices and meets when competing
     b. Consistent unexcused absences from practice/meets will result in removal from the
           team.
     c. Excused absences include Dr. appointments, sick from school, family emergency,
            ACT/SAT.
     d.Athletes are expected to be at practice on time.
     e. Athletes are expected to ride the bus with the team to and from meets.
II. Drugs Tobacco, Alcohol
     a. Use of these substances by any member of the team will result in the end of the 
          athlete’s season. 
III. Academic Achievement
     a. A failing grade will result in removal from the team until the grade is passing.
     b. 2 or more D’s may result in holding the athlete out of competition until grades 
          have improved.
IV. Sportsmanship
     a. Athletes are expected to show proper sportsmanship towards teammates, 
         competitors, and coaches at all times.
     b. Athletes should represent Vista Nation XC in a positive light at all times.

We had a great run to Denver on Friday! Because of several detours on the bike path the run ended up being a little longer than expected, but that didn't stop everyone from making it all the way to REI! For most of our athletes, this was the furthest any of them have ever run. We had 7 boys make it 15 miles on Friday and 23 other athletes make it 11 miles. That's is the largest group at Vista that we have ever had go over 10 miles on a single run. Great job! 

This week will mark the final week of summer conditioning before we go back to school. This also means that starting next week our practices will move to the afternoons after school. We will also start Saturday morning runs back up starting next week. 

Training Plan for August 4th-10th
I will no longer have a training plan posted on the calendar for the rest of the season. Instead, I will be giving you a general idea of what we are going to be doing each week on the blog. Here is what this week looks like. Wednesday will be our only quality effort of the week out at Waterton Canyon for an end of the summer progression run. I am also moving the long run to Saturday this week. You will need to get this in on your own or call up a teammate. 

Mon-Rocky Heights 7 a.m. 
                30 to 50 min run + 6 strides and injury prevention 
Tue-MVHS 7 a.m. (6:30 a.m. if you need to run early due to registration at Vista)
                     40 to 70 min run
           MVHS Weight Room 6 p.m.
                       30 to 35 mins easy + weights
Wed-Waterton Canyon 7 a.m.
                     4, 6, or 8 mile Progression/Negative Split run getting faster every 2 miles. 
Thur-MVHS 7 a.m.
                       30 to 50 min run + 6 strides and injury prevention 
Fri-The Bluffs Regional Park 7 a.m.
                  40 to 60 min run + 6 x 20 second hill sprints 
Sat-Long Run on your own or w/ a teammate (try to do the long run on soft surfaces)
                   A Group- 35 to 60 mins 
                   B Group-70 mins
                   C Group-80 mins
Sun-Run on your own or rest
           30 to 60 mins easy

XC Fall Registration
If you have not done so already please make sure you have registered for XC this fall before school starts. You will also need to make sure that you have a physical on file that does not expire during the season (end of October). Here is where HS athletes can register for XC this year.
http://crosscountry.mountainvistaonline.org/reg/info.php?sid=2000&bk=undefined

Run Colorado Spike Nite
Next Thursday is our scheduled Spike Nite at Run Colorado. This is our opportunity as a team to get fitted for new shoes and racing flats. 20% off will be given to all MVHS and MRMS athlets that are in need of running shoes or gear. Pizza will also be provided for our team from 6 to 7:30 that night. 
Vista Spike Nite at Run Colorado Flyer (pdf)

As a rule of thumb, never run more than 500 miles on a pair of shoes. If you are not logging your miles I suggest buying new running shoes about every 2 1/2 to 3 months. 

Saturday Practices During the Season
Starting Saturday, August 16th we will begin holding Saturday practices for the entire team. We will meet at 7 a.m. for these runs early in the season. As we move into the fall and the weather cools down we will potentially move to 8 a.m.

2014 Meet Schedule
The meet schedule has been finalized and is up on the schedule/calendar page. The meet schedule should not change at this point, however, practice times and locations will probably move around a little still. 
2014 Meet and Practice Schedule (link)