Great job at Columbine everybody! The course didn't run very fast because of the wet grass, but we still turned in some unbelievable performances. In a meet with 57 teams in attendance we won 5 of the 6 races we were entered into, and took 4th in the other. Here are the results from the meet:
http://co.milesplit.com/meets/115535-dave-sanders-invitational

Doherty Invitational
This Friday we are racing on the state meet course. Some of our varsity runners will not be participating, but I want you to accompany the team to the meet and do your run for the day on the course. This will be your only chance to preview the state course this year and we would like for you to see it. 

Here is the meet info. I will have information about busses out a little bit later in the week:
doherty_invitational_info.pdf (click)


Going the Extra Mile
This is the last week that I want anyone to "Go the Extra Mile." If you are racing at Doherty this week don't do any additional miles this week. For the Jrs/Srs that are not racing this week here is what you should do:
Boys: 2 runs of 30 minutes
Girls: 1 run of 30 minutes

Schedule for October 1st-7th
If you are racing on Friday you are doing 1 quality workout this week on Tuesday, with a shorter long run on Saturday. If you are not racing this week your quality days are on Monday and Thursday w/ the long run on Saturday. 

Mon: MVHS 3:10
Tue: MVHS 3:10 (light speed workout)
           3:30 @ The Bluffs if not racing this week
Wed: 3:10 MVHS 
Thur: 3:10 MVHS
Fri: Dohrety Spartan XC Invitational
Sat: 8:00 a.m. South Platte Park Reservoir 
Sun: Optioanl run on your own or with a teammate 

A great week of both training and racing! We accomplished a lot this week and looked great doing it as a team. Both the boys and girls came through on Thursday/Friday with some tired legs. We trained through this week knowing there are still bigger goals to accomplish, but didn't back down just because our legs didn't feel 100%. Here are the results from the week. Our 1-5 gaps keep looking better each week!
Coronado Cougar Classic Results (click)
John Martin Invitational Results (click)

In case you forgot, here is the TEAM goal for the Continental League Championship which is less than 3 weeks away now
                SWEEP the Open, JV, and Varsity races for both 
                                      boys and girls

We have been working towards this since the first week of June and it's almost time to cash in. Keep focused as the Championship Part of our season draws near. This is why we have sacrificed so much time. To be the best we can be when it counts!

Dave Sanders (Columbine High School) Invitational
This is a great meet for a lot of reasons, but most importantly it helps us keep in perspective what is most valued on our team, the people we get to run with everyday. The meet is named after Dave Sanders, a teacher from Columbine HS that heroically sacrificed his own life while evacuating students from Columbine HS in 1999. Please take the time on Friday to visit the Columbine memorial before or after your race to remember Mr. Sanders and those that were a part of the tragedy that day 13 years ago.
Dave Sanders, Columbine HS, Invitational Meet Info and Team List (click for info)
Course Map (please print off a copy to bring to the meet w/ you)

Team Dinner
This weeks team dinner is at Andrew Walton's house on Thursday after practice. Please remember to bring food so that everyone can eat, and so that we can continue to have team dinners.
Freshmen: Pasta/Main
Soph: Desserts or Bread
Juniors: Fruits/Salads
Seniors: Pasta/Main

"Going the Extra Mile"
For those on the team going the extra mile here is what we would like for you to do this week:
Girls: 1 run of 30 minutes during the week
Boys: 2 runs of 30 minutes during the week
We are down to our last 2 weeks of extra miles. Get them in now, they will help to carry you through the Championship part of our season.

September 24th-30th Schedule
This week everyone will be on the same schedule. 

• Monday's practice is in the morning at 7:00 a.m. because we don't have school that day. 
• Tuesday is our quality workout day for the week. 
• Our travel day will be on Wednesday this week instead of Tuesday as originally scheduled. Meet at Rocky Heights MS to run the East/West Trail. We would like as many athletes as possible to find a ride to Rocky Heights that day to take part in the run as a TEAM.
  
• Saturday will be our long run at Waterton Canyon. 

Mon: 7:00 a.m. MVHS Track (Playground Run/The Grind)
             Afternoon: Do one of your extra mile runs today on your own
Tue: 3:10 MVHS (Quality Workout Day)
Wed: 3:30 Rocky Heights Middle School
                 A coach will be at Vista for those that can't travel
Thur: 3:10 MVHS
Fri: Dave Sanders, Columbine HS, Invitational
Sat: 8:00 a.m. Waterton Canyon (long run)
Sun: Optional Run on your own, or with a teammate, to "Go the Extra Mile"

Air Academy Results
Great job at Air Academy! A lot of athletes stepped up to run against some of the top 4A competition in the state. This is a great sign of the depth our team has. We didn't back down from the competition just because we didn't run our entire team. Instead, everyone stepped up nicely and gave some very good team a run for their money. Here are the team results.
Div I Boys: 2nd 1-5 Gap 69 seconds 
Div I Girls: 3rd 1-5 Gap 53 seconds 
Div II Boys: 1st 1-5 Gap 61 seconds 
Div II Girls: 1st 1-5 Gap 35 seconds
Results: http://co.milesplit.com/meets/119220-air-academy-kadet-invitational 

Meet Information for Coronado and Fort Collins
This week there are 2 meets on the schedule and everyone on the team will be going to one of them. Most of you will be racing at Coronado on Thursday, a small hand full of upperclassmen boys will be racing on Friday in Fort Collins. There will be a lot more competition this week than last, and our team will really be tested at both meets. Click on the meet information below to see what teams we will be competing against this week along with all other meet info athletes and parents need to know. We recommend that athletes print this information and bring it with them to the meet. We will not have additional copies of the meet info or maps to hand out at the meets. 
Coronado Cougar Classic Meet Info (click)
        Course Map (click) 
John Martin, Fort Collins Invitational Meet Info (click)
          Course Map (click) 

Team Dinner this Week
A quick note about the team dinners. Several athletes on the team are coming to the team dinners, eating, but not bringing food with them. The parents that are hosting are running out of food. If you come to the team dinners you are expected to bring something with you. Otherwise we won't be able to continue this tradition on the team. 

When: Wednesday September 9th after practice around 5:30
Where: Matt Murphree's house (address sent by email)
What to Bring: 
Freshmen:Fruits/Salads
Sophomores:Pasta/Main
Juniors:Pasta/Main
Seniors:Bread or Desserts

Going the Extra Mile
For those going the extra mile we are going to make a few small changes this week as we get a little further into the season and our intensity picks up.
Freshman-Take Sunday off (sophomores optional)
Jr/Sr Boys-2 easy runs of 4 miles, or 1 easy run of 5 miles (5-8 extra miles on the week)
Jr/Sr Girls-1 easy run of 3 miles (or take this completely off if needed)

Picture Day on Monday
Picture day is this Monday. Please bring your uniform or you will not be able to be in the team picture. We will not be handing out extra uniforms for the picture. Plan on staying an extra 30 minutes for practice on Monday, we are doing a quality interval workout after pictures are finished.

Saturday Practice Location Change
Saturday's practice location has been changed to the Mountain Vista HS track at 8:00 a.m. Reminder, this is a required practice for our varsity and top JV athletes. 

Schedule for the week of September 17th-23rd
If you are racing at Coronado we will be doing quality workouts this week on Monday and Saturday, with your long run on Friday. If you are racing at Fort Collins on Friday you are doing quality workouts on Monday and Wednesday with your long run on Saturday.

Mon: 3:10 Vista (Interval/Hill Workout after pictures. Plan on staying a little later on
                                      Mon due to pictures)
Tue: 3:30 @ Waterton Canyon. For those that don't have a ride there will be a coach at 
                      Vista at 3:10
Wed: 3:10 @ Vista
Thur: Coronado Cougar Classic in CO Springs -or-
             3:10 @ Vista
Fri: 3:10 @ Vista -or-
        John Martin Invitational at Fort Collins HS
Sat: 8:00 a.m. Vista Track (those who raced Friday night, will do their long run from the
                                 HS to Redstone Park on the East/West Trail)
Sun: Optional run on your own, or with a teammate to "Go the Extra Mile"

Saturday was a lot of fun! We had some great performances as a team. My favorite part was seeing the "Green Army" of athletes, parents, and fans out on the course and at the awards ceremony cheering everybody on. I think it's safe to say that we have the largest cheering squad in Colorado! 

When you prepare great things can happen. We are very well prepared right now and things are certainly happening for us. The biggest things are still to come though. Keep your goals in mind and focus on what is still ahead. We want our best races to take place at Leagues and State, not at St. Vrain. Let's keep working hard during the week and keep our sites set on our BIGGEST goals that we have set for the end of the season.

St. Vrain Invitational
Results/Articles/Race Video/Photos from Milesplit (click)
Race Photos on Shutterfly (click)

JV Boys: 1st place and a perfect 15 point score. 12 second 1-5 gap, I've never seen a gap this close before!
JV Girls: 1st place w/24 points. 58 second gap. Nice work to get this under a minute.
Boys Varsity: 1st place in 47 points. 45 second 1-5 gap, 58 second from 1 to 7.
Girls Varsity: 3rd place in an ultra competitive field. 1-4 gap was 1:34. I know we can get 1-5 to under 60 seconds on a day we are all clicking if we work at it together everyday in practice. 

Middle School Boys and Girls: Both teams took first, great job to the MS coaches! You can see results for your future teammates here:
http://runningbears.com/2012XC/st_vrain_ms/index.html

Air Academy Kadet Invitational
When: Thursday, September 13th
Where: Air Academy HS, US Air Force Academy
Meet Info, Line-ups, and Race Schedule (click)
Course Map (click)


Schedule for September 10th-16th

• This week we are not going to travel with everyone on Tuesday as originally scheduled because of everything going on with homecoming this week. 
• If you are racing at Air Force on Thursday your long run is Monday with quality workout days on Tuesday and Saturday.
  
• If you are not racing this week your long run in on Monday with quality workout days on Wednesday and Saturday. 
• Saturday's practice has been moved to Red Stone Park @ 8:00 a.m. 

Mon-3:10 MVHS
Tue-3:10 MVHS 
Wed-3:10 MVHS 
Thur-Air Academy Kadet Invitational -or-
             3:10 MVHS if not racing at Air Academy 
Fri-3:10 MVHS
Sat-8:00 a.m. High Line Canal
Sun-Optional run on your own, or with a teammate, to "Go the Extra Mile."

Team Dinner
When: Wednesday after practice
Where: Blake Graf's House (see Google Group Email for Address)
Fresh: Pasta/Main
Soph: Fruits/Salads
Juniors: Desserts
Seniors: Pasta/Main


Going the Extra Mile
For those "going the extra mile" right now here is what the coaches suggest through the month of September. These miles can be done in the morning before school, on Sunday, or added on at practice.
Jr/Sr girls: 5 miles extra a week
JR/Sr boys: 5 to 10 extra miles a week 

Great start to the season on Friday Vista Nation! Easily the best start we have had in the past 6 years. When you prepare in advance great things happen. Days like Friday are the reason why we choose to meet together all summer long as a team. It's a BIG sacrifice to make, but the rewards are worth it. Congrats on a great start!

Friday was fun, but we still have a lot of work to do in order to be ready to achieve our team goals for the end of the season. An area where we need to get better is closing the time gap between our #1 to #7 runners in each race. Good teams can get the gap from #1 to #5 down to 60 seconds. Great teams can get their #1 to #7 between 30-45 seconds. This is where I challenge us to be. The hardest work is still ahead, but so is our best racing. Keep things in perspective and remember that Arapahoe was in August. We want to be at our best in October.
Arapahoe Warrior Invitational Results (click)
Week in Review: A New Season Begins (Milesplit Article)

Team Statistics from Arapahoe:
Varsity Boys: 1st place, 1-5 Gap 1:04, Not bad. Lets close it to under 45 seconds on Sat.
Varsity Girls: 1st place, 1-5 gap 1:21. Great start, now we need to get the pack closer 
                                                                               to our front runners on race day and in practice
JV Boys 3rd place, 1-5 gap 45 seconds. Solid gap. Lets get closer to the front on Sat.
JV Girls: 1st place, 1-5 gap 35 seconds Awesome Spread Time. Lets close on the varsity.
Fr/So Boys: 1st place, 1-5 gap 33 seconds Wow! Can we do this from #1 to #7?
Fr/So Girls: 2nd place, 1-5 gap 2:18 Great start, you can brining this to under 1 min

Summer Mileage T-Shirts
For those that logged your miles this summer, I will be collecting mileage charts this week. Hand in your chart w/ your name on it before Friday. I will hand out shirts on Saturday at St. Vrain after the meet.

Elementary XC Race: 5:00-7:30 on Wednesday
Wednesday after practice is our elementary school XC race. Athletes should plan on staying at school until about 7:30 that evening. Right now, there are 200 kids that have signed up for the event. All MVHS XC athletes need to be there. Remember, this is your part of of the fundraiser to fill the community service piece. 

Please be at practice 10 minutes early on Wednesday (3:00). We are going to stretch you out quickly and send you on your run a few minutes early. Please check the attached information for race times and athletes assignments for the elementary school meet:
MVHS Elementary School XC Meet Information (click)
Athlete Jobs for Wednesday (click)

Team Dinner
This weeks team dinner is on Friday after practice at Lindsey Smith's house. Please check the google group email for location. Thank you to the Mr. and Mrs. Smith's for hosting!
Freshmen: Fruits/Salads
Soph: Desserts/Water
Juniors: Pasta/Main
Seniors: Sides/Appetizers

Friday's Football Game
We encourage everyone to go to the home football game after the team dinner on Friday. However, we ask that each athlete stay only through 2 or 3 quarters, and to stay off of your feet as much as possible at the game. This is a sacrifice in order to be ready for Saturday mornings meet. We leave early for St. Vrain and want everyone to get at least 8 or 9 hours of sleep the night to be ready to compete. 

St. Vrain Invitational:
Teams Competing/Schedule/Maps/Meet Info (click)
When: Saturday, Sept 8th
Where: Lyons HS, Lyons CO
Girls Varsity (Run 10, score 5) Schwartzkopf, Smith, Fitzsimmons, Londono, Reicher, 
                                                                   McGinty, Brooke Mackay, Newman, Dixon, Goodrum
Boys Varsity (Run 10, score 5) Walton, Steiner, Geisler, Graf, Weaver, Hart, Wagner, 
                                                                   Parker, Matzke, Romine
Boys JV (unlimited, score 5) All athletes not running varsity
Girls JV (unlimited, score 5) All athletes not running varsity
Busses: All athletes should be on the bus to St. Vrain. We would like for athletes to ride 
                   home together after the meet as well unless they need to go with their parents. 
                   Be at Vista at 6:15 a.m. 
                   Busses depart at 6:30 a.m.
                   Busses return after the meet between 2:00 and 3:00.
Awards: Ribbons for top 25 in the Open Races
                     Meadles for top 10  
                     Plaque for team champion in the varsity races
                     Ribbons for top 3 teams in Varsity race
Lunch: Please bring money to eat after the meet. We will stop for lunch in Boulder on the way home from the meet. 

September 3rd-9th Schedule
This week we are going to get in our quality efforts on Monday and Thursday. They will both be relatively flat, so we want to do something a little bit hiller on Tue and Wed for your recovery runs. 

Mon: 6:00 p.m. MVHS Track (please be back in town for practice)
Tue: 3:10 MVHS (Recover run in Playground/Weights)
Wed: 3:00 (recovery/Strides)
            5:00-7:30  Elementary School XC Race (All-Vista athletes in attendance)
Thur: 3:10 (Vista 500 on the track)
Fri: 3:10 (Recovery Run/Weights)
Sat: St.Vrain Invitational
Sun: Optional run on your own or w/ a teammate to "Go the Extra Mile"

Going the Extra Mile
For those "going the extra mile" right now here is what the coaches suggest through the month of September. These miles can be done in the morning before school, on Sunday, or added on at practice.
Jr/Sr girls: 5 miles extra a week
JR/Sr boys: 5 to 10 extra miles a week