Congratulations to everyone on a great state meet this weekend. The 14 athletes that ran on Saturday and all of the runners that came down to cheer on your teammates are the reason I coach. Through the course of a season there can be a lot of ups and downs to go through. But persistence and hard work pay off especially when you are in it together with your TEAM. We have an amazing group of athletes at Vista which make days like Saturday all the more special. The coaching staff is very blessed to be able to work with such a great group of kids each day.

I want to thank all of the parents, fans and alumni that made the trip to Colorado Springs this weekend. There is no doubt that the most noticeable color in the on crowd Saturday was green. We have had some success over the past few years because a lot of people have bought in to our program. Without the help our our parents it is impossible for us to have the kind of TEAM that we do. Thank you for believing in the coaching staff and always being so supportive of our kids. 

   State Meet Results, Articles, Pictures and Video
        Vista Nation Shutterfly Pictures from State

Uniform Turn-in
Uniform Turn in for all athletes will be on Tuesday, November 5th for all athletes. Please meet in the team room (in the gym) to turn in your uniform at 3:00. Fines will be submitted to the office on Tuesday if uniforms are not turned in. The cost of missing uniforms are as follows:
Racing Top: $30
Racing Shorts: $30
Varsity Warm-up Jacket: $55
Varsity Warm-up Bottoms: $45

Banquet Information
The end of the season banquet is being held the evening of Friday, November 8th. This is for all athletes and parents that participated in cross country this fall. Please be on the lookout in your email for more information from Mrs. Romine. 

Schedule for the Week
If you are participating in the NXR meet to Arizona here is the schedule for the week. Other athletes are welcome to come out and run with us.
Mon-MVHS @ 3:10 p.m.
Tue-Rocky Heights Middle School @ 3:30 p.m.
Wed-MVHS @ 3:10 p.m. 
Thur-Redstone Park @ 3:30 p.m. 
Fri-MVHS @ 8:00 a.m. (no school)
Sat-Long run on your own or w/ a teammate
Sun-Optional Run on your own or with a teammate

State Meet Information
Line-ups
Boys: Weaver, Walton, Graf, Smith, Hart, O'Sullivan, Matzke
Girls: Suntken, Hendren, Reicher, Fitzsimmons, Goodrum, Soares, Easton

Bus Info
The bus will leave Vista at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and will return after. All athletes and alternates should be on the bus. Unfortunately we will not have enough room on the bus for additional athletes. If you would like to come watch the meet please arrange your own transportation to and from the meet. 

Team Tent Area
The tent will be set up inside of the hoarse barn with the other teams participating at the meet. The barn is for athletes only. Parents, fans and spectators won't be allowed into the team tent area. 

Time Schedule:
2A Girls - 9:20 am - 3A Boys - 10:00 am - 4A Boys - 10:30 am - 5A Girls - 11:00 am
2A Boys - 11:30 am - 3A Girls - 12:00 pm - 4A Girls - 12:30 pm - 5A Boys - 1:00 pm

Parking 
$10 per vehicle, close-in, $5 per vehicle on north side of Lower Gold Camp Road

Warm-up
Course closes once races begin, use trails east of start line for warm-up/cool-down

Driving Directions From the North:
Take I-25 south
Take exit 141 for US-24 W toward Cimarron St
Keep left at the fork
Turn left at W Cimarron St
Turn left at S 8th St
Turn right at Lower Gold Camp Rd (event will be on the left)

Additional Information
The Spectators Ultimate Guide to Viewing State Cross Country
Milesplit State XC Page

Schedule for the October 21st-27th
Mon-MVHS @ 3:10 p.m.
Tue-MVHS @ 3:10 p.m.
Wed-MVHS @ 3:10 p.m. 
Thur-MVHS @ 3:10 p.m. 
Fri-MVHS @ 3:10 p.m.
Sat-State XC Championships

5A Region 5 Information
Please remember that we do expect all competitors and alternates to be at practices during fall break to be ready for regionals. Here is all of the information you need to know.
When: Thursday, September 17th
Where: Monument Valley Park, Colorado Springs
Time Schedule:
       5A Boys: 3:00
         5A Girls: 4:00
         Awards After
Bus: Leaving Vista at noon on Thursday. All athletes and alternates should be on the bus. If you are not competing, but would like to ride the bus to the meet please email me. We will have space for about 15-20 additional athletes. We are only taking one bus so we won't be able to take everyone. 
Boys Line-up: Graf, Hart, Speiker, O'Sullivan, Currie, Weaver, Walton, Smith, Matzke
Alternates: Romine, Romine, W.Hart, Lovejoy, Burgoyne, Grover, Pons
Girls Line-up: Fitzsimmons, Reicher, Newman, Easton, Parker, Goodrum, Soares, Hendren, Suntken
Alternates: Schwartzkopf, McMullan, Haberkorn, Johnson, Nats
Qualifying for State: Top 5 teams and top 15 individuals (all-regional)
Alternate Workout: Alternates should come to the meet prepared to do a workout at Monument Valley Park once we arrive. 
Official Meet Info and Course Map (click for PDF)

"Going the Extra Mile"
If you have been running doubles 1 or 2 days a week this season now is the time to stop. The work has been done getting you ready for the Regional and State meets. Now it's time to focus on getting your legs ready to run fast. Beyond that make sure you are taking care of your sleep, nutrition and hydration needs this week and next. 

Schedule for October 14th-20th
Mon-MVHS 8 a.m. Lite speed workout on the track + weights
Tue-Redstone Park 8 a.m 
Wed-MVHS 8 a.m. (pre-race run)
Thur-5A Region 5 at Monument Valley Park in CO Springs
Fri-Rocky Heights Middle School 8 a.m. (recovery run)
Sat-The Bluffs Regional Park 8 a.m. (short long run)
Sun-Take the day off

Time Off, Winter Running and Track
Once your XC season is over it is time for a break. This is going to mean different things for different people. For some of you your season is over now, for others it may not be over until early December. Here are some general suggestions that I typically make for all athletes once you are ready to return to running again.

• Take 1-2 Weeks off From Running: This is for everyone. Once you are done for the season take a full 1-2 weeks off from running. Do not return until you are feeling physically and mentally ready to return. 1 week off is okay, but I generally find that most athletes need 2. If you have run your last race of the season, but are still training with the team that is fine. However, at some point you will need to stop and take a 1-2 week break. 
• Returning to Running After Time-off: Once your 1-2 weeks off is done, and you are ready to return to running, keep things simple. Go out for a run with your friends and try new routes. My suggestion is to run 6-7 times a week for 30-60 mins a day, easy. Enjoy the runs, no need to crank things up at this point.   
• Winter Off-Season Conditioning: Official winter conditioning will not start until late November/early December. This will leave you with 2 options; the distance running program or the sprinter/jumper program. If you have plans to run distance this spring the off-season will look a lot like the summer did. If you are going to be a sprinter/jumper then you will be working out with Coach O this winter. Coach O has a program set up that will be very specific to your event needs and have you ready for the spring season. 
• Running Track: The majority of our XC team will run track. If you are not participating in another sport this spring then we strongly encourage you to come out for track this year. It doesn't matter if you want to be a sprinter or a distance runner, track will make you a better XC athlete.  In return, Cross Country will also make you a much better track competitor. If you are serious about improving next year in XC and reaching your full potential as an athlete then track is a great option for you. The training looks very similar to XC training for the distance runners and there are lots of opportunities to run different events. Typically our middle and long distance team in the spring will run the 800, 1600, 3200 and/or 4x800. Often times they will drop down to run the 400 and 4x400 as well. Sprinters will mainly focus on the 100, 200, 400, sprint relays and occasionally the 800. 
• Winter Sports and Running: We support any one on the team who is involved in a winter sport. In fact, let me know when you are competing and I will be the first person cheering you on during a basketball game or a wrestling match. If you are participating in a winter sport, but still want to get some running in please come talk to me. I will make some suggestions for you about how you can get in a few runs each week. You are also welcome to come out and run with us anytime during the winter when your practices don't conflict. Please make your winter sport your top priority, but know there is always a place on the TEAM for you to come out and participate when you have time. 
• Spring Sports Other Than Track: Again, if you are in a spring sport such as soccer, baseball, lacrosse, etc we fully support you. If you are interested in being a dual sport athlete we will also work with you. The last thing we would ever do is turn someone away for being involved with more than one sport. Come talk to me after the XC season is over if you are interested in being a dual sport athlete or if you want a plan to get in some runs during your spring sport season. 
• Not doing anything until next XC Season: I do not recommend this option if you are serious about becoming a better distance athlete. Our experience (the coaches) has always been that year round athletes always perform better than those that take months off at a time. Our experience has also been that full time athletes in our program excel in the classroom as a result of staying active. 
• Goal Setting and Individual Training Plans: At anytime after your 1-2 weeks is over you are welcome to come talk to me about your running goals. In fact, I encourage that you do. Once you let me know what your goals are we can discuss how to individualize your training. This offer is also open to athletes that will not be running in the winter or spring. I am happy to put a modified program together for you that will help you stay in shape, but also allow you to focus on your other sport. 
• Winter Training Plans: Specific plans will be available by the start of winter conditioning. If you are going to start running before then keep it at 30-60 mins easy each day. If you want a more detailed plan come see me and I will put one together for you. 

(I will be posting a more detailed blog over the weekend about Regionals and taking time off after your XC season has concluded)

Runners and Parents,
Thank you to everyone who helped out yesterday at the League meet. It takes a lot of people to run off an event like that. I really appreciate all of the parent support that we recieved yesterday. Below is the link to yesterdays results:
http://co.milesplit.com/meets/149400-continental-league-meet

We ran very well last night. The boys swept all 3 races. The girls were 2nd in each race behind some very talented and hard working teams from Rock Canyon and ThunderRidge. I am very pleased with the way we performed. As a TEAM you did an excellent job rising to the occasion and stepping up for your teammates. 

Regional/State Competitions and Practices
There are still 2 meets left on the schedule this year, Regionals and State. These are the final 2 races of the season and are varsity only. At the Regional meet over fall break we are allowed to run 9 athletes per race and at the state meet we will run 7. Below is the line-up for Regionals. I have also listed the alternates that I would like to continue to train with us over break.  If you are not listed below you are still welcome to come out and run with us each day.  Practices during fall break will be at 8 a.m. each morning. Locations will be posted in this upcoming weekends blog

Boys Regional Line-up: Graf, Hart, Speiker, O'Sullivan, Currie, Weaver, Walton, Smith, Matzke
Alternates: Romine, Romine, W.Hart, Lovejoy, Burgoyne, Grover, Pons

Girls Regional Line-up: Fitzsimmons, Reicher, Newman, Easton, Parker, Goodrum, Soares, Hendren, Suntken
Alternates: Schwartzkopf, McMullan, Haberkorn, Johnson, Nats


Continuing to Practice or Time-off
Although the competitive season is over for the majority of the TEAM everyone is still welcome to show up and run. If you are ready for a break go ahead and take it. I will post more info this weekend about time off after XC. My general rule of thumb is that if you plan on running track this spring take 2 full weeks off from running before starting back up again. I will post more detailed information this weekend about time off after XC.

Nike Cross Regionals Race 
Today at practice (Wed) I will have individual conversations with people about the NXR race. Please remember that it is an expectation that you are at all practices between now and the AZ trip, including fall break, if you are going to attend the trip. 

If there are any seniors that have been in the program (both XC and track) for 4 years, are interested in the trip to Arizona, and understand the commitment level involved please come talk to me privately.

Doherty Invitational Results, Article, Pictures, and Videos
Yesterday at Doherty was a great final tune-up for us rolling into the League championships this week. Here are results, article, video and pictures from yesterdays meet. http://co.milesplit.com/meets/146396-adidas-doherty-spartan-cross-country-invitational#.Uk4_qiRONLu

League Parent Help
Parents,
Thank you to everyone that volunteered to help at the League Meet on Wednesday. I've attached a jobs list of where people are assigned that afternoon.  A few of you are working 2 different jobs throughout the day so please look through the entire document. 

I tried to put people at the check-in table that could be there by 2:00. If this is not the case please let me know so I can move you. 

There will be a brief volunteer meeting at 2:45 on the infield of Shea where I will explain the job assignments. Everything is pretty easy and straightforward to understand. If you can't be there until 3:00 just find me as soon as you arrive.

Thanks again for the help making Leagues a fun event for our kids!
Click to View PDF Document
Volunteer Map (click for PDF)

Continental League Championship Info and Line-ups
League Meet Info (click for link)
3:30 JV Boys 
    O'Sullivan, Currie, J. Romine, W. Hart, Lovejoy, Pons, Burgoyne
3:33 JV Girls
     Nats, K. McMullan, Haberkorn, Johnson, Parker, Soares, Schwartzkopf
4:10 Varsity Boys:
     Weaver, Walton, Smith, Graf, Hart, Speiker, Matzke
4:40 Varsity Girls:
     Easton, Reicher, Fitzsimmons, Goodrum, Hendren, Suntken, Newman
5:10 Open Boys
     All boys not competing in the earlier races
5:13 Open Girls
     All girls not competing in the earlier races

Schedule for October 7th-13th
Mon-MVHS @ 3:10
Tue-Redstone Park @ 3:20 to see League Course
           -Team Dinner after practice
Wed-Contienental League Championships
Thur-MVHS @ 3:10
Fri-Waterton Canyon @ 8:00 a.m. 
Sat-MVHS @ 8:00 a.m. 
Sun-Optional Run on your own or w/ a teammate

Running after your season is over
If your season is completed after the League Championships you should take 1-2 weeks off from running before returning. I will have info up over break about preparing for the track season. All athletes are welcome to continue to run throughout the rest of the season if they would like, even if you are not racing. 

Fall Break Practices
Fall break practices will be at 8 a.m. each day. These practices are for athletes that are competing at the regional meet, or moving on to run at NXR in Arizona. A detailed schedule will be posted next week.