December 8th-14th: 10 Things to Consider this Winter

Logo design for new XC T-shirt

Winter Conditioning: 10 Things to Consider
Today was the official start to our winter track conditioning program. I am excited to get going again as we begin to work towards new goals together as a TEAM! As we start back up running I would like for everyone to keep a few things in mind that will help you along in your journey as a distance runner this winter.

1. Have Fun: Have fun and enjoy training this winter. You will make your biggest improvements when you are enjoying the process.
2. Set Goals: Set a goal and work deligantly towards it. No goal is too big, or too out of reach if you are willing to work for it. Set goals for the track season and next XC season. Make sure you write them down. Hang your goals up somewhere that you will see them everyday. This is a reminder of what you are working towards all winter. 
3. Be Consistent: Run 6 to 7 times a week and get as fit as you possibly can! Even if you are a freshman or a new runner, get out and run everyday. Try not to miss more than one day of running a week. The more consistent you are the more competitive you are going to be in the spring. 
4. Start in December: The work you put in during December and in January will be the most important in determining what kind of track season you have. Don't wait until January or February to start agin. If you build your base of miles back up in December, by the time we get to January you will be ready to do hill and tempo work. Hill and tempo work in January will lead to being able to get on the track by mid-Febuary. February track work will lead to great performances and PRs in April/May.
5. Run on the Weekends: Get out on Saturday's and Sunday's this winter and run! This is part of staying consistent. Call a teammate up, go for a run somewhere we usually don't get to go or, find a weekend race to run. Regardless of how you do it, go out and get in your runs over the weekends. This is part of being consistent. 
6. Take a day off when you need it: I am okay with everyone on the team running on the weekends, including Sunday's, but take a day off when you need it. As a rule of thumb, take at least one day off every 2 to 3 weeks. 
7. Log Your Miles: Write your mileage down each day in a running log. It can be as simple as writting your runs down in a composition notebook or something more organized like this: The Runner's Diary. By logging your miles it will help you to see how much you are training from one season to the next.
8. Race When you Need To: It can be a long time between the end of XC and the start of track. A great way to break this up is to race when you feel the urge. This is also a great way to test your fitness and break up the long winter months of training. We have plans this winter to go run a 5 mile/10 mile road race at Hudson Gardens, the U.S. XC Championships in Boulder, and a possible trip to Gunnison for the Western State HS indoor meet on their new track (this will be an overnight trip). 
9. Train as a TEAM: There is a reason we meet everyday after school, because running as a TEAM gives you more motivation to improve. Come out everyday with your teammates and train hard! We are all in this together. 
10. Follow a plan: Decide on a plan and stick to it, don't waver! The hard work and consistency you are putting in will pay off! Here is the plan for December. I will post January's plan the weekend before we come back from winter break. 

December 2014 Vista Nation Training

Bonus #11: The work we do now matters next XC season
Next year we have a chance to do some really special things again. The goals that we will set are going to be more difficult than what they were in the past. We are going to strive for things that we have yet to accomplish. This is an exciting time for our TEAM! I truly believe we are about to step outside of being competitive in Colorado alone and begin to be much more competitive at a national level. Whether it be events like NXR and NXN in the fall or, track meets such as Arcadia and Chandler in the spring we are going to be competitive with some of the best  teams in the United States. In order to do that, we will have to work towards it. It will be difficult, but it can be done. The work we are putting in this winter will not only impact how well we run in the spring, but also how well we are able to compete next XC season with the rest of the United States. 

State/League XC Shirt Orders
League and State  XC shirts are finally available. Please print and fill out the following form if you would like a shirt. Athletes should bring theses forms, with payment, to Coach Dalby at practice by Monday, December 15th if you would like to place an order.
2014 Vista XC T-Shirt Order Form (pdf)

Holiday Party
The party this year will be on Friday, December 19th at 5:00 p.m. We will start with our usual ugly Christmas sweater run and then hang out to eat pizza and dessert afterwards. Thank you to the Smetanka family for inviting us into their home again this year! An email with an address will be sent out over the weekend.

Pizza and drinks will be provided along with a gift card to the runner with the ugliest sweater. Here is what everyone needs to bring.
Seniors - chips
Juniors - fruit
Sophomores - desserts
Freshman - veggies or salad

Schedule for December 8th-14th
Mon-MVHS 3:10
Tue-MVHS 3:10
Wed-MVHS 3:10
Thur-MVHS 3:10
Fri-MVHS 3:10 
Sat-Run on your own
Sun-Run on your own or Rest