February 22nd-28th: Track Starts Next Week, Register!

Registration for Spring Track 
Registration for spring sports is due by February 22nd. Please make sure you have completed the following before the 22nd:

• Register Online for Spring Sports (link)
• Pay Athletic Participation Fee
• Complete Physical and Athletic Medical Information forms after you register online
• ALL ATHLETES NEED TO GO TO THE ATHLETIC WINDOW FOR FINAL CLEARANCE
  

Pre-Season Parent Track Meeting
Our pre-seaon parent track meeting is scheduled for March 2nd at MVHS. The meeting will run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Please have one adult from your family in attendance for the meeting. We will cover the schedule for the season, fund raising, team expectations, and a variety of other topic related to the spring season. 

Have you had your iron checked? 
It is that time of year again to be getting your iron levels checked. My recommendation is to have your ferritin levels checked at a minimum of twice a year. If the last time you had your levels checked was before XC, it is time to get them looked at again.

Here is my post from the summer about the importance of iron/ferritin for distance runners. Please review, and have your iron levels checked sometime during the month of February if you have not had them looked at since the start of the XC season. This goes for both boys and girls. Rule of thumb, get your ferritin levels checked at least twice a year by your doctor. A ferritin level of 30 is the minimum number acceptable for adequate performance as a distance runner. 
http://www.vistanationxc.com/blog/august-3rd-9th-upping-your-iron-intake

In addition to the distance runners, I also recommend that the female sprinter athletes also have their levels checked. 

Time to Buy New Shoes?
Any time one of our athletes approaches me about a new injury, or something that is nagging them the first question I ask them is, "How old are your shoes?" More often than not the response I get is that the shoes are well past their shelf life. It's a simple thing to fix, but too often this important part of injury prevention is neglected. Here are a few tips on when it's time to get new shoes.

1. Get fitted for a great pair of running shoes from a store like Boulder Running Company or Runner's Roost. They will do a gate analysis for free to make sure you are in either a neutral or support shoe. Mention you run at Mountain Vista and they will even give you 20% off. 
2. A traditional pair of running shoes will last you between 400 and 500 miles. After that they are shot, and it's time to replace them.
3. Always replace before you get to 500 miles, even if you are not having any problems. 
4. Light weight shoes are great, but they typically do not last as long. You will probably need to replace them closer to 250 miles. 
5. Log how many miles you have on a pair of shoes the second you start running on them. This will let you know how many miles are on them, and when it's time to change them out.
6. When you find something that works, stick with it. It's tempting to buy different shoes that are new and cool, but when you find a trusted pair that works stick with them. 
7. When you train consistently your shoes will need to be changed every 2 to 3 months depending on how many miles you are running. Underclassmen/freshman can usually get by on 3 months because they run less mileage. Upperclassman will probably be closer to every 2 months. 

Schedule for February 22nd-28th
Mon-MVHS 3:10
Tue- MVHS 3:10 p.m.
Wed-A.M. Run 6 a.m MVHS
          Redstone Park  3:20
Thur-A.M. Run 6:30 a.m. MVHS
           -MVHS 3:10 p.m. 
Fri-MVHS 3:10
Sat-DeKoevend Park 9 a.m.
Sun-Optional Run or day off