November 21st-28th

Congratulations to everyone who participated this weekend in Arizona at NXRSW. After a lot of weeks of struggling through sickness you were able to put our best team races of the season together at NXR. Some of the highlights were:

• Both the boys and girls finishing 4th in the Championship race and being considered for a possible at-large bid into the national meet in Portland in two weeks. 
• Tyler Downs placing 6th individually and earning a spot into the Nike Cross National Championship meet in Portland. 
• The open race boys and girls competed extremely well against some of the best varsity teams in the SW region. The girls finishing 5th out of 47 teams competing, and the boys placing 8th out of 62 teams competing. 

Practice this week
We will continue to have practice this week. Although it will not be clear until Saturday evening (11/26) if we are given an at-large bid into the national championship, we will continue to prepare as if we have qualified. Practice this week is for anyone who would like to attend, not just the 14 athletes on the roster for Portland. Additionally, we know that some of you may be preparing for an additional/final XC race on December 3rd. Although the coaching staff will not be traveling to meets besides Portland at the end of the season, we will help prepare our athletes through the weekend of December 3rd in order to give you the best chance of success possible at the end of the season.

​The coaches will talk to athletes about any races you may be choosing at the end of the season at practice on Monday. 

November 21st-27th
Mon: Aspen Grove Panera Bread @ 8 a.m.
Tue: MHVS @ 8 a.m.
Wed: Writer's Vista Park @ 8 a.m. (Highline Canal Workout)
Thur: Thanksgiving Day
             No Practice. Call a friend or run on your own
Fri: Redstone Park @ 8 a.m.
Sat: MVHS @ 8 a.m. (Track Workout)
Sun: On your own or call a teammate to run

Time Off From Running
If Arizona was your last race of the season it is time for a much needed break from running. I will post  detailed information in a few weeks about December training but everyone should plan on taking off at least 2 weeks from running after your last race of the season. A few things to consider:

• Take a 2 full weeks off from running. Let your body recuperate after a long season of XC training and racing. 
• If you would like to take a 3rd week off, do it! Your track season will not suffer because you took 3 weeks off, and you will feel more refreshed when you return to training for the track season. 
• Need more time than 3 weeks? Talk to the coaches about it, but nobody should return to training until they are feeling refreshed, mentally ready, and motivated to do so. 
• Workouts for December through winter break will be posted in a few weeks. We will not officially meet for practice as a team at this time. However, call your teammates if you are looking for someone to run with.
• No intense workouts in December. Just easy running and enjoying what you are doing. We will return to faster workouts sometime in January. 
• ​Info on how to sign up for winter conditioning for track will be up on the blog sometime in December. 

For some of you taking time off is a HUGE challenge, but trust me when I say your body will thank you for it when you are running fast in the spring.​

Iron/Ferritin Check-up
December is a great time to get your ferritin levels checked again. The coaches recommendation is to have your ferritin levels checked at a minimum of twice a year: Once after the track season, and once after XC season. If the last time you had your levels checked was before XC, it is time to get them looked at again.

Below is information about the importance of iron/ferritin for distance runners. Please review as needed, and have your iron levels checked if you have not recently done so. This goes for both boys and girls. Rule of thumb, get your ferritin levels checked at least twice a year by a doctor. A ferritin level of 30 is the minimum number acceptable for adequate performance as a distance runner. We also recommend that every athlete on the team be taking an iron supplement that works for them. Please come talk to the coaches if you have questions. 

• The Importance of Iron in Distance Runners (Blog Post)
• Why You Should Get Your Ferritin Levels Checked (Blog Post)
• A letter from a doctor, with references, about ferritin levels for endurance athletes that you can take with you to your medical provider when you get tested. (Doc)
• Are Your Ferritin Levels Up to Speed? Top Coaches Take Tests for Iron Seriously (article)
• Ironing Out the Details: Know the facts about ferritin and iron before deciding to supplement (article)
• Iron Level Upkeep For Runners (article)