Results from Last week
Below are the results from last weeks competitions and time trail. 

• 2020 MHVS Times (link)​

Race Line-ups for This Week
Line-ups for this week are posted.  Anyone who cannot be at a meet this week needs to let Coach Selle know ASAP. 

• Line-ups for September 18th and 19th (link)

Schedule for Sept 14th-20th

• High School  Schedule: Sept 14th-20th (link)

​
                                Meet Information
Vista 2-Mile Open Tri-Meet
When: Friday, September 18th
Where: MVHS 2-Mile Course
Course Map (link)
Teams: T.Ridge, Vista, RCHS
Fans: Spectators are allowed but MUST wear a mask the entire time.  We ask that spectators maintain a 6 foot distance from runners along the course.  No spectators are allowed near the start or finish.
Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing.
Schedule

• Boys A Race: 3 p.m. (25 athletes total)
• Boys B Race: 3:20 p.m. (25 athletes total)
• Girls A Race: 3:40 p.m. (25 athletes total)
• Girls B Race 4:00 p.m. (25 athletes total)

Rock Canyon JV Quad Meet
When: Friday, September 18th
Where:Rock Canyon HS XC Course
RCHS XC Course Map (link)
Teams: RCHS, Regis, TRidge, Vista
Fans: Spectators are allowed but MUST wear a mask the entire time. Each runner is allowed 2 fans to attend the meet. We ask that spectators maintain a 6 foot distance from runners along the course.  No spectators are allowed near the start or finish.
Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing.
Schedule:

• 5:00 p.m. Boys A Wave
• 5:25 pm Boys B Wave
• 5:50 pm Girls A Wave
• 6:20 pm Girls B Wave​

Rock Canyon Varsity Invitational
When: Saturday, September 19th
Where:Rock Canyon HS XC Course
RCHS XC Course Map (link)
Fans: Spectators are allowed but MUST wear a mask the entire time. Each runner is allowed 2 fans at the meet. We ask that spectators maintain a 6 foot distance from runners along the course.  No spectators are allowed near the start or finish.
Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing.
Format: This is a varsity meet, running 6 boys and 6 girls from each school, with 4 teams running head to head in each of the two races for girls and boys. We will run the races 30 minutes apart.
Schedule:

• 8:00 am Boys Varsity  - Race 1 (Run 6, Score 5)
• 8:30am Boys Varsity - Race 2 (Run 6 Score 5)
• 9:00am Girls Varsity - Race 1 (Run 6, Score 5)
• 9:30am Girls Varsity - Race 2 (Run 6, Score 5)

1. Results from Last week
Below are the results from last weeks competitions and time trail. 

• 2020 MHVS Times (link)​

2. Race Line-ups for This Week
Line-ups for this week have been posted. Please take a look and know which meet you are competing in this week. It is also your responsibility to know which wave you are in before coming to the race. If anyones name is missing from the line-up please let the coaching staff know so that we can add you to a meet. Also, anyone who cannot be at a meet this week needs to let Coach Selle know by Monday at practice. 

• Line-ups for the week of September 7th-13th (Link)

3. Schedule for Sept 7th-13th

• High School  Schedule: Sept 7th-13th (link)

4. Training: Sept 7th-13th
From here on, training will  be posted for you in the Final Surge App. This will help you to know what your daily workouts are before you come to practice each day, along w/ knowing what to run when you are out of town during the summer. 

If you have not signed-up yet for the Final Surge App, or need help doing so, please take a look at the following link for assistance.

• Final Surge: Video and Help Getting Set-up

​
                                Meet Information

Heritage Distance Classic JV Meet
When: Friday, September 11th
Where: Heritage High School
Fans: Per Littleton Public Schools guidelines, spectators are limited to 2 people per runner and MUST wear a mask the entire time.  We ask that spectators maintain a 6 foot distance from runners along the course, and do not enter the track area.  No spectators are allowed near the start or finish.
​Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing.
Time Schedule:

• Girls Wave A: 4:45
• Girls Wave B: 4:48
• Boys Wave A: 5:20
• Boys Wave B: 5:23

Course Map: 

• This is a 2-course loop around Heritage HS (Not the Liberty Bell Course)
• Official Course Map (link)

Parking and Arrival:  There is plenty of room in the main parking lot. Please arrive by 4 p.m.
Official HDC JV Meet Information (link)
Race Line-ups for HDC JV Meet (link)

Fairview XC Invite
WHEN: Saturday September 12th
WHERE:  Fairview High School
ADDRESS: 1515 Greenbriar Blvd. Boulder, CO 80305
TEAMS:  Fairview, Boulder, Broomfield, Centaurus, Niwot, Mountain Vista, Dakota Ridge, Ft. Collins
Format: This is a time trial format. 
PARKING:  Boulder, Broomfield, Centaurus, Niwot - park in the main Fairview Lot on the front (southside) of the school.  Mountain Vista, Dakota Ridge, Ft. Collins - park in the rear lot (northside) of the school.
RACE TIMES: BOYS 10:00am   GIRLS 10:45am
START/FINISH - On the Fairview Track
Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing. We ask that spectators maintain a 6 foot distance from runners along the course.  No spectators are allowed near the start or finish.
BATHROOMS:  There are bathrooms just west of the Track with running water and sinks
TEAM CAMP:  Anywhere near the track will work fine.  Please refrain from setting up camp on the infield of the track.
TIMING: Chip Timing
ROUTE MAP:  https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/3337678126
Race Line-ups for Fairview Meet (link)

Cheyenne Mountain Stampede (Pre-State)
When: Saturday, September 12th
Where: Norris-Penrose Event Center
Fans and Spectators: Are not allowed at this meet. See Offical Pre-Meet Info (link)
Masks:
          ■ Always on the bus for ALL
          ■ Always for coaches
          ■ Athletes "mask free" only when competing (ALWAYS before and after) and
            runners must carry with them.
Time Schedule:

• 4:00- 5A Boys (Wave #1, Box #1, Exit #1)
• 4:45- 5A Girls (Wave #1, Box #1, Exit #1)

Awards
       ○ No Individual awards
       ○ Top 3 Teams will be awarded team belt buckles
Course Map: http://www.cmstampede.com/course-map
Parking and Arrival: ONLY FOR COACHES AND ATHLETES, School district vehicles, buses and kids that are forced to drive due to district policy. Parents driving their child may "drop off" via the main gate at the roundabout. 
Parent Pick-up: Return to the same spot after the meet to pick up your athlete 
Official Pre-Meet Information (pdf)
Official Meet Website and Information (link)
Race Line-ups for Pre-State Meet (link)
RACE PREP INFO/ REMINDERS

• 30 min before scheduled race - report to start area for uniform check-in
• 10 min before scheduled race - report to start chute (no strides out at this point)
• Masks on entire time at NPEC (unless racing)
• Masks carried
• Masks on once finished and regained normal breathing pattern

Vista vs Heritage 2-Mile Open Dual Meet
When: Saturday, September 12th
Where: MVHS 2-Mile Course
Course Map (link)
Fans: Spectators are limited to 2 people per runner and MUST wear a mask the entire time.  We ask that spectators maintain a 6 foot distance from runners along the course.  No spectators are allowed near the start or finish.
Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing.
Schedule

• Boys A Race: 11:00  a.m. (25 athletes total)
• Boys B Race: 11:20 a.m. (25 athletes total)
• Girls A Race: 11:40 a.m. (25 athletes total)
• Girls B Race 12:00 p.m. (25 athletes total)

Race Line-ups for Home Meet (link)

Heritage Distance Classic Varsity Meet
When: Saturday, September 12th
Where: Heritage High School (Liberty Bell Course)
Fans: Per Littleton Public Schools guidelines, spectators are limited to 2 people per runner and MUST wear a mask the entire time.  We ask that spectators maintain a 6 foot distance from runners along the course, and do not enter the track area.  No spectators are allowed near the start or finish.
​Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing.
Time Schedule:

• Girls Wave A (faster wave): 8:30 AM
• Girls Wave B (slower wave): 8:33 AM
• Boys Wave A (faster wave): 9:00 AM
• Boys Wave B(slower wave): 9:03 AM

Course Map: Liberty Bell Course
Parking and Arrival: Use Main Heritage Parking Lot. Please arrive before 7:30 that morning. 
Official HDC Varsity Meet Information (link)
Race Line-ups for HDC Meet (link)

1. Mask Expectations at Meets and Practices
The coaching staff wants to make sure that all athletes and parents are clear on expectations set out by CHSAA this season. CHSAA has received numerous pictures and emails from athletic programs not following the requirements and mandates that have been put in place. These programs are in jeopardy of being shut down for the season. We want to make sure we do not become one of those teams. Here is everything you need to know. 

• CHSAA COVID 19 Requirements and Mandates (link)

​
Mask Requirements

• Everyone must arrive to practice wearing a mask.
• All non-active participants (coaches, volunteers, managers, essential workers, security, medical personnel, and non-working officials) must wear a mask throughout the event/competition. This includes athletes not actively participating in competition.
• Athletes must carry their masks on their person at all times, even when running or racing. 
• At meets, athletes are required to have their face masks on at the starting line until instructed to remove them. Athletes are required to put their mask back on as soon as they have completed their race. 
• All spectators must wear masks.

2. Results from Last week
Below are the results from last weeks competitions and time trail. 

• 2020 MHVS Times (link)

3. Labor Day 
We will not be meeting as a team for Labor Day on Monday, September 7th. Athletes should check Final Surge to see what their run is that day. Go out and get it in on your own, or call a teammate to run with. 

4. Race Line-ups for This Week
Line-ups for this week have been posted. Please take a look and know which meet you are competing in this week. It is also your responsibility to know which wave you are in before coming to the race. If anyones name is missing from the line-up please let the coaching staff know so that we can add you to a meet. Also, anyone who cannot be at a meet this week needs to let Coach Selle know by Monday at practice. 

• Line-ups for the week of August 31st-September 6th (link)

5. Schedule for August 31st-Sept 6th

• High School  Schedule: August 31st-Sept 6th (link)

6. High School Training: August 31st-Sept 6th
From here on, training will  be posted for you in the Final Surge App. This will help you to know what your daily workouts are before you come to practice each day, along w/ knowing what to run when you are out of town during the summer. 

If you have not signed-up yet for the Final Surge App, or need help doing so, please take a look at the following link for assistance.

• Final Surge: Video and Help Getting Set-up

7. Meet Information for the Week
Athletes are responsible for knowing all meet requirements for the meet you are attending. Please read through information so that you are aware of all rules and regulations.

Arapahoe 5000 JV Meet
When: Thursday, September 3rd
Where: Arapahoe High School
Fans: Per Littleton Public Schools guidelines, spectators are limited to 2 people per runner and MUST wear a mask the entire time.  We ask that spectators maintain a 6 foot distance from runners along the course, and do not enter the track area.  No spectators are allowed near the start or finish.
Time Schedule:

• Boys Race 1 (up to 25) = 5:00 PM
• Boys Race 2 (up to 25) = 5:03 PM
• Girls Race 1 (up to 25) = 6:00 PM
• Girls Race 2 (up to 25) = 6:03 PM

Parking and Arrival:
Please be in the west side of Arapahoe parking in the student lot closest to the Event Entrance.  Runners should check in with the coaches upon arrival to have your temperature checked. 
Official Meet Information (link)
Race Line-ups (link)
Absence: If you are unavailable to race on Saturday please let Coach Selle know by Monday. 

Vista vs Arapahoe 2-Mile Open Dual Meet
When: Saturday, September 5th
Where: MVHS 2-Mile Course
Course Map (link)
Fans: Spectators are limited to 2 people per runner and MUST wear a mask the entire time.  We ask that spectators maintain a 6 foot distance from runners along the course.  No spectators are allowed near the start or finish.
Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing.
Schedule

• Boys A Race: 8  a.m. (25 athletes total)
• Boys B Race: 8:20 a.m. (25 athletes total)
• Girls A Race: 8:40 a.m. (25 athletes total)
• Girls B Race 9:00 a.m. (25 athletes total)

Race Line-ups (link)
Absence: If you are unavailable to race on Saturday please let Coach Selle know by Monday. 

Niwot HS Invitational
Official Meet Information (link)
When: Saturday, September 5th
Where: Lyons HS XC Course at Lyons High School
Format: 5K time trial. The race is seeded fastest to slowest. A runner takes off every 25 meters. Runners try to "run down" the athletes in front of them during the race. There will be a "passing zone" to use while racing. 
Course Map: Link to Map
Fans: There will be NO spectators on school grounds (other than coaches and teammates who have finished running or are preparing to run). Every effort to live stream the meet so parents can watch from home is being made. 
Masks: Athletes will wear a mask while on the course anytime they are not racing. They will keep their mask during the race, though they don't need to cover their nose and mouth if they're more than 6 feet apart, and they will put their mask back on in the finish area as quickly as possible and before they depart the finish area.
Schedule:

• Boys at 9 a.m.
• Girls at 10 a.m.

Boys will run first at 9 am and girls will follow at 10 am. If you have parents providing transportation, we expect them to gather their son from the first race and be gone by the time the girls' race starts.
Race Line-ups (link)
Absence: If you are unavailable to race on Saturday please let Coach Selle know by Monday.

Spike Night
When: Monday, August 24th after practice
Who: Everyone on the team.
What: Runner's Roost in Lone tree is doing an event in their parking lot to fit our team for shoes and racing flats.
Discounts: 15% off all shoes, racing flats, and apparel in the store. 

Inter-squad Meet Results

• 2020 Vista 2-Mile Inter-squad Meet Results (Google Doc)

Vista Nation 2-Mile 
When: Friday, August 28th starting at 5:30
Where: MVHS 2-Mile Course
Fans: Every athlete competing can have 2 fans at the meet. We can not go beyond this. Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing. 
Meet Info (doc)
Line-ups (Google Doc) 

Vista vs Dakota Ridge 2-Mile Dual Meet
When: Saturday, August 29th
Where: MVHS 2-Mile Course
Fans: Every athlete competing can have 2 fans at the meet. We can not go beyond this. 
Masks for Athletes and Fans: All fans must wear a mask during the meet. Failure to do so will get the meet shut down by officials. In addition, all athletes must wear a mask when not competing.
Schedule

• Boys A Race: 8  a.m. (25 athletes total)
• Girls A Race: 8:30 a.m. (25 athletes total)
• Boys B Race: 9 a.m. (25 athletes total)
• Girls B Race 9:30 a.m. (25 athletes total)

Lineups: docs.google.com/document/d/1rsUa_I3Ra9yGWci93OgTK8Lv77XHmfCahoLUMhnAYv8/edit?usp=sharing
Absence: If you are unavailable to race on Saturday please let Coach Selle know by Monday. 

Uniforms to Purchase and Checkout​

• New Uniforms (tops and Bottoms) $50 a set
• Used Uniforms (tops and bottoms) $25 a set
• You can checkout a uniform for the season if you prefer. These will be returned at the end of the season. 
• Come by Coach Dalby's room anytime this week to purchase. Room L503.
• Cash for checks made out to MVHS XC Booster Club

Schedule for August 24th-30th

• High School  Schedule: August 24th-30th (link)

High School Training: August 24th-30th
From here on, training will  be posted for you in the Final Surge App. This will help you to know what your daily workouts are before you come to practice each day, along w/ knowing what to run when you are out of town during the summer. 

If you have not signed-up yet for the Final Surge App, or need help doing so, please take a look at the following link for assistance.

• Final Surge: Video and Help Getting Set-up

Official Practice/Registration 
Official practice for the CHSAA season begins this week! If you have not already registered you need to do so immediately. The registration window for the season will be closing in the next day or two. 

Registration Link: https://mountainvista-ar.rschooltoday.com/node/50

Athletes are not officially registered until these four items have been completed: 

1. online registration
2. physicals signed and dated by the doctor and uploaded in registration  
3. payment
4. CHSAA account created (you do not need to create another account if you have previously competed in athletics with Mountain Vista)

Team 2-Mile XC Intersquad Meet

• What: This is a 2-mile pre-season meet for our entire TEAM. 
• When: Saturday, August 22nd at practice. 6:45 a.m. arrival time at MVHS. We will be done by 9 a.m. that morning. Please plan accordingly. 
• Who: All registered members of the Vista Nation XC TEAM. 
• Races: 1 boys race and 1 girls race. 
• Where: The Vista Nation 2-Mile XC Course on Campus. 
• Fans: Our time trial will be closed to spectators. Although we appreciate the support of our parents and families, we are asking that for the intersquad meet it be just the athletes. We will post results to afterwards. 
• This meet will help us determine line-ups for the following week of racing. Although we do not have a schedule completed yet, the results will help us place team members in the appropriate competitions. 

CHSAA Modifications and What it Means to Vista Nation This Season
As you know, CHSAA has made modifications for the upcoming season. Please take a look at those changes from the blog post that went up a few days ago to understand those modifications. The coaching staff has also posted our thoughts about the upcoming season that officially starts on August 12th. We are doing our absolute best to make this a great season for all of our runners. 

• http://www.vistanationxc.com/blog/chsaa-2020-xc-modifications-for-covid

Unique Vista Nation XC Gear Order
Custom Vista Nation XC face coverings (pictured above) will be given to every member of the TEAM this year. Your registration cost for the fall covers these. We may need to have them at practice and at meets this season so we are providing them for you. Please get yours from Coach Dalby at practice this week. 

Also, my good friend Pete (former Run Colorado owner) put together a really great gear order site for all of us! All items are optional, super cool, and available for any HS or MS athlete to order. And, all orders will be mailed to your home directly.

The site will be open for a limited time (about a week) so please order ASAP if you would like something. All gear is 100% optional, and there is no pressure to buy anything you see unless you want to. We will do our normal Denver Athletic Gear Order sometime in August where items like neon green Vista Nation shirts will be available at that time.. 

• MVHS XC Safe-Tee-Third 2020 Gear Order (link)

Schedule for August 10th-16th

• High School  Schedule: August 10th-16th (link)

High School Training: August 10th-16th
From here on, training will  be posted for you in the Final Surge App. This will help you to know what your daily workouts are before you come to practice each day, along w/ knowing what to run when you are out of town during the summer. 

If you have not signed-up yet for the Final Surge App, or need help doing so, please take a look at the following link for assistance.

• Final Surge: Video and Help Getting Set-up

Vista Nation,
This afternoon, CHAA released their modifications for the upcoming fall season. 

• https://chsaanow.com/coronavirus/modifications/

Please take a look at those changes, and then see what the coaching staffs thinking is about the upcoming season that officially starts on August 12th. We are going to do do our absolute best to make this TEAMS lasting legacy one of the most memorable in Vista Nation XC's history. 

CHSAA 2020 XC Modifications for COVID

• Reduce the maximum number of regular season meets: from 11 to 7. Every athlete can run in 7 meets, not counting Regionals and State. 
• No alternate runners during regular season at invitationals: 5A runs 7 athletes during the regular season at invitationals, and scores 5 runners. 
• State Meet moved up 2 weeks: October 17th is the new date
• No JV or open races at varsity meets: Schools can host a JV meet or open race separate from varsity. We are working with other TEAMS to make sure races happen for our Vista Nation XC athletes at all levels this season​.
• 50 athletes per gender will be allowed at regular season meets: Total race size during the regular season cannot surpass 50 runners, per gender, at any meet (JV, Open, or Varsity). Races must start in waves of no more than 25. The coaching staff is working with other coaches to set races up to accommodate this at the Open, JV, and Varsity levels.
• Postseason rosters: Run 6, score 5 at the Regional and State Championship Meets. 
• Regionals: 75 athletes per gender will be allowed. (This means MVHS is all0wed to run 6 boys and 6 girls at the regional qualifier this fall). 
• State championship: 100 athletes per gender, per classification will be allowed to race. This means 3 teams (of 6 athletes each) from each region will qualify for state. In addition, the top 2 individual athletes (not on a qualifying team) will also qualify for state. 

What Does All of This Mean for Vista Nation XC this Season? 
We know that many of you are currently concerned about the upcoming XC season. Although there will be some necessary changes due to COVID in order to keep everyone safe, we do plan to have a XC season for all of our athletes at all levels (Open, Varsity, and JV)

Over the past 14 years, Coach Selle and I have taken pride in the fact that every athlete on our TEAM matters. That every member of the TEAM, regardless of ability level, plays a part in being a leader for the rest of their teammates. This season is really going to put that philosophy to the test. It will be the first time we have ever been asked to separate our TEAM at meets. Although we recognize that this is going to be a challenge, we have an opportunity to step up and be at our very best, even during these challenging times.

Winning or losing this season does not matter. We realize that this is not a popular thing to say on a TEAM that prides itself on working hard, making your individual goals secondary to our TEAM goals, and working hard everyday through the year in the hope that we can collectively achieve remarkable things. And we have always done these things together as a TEAM. 

However, this year looks different. After reading the modifications above, you realize that during this season, we cannot be together at every meet. And, that there will be days where your teammates may not be able to cheer you on because they are training or racing somewhere else for the betterment of the TEAM.

This is a hard concept for all of us to understand, but also an opportunity to make us better. In fact, this exact moment in Vista Nation's history is an opportunity for us to achieve something remarkable together. A lot of TEAMS across the state this season are going to decide that only a few runners on their TEAM are important, but we wont do that. We have an opportunity to take pride in the fact that Vista Nation XC has always been about doing things together, because that is what makes us our best. We have never been about the work of 1 runner, or 5 runners, or 7, or 14, or anything like that. We are Vista Nation because every single member of this TEAM is important, and that is how we will continue to do things this season. 

The coaching staff is very proud of you. During adversity over the past 5 months you have remained strong, and worked together, in order to make us the best TEAM we can possibly be. We do not know what the future holds for us this season, but the coaches know that you have worked hard throughout adversity, and when the time comes we will be ready to go out and represent our TEAM in the best way possible. There are a lot of other things we could all be doing right now, but the coaches wouldn't give up a second of this journey with you for anything else. We are proud of you, and looking forward to seeing all of your hard work pay off when we are finally called to race. 

The 2020 Vista Nation XC TEAM will have one of the most lasting legacies in our program's history. What legacy are you going to leave? 

Fall XC Registration

• Registration open until August 10th.
• Registration Link: https://mountainvista-ar.rschooltoday.com/node/50

High School TEAM and Individual Goal Setting
Over the last few weeks we have covered some important topics that will help every member of Vista Nation XC become a better runner. You will notice, that none of these topics deal with training. Instead, the coaches have decided to cover "The Other 22 Hours" of the day, that help runners to reach their full potential as an athlete. These are the things you can do away from practice that will make you a better runner. These topics include:

1. The Importance of Iron Intake for Distance Runners
2. How Nutrition Supports Your Running
3. Championship Sleep

This week we want to cover something else that is equally important as the previous topics, setting goals.

In years past, we have always set goals as a TEAM at our goal setting BBQ. However, because of COVID this year, we are unable to get together in Coach Dalby's backyard as a TEAM to do so. Even though we are not able to meet for the BBQ, we still plan to goal set for this season together, but in a slightly different format. 

Goal setting is for every member of the TEAM to take part in, and something the coaches consider to be the most important TEAM conversation we have each year. It sets a purpose for our training, and allows us to set a focus for the season.

In addition to TEAM goal setting, we would also like to have athletes goal set as individuals. This allows for the coaching staff to understand what you want to accomplish for the season, and how to help you go about achieving those goals. 

Please fill out the TEAM/Individual goal setting form attached below this week. This is to replace our normal goal setting BBQ. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic we will not be able to do the goal setting BBQ this year. We will, however, do a goal setting meeting at practice next week. Please find 15 t0 30 minutes to sit down, and quietly reflect over your goals for the upcoming season. Your individual responses will be shared with the coaching staff, but we will not make your individual response public. 

• Vista Nation XC 2020 Goal Setting Form (link to form)

Unique Vista Nation XC Gear Order
My good friend Pete (former Run Colorado owner) put together a really great gear order site for all of us! All items are optional, super cool, and available for any HS or MS athlete to order. And, all orders will be mailed to your home directly.

The site will be open for a limited time (about a week) so please order ASAP if you would like something. All gear is 100% optional, and there is no pressure to buy anything you see unless you want to. We will do our normal Denver Athletic Gear Order sometime in August where items like neon green Vista Nation shirts will be available at that time.. 

• MVHS XC Safe-Tee-Third 2020 Gear Order (link)

Schedule for July 27th-August 2nd ​

• High School  Schedule: July 27th-August 2nd (link)
• Middle School Groups and Schedule: July 27th-August 2nd (link)

Middle School Camp: July 27th-Aug 2nd
Each group will meet 2x per week, once on-campus, and once OFF-CAMPUS! We are using Redstone Park for its proximity to the Highline Canal and SHADE! Additionally, each week, one group will meet a third time! Groups 3 and 4 were combined to facilitate the two/three practice schedule. When on-campus, athletes will work with one coach with a staggered start. Off-campus, two coaches will be present. We realize this schedule will not work every time for every athlete. 

Reminders:

1. Continue to bring a mask, labeled water bottle, and be ready to answer COVID Symptom Questions. If you would answer YES to any question, please stay home and run on your own. We will still take temperatures and enforce Social Distancing.
2. Please bring a watch to practice! 
3. Be on time. This helps us get checked in quickly.
4. If you can’t make a practice, they are still posted on Final Surge. 
5. Keep being safe and having fun! 

If you are listed in the last column on the Group List and would like to join a LIVE practice, please email Coach Estell (jkestell@dcsdk12.org) or Coach Sprafke (kesprafke@dcsdk12.org).

High School Training: July 26th-August 2nd
From here on, training will  be posted for you in the Final Surge App. This will help you to know what your daily workouts are before you come to practice each day, along w/ knowing what to run when you are out of town during the summer. 

If you have not signed-up yet for the Final Surge App, or need help doing so, please take a look at the following link for assistance.

• Final Surge: Video and Help Getting Set-up

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The last few weeks I've posted articles on the blog about two very important concepts to your success as a distance runner: How nutrition supports you as a distance runner and the importance of Iron Level Upkeep for distance runners. This week, I am going to write about another important aspect to your success, sleep. 

Think of sleep as a secret ingredient in your recipe for running success. Sure, hard workouts are part of that recipe also. But if you want want to maximize your potential as a high school distance runner you will need to prioritize your sleep in the same way you prioritize training and your nutrition. 

Because you are challenging your body through hard training you will need enough sleep to support your running, the physical growth of adolescence, and to support your academic success as a student athlete. This means you are going to need more sleep than your than your non-running classmates at Vista. As much as an extra hour of sleep a night, or more, compared to your peers. 

The table above on this weeks blog comes from my friend and fellow Coach Paul Vandersteen at Neuqua Valley HS in Illinois. His boys have won NXN so he knows his stuff. Coach Vandersteen uses this chart to show his team what "championship sleep" looks like. You can use this in the same way they do. Work backwards to know when you need to go to bed. If you want to be a championship runner, you will have to get a championship amount of sleep just like professional athletes do. We may not do the same workouts as Olympians, but we can sleep like them in order to be at our best. The key with sleep is that it should be enough to support the hard training we do, your physical growth as a teenager, and your academics. This means 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. 

Why is sleep so important? Sleep is when your body repairs itself. It takes the nutrition you have been putting in your body and repairs it from the damage you've done to it through hard workouts. Simply put, the more you sleep, the more your body recovers and the stronger you become. If you are getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep consistently each  night your body will rebuild itself so that you are at your best! 

Final thoughts. We may not be Olympians, but we can sleep like them by getting 8 to 10 hours of championship sleep a night. To put it another way, "Rest Like the Best!" Every night of championship sleep that you get will lead to better training and faster racing. 

Consistency is Key: 15 Ways to Unlock Your Potential as  HS Runner
Finally, A new book about high school XC running was released the other week, and our TEAM at Mountain Visa was profiled in it! It's a really cool compliment to the dedication and commitment each of you make to the entire TEAM every single day. If you are serious about becoming a better distance runner during the cross country and track season the coaches recommend you order a copy. There is great advice inside the pages of the book about the importance of sleep, along with lots of other tips related to training, nutrition, race strategy, and more! 

If you are interested in buying a copy the coaches highly recommend it. It's a quick read, and something every high school and middle school runner on the Vista Nation XC squad will benefit from. The aerobic monster T-Shirt even gets a shout out in our TEAM profile!!!!

• Website to Order Consistency is Key (link) 
• Awesome Strength Training Videos from the Consistency is Key website (link)

Schedule for July 20th-26th
This week we will be moving to two practice each day. A Boys practice and a girls practice for all high school runners.   

• Take a look at the schedule to know the practice location each week. 
• We are moving to two groups starting this week per the DCSD Phase II summer camp guidelines: A boys group and a girls group.
• All practices will start at 6:45 a.m. This is to avoid the heat, and the crowds around town on the trails when we run. We do not want to over crowd the trails when they start to become busy. 
• There will always be a coach at practice. 
• The freshman group will  be split up. All freshman boys will be with the boys group each morning, and the freshman girls with the girls group. 
• The middle school camp is on a different schedule this week. Please see the MS link below for more details!
• High School  Schedule: July 20th-26th (link)
• Middle School Groups and Schedule: July 20th-26th (link)

Middle School Practices for July 6th-12th
Each group will meet 2x per week, once on-campus, and once OFF-CAMPUS! We are using Redstone Park for its proximity to the Highline Canal and SHADE! Additionally, each week, one group will meet a third time! Groups 3 and 4 were combined to facilitate the two/three practice schedule. When on-campus, athletes will work with one coach with a staggered start. Off-campus, two coaches will be present. We realize this schedule will not work every time for every athlete. 

Reminders:

1. Continue to bring a mask, labeled water bottle, and be ready to answer COVID Symptom Questions. If you would answer YES to any question, please stay home and run on your own. We will still take temperatures and enforce Social Distancing.
2. Please bring a watch to practice! 
3. Be on time. This helps us get checked in quickly.
4. If you can’t make a practice, they are still posted on Final Surge. 
5. Keep being safe and having fun! 

If you are listed in the last column on the Group List and would like to join a LIVE practice, please email Coach Estell (jkestell@dcsdk12.org) or Coach Sprafke (kesprafke@dcsdk12.org).

High School Training for July 20th-26th
From here on, training will  be posted for you in the Final Surge App. This will help you to know what your daily workouts are before you come to practice each day, along w/ knowing what to run when you are out of town during the summer. 

If you have not signed-up yet for the Final Surge App, or need help doing so, please take a look at the following link for assistance.

• Final Surge: Video and Help Getting Set-up