Team History and Records Updated

Future Mt. Vista Star Athlete Killian Cooke

This past weekend I was asked to speak at a coaches clinic about the development of our TEAM. One of the things I talked about was parent involvement and how important it is to be supported by you guys. After the presentation, a friend and fellow coach made  a very nice compliment about our parents here at Mt. Vista. He said, "there is something different about the parents on your team, I've never had a bad experience with any of them. They are always willing to help and every time they are at a meet there is a certain buzz in the crowd." That compliment speaks volumes about the kind of help our parents give us everyday. 

Next week is the last week of summer conditioning before the official season starts. This has been hands down the most successful summer yet. Lot's of great friendships have been built along with some solid training. Without a doubt more miles have been run this summer by our group than in any summer previous. Without parent support, however, this isn't possible. Car rides before 7 a.m., flipping pancakes, trips to Gunnison, running with Killian (Cooke appreciates it), feeding your kids and helping them to recover and above all supporting the vision the coaches have for our TEAM. Trying to be successful takes a lot of people on the same page and it's more than just the kids and coaches. The parents are every bit as important to the success of our TEAM. As sincerely as I can say it, thanks for all you do for us. I can't wait to see the "Green Army" of parents out at the meets again this season!


Recovering From Your Long Run
We had a great long run today! A few of you even made your first run over 10 miles. We worked really hard this week and it will be important for you to recover over the next few days. Here are some things that can help you to recover and come back stronger from the run.

• 1st, if you ran further than your assigned run today I want you to adjust Saturday's run. For example, if you were supposed to run 70 minutes today and ran for 85 instead (15 minutes longer) make an adjustment to tomorrows run (i.e. if you are supposed to run for 45 minutes tomorrow go 30 instead). I don't mind that you added the extra volume today, but lets make sure we are not getting carried away.
• Keep your run easy on Saturday. If you run on Sunday as well, do the same. Recovery runs are an important part of training as a distance runner. They help to continually build your aerobic fitness, but also help your body to rebuild itself stronger than it was before a hard effort or a long run. 
• Drink lots of water this weekend. It's easy to forget about this on the weekends, but staying hydrated will help you to recover and be ready for the next run. Drink at least 75 oz of water spread throughout the day. For some of you, over 100 oz may be preferred. 
• Eat, eat some more, and then eat again! After runs like today your body is searching for calories to rebuild itself. If you take your nutrition seriously and eat the right kinds of food your body will actually rebuild itself stronger than it was before. If you need some help in this area check out these 2 resources. One is the team nutrition sheet we put together a few years ago. The other is the Feed Zone Cookbook that I shared with you earlier this summer. Both are great resources to help educate yourself on proper nutrition as a distance runners. 

1. An Easy to Follow Nutrition Plan for Distance Runners
2. Feed Zone Cookbook: Fast and Flavorful Food for Athletes

• Go eat some ice cream! That's right, I said ice cream. You have to fuel yourself up with the right kids of foods, but don't avoid treating yourself as well. After running 10 miles today I think you've earned it. Just remember this simple rule of thumb, "all things in moderation." 
• If you are hungry......EAT! This is especially true with endurance athletes. Your body is burning more calories than the average person, so when you get hungry your body is screaming, "I NEED FUEL!" 
• And finally, sleep. The time of day when your body will take all of your stored up nutrients and be the most productive with it is when you are sleeping. To get the total benefit out of a run try sleeping 8-10 hours each night. It's pretty incredible what starts to happen when you are include consistent good nights of sleep as part of your recovery plan. 

Team History and Records Updated
I've spent some time over the past several days updating our TEAM history and records page. One adjustment I made was to expand the top 10 list to a top 15 all-time class list for each grade. I've tried the best I can on this, but realize I've probably made some mistakes. If you catch anything please email me and I will fix it. Here is the link to the page:
TEAM History and Records (click for link)