So, the US Interscholastic Orienteering Championships are relatively close to us this year, as they will be hosted by West Point on April 18-19. I am hoping we can put together a Webster Schroeder team or two. Information about the meet is available here.
The annual West Point meet is one of my favorites. The cadets put forth a great deal of effort to make this a successful event.
Webster has been represented at the last three Interscholastic Champs: in 2006, Nate and Zach traveled to North Carolina and won the Middle School and Primary School championships, respectively; in 2007, it was off to Maryland, where Nate won the JV title and Zach placed 2nd in the Primary School category (behind a 7th grader?), while Chelsea made her A-Meet debut with a 10th place finish in the JV girls event; last year was down in Texas and Nate was the victim of an illegally placed flag and was forced to take a "sporting withdrawal", instead of finishing 4th in the Varsity race, and Zach was 9th in the Intermediate School competition as a 6th grader, behind mostly 9th graders. Nate and Zach will be looking to improve on last year's performances, and are looking for teammates.
This should be a fun, and relatively inexpensive, road trip. We can car pool, and you may stay in the barracks for just $6 per night. Also, if you join the Rochester Orienteering Club, they will pick up the entry fee, if you request it.
The plan would be to do some training in two phases: while the snow is around, we will do a couple of indoor educational sessions and armchair exercises, and when the snow starts to clear up, we will do some regular orienteering training sessions. The JV competitors compete on an Intermediate ("Orange") course. Anyone can be ready for Orange after 12-20 hours of experience. The Varsity competes on an Advanced ("Green") course - that would take a fair amount of work to prepare for.
Applications for spots on the Webster Orienteering Teams are now open! (just send an e-mail to me if you are interested)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Varsity Season is Heating Up
Several Webster Distance Runners competed in the Tiger Invite on Saturday, as they try to nail down spots in the Sectional meet.
As you know, I am not a fan of the "race walk", but Becka put forth a nice effort to place 3rd in 8:08, behind just 2 R-H girls (one of whom placed 3rd at the XC Sectional meet last fall, leading R-H to the team title).
Speaking of R-H, what are they hearing? Would those be the footsteps of our 4 x 800m relay? Although the 8:40 was not our best time of the year, it is still fast enough to be 2nd in Class A in Section V. Only R-H, who have run 8:29 twice, have been faster. They will have to go much faster than that to win Sectionals!
Valarie ran a nice 600m to place 6th in 1:44 (again!). In the boys race, AJ edged out AB again, 1:29 to 1:30.
Whitty ran a 2:49 in the 1000m. That is an automatic Sectional time.
We didn't have anyone in the 1600/3200. I'm not sure who ran in the 4 x 800, but I saw no sign of Kenny, Nico, Chris, Ryan in the results. I hope everyone is healthy.
As you know, I am not a fan of the "race walk", but Becka put forth a nice effort to place 3rd in 8:08, behind just 2 R-H girls (one of whom placed 3rd at the XC Sectional meet last fall, leading R-H to the team title).
Speaking of R-H, what are they hearing? Would those be the footsteps of our 4 x 800m relay? Although the 8:40 was not our best time of the year, it is still fast enough to be 2nd in Class A in Section V. Only R-H, who have run 8:29 twice, have been faster. They will have to go much faster than that to win Sectionals!
Valarie ran a nice 600m to place 6th in 1:44 (again!). In the boys race, AJ edged out AB again, 1:29 to 1:30.
Whitty ran a 2:49 in the 1000m. That is an automatic Sectional time.
We didn't have anyone in the 1600/3200. I'm not sure who ran in the 4 x 800, but I saw no sign of Kenny, Nico, Chris, Ryan in the results. I hope everyone is healthy.
Monday, February 2, 2009
JV Season is Over
So, let's look at the JV results from the weekend, first.
On the girls side, there were some impressive performances. First, Annelise had a very nice double, placing 2nd in both the 1000m and 1500m runs. Her 1000m time was close to being an automatic Sectional time, and the 1500m time was just off the provisional time. And she was not alone. Samantha put up a nice PR in the 1000 and Katie just missed scoring in the 1500 with another PR. Finally, the 4x800 relay put forth a nice effort and scored 3 points.
For the boys, Justin picked up 2 points with a nice 600m run, and Will, Tristan and Alex all made PRs in the race. Joe led the way in the 1000m, with a PR, just a split-second off of Ethan's best, and Arik ran his best time of the year. It was almost PRs across the board in the 1600 as Ethan, JP, Adrian and Afro-Thunder got their bests and Joe came real close, returning from the 1000. The 4x800 relay picked up 4 points, and almost got the 10-minute barrier.
It was too bad that Zach L. was stuck playing hockey in Lake Placid. I was looking forward to seeing his year-end performance on a real track.
A look at the weekend's Tiger Invite will have to wait a bit. It appears that we had a fair number of no-shows [not] at that meet.
On the girls side, there were some impressive performances. First, Annelise had a very nice double, placing 2nd in both the 1000m and 1500m runs. Her 1000m time was close to being an automatic Sectional time, and the 1500m time was just off the provisional time. And she was not alone. Samantha put up a nice PR in the 1000 and Katie just missed scoring in the 1500 with another PR. Finally, the 4x800 relay put forth a nice effort and scored 3 points.
For the boys, Justin picked up 2 points with a nice 600m run, and Will, Tristan and Alex all made PRs in the race. Joe led the way in the 1000m, with a PR, just a split-second off of Ethan's best, and Arik ran his best time of the year. It was almost PRs across the board in the 1600 as Ethan, JP, Adrian and Afro-Thunder got their bests and Joe came real close, returning from the 1000. The 4x800 relay picked up 4 points, and almost got the 10-minute barrier.
It was too bad that Zach L. was stuck playing hockey in Lake Placid. I was looking forward to seeing his year-end performance on a real track.
A look at the weekend's Tiger Invite will have to wait a bit. It appears that we had a fair number of no-shows [not] at that meet.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Freakin' Cold
The hardest part of indoor track is dealing with the cold days when there is no practice. Having a day or two off of practice is hard enough - it's easy to say "I deserve a day or two off", but having the temperature in the teens or lower makes it extra tough.
The important thing is to deal with it. Bundle up and get out the door if it's your only option. Use a treadmill or cross-train if you can. But, get some training done!
Of course, I'll have to practice what I preach. Not so much with the training - that has held up pretty well, despite the cold and the overload at work; however, it has been almost two weeks since a posting here - I have to be more consistent. Of course, you can all help with that: I am always willing to include a guest posting, so take your best shot and send it over.
The important thing is to deal with it. Bundle up and get out the door if it's your only option. Use a treadmill or cross-train if you can. But, get some training done!
Of course, I'll have to practice what I preach. Not so much with the training - that has held up pretty well, despite the cold and the overload at work; however, it has been almost two weeks since a posting here - I have to be more consistent. Of course, you can all help with that: I am always willing to include a guest posting, so take your best shot and send it over.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Weekend Upsets
What a wild weekend in the NFL! 3 of the 4 favored home teams went down in defeat.
But that result was no competition for the real upsets of the weekend.
First, Chelsea's time in the women's 800m race at the MIT Alumni meet was beaten by her old man's time in the men's race immediately afterwards. That was a pretty stunning upset, since her old man had not raced that distance since about 1984.
The real upset of the weekend came at the Rochester Relays, where the Schroeder boys pulled off an unlikely win, aided in large part by the performance of the WDR! The final score was:
1) Webster Schroeder 70
2) McQuaid 69
3) Edison Tech 65
3) Rush Henrietta 65
5) Pittsford Sutherland 39
21 other teams scored 1-34 points.
The 4x1600 relay scored 5 points:
11 Piacentini, Anthony 11 Webster Schr 4:58.38 1.25
15 Mauro, Chris 11 Webster Schr 5:03.56 1.25
16 Miller, Kenny 12 Webster Schr 5:04.60 1.25
17 Whittemore, Steve 11 Webster Schr 5:05.73 1.25
The 4x800 relay also scored 5 points:
1 Rush Henrietta 8:29.25 10
2 Pittsford Sutherland 8:33.69 8
3 McQuaid 8:36.47 6
4 Webster Schroeder 8:36.66 5
5 Spencerport 8:47.17 4
The short DMR (1000-800-600-400) scored 6 points:
1 Rush Henrietta 7:28.86 2 10
2 Pittsford Mendon 7:31.96 2 8
3 Webster Schroeder 7:34.22 2 6
4 Victor 7:35.30 2 5
5 Greece Olympia 7:37.53 2 4
Congratulations to the Schroeder Boys for such a fine effort.
The girls distance points were limited to 4, in the walk:
5 Irwin, Rebecca 10 Webster Schr 8:19.45 2
11 Doherty, Alaina 11 Webster Schr 9:02.97 2
And the girls finished just 2 points behind Rush-Henrietta and Mendon, who were tied for 5th.
But that result was no competition for the real upsets of the weekend.
First, Chelsea's time in the women's 800m race at the MIT Alumni meet was beaten by her old man's time in the men's race immediately afterwards. That was a pretty stunning upset, since her old man had not raced that distance since about 1984.
The real upset of the weekend came at the Rochester Relays, where the Schroeder boys pulled off an unlikely win, aided in large part by the performance of the WDR! The final score was:
1) Webster Schroeder 70
2) McQuaid 69
3) Edison Tech 65
3) Rush Henrietta 65
5) Pittsford Sutherland 39
21 other teams scored 1-34 points.
The 4x1600 relay scored 5 points:
11 Piacentini, Anthony 11 Webster Schr 4:58.38 1.25
15 Mauro, Chris 11 Webster Schr 5:03.56 1.25
16 Miller, Kenny 12 Webster Schr 5:04.60 1.25
17 Whittemore, Steve 11 Webster Schr 5:05.73 1.25
The 4x800 relay also scored 5 points:
1 Rush Henrietta 8:29.25 10
2 Pittsford Sutherland 8:33.69 8
3 McQuaid 8:36.47 6
4 Webster Schroeder 8:36.66 5
5 Spencerport 8:47.17 4
The short DMR (1000-800-600-400) scored 6 points:
1 Rush Henrietta 7:28.86 2 10
2 Pittsford Mendon 7:31.96 2 8
3 Webster Schroeder 7:34.22 2 6
4 Victor 7:35.30 2 5
5 Greece Olympia 7:37.53 2 4
Congratulations to the Schroeder Boys for such a fine effort.
The girls distance points were limited to 4, in the walk:
5 Irwin, Rebecca 10 Webster Schr 8:19.45 2
11 Doherty, Alaina 11 Webster Schr 9:02.97 2
And the girls finished just 2 points behind Rush-Henrietta and Mendon, who were tied for 5th.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Winter Running
I was hoping to follow up the last entry with some of my goals for 2009, but that will have to wait until I have a little more time. I hope that you are working on your goals!
In the meantime, I'll just share a few random bits of information about winter running. First, be careful on the roads. When conditions are on the slick side, give the cars a wide berth. Note that when there are a couple of "dry" spots where most people drive, people tend to drive a little faster than they should, and when the tires leave those dry lanes (for example, to go around a runner), a spin can start. Run facing traffic! It's not like you could actually get out of the way if a car came at you, but it does give you a chance to see if you've been seen.
Dress wisely! In the winter, runners tend to wear too much, but I've seen plenty of high school kids severely under-dressed. Use layers that can be peeled off or added back on, as necessary. A "technical" layer underneath a wind-resistant layer often works well. A hat and decent gloves are key. The hat does actually keep extra heat in your body, and the hands are the first things to become painful when running in the cold (well, unless the wind is severe, then the face or other parts may chill first).
Speaking of wind, make your route selections such that you run into the wind early in your run and with the wind later in the run. There is nothing worse in the winter than doing an out-and-back where you go with the wind, getting all hot and sweaty, and then turning around and having the wind turn the sweat into ice (well, not literally, but it seems that way) - try doing a negative split in those conditions!
I usually do not promote doing short loops (for example, coming back past your house after 2-3 miles, with the intention of doing another loop or two), I prefer forcing the commitment by running as far away as possible, so you don't wuss out. However, in the winter, such a route may not be a bad idea, since you could add or remove clothes as necessary, between loops.
Don't lose those long runs during the winter. Spring will be here soon enough, and you'll want your base endurance to remain high, heading into the outdoor season.
In the meantime, I'll just share a few random bits of information about winter running. First, be careful on the roads. When conditions are on the slick side, give the cars a wide berth. Note that when there are a couple of "dry" spots where most people drive, people tend to drive a little faster than they should, and when the tires leave those dry lanes (for example, to go around a runner), a spin can start. Run facing traffic! It's not like you could actually get out of the way if a car came at you, but it does give you a chance to see if you've been seen.
Dress wisely! In the winter, runners tend to wear too much, but I've seen plenty of high school kids severely under-dressed. Use layers that can be peeled off or added back on, as necessary. A "technical" layer underneath a wind-resistant layer often works well. A hat and decent gloves are key. The hat does actually keep extra heat in your body, and the hands are the first things to become painful when running in the cold (well, unless the wind is severe, then the face or other parts may chill first).
Speaking of wind, make your route selections such that you run into the wind early in your run and with the wind later in the run. There is nothing worse in the winter than doing an out-and-back where you go with the wind, getting all hot and sweaty, and then turning around and having the wind turn the sweat into ice (well, not literally, but it seems that way) - try doing a negative split in those conditions!
I usually do not promote doing short loops (for example, coming back past your house after 2-3 miles, with the intention of doing another loop or two), I prefer forcing the commitment by running as far away as possible, so you don't wuss out. However, in the winter, such a route may not be a bad idea, since you could add or remove clothes as necessary, between loops.
Don't lose those long runs during the winter. Spring will be here soon enough, and you'll want your base endurance to remain high, heading into the outdoor season.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year!
There is no wrong time to stop and think about goals - in fact, success in any area is facilitated by establishing goals that are specific, measurable and achievable - but the changing of the year gives one an easy excuse to do so.
I would encourage each Webster Distance Runner to take the time to write down goals for 2009, and place them somewhere where they can be revisited occasionally. These goals should cover different durations: immediate (next competition), short-term (end of the winter sports season), mid-term (outdoor track season, summer training, XC season) and long-term (high school and college careers, and beyond).
Your goals should cover both results measures (such as a race time or place) and process measures (such as training distance or duration). Tracking your training allows you to verify that you are on track for your race goals, and can allow you to make adjustments to your training when you hit the inevitable obstacles along the way.
In addition, your goals should include individual goals and team goals. It is important to think of where you want to be, as an individual. It is more important to consider where you want the team to be. This is true whether you are the top varsity athlete, the 5th or 7th runner, or the 8th runner on JV. Every team member contributes to the team in some manner (positively or negatively) and every team member should feel good about results that exceed expectations.
Let's set and achieve goals that make 2009 a year to remember!
I would encourage each Webster Distance Runner to take the time to write down goals for 2009, and place them somewhere where they can be revisited occasionally. These goals should cover different durations: immediate (next competition), short-term (end of the winter sports season), mid-term (outdoor track season, summer training, XC season) and long-term (high school and college careers, and beyond).
Your goals should cover both results measures (such as a race time or place) and process measures (such as training distance or duration). Tracking your training allows you to verify that you are on track for your race goals, and can allow you to make adjustments to your training when you hit the inevitable obstacles along the way.
In addition, your goals should include individual goals and team goals. It is important to think of where you want to be, as an individual. It is more important to consider where you want the team to be. This is true whether you are the top varsity athlete, the 5th or 7th runner, or the 8th runner on JV. Every team member contributes to the team in some manner (positively or negatively) and every team member should feel good about results that exceed expectations.
Let's set and achieve goals that make 2009 a year to remember!
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