With talk of the Chili Hilly starting to heat up, I think that it's time that I formally address it on this site. I will go over exactly what it is, some important details and hopefully get you super pumped up for this event!
The Chili Hilly is by far the best racing weekend I have ever experienced. Last year, Dave, Dan, myself and our cousin Grant Zimmerman (who some of you may know as he's a Morton XC alumni) went out to Martinsville, Indiana for this "stage race" and had the time of our lives.
This year the Chili Hilly is Saturday January 24th and Sunday the 25th. There are 5 different races run over the two days and all the races cover beautiful but difficult terrain. The first two races are held on Saturday, a 10K and 4 mile. Then on Sunday, the weekend is concluded with a 5K, 10 mile, and 1 mile. Participants can either run as individuals or as part of a team (consisting of 2 to 5 runners). Invitational Cross Country scoring is used, so it is your place in each race that counts and not your time. Your final tally is the sum of your places in all five races.
While it is awesome and challenging to run all 5 races at the Chili Hilly, it is not required. You are able to pick and choose any combination of races.
Nathan, Dave, and I will be returning to Morton for Thanksgiving break, so we will be able to give you a more complete run down in person. Personally, I am super excited to do this race again this year and would love to have a bunch of you join us.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Race of Honor
In case anybody still reads this blog, I have some important news.
Due to circumstances beyond my control (like, for example, the scheduling of the DI NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday, Nov. 24), I am pulling out of the Turkey Trot. However, I am still not going to go this entire fall without holding the Race of Honor. Thus, I am proposing (actually, I'm declaring) the Race of Honor be moved to the FOLEPI River Trail Classic in East Peoria on Saturday, Nov. 29. It's a 4-mile race that is primarily down hill and there's tons of food to eat afterwards.
So, all who were still planning on the Race of Honor being at the Turkey Trot, by all means, still race that day if you like. I, however, will not be making the trip home for that Sunday. Rather, I will be focusing all my efforts on the FOLEPI race the proceeding Saturday. If, for some reason, something drastic occurs and I can make it home for the Turkey Trot, there will then be 2 Races of Honor that will go down that week.
Congratulations again on a great season, and I hope to see lots of you in East Peoria on the 29th!
Dave
Due to circumstances beyond my control (like, for example, the scheduling of the DI NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday, Nov. 24), I am pulling out of the Turkey Trot. However, I am still not going to go this entire fall without holding the Race of Honor. Thus, I am proposing (actually, I'm declaring) the Race of Honor be moved to the FOLEPI River Trail Classic in East Peoria on Saturday, Nov. 29. It's a 4-mile race that is primarily down hill and there's tons of food to eat afterwards.
So, all who were still planning on the Race of Honor being at the Turkey Trot, by all means, still race that day if you like. I, however, will not be making the trip home for that Sunday. Rather, I will be focusing all my efforts on the FOLEPI race the proceeding Saturday. If, for some reason, something drastic occurs and I can make it home for the Turkey Trot, there will then be 2 Races of Honor that will go down that week.
Congratulations again on a great season, and I hope to see lots of you in East Peoria on the 29th!
Dave
Monday, November 3, 2008
IHSA Sectional - The Heat Is On
The Heat Is On
Ok, so I don't know if you all know Glenn Frey's wonderful '80s hit or not, but either way, the heat was on Saturday morning in East Peoria, in more ways than one.
First up was the temperature. Now that area runners have finally gotten used to the weeks of cool 45-50 degree days (and a few 35 degree ones as well), the weather threw a wrench in things and tossed a 65 degree day at us for the final race of the year. The other heat was applied by the front runners in the race, as both races went out in blisteringly fast paces. The two types of heat took their toll as the second half of the race was visibly tough for the Potters - and all the runners racing that day.
Girls
The girls race started out very fast, and the Potters were spread out very quickly. The first mile was quick with Ashley Pribble leading the Potters in 6:02. On East Peoria's rough course (think of it as up-elbows-up-down-down-treeroot-up-up-down-level-up-anklerollingholeintheground-up-down-up-cheeringfans-up-down-level-up-up-down-gravel-down-down-finish), the Potters held their own well after having been hoovered into a fast pace by the early leaders. Many (most?) of the Potters ran near their personal bests in the tough race. The Pribbles led the Potters, followed by Grace, then Macaela and Ashley Coon, then Lauren and Brooke. I hope I've got that order completely correct. You can yell at me if I don't.
Boys
The boys race was the same way, fast at the beginning and painful at the end. But who would have a race any other way than painful at the end? Joe Zeller led the Potters early, passing the mile in 5:00. And he wasn't anywhere near the front. The leaders took it out hard, probably passing the mile in around 4:45 or so. During the second mile, thing started to slow for all, and it became apparent that many - from all teams - were suffering in the new heat. Zeller lead the Potters through the 2 mile in 10:53, followed by Austin and Dale leading the rest of the pack in around 11:20 or so.
In the end, Zeller led the Potters, followed by Dale, then Austin. Next in line were Jared, Nathan and Nick. Tate rounded out the Potters team.
Summary
I don't know how you all feel about this season, but I'm going to tell you my main thought about it. In what could be described as a rebuilding year - you lost some seniors last year and are mostly a young team this year - the Potters, both boys and girls, showed significant improvements, and got a taste of what it's like to race with the best in the area.
The Mid-Illini and the Peoria area are going to be loaded the next few years. There are a lot of talented and hard working young runners in the freshman-sophomore-and junior classes from many different schools. You now know what it takes to improve, you know what it's like to race with the top dogs, and you've got what it takes to do it.
I've got 6 words for you, and these words are meant to motivate you for more, not to be content with what you've done: Think how far you have come.
Friday
Jorge Torres, 2008 10k Olympian, the only guy to win State in XC 3 times and to qualify for Footlocker 4 times, will be in Peoria Friday at Running Central Friday, along with Nick Willis, the Olympic Bronze Medalist at 1500. If you want to go meet them and get something signed, head on over. See the Running Central website for times and more info.
Saturday
The IHSA State Meet is next Saturday at Detweiller. I'll be there, along with the rest of the Four Creators. We'll be likely getting in an easy run out there, maybe between races, or maybe we'll try and hop in to one of them. As long as I don't win, no one will notice, right? I know some of the guys were planning on taking an easy week off and maybe getting a run in out there, so we hope to see you there. There's been some talk of some type of party/gathering/get-together/hoopla/brouhaha/shindig/fellowship-event/extravaganza, so we'll let you know if we hear more.
Awards
These awards go for last Saturday's race, and later we might put some up for the entire season.
That's all for now. Excellent job this season, and I hope to see you Saturday.
Ok, so I don't know if you all know Glenn Frey's wonderful '80s hit or not, but either way, the heat was on Saturday morning in East Peoria, in more ways than one.
First up was the temperature. Now that area runners have finally gotten used to the weeks of cool 45-50 degree days (and a few 35 degree ones as well), the weather threw a wrench in things and tossed a 65 degree day at us for the final race of the year. The other heat was applied by the front runners in the race, as both races went out in blisteringly fast paces. The two types of heat took their toll as the second half of the race was visibly tough for the Potters - and all the runners racing that day.
Girls
The girls race started out very fast, and the Potters were spread out very quickly. The first mile was quick with Ashley Pribble leading the Potters in 6:02. On East Peoria's rough course (think of it as up-elbows-up-down-down-treeroot-up-up-down-level-up-anklerollingholeintheground-up-down-up-cheeringfans-up-down-level-up-up-down-gravel-down-down-finish), the Potters held their own well after having been hoovered into a fast pace by the early leaders. Many (most?) of the Potters ran near their personal bests in the tough race. The Pribbles led the Potters, followed by Grace, then Macaela and Ashley Coon, then Lauren and Brooke. I hope I've got that order completely correct. You can yell at me if I don't.
Boys
The boys race was the same way, fast at the beginning and painful at the end. But who would have a race any other way than painful at the end? Joe Zeller led the Potters early, passing the mile in 5:00. And he wasn't anywhere near the front. The leaders took it out hard, probably passing the mile in around 4:45 or so. During the second mile, thing started to slow for all, and it became apparent that many - from all teams - were suffering in the new heat. Zeller lead the Potters through the 2 mile in 10:53, followed by Austin and Dale leading the rest of the pack in around 11:20 or so.
In the end, Zeller led the Potters, followed by Dale, then Austin. Next in line were Jared, Nathan and Nick. Tate rounded out the Potters team.
Summary
I don't know how you all feel about this season, but I'm going to tell you my main thought about it. In what could be described as a rebuilding year - you lost some seniors last year and are mostly a young team this year - the Potters, both boys and girls, showed significant improvements, and got a taste of what it's like to race with the best in the area.
The Mid-Illini and the Peoria area are going to be loaded the next few years. There are a lot of talented and hard working young runners in the freshman-sophomore-and junior classes from many different schools. You now know what it takes to improve, you know what it's like to race with the top dogs, and you've got what it takes to do it.
I've got 6 words for you, and these words are meant to motivate you for more, not to be content with what you've done: Think how far you have come.
Friday
Jorge Torres, 2008 10k Olympian, the only guy to win State in XC 3 times and to qualify for Footlocker 4 times, will be in Peoria Friday at Running Central Friday, along with Nick Willis, the Olympic Bronze Medalist at 1500. If you want to go meet them and get something signed, head on over. See the Running Central website for times and more info.
Saturday
The IHSA State Meet is next Saturday at Detweiller. I'll be there, along with the rest of the Four Creators. We'll be likely getting in an easy run out there, maybe between races, or maybe we'll try and hop in to one of them. As long as I don't win, no one will notice, right? I know some of the guys were planning on taking an easy week off and maybe getting a run in out there, so we hope to see you there. There's been some talk of some type of party/gathering/get-together/hoopla/brouhaha/shindig/fellowship-event/extravaganza, so we'll let you know if we hear more.
Awards
These awards go for last Saturday's race, and later we might put some up for the entire season.
- The Rocky Award - goes to both Dale and Austin, for stepping up, racing well, and finishing farther up the Morton rankings than I believe they have all season.
That's all for now. Excellent job this season, and I hope to see you Saturday.
Friday, October 31, 2008
H.E.A.R.T
…when the body tells the mind that the mind is WEAK! Welcome to a
LINE IN THE SAND:
Now a new line exists and a new challenge presents itself: You all have trained to make yourselves better than before and stronger than you imagined. But your mind still says that it has a limit that you must not cross…that you CANNOT cross. The problem is that no such line exists, the line in the sand is only the place that is ahead of you that you just haven’t reach YET. The question is not if but when…the issue not how but by how much? The point of fact is that as you step to the line you have already won or defeated yourself. The latter is embarrassing, as at that point you shouldn’t even bother to run the race. Walk to the line knowing that it will be the best that your body can do not that which your mind says is just adequate. To do everything in mediocrity is to do nothing all the time. Step up… stride out… make the finish the end not a stopping point and NEVER give up on yourself at any point during the race. The strength to run is not the same as the strength to race. The desire to improve yourself can only be outweighed by the desire to build up the team. The point is that every step is crucial and every step won’t hurt any less if you go a little slower. Get out..get set..NEVER settle…never be content with the position you’re in but be aware of where you are.
I told Dave this, now I tell you:
You race to start a new era of yourself, as every time you step to the start line you create a new YOU. A faster YOU. A more dedicated YOU.
Run for that which resides in your heart...the desire to find the final line.
And I, as your friend, wish with my entire heart that you NEVER find it, but never stop trying.
Nathan
LINE IN THE SAND:
Now a new line exists and a new challenge presents itself: You all have trained to make yourselves better than before and stronger than you imagined. But your mind still says that it has a limit that you must not cross…that you CANNOT cross. The problem is that no such line exists, the line in the sand is only the place that is ahead of you that you just haven’t reach YET. The question is not if but when…the issue not how but by how much? The point of fact is that as you step to the line you have already won or defeated yourself. The latter is embarrassing, as at that point you shouldn’t even bother to run the race. Walk to the line knowing that it will be the best that your body can do not that which your mind says is just adequate. To do everything in mediocrity is to do nothing all the time. Step up… stride out… make the finish the end not a stopping point and NEVER give up on yourself at any point during the race. The strength to run is not the same as the strength to race. The desire to improve yourself can only be outweighed by the desire to build up the team. The point is that every step is crucial and every step won’t hurt any less if you go a little slower. Get out..get set..NEVER settle…never be content with the position you’re in but be aware of where you are.
I told Dave this, now I tell you:
You race to start a new era of yourself, as every time you step to the start line you create a new YOU. A faster YOU. A more dedicated YOU.
Run for that which resides in your heart...the desire to find the final line.
And I, as your friend, wish with my entire heart that you NEVER find it, but never stop trying.
Nathan
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Morton's 2008 Regional Meet: The Long Red Train meets King Elephant
"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
A day may come when the courage of men fails,
when we forsake our friends
and break all bonds of fellowship,
but it is not this day.
An hour of wolves and shattered shields,
when the age of men comes crashing down,
but it is not this day!
This day we RUN!!
By all that you hold dear on this good Earth,
I bid you RUN, Men and Women of Morton!!!"
-Aragorn (kind of).
This quote embodies the aura that surrounded both teams this morning at Maxwell Park in Normal, Illinois: site of Morton's 2008 Regional. The air was brisk, the weather calm, the lakes placid, and the energy high. Luckily, Nathan and I were able to make it out to the meet. Thus, we are the documenters of today's post, entitled, creatively..."Morton's Regional: The Long Red Train meets King Elephant."
The girls race started like any other, with a gun shot. The girls found their paces early and settled in for what would prove to be an exciting 3 mile ride! At the 1 mile, the Pribbles were in the lead pack (with a Mahomet-Seymour girl way out in front), Grace was just a few steps behind, and Ashley, Brooke, Jenna, and Lauren, all running strong, rounded out the rest of the Lady Potter lineup.
The excitement, referred to above, came at the 2 mile mark. Caitlin, while spending the first couple miles on the shoulder of a M-Seymour girl, suddenly threw it into another gear. She totally made the M-Seymour girl look like a plodding Markhor the way she left her in the dust! Nathan, most of the guys' team, and I had to sprint to catch most of the girls at the 2.5 mile mark. Once there, we yelled words of encouragement to help the girls along the last half mile.
As the girls came out of the woods the last time and hit the final homestretch, it was as if a veil of exhaustion had been lifted from the gals. The girls threw down some wicked finishing kicks! Caitlin took first for the Potters (and 2nd overall ) with a time of 19:03 to receive an individual medal; twin Ashley also got a medal for her 5th overall finish in 19:17(I think. I don't have the results in front of me). Grace used a great finishing kick to nudge a M-Seymour girl right at the chute. Jenna and Ashley [Coon] showed great determination in attacking those last 300 meters to the line! Lauren and Brooke's strong finishing kicks rounded out a Potter team that took 2nd place with 57 points!
The guys race was equally intense; actually, it was so intense it may even have been xardiospraktocious! Nathan and I knew that not only did Morton have their work cut out for them, but we did too. Having already run around Maxwell Park to watch the ladies, we were going to really have to push it to catch the guys' at all the viewing points. However, we managed, and here's how the race went down:
Joe Zeller took the lead for the Potters and went out in the first mile at what Nathan said was, "5:20, but don't quote me on that." Behind him, Marks was running well, and a pack of Smitty, Pipes, Dominick, Bradford, and Meyer had formed. However, by the 1.5 mile mark, after Joe had already gone by, the fans at Maxwell Park were treated to a spectale never before seen in IHSA Cross Country: The Long Red Train! Marsky, Pipes, Smitty, Bradford, and Dale had moved together and were running in perfect single file! It brought tears to my eyes to see such great teamwork, but I couldn't cry for I was too busy shouting words of encouragement like, "Go!" (It's too bad I got in the way of this picture, cause it was classic! For more pictures, and Nathan's thoughts on next week, click here.)
By the 2nd mile, Joe was still in the lead for Morton, and (I believe) in the Top 15. Marksy began to make a strong move, and he was followed by Smitty and Piper, who were doing a great job of running together. Once again, Nathan and I booked it out to the "Pump-Up" flag, as I decided to call it, at the 2.5 mile mark. There, our words of encouragement, mixed with the desire and passion contained in the churning leg muscles of these Potters, propelled them faster, as if they were being pulled by chariots!
As they came out of the jungle the last time, it was all or nothing: a Sectional birth was on the long...and the Potters responded! Joe's kick brought him in at 16:43 to take 12th place! Marsky was behind him in under 17. Piper and Smitty came in together right around 17:02-17:04. Bradford shut the door for Morton at around 17:10. Dale and Meyer rounded up the Potter lineup with a 1-7 split of just around 45 seconds! The 96 points scored by the Potters was good enough for a 4th place finish and a trip to ICC next Saturday!
Awards!
A day may come when the courage of men fails,
when we forsake our friends
and break all bonds of fellowship,
but it is not this day.
An hour of wolves and shattered shields,
when the age of men comes crashing down,
but it is not this day!
This day we RUN!!
By all that you hold dear on this good Earth,
I bid you RUN, Men and Women of Morton!!!"
-Aragorn (kind of).
This quote embodies the aura that surrounded both teams this morning at Maxwell Park in Normal, Illinois: site of Morton's 2008 Regional. The air was brisk, the weather calm, the lakes placid, and the energy high. Luckily, Nathan and I were able to make it out to the meet. Thus, we are the documenters of today's post, entitled, creatively..."Morton's Regional: The Long Red Train meets King Elephant."
The girls race started like any other, with a gun shot. The girls found their paces early and settled in for what would prove to be an exciting 3 mile ride! At the 1 mile, the Pribbles were in the lead pack (with a Mahomet-Seymour girl way out in front), Grace was just a few steps behind, and Ashley, Brooke, Jenna, and Lauren, all running strong, rounded out the rest of the Lady Potter lineup.
The excitement, referred to above, came at the 2 mile mark. Caitlin, while spending the first couple miles on the shoulder of a M-Seymour girl, suddenly threw it into another gear. She totally made the M-Seymour girl look like a plodding Markhor the way she left her in the dust! Nathan, most of the guys' team, and I had to sprint to catch most of the girls at the 2.5 mile mark. Once there, we yelled words of encouragement to help the girls along the last half mile.
As the girls came out of the woods the last time and hit the final homestretch, it was as if a veil of exhaustion had been lifted from the gals. The girls threw down some wicked finishing kicks! Caitlin took first for the Potters (and 2nd overall ) with a time of 19:03 to receive an individual medal; twin Ashley also got a medal for her 5th overall finish in 19:17(I think. I don't have the results in front of me). Grace used a great finishing kick to nudge a M-Seymour girl right at the chute. Jenna and Ashley [Coon] showed great determination in attacking those last 300 meters to the line! Lauren and Brooke's strong finishing kicks rounded out a Potter team that took 2nd place with 57 points!
The guys race was equally intense; actually, it was so intense it may even have been xardiospraktocious! Nathan and I knew that not only did Morton have their work cut out for them, but we did too. Having already run around Maxwell Park to watch the ladies, we were going to really have to push it to catch the guys' at all the viewing points. However, we managed, and here's how the race went down:
Joe Zeller took the lead for the Potters and went out in the first mile at what Nathan said was, "5:20, but don't quote me on that." Behind him, Marks was running well, and a pack of Smitty, Pipes, Dominick, Bradford, and Meyer had formed. However, by the 1.5 mile mark, after Joe had already gone by, the fans at Maxwell Park were treated to a spectale never before seen in IHSA Cross Country: The Long Red Train! Marsky, Pipes, Smitty, Bradford, and Dale had moved together and were running in perfect single file! It brought tears to my eyes to see such great teamwork, but I couldn't cry for I was too busy shouting words of encouragement like, "Go!" (It's too bad I got in the way of this picture, cause it was classic! For more pictures, and Nathan's thoughts on next week, click here.)
By the 2nd mile, Joe was still in the lead for Morton, and (I believe) in the Top 15. Marksy began to make a strong move, and he was followed by Smitty and Piper, who were doing a great job of running together. Once again, Nathan and I booked it out to the "Pump-Up" flag, as I decided to call it, at the 2.5 mile mark. There, our words of encouragement, mixed with the desire and passion contained in the churning leg muscles of these Potters, propelled them faster, as if they were being pulled by chariots!
As they came out of the jungle the last time, it was all or nothing: a Sectional birth was on the long...and the Potters responded! Joe's kick brought him in at 16:43 to take 12th place! Marsky was behind him in under 17. Piper and Smitty came in together right around 17:02-17:04. Bradford shut the door for Morton at around 17:10. Dale and Meyer rounded up the Potter lineup with a 1-7 split of just around 45 seconds! The 96 points scored by the Potters was good enough for a 4th place finish and a trip to ICC next Saturday!
Awards!
- Photo Finish- Jared Marks gets this awards today. Even though he didn't quiet beat his opponent to the line, the award is given to "Potters who showed the most guts in the final stretch." Marksy definitely showed tons of guts in that final 300.
- Jack-O-Lantern Award- Dale's face at the "Pump-Up" Flag point was definitely worthy of the Jack-O-Lantern Award. Too bad Nathan didn't have his camera for that one:) Good job, Dale!
- The Punisher- This award can only to go one person today: Grace Jankowski. With a finishing kick that would make any fleet-footed ibex jealous, Grace passed a girl from Mahomet Seymour right at the finishing line and then (I'm pretty sure) threw a few elbows to make sure she got to the chute first. That's what I'm talking about, Grace! Way to go!
- The Morale Rooster- Nathan Young gets this award today for making an impromptu appearance all the way from the U of I Champaign-Urbana.
- The Morale Rooster 2- All the Morton Runners that showed up today to cheer on their teammates even though they weren't running. Cross Country is all about the team, and you guys proved that today. Also, playing "King Elephant" after both races were over was a great way to boost morale. If any of you girls (or guys) want to comment on this, feel free.
This is the end of today's post; I am so glad I was able to make it to the race today and I wish all the best of luck to both the Guys and Girls teams as they participate at Sectionals next weekend. Your efforts today make me wonder how long it's been since Morton's Guys and Girls CC teams qualified for Sectionals in back-to-back years. Steve, maybe you can answer that question?
Regional in Normality
The facts are simple, MORTON shall persist to achieve that which they were born to have. GREATNESS.
So what actually happened today?
Well...as the is picture shows we had some quality clumpage in the girls race was evident and of course the law firm went out, stayed out, and Rocked out.
This picture though illustrates how far you gals have come since the beginning of the season: dedication to each other and the good of the team.
Then there are the guys- funny looking hats, smiles, and one team running as One. The facts remains though where are they running to?
This team and the girls want glory, they want to achieve so much but as a team achieve it. So they're headed to the greatest of the places in the land:
This is the place that means you have done it, you have achieved the dream. I myself only got to partake in this glory but twice, some of you are already at the point and want a third appearance next year.
So onwards and upwards:
Sectionals at ICC
This is a difficult course, I'm not going to lie to you guys. The dominance required of you must come from an understanding of yourself and the course. The secret to racing when the time isn't the important factor is the RACING aspect of the challenge. Next weekend you have to race the field and let go of the clock. To advance means to beat the people that have YOUR spot and then clutching that spot and running away with it. The facts so you know say that you all have improved so much but i ask so much more of you:
- Today have a little fun, relax and enjoy what you have achieved.
- Monday is the time where you start looking to the future, stress not but think. Why have you accomplished all you've done? What makes this team so great is just that the TEAM.
- Take the time to use the team to your advantage, they will help and support you not just in the race but also in life. Some of the best people i know run Cross Country.
- Never take the race for granted, every step that you run must be calculated and based on the overall strategy. The team's well being is in your collected hands, and you shall stride to finish with that weight on your shoulders but together it is an easy burden. I've notice that you have learned to stick your noses in the race don't lose this.
And never forget that for every time it hurts (a little bit) it can't hurt anymore, it won't hurt any less if you go slower, just delay the respite at the end.
We'll talk more, but keep it in your minds. The end isn't here yet. Never stop running, "for to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift"-PRE
Run for MORTON…Run for the TEAM…RUN for what you deem the impossible.
Nathan
Thursday, October 23, 2008
H.E.A.R.T.
…is the push through the pain and the glory that you feel within it, for it, and because of it. The chance to shine is now Morton… the time to run is Saturday…the place is Normal, though not the normal regional course. It is a new course, so make sure you learn it, that you know it, that you have the plan down before you step to the line. Every single runner has earned their spot to stand on that line for Morton, but show us the spectators why you earn it…we have forgotten and need to be forcefully reminded.
The goals?
-run together as one entity, the Morton Cross Country team- Two parts that run separately each made up of 7 teammates vying to aid their team.
-beat the person that thinks they should beat you and everyone that you deem unworthy to be in front of you.
-have a little fun before and after the race, this is a sport not a career and if you lose sight of that…
The team will be cheering all the louder for you whether you win or lose, the point of the matter is that every step should be driven and calculated and never faltering. Morton Cross Country has risen very high these past months and that flight shall not end now. You have done the amazing, you have done the required, now do the next step take the team as far as each and every one of you can. The farther you go, the longer you carry this team this year the stronger you shall be as you enter the next.
Run for MORTON…Run for the TEAM…RUN for what you deem the impossible.
Nathan
The goals?
-run together as one entity, the Morton Cross Country team- Two parts that run separately each made up of 7 teammates vying to aid their team.
-beat the person that thinks they should beat you and everyone that you deem unworthy to be in front of you.
-have a little fun before and after the race, this is a sport not a career and if you lose sight of that…
The team will be cheering all the louder for you whether you win or lose, the point of the matter is that every step should be driven and calculated and never faltering. Morton Cross Country has risen very high these past months and that flight shall not end now. You have done the amazing, you have done the required, now do the next step take the team as far as each and every one of you can. The farther you go, the longer you carry this team this year the stronger you shall be as you enter the next.
Run for MORTON…Run for the TEAM…RUN for what you deem the impossible.
Nathan
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Mid-Illini Conference
So it has come and passed....Conference the place to show how far we've come. But what actually happened, what is there to say? Honestly i don't have any times for sure, so i'll wing it and we'll try to get the results commented on at a later date.
Let's start at the Beginning: Long ago the race began...fast forward to October 17th, Location: Detweiller Park, more specifically on a line painted in the sand (possibly covered by grass)
The girls were ready to roll and i was pumped to watch as i had heard much about the team yet hadn't witnessed them race in over a month (i blame this on the institution they call college). Anyways i got there just in time to see the smoke and witness the impending glory. I comment first off that i think i at least recognize the Morton singlets now. So the start seemed to go well, with the cheers and beautiful weather setting the stage for quite a race. I'm not going to try to say the order of people as i'm afraid i'll mess up, but i remember we had our legal representation leading the way: Pribble, Pribble, and Jankowski. I shall say that they looked strong. I think i yelled, and the girls had no clue who this crazy guy yelling for Morton was. But i was the one yelling "keep the pace even" "okay maintain pace in middle mile" and "Go Morton". I shall discuss the outcome of the race in a sec.
The boys race...a few runners even looked familiar, except they seem to be getting around the course a little faster than the ones i used to know. They also had race conditions that make the race fast and the specators shake. I know a bit more about these guys and yelled all the louder for it, though this doesn't mean i like them more. So we had a Mr. Joe go out strong and the leaders of the guy's race (particularly Van Fossen) pulled the pace to around 4:55 at the mile. (i know this because i found my watch in my duffel bag at this point) Not to be out done, the Morton team got Joe and Marksy out strong with a crazy tight pack on his heels. I think this was Bradford with a couple feet on Meyer, Dale, Smitty, and Pipes. (order was fluid so i don't want anyone to complain if they feel they were ahead) Then we had a bunch of other guys, my brother included who were racing pretty strongly. I have no clue on order though as i can't remember that much information at one time (i am working on remedying this problem). So i think i yelled many things at the guys: "maintain contact" "all of Morton get your butts up with Bradford" "you know what to do in the triangle" and again a few "Go Morton!" for good measure. Now out of the triangle i think we had Joe ready to start his chase, Marksy showed the drive to get the job done, and a tight (fluid) pack of men passing a few guys. Now i admit that i may have run to the back straight and yelled AT the men, but i still caught the finish too.
WHAT HAPPENED
The girls finished quite strongly from what i could tell, but in steve's words the other teams got the "low sticks" or better places in my language. The result was a 4th place finish, and a darn good race from my humble perspective.
The men finished with a few sprints and once again the low sticks hurt them, though a strong pack like we had is essential in my opinion. So they took a 5th place finish.
All-Conference Team- of the Morton Flavor
In the girls corner a Miss Caitlin Pribble and Miss Ashley Pribble
In the boys corner a Mr Joe Zeller and a Mr Jared Marks
So what does this mean?
I don't want to put anyone down, but i want to tell you that i think that it's okay that both teams took a different place then they had predicted. Though i can't speak for Zehr, i know if i was coach i'd rather you guys learn this lesson this year so next year it's not a problem. Simply put: the race isn't won until all your runners have crossed the line. I think some of you may have thought you only had to worry about the teams that beat you, rather it has to be remembered that Cross Country is a fluid sport and everything changes from moment to moment. You all learned a lesson on how every team is a potential threat. Next year you'll probably beat almost every team in the conference (the almost should be taken as written in disappearing ink)
So i wish you the best of luck at regionals, and make this week count!
Let's start at the Beginning: Long ago the race began...fast forward to October 17th, Location: Detweiller Park, more specifically on a line painted in the sand (possibly covered by grass)
The girls were ready to roll and i was pumped to watch as i had heard much about the team yet hadn't witnessed them race in over a month (i blame this on the institution they call college). Anyways i got there just in time to see the smoke and witness the impending glory. I comment first off that i think i at least recognize the Morton singlets now. So the start seemed to go well, with the cheers and beautiful weather setting the stage for quite a race. I'm not going to try to say the order of people as i'm afraid i'll mess up, but i remember we had our legal representation leading the way: Pribble, Pribble, and Jankowski. I shall say that they looked strong. I think i yelled, and the girls had no clue who this crazy guy yelling for Morton was. But i was the one yelling "keep the pace even" "okay maintain pace in middle mile" and "Go Morton". I shall discuss the outcome of the race in a sec.
The boys race...a few runners even looked familiar, except they seem to be getting around the course a little faster than the ones i used to know. They also had race conditions that make the race fast and the specators shake. I know a bit more about these guys and yelled all the louder for it, though this doesn't mean i like them more. So we had a Mr. Joe go out strong and the leaders of the guy's race (particularly Van Fossen) pulled the pace to around 4:55 at the mile. (i know this because i found my watch in my duffel bag at this point) Not to be out done, the Morton team got Joe and Marksy out strong with a crazy tight pack on his heels. I think this was Bradford with a couple feet on Meyer, Dale, Smitty, and Pipes. (order was fluid so i don't want anyone to complain if they feel they were ahead) Then we had a bunch of other guys, my brother included who were racing pretty strongly. I have no clue on order though as i can't remember that much information at one time (i am working on remedying this problem). So i think i yelled many things at the guys: "maintain contact" "all of Morton get your butts up with Bradford" "you know what to do in the triangle" and again a few "Go Morton!" for good measure. Now out of the triangle i think we had Joe ready to start his chase, Marksy showed the drive to get the job done, and a tight (fluid) pack of men passing a few guys. Now i admit that i may have run to the back straight and yelled AT the men, but i still caught the finish too.
WHAT HAPPENED
The girls finished quite strongly from what i could tell, but in steve's words the other teams got the "low sticks" or better places in my language. The result was a 4th place finish, and a darn good race from my humble perspective.
The men finished with a few sprints and once again the low sticks hurt them, though a strong pack like we had is essential in my opinion. So they took a 5th place finish.
All-Conference Team- of the Morton Flavor
In the girls corner a Miss Caitlin Pribble and Miss Ashley Pribble
In the boys corner a Mr Joe Zeller and a Mr Jared Marks
So what does this mean?
I don't want to put anyone down, but i want to tell you that i think that it's okay that both teams took a different place then they had predicted. Though i can't speak for Zehr, i know if i was coach i'd rather you guys learn this lesson this year so next year it's not a problem. Simply put: the race isn't won until all your runners have crossed the line. I think some of you may have thought you only had to worry about the teams that beat you, rather it has to be remembered that Cross Country is a fluid sport and everything changes from moment to moment. You all learned a lesson on how every team is a potential threat. Next year you'll probably beat almost every team in the conference (the almost should be taken as written in disappearing ink)
So i wish you the best of luck at regionals, and make this week count!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mid-Illini Championships!
Girls Race: Hold Steady!
The girls team just needs to do what you've been doing all year and should place in the top 3 in the varsity team division. But do you want more? Do you want to try and challenge for the top 2? Do you want to crush the rest of the field? Do you want to run some new PRs? Metamora and East Peoria are the class of the field, but as far as this guy knows, no other team is very close to Morton's abilities, as is evidenced by Morton's 7-2 overall record, and 5-2 Mid-Illini record. If you girls do what you're used to doing, you should lock up that third spot, but you need to beware that many teams will run stronger races tomorrow than they have all year.
A step-up improvement from Morton's 4-5-6 runners, combined with a poor race from one of the two favorites, could sneak Morton into the top two, but the odds are long on that happening this year. But hey, there's no harm in trying, and when you try something this year, you'll have a better idea of how to succeed at it next year! Individually, the girls should look to try and get 1, 2, or 3 members of the Law Firm into the First Team All-Conference Awards, which is top 9. With a good race, the Lady Potters should be able to place several runners in the Second Team All-Conference awards. The weather looks like good temperature (around 55-60 degrees), with a possibility of rain, so depending on the sloppiness of the ground, it could be a great day for fast times all around. Anyone up for founding the 18 Minute Club??
Boys Race: 2nd or 7th??
Now you may be thinking "is this guy nuts?? 7th??" Well, yes I am nuts, but I am also completely serious on this one. I'm not suggesting a 6th or 7th place team finish is likely, but I warn that they are completely possible depending on the race that is run. Several of the teams that the men have beaten earlier in the season have improved significantly, and a great race will beat most of them. However a mediocre race will not beat that many, and a bad race could lose to all but Washington. That may sound mean to Washington, but they are the one team that's really completely out of this. I calls it like I sees it.
So what's it going to take? The two threats that are most known to us (besides Metamora) are EP and Pekin. East Peoria is very dangerous, as they possess a front runner, and a large, deep pack. Worse, a couple members of that pack have the potential to have great races and score some low sticks for the Raiders. To beat the Raiders, you have to take their pack on head-to-head. Very simply, you have to get your 3-7th runners running with their 3-5th, and grab points where you can.
Taking on Pekin is the same way. Their two top men are very strong and likely out of reach of Morton's pack. However, from 3-5 they're much weaker, and a solid effort by Morton's pack will take them down. You have to beat Pekin's pack by more than you beat EP's pack however, as their front guys are more likely to bring in low sticks. My prediction is that if you can take down EP's pack, you'll get Pekin's as well, but I make no promises, and you must be ready to read the race as it develops.
Individually? You've got a good chance at putting a man or two on the First Team All-Conference, and you could potentially put some members of the pack on the Second Team. While we don't know what the course conditions are, unless it's a total mudfest or very windy, which isn't likely, I think it'll be fairly fast. Probably the top guys in the race will run in the mid-low 15s, and there will be a lot of opportunities to get the pack under 17. You had your whole scoring 7 close enough to think about sub17 at Peoria. Let's get them all there this time. And let's see how many sub 16:30s can be grabbed. Hey why not, let's add a name or two the 15 Minute Club, alright??
The girls team just needs to do what you've been doing all year and should place in the top 3 in the varsity team division. But do you want more? Do you want to try and challenge for the top 2? Do you want to crush the rest of the field? Do you want to run some new PRs? Metamora and East Peoria are the class of the field, but as far as this guy knows, no other team is very close to Morton's abilities, as is evidenced by Morton's 7-2 overall record, and 5-2 Mid-Illini record. If you girls do what you're used to doing, you should lock up that third spot, but you need to beware that many teams will run stronger races tomorrow than they have all year.
A step-up improvement from Morton's 4-5-6 runners, combined with a poor race from one of the two favorites, could sneak Morton into the top two, but the odds are long on that happening this year. But hey, there's no harm in trying, and when you try something this year, you'll have a better idea of how to succeed at it next year! Individually, the girls should look to try and get 1, 2, or 3 members of the Law Firm into the First Team All-Conference Awards, which is top 9. With a good race, the Lady Potters should be able to place several runners in the Second Team All-Conference awards. The weather looks like good temperature (around 55-60 degrees), with a possibility of rain, so depending on the sloppiness of the ground, it could be a great day for fast times all around. Anyone up for founding the 18 Minute Club??
Boys Race: 2nd or 7th??
Now you may be thinking "is this guy nuts?? 7th??" Well, yes I am nuts, but I am also completely serious on this one. I'm not suggesting a 6th or 7th place team finish is likely, but I warn that they are completely possible depending on the race that is run. Several of the teams that the men have beaten earlier in the season have improved significantly, and a great race will beat most of them. However a mediocre race will not beat that many, and a bad race could lose to all but Washington. That may sound mean to Washington, but they are the one team that's really completely out of this. I calls it like I sees it.
- Metamora is clearly the class of the field, followed by East Peoria and Morton. While I never say anything is impossible, they are going to be very difficult to beat this year. Watch them, so you know how to do it next year.
- East Peoria is looking much better this half of the season, and beat Morton last week, despite earlier losses to the Potters in September.
- But it doesn't stop there. Pekin's front runners give them an edge in larger races, as evidenced by their placement over Morton at the Peoria Central Invitational. Mid-Illini is not a huge race, but it is larger than a dual meet, and that plays to Pekin's advantage.
- It doesn't stop there either. Dunlap beat Pekin at Metamora last week, so they're not to be discounted.
- And there's more. Canton is a huge wildcard, looking great at some races and weak at others. Morton handily defeated them in a dual, and they didn't look good at Metamora Invite last weekend. However, they supposedly beat Metamora head to head and looked fantastic at Woodruff. You don't know what they'll bring, but I'd count on it being their A game.
- Limestone does not appear to have the depth to challenge, but once again, I wouldn't count them out. They've got a solid front 3, and if they've managed to raise up a few more scorers, they could be a threat.
- Washington is....well, they're Washington.
So what's it going to take? The two threats that are most known to us (besides Metamora) are EP and Pekin. East Peoria is very dangerous, as they possess a front runner, and a large, deep pack. Worse, a couple members of that pack have the potential to have great races and score some low sticks for the Raiders. To beat the Raiders, you have to take their pack on head-to-head. Very simply, you have to get your 3-7th runners running with their 3-5th, and grab points where you can.
Taking on Pekin is the same way. Their two top men are very strong and likely out of reach of Morton's pack. However, from 3-5 they're much weaker, and a solid effort by Morton's pack will take them down. You have to beat Pekin's pack by more than you beat EP's pack however, as their front guys are more likely to bring in low sticks. My prediction is that if you can take down EP's pack, you'll get Pekin's as well, but I make no promises, and you must be ready to read the race as it develops.
Individually? You've got a good chance at putting a man or two on the First Team All-Conference, and you could potentially put some members of the pack on the Second Team. While we don't know what the course conditions are, unless it's a total mudfest or very windy, which isn't likely, I think it'll be fairly fast. Probably the top guys in the race will run in the mid-low 15s, and there will be a lot of opportunities to get the pack under 17. You had your whole scoring 7 close enough to think about sub17 at Peoria. Let's get them all there this time. And let's see how many sub 16:30s can be grabbed. Hey why not, let's add a name or two the 15 Minute Club, alright??
H.E.A.R.T.
…is the desire to improve the team through improving oneself and the people around them. It Conference time, so everybody lace up and get ready to roll out some low numbers! I want to make sure everyone understands why it is the running you did in the past and the running that you think you can do that defines how you run. Tomorrow you’ll step to the line, a man with one orange sleeve will raise his arm into the air, you see his finger twitch on the trigger…STOP! What is going to happen at that exact moment is what decides the race just as much as what led up to it.
You have all done the mileage that has gotten you to where you are right at this moment, right now on Thursday night, that has already been banked and no cramming anything in now. But THAT moment? oh that moment is sooo open to change it might as well be made of play-doh. It is the mind that will decides what happens after that moment just as it was the body that defined where you have already gotten. The body is the car, but the mind is the speed limit . You can say you can put all this power into the car… all the time in the world can be spent on the engine and that will give you a smooth ride, and power you up the hill. But the limit resides in what you think in that vital moment just before the gun goes off. There are tons of spectators on the side lines that have their goals for you, Zehr has his goals,...i even have my own goals for you. Doesn’t matter though, the goal that matters, the person’s opinion that matters is yours. You WILL race your heart out, you WILL give the team every ounce of speed and desire that you THINK you have. But will you give it everything you DO have?
Ponder that now, and step to the line knowing what you think you can do, and ACHIEVING what is REQUIRED of you: the best every stride, every time.
Run for Morton….Run for the TEAM… and run to achieve what you think IMPOSSIBLE.
Nathan
You have all done the mileage that has gotten you to where you are right at this moment, right now on Thursday night, that has already been banked and no cramming anything in now. But THAT moment? oh that moment is sooo open to change it might as well be made of play-doh. It is the mind that will decides what happens after that moment just as it was the body that defined where you have already gotten. The body is the car, but the mind is the speed limit . You can say you can put all this power into the car… all the time in the world can be spent on the engine and that will give you a smooth ride, and power you up the hill. But the limit resides in what you think in that vital moment just before the gun goes off. There are tons of spectators on the side lines that have their goals for you, Zehr has his goals,...i even have my own goals for you. Doesn’t matter though, the goal that matters, the person’s opinion that matters is yours. You WILL race your heart out, you WILL give the team every ounce of speed and desire that you THINK you have. But will you give it everything you DO have?
Ponder that now, and step to the line knowing what you think you can do, and ACHIEVING what is REQUIRED of you: the best every stride, every time.
Run for Morton….Run for the TEAM… and run to achieve what you think IMPOSSIBLE.
Nathan
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Potters end regular season 7-2
Both the men's and women's Morton Cross country teams finished out their regular season today at Northwoods with losses to East Peoria, rounding out a winning season with a 7-2 record, in what will prove to be the first year of the Potters surge to the front of the Conference. Next up, after a short break from racing, the Potters race the Mid-Illini championship at Detweiller Park.
The race today was run on a sloppy course after an afternoon of rain and clouds. The temperature was good, though the rain made it maybe a little cool for some, and the ground was soft and spongy, and it was very easy to slip and slide on some of those 90 degree turns that Northwoods seems to have an abundance of. I ran the course once over after the race to get my easy run in for the day, and I can tell you it was tough to stay upright on some of those corners, at my easy pace. I can barely imagine trying to keep my footing at race pace.
Ladies first!
The girls race was led instantly by East Peoria's front runners followed by Ashley Pribble, Caitlin Pribble and Grace Jankowski. A little ways back, trading spots were Ashley Coon, Brooke Carius, Jenna Zbinden, Lauren Wirth and Macaela Bennett. Some of East Peoria's early leaders were caught by Pribble, Pribble and Jankowski, but East Peoria's pack had a lead on Morton's second group, ensuring the Raiders victory.
The Potters ran a great race, moving up the field later in the race as several Raiders paid the toll for an overly aggresive opening dash. The girls ran well, handling the muddy turns with the poise of an ibex, and never once falling down - where I could see them at least. Macaela Bennett ran very well, in her first race of the year, and off of what I assume is limited training.
And now, for the Gentlemen...
The boys race was expected to be a battle, with East Peoria coming on strong in the late season and showing an ability and depth that was very similar to Morton's showing last weekend. I'm talking about their showing at Detweiller, not their dance moves at Wal-Mart. The Potters suffered the misfortune of running a man down as Jared Marks was out with an illness. East Peoria ran a very similar strategy to their girls team, sending a few runners out front, and making sure their pack was mixing it up with Morton's guys.
Joe Zeller ran patient and in control, staying in the top four early and moving into second place around the 2 mile mark, ultimately finishing third. Eric Meyer was second for the Potters, separating from Morton's pack early and giving chase to the leaders. He ate up several members of East Peoria's pack and held them off to help the Potter's score. Next up came a few of EPs later scorers, followed by the foursome of Dale, Nick, Austin and Nathan. These four ran together for much of the first half of the race, separating in the second half.
I did not see the times for either race, but believe several members of the men's team were still under 18 minutes, running only slightly slower than last week's race, with some possibly even faster. The men did not quite show the poise of an ibex, but something more akin to the poise of a meerkat. There were reports that a few men did go down, but the rumors that they fell victim to Dale's elbows are at this point unsubstantiated.
The Creation of a New Award
New for today is the Sloppy Joe Award. This award goes to any Potter who displays excellence in a race in muddy conditions. The first edition of this award goes to the entire team, men and women, as all raced well today. If I could accompany this award with a photo of a muddy Joe Zeller or Joseph Doan, a true Sloppy Joe, I would. But alas, I have no such photo.
Next Up: Mid-Illini
The next race for the Potters will be the Mid-Illini meet, where the Potters will look to maintain their rankings and maybe grab some revenge on some teams today. In the women's race, the Potters go in solidly ranked third and should look to hold onto that position and to earn as many All-Conference honors as possible. Top 8 in the race get 1st Team All Mid-Illini, while the next 8 runners earn 2nd Team. How many of these positions can the Potters grab?
For the men's race, the Potters go in fighting for second. While Metamora appears to be a clear favorite this season, there is no other team in the Mid-Illini that Morton hasn't beaten at least once this season. However, two of those teams have defeated the Potters in at least one outing, so the battle will be tight. East Peoria is obviously running their best races at the right time, and Pekin's front running helps them in invitational formats, but if the Potters continue to improve and can nail a few guys near the front of the meet, they should be able to claim their position. Pekin's low sticks will be have to be neutralized, and so will East Peoria's pack. This requires a full team effort from all of the Potters and will prove an exciting challenge.
My Moment of Glory - passing the Olympic Finalist in the woods.
During the men's race, I found myself back in the woods, moving from point to point alongside or behind, one Tim Broe of East Peoria. At one point while heading up the hill to cheer near the cemetary, I found myself passing the most accomplished runner I can recall ever meeting. I'm sure he was thinking something along the lines of "all these guys pass me whenever I run easy, and they try really hard to look like they're running easy too. They must get a big kick out of it."
I resisted the urge to take off my shirt, throw it on the ground, and taunt him like the Frenchman from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Rather, I kept my cool and asked him about his team, and we then proceded to yell things to our athletes that were directly opposite each other. "Let's go you three, one Morton guy right behind you!!!" vs. "Let's go Morton, you can grab those three EP guys in front of you!!" He may have won the war, but I won the battle.
And Dave, he said nothing about wanting to run with you.
-Steve
Monday, October 6, 2008
Cross Country 101
The Differences in Invite and Dual Scoring:
Okay class, today's discussion with be on the difference between dual and invite scoring. The pre-lecture question was What is the difference between a dual and an invite? ... Mr. Getz you think you have the answer for us? -"Yes sir, when you're in a duel the object is not die while attempting to gain the upper hand on your opponent. Whereas when you are invite to something you usually don't fight someone." Well...that is a very interesting answer Mr Getz, anyone else else have an answer?
Okay let's assume that you have all at least read up a little before coming to class, but still go over a few vocab words.
So on to the actual scoring. Let's use the recent Peoria Invite held this past weekend as an example race.
Pekin High School 51 118 221 234 248 (289) (352) = 872
Morton High School 127 172 176 202 226 (229) (247) = 903
Now this is simply the place that each member of the guy's varsity teams got added together to get a total. In this case the following: PHS 872 to MHS 903. Now as we all know the low score wins so Pekin was victorious.
Now then what if this had been a dual meet?
PHS 1, 2, 7, 10, 12 (13) (14) = 32
MHS 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, (9) (11) = 26
Morton would have won this meet had it been scored as a dual. So what though right, it wasn't a dual it was an Invite and Morton lost? Yes, but there is more to the story. Look how well Morton would have packed the scoring getting 4 guys in before Pekin's 3rd. This also displays the power of the bumper, getting in the 6th and 7th man in before Pekins's 5th was huge. Look at the scores taking out the bumpers. (this is purely an illustration used to show why 6 and 7 matter, and never happens in real racing)
PHS 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 = 29
MHS 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, = 26
Yes Morton still won but the margin of win is slight. I tell you now if any of you can't do this for a pop quiz, say tomorrow, you all have my phone number and email on the syllabus so shoot me if something is confusing you.
Your TA's can probably be of much help too. Yes Daniel i see that you're worried because David is your TA, however no fear he and i will have a little chat after class.
Okay class dismissed and don't forget to study for the quiz, i would guess it would be around 4:30 or 5:00 tomorrow at NW Hall in the Woodmen Lounge. Take care.
Okay class, today's discussion with be on the difference between dual and invite scoring. The pre-lecture question was What is the difference between a dual and an invite? ... Mr. Getz you think you have the answer for us? -"Yes sir, when you're in a duel the object is not die while attempting to gain the upper hand on your opponent. Whereas when you are invite to something you usually don't fight someone." Well...that is a very interesting answer Mr Getz, anyone else else have an answer?
Okay let's assume that you have all at least read up a little before coming to class, but still go over a few vocab words.
- Duel- is defined as a combat between two opponents.
- DUAL, the one we were referring to Mr. Getz, means having two of something in this case cross country teams.
- Invite in the context of this class will be a large meet where teams from outside conference borders race one another.
So on to the actual scoring. Let's use the recent Peoria Invite held this past weekend as an example race.
Pekin High School 51 118 221 234 248 (289) (352) = 872
Morton High School 127 172 176 202 226 (229) (247) = 903
Now this is simply the place that each member of the guy's varsity teams got added together to get a total. In this case the following: PHS 872 to MHS 903. Now as we all know the low score wins so Pekin was victorious.
Now then what if this had been a dual meet?
PHS 1, 2, 7, 10, 12 (13) (14) = 32
MHS 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, (9) (11) = 26
Morton would have won this meet had it been scored as a dual. So what though right, it wasn't a dual it was an Invite and Morton lost? Yes, but there is more to the story. Look how well Morton would have packed the scoring getting 4 guys in before Pekin's 3rd. This also displays the power of the bumper, getting in the 6th and 7th man in before Pekins's 5th was huge. Look at the scores taking out the bumpers. (this is purely an illustration used to show why 6 and 7 matter, and never happens in real racing)
PHS 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 = 29
MHS 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, = 26
Yes Morton still won but the margin of win is slight. I tell you now if any of you can't do this for a pop quiz, say tomorrow, you all have my phone number and email on the syllabus so shoot me if something is confusing you.
Your TA's can probably be of much help too. Yes Daniel i see that you're worried because David is your TA, however no fear he and i will have a little chat after class.
Okay class dismissed and don't forget to study for the quiz, i would guess it would be around 4:30 or 5:00 tomorrow at NW Hall in the Woodmen Lounge. Take care.
H.E.A.R.T.
…is the calm after the storm when the dust has settled and you lay on the ground in exhaustion. It means that every time you step up to the line you KNOW that it’s all or nothing- give your all or don’t even bother coming to the line. One last race… and one more team to beat. Let’s make sure that those seniors get a win on their last running of Northwoods. On to the discussion of running: what does it truly mean to run with everything? What does it mean to do your best? Honestly it’s not driving all out the whole way (this will only accomplish you burning out after the first mile or so), rather it is running your race while at the same time adapting to race around you. It’s observing and taking note of what the other runners are doing and how they’re feeling. A few points:
- a wise man once told me make a it hurt a little, it’s not going to hurt any more than it would if you went a little bit slower. AND he constantly reminded me- the other guys are hurting just as much.
- Watch the runners that you’re near in the race, you’ve all run enough races by now to know when someone is running with the "E light on", and you can tell by their stride and their breathing. Use this!
- I know Steve has told you guys to use the blind spots to put a little distance in between you and other runners, and I agree completely but I have another thing too. When you pass someone, PASS them. I mean that as when you make a pass it has to be definitive and you have to put a little distance on them. It’s purely psychological, but all of cross country is in the mind anyways. If you want to throw in a little bit of a stare down that’s fine, but beware that some people take it personally.
- Run together, not just by one another. As the great Coach Bombay once said, “Ducks fly together!” We aren’t ducks, but the same holds true here- birds of a feather flock together. The pack is by it’s very look if nothing else a winning strategy.
- Finally the most important one for amateur runners (this should apply to none of you but a good point bears repeating). Just because you can’t see an spectators or coaches doesn’t mean you can slow down. I have seen a lot of novice runners only running really hard when they know people are watching- don’t fall into this trap at Northwoods and don’t let the race pace fall in the barren stretches.
Okay so we’ve covered the basic strategies to successful racing, now what? Well tomorrow you go to the race knowing you’ll win, you do, you eat much food and enjoy the company of friends, and say that the day was good.
Men and Women of Morton…lest you forget for a moment: Run so that you answer to no one but yourselves.
Nathan
- a wise man once told me make a it hurt a little, it’s not going to hurt any more than it would if you went a little bit slower. AND he constantly reminded me- the other guys are hurting just as much.
- Watch the runners that you’re near in the race, you’ve all run enough races by now to know when someone is running with the "E light on", and you can tell by their stride and their breathing. Use this!
- I know Steve has told you guys to use the blind spots to put a little distance in between you and other runners, and I agree completely but I have another thing too. When you pass someone, PASS them. I mean that as when you make a pass it has to be definitive and you have to put a little distance on them. It’s purely psychological, but all of cross country is in the mind anyways. If you want to throw in a little bit of a stare down that’s fine, but beware that some people take it personally.
- Run together, not just by one another. As the great Coach Bombay once said, “Ducks fly together!” We aren’t ducks, but the same holds true here- birds of a feather flock together. The pack is by it’s very look if nothing else a winning strategy.
- Finally the most important one for amateur runners (this should apply to none of you but a good point bears repeating). Just because you can’t see an spectators or coaches doesn’t mean you can slow down. I have seen a lot of novice runners only running really hard when they know people are watching- don’t fall into this trap at Northwoods and don’t let the race pace fall in the barren stretches.
Okay so we’ve covered the basic strategies to successful racing, now what? Well tomorrow you go to the race knowing you’ll win, you do, you eat much food and enjoy the company of friends, and say that the day was good.
Men and Women of Morton…lest you forget for a moment: Run so that you answer to no one but yourselves.
Nathan
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Race of Honor
Dear runners,
It has come to the attention of two of the founders that our Personal Records have fallen today. Though those that dared break them shall remain nameless (unless you happen to read Steve's post about the race today), actions must be taken to remedy the situation. So, we have decided that a Race of Honor must take place. Morton High School runners, woudn't it be lovely if the founders whose titles have fallen could have a chance to regain their glory? We (those certain founders) sure do. So, we propose the following course of action.
Why don't we all register for....
1. The Turkey Trot 4-mile at Detwiler (Nov. 23)
2. The Jingle Bell 5K (Dec. 2008)
3. Both!!!!
By agreeing to the aforementined proposal, those who register not only get the chance to run a race (one of life's greatest enjoyments), but we can all fellowship together and, above all, give the founders a chance to regain their honor!
Sincerely,
David Russell Getz Esquire the First
P.S. In all seriousness, Nathan and I hold no grudges, but we would love a chance to race against you guys again. I think these two races would be a great/fun/great thing to do together. If you guys agree, just leave a comment. Great job again today, and beat East Peoria on Senior Night! Seniors '09!!!
It has come to the attention of two of the founders that our Personal Records have fallen today. Though those that dared break them shall remain nameless (unless you happen to read Steve's post about the race today), actions must be taken to remedy the situation. So, we have decided that a Race of Honor must take place. Morton High School runners, woudn't it be lovely if the founders whose titles have fallen could have a chance to regain their glory? We (those certain founders) sure do. So, we propose the following course of action.
Why don't we all register for....
1. The Turkey Trot 4-mile at Detwiler (Nov. 23)
2. The Jingle Bell 5K (Dec. 2008)
3. Both!!!!
By agreeing to the aforementined proposal, those who register not only get the chance to run a race (one of life's greatest enjoyments), but we can all fellowship together and, above all, give the founders a chance to regain their honor!
Sincerely,
David Russell Getz Esquire the First
P.S. In all seriousness, Nathan and I hold no grudges, but we would love a chance to race against you guys again. I think these two races would be a great/fun/great thing to do together. If you guys agree, just leave a comment. Great job again today, and beat East Peoria on Senior Night! Seniors '09!!!
Detweiller again!
The Peoria Invitational
Today was meant to be a day for fast times, and the Potters delivered.
The full official results and team standings aren't up yet, so I'm going to throw up a quick summary here, with maybe more to follow once the results are online.
First of all, the conditions. The conditions were almost perfect. So close to perfect that I'm not sure how they could have been any better. The temp was about perfect, slightly cool, but not so cold to actually be cold. Probably mid 50s for the girls, and a few degrees warmer for the guys. The course was in good condition. The park had been rolled and pressed and the mud and junk from the Woodruff Invite was gone. The ground was smooth and had that perfect firmness that strikes the balance between too soft and too hard. Firm and not soft, but not yet hard and frozen.
The Girls Race
The girls race went out fast, and the first mile played out to form just like normal, with 1 mile splits just a little faster than previous races. The secret came in the second mile, however, as most of the Potters slowed significantly less than in previous races. Caitlin Pribble went through the 2 mile in around 12:38ish, which is a good 20-30 seconds faster than previous quick races, with Ashley and Grace following. The rest of the Potters were also running quick splits through 2 miles.
At the finish it was Caitlin, then Ashley, then Grace in 19:08, 19:18, and 19:58. The Pribbles are showing that they're ready to attempt creating an 18 Minute Club. Note that these times are not official, but just what it looked like they finished at from my vantage point downfield. I could certainly be off by a few seconds on any of these. I did not catch all the other Potters finishes, but some were walking out of the chute area before 22 minutes, which means they probably ran well under 22 minutes. That means some more P.R.s were set.
The Boy's Race
The boy's race started out fast, with Joe through the mile in around 5:17, followed by Jared Marks, Eric Meyer, Dale and the threesome of Nathan Smith, Nick Piper, and Austin Bradford, who ran together much of the race. The challenge was to keep that fast pace through the middle mile, where the Potters often slow. Most of the Potters ran their best middle mile yet, losing only 20-30 seconds for that next mile.
Zeller went through the 2 mile in 10:51 (2 mile P.R. en route!!), followed by Meyer, Marks, Dale, and the Smith-Piper-Bradford trio. I'm sure that many of these men set 2 mile P.R.s during the race today. Going into the last mile, people were starting to fall apart and the gaps started to spread as the Potters started trying to eat up those gaps. Zeller finished in around 16:23-24, followed by Meyer in around 16:48 and Marks in around 16:55. Dale followed a few seconds later, showing the effects of an all-out effort . Piper and Smith finished next for the Potters, I believe both under/around 17:10, with Bradford rounding out Morton's runners in around 17:20.
Catching the founders
With this race, Zeller has passed Nathan Young and Dave Getz on the Detweiller P.R. chart (which I just made up), but still has a couple more seconds to go to catch Steve Gifford. Steve is scared as Joe is a sophomore. Meyer, Marks, Domnick, and maybe Piper and Smith, also beat Dave's HS time at Detweiller, humbling the founders of this site.
A note to Nick Piper
First of all, awesome race today. Second, you made a comment the other day about the 15 Minute Club not being a realistic goal for you. I busted out my history books just to check a few things from some of my old Peoria Invites. If you look at the 15 Minute Club list, you'll find two guys at 15:33 back in 2000. Those two guys ran 17:02 and 17:17 at Peoria Invitational their sophomore year. You'll find a guy listed at 14:56 and 15:01. He ran 16:49 as a Sophomore. So you're going to tell me that type of improvement isn't realistic?? While I don't know all their stories, I'm sure most of the guys on that list did not run under 16 as sophomores. You guys are doing very well.
A note to the whole men's team
While I was glancing over my history books, I noticed something else. In 1999, the year Morton went undefeated, we had some stronger frontrunners, but our depth was not the equal of yours this season. We never had a 7th man finish around 17:20. Not even very close. Considering you guys are still a young team, this bodes very well for the future. You should all improve as long as you continue to work for it. Let's see what happens when Austin Bradford runs over the summer, with the rest of the team. That's right, Austin, I'm singling you out. If you're running like you are off of 6 miles over the summer, imagine what happens when you start hitting the offseason miles.
Next up: East Peoria
The Potters face Mid-Illini rival East Peoria at Northwoods on Tuesday. East Peoria's girls team is one of the top ranked teams in the state and the girls will have their work cut out for them
East Peoria's guys team was defeated by the Potters several times in the early season, but has shown huge improvement in the recent weeks (thanks to Mr. Piper for pointing out just how improved they are). You can't compare times on different courses and different days, but just for reference, here's what their top guys ran on their home course one week ago.
16:26
16:52
17:09
17:10
17:10
17:50
18:03
18:10
18:23
As you can see, they're much improved from your previous competitions, and are a team that could match up very well with the Potters. You beat them before, so let's do it now when it counts. Remember, breaking up their front men, and getting a lot of people in front of their 5th will be a solid way to ensure victory. Work together and use the course to your advantage. It's likely to rain on Tuesday, so make sure the Potters are the masters of a muddy Northwoods.
Some confused Potters
Several members of the men's varsity squad were sighted, dressed up and with dates, at Wal-Mart Saturday night, apparently confused about the location of the Homecoming Dance. Since no members of the girls team were sighted there, we'll assume they actually knew where the dance was. We hope these Potters can find their way to Northwoods on Tuesday, as they will be needed.
That's all for now. Peace out. I love saying "peace out".
-Steve
Friday, October 3, 2008
HEART
…is the push when the pain is highest and there is nothing left but raw will and team loyalty. But let’s look at things a little differently tonight. This is the Peoria Invite varsity and all that jazz. Let’s take a look at our team:
In the Guys corner:
Joe-
Dale-
Eric-
Marks-
Bradford-
Piper-
Smitty-
These guys have formed quite a close knit group from what I can tell. I don’t know if they get along or anything like that, but I know they’re close when it comes to running. They pack well, run hard, and take each of their strengths in running to defeat the majority of the conference. I also would like to say that I have great confidence that these guys will all do some serious damage on their PR’s tomorrow. They did the same thing last year, when I took a race off, so I expect the same this year.
In the Girls corner:
Pribble-
Pribble-
Grace-
Coon-
Jenna-
Brooke-
Wirth-
I don’t know this team quite as well, but I’m a firm believer in times can speak for the runner when coupled with an account of their effort levels during the race. I can tell that you all run with the fire to improve the times you run and the style that you accomplish them with. I from what I’ve seen you have achieved much and are only growing stronger as team as you go. Tomorrow is the Peoria Invite, and there are many girls running and there are many you shall beat. But the opponent lies not in others but in ourselves.
May all of you run swiftly and fluidly and every step power you faster than you think possible.
Nathan
In the Guys corner:
Joe-
Dale-
Eric-
Marks-
Bradford-
Piper-
Smitty-
These guys have formed quite a close knit group from what I can tell. I don’t know if they get along or anything like that, but I know they’re close when it comes to running. They pack well, run hard, and take each of their strengths in running to defeat the majority of the conference. I also would like to say that I have great confidence that these guys will all do some serious damage on their PR’s tomorrow. They did the same thing last year, when I took a race off, so I expect the same this year.
In the Girls corner:
Pribble-
Pribble-
Grace-
Coon-
Jenna-
Brooke-
Wirth-
I don’t know this team quite as well, but I’m a firm believer in times can speak for the runner when coupled with an account of their effort levels during the race. I can tell that you all run with the fire to improve the times you run and the style that you accomplish them with. I from what I’ve seen you have achieved much and are only growing stronger as team as you go. Tomorrow is the Peoria Invite, and there are many girls running and there are many you shall beat. But the opponent lies not in others but in ourselves.
May all of you run swiftly and fluidly and every step power you faster than you think possible.
Nathan
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A most excellent idea
An excellent idea for a team activity right before the Mid-Illini meet
I found the following online today. You should all try and get there. I've been to one of these 'running movies' at Willow Knolls before and it's a great atmosphere, a theatre filled with racing geeks.
I'll plan on being at one of the two showings. If people want to join me, or get a group together, let me know. Remember, it looks like you might want to get tickets ahead of time.
The Long Green Line movie is coming to Peoria, thanks to the Illinois Valley Striders, Running Central and others!
The Long Green Line is a much-heralded documentary which chronicles the York H.S. Dukes’ 2005 Cross Country season. As always, the Long Green Line ends up in Peoria. In 2005 York and legendary coach Joe Newton were seeking their 25th State title in fifty years. This is a must see for all x-country fans and for all of us that have wondered how York and Joe can do it year after year. It is also about young runners as they move from adolescence to manhood.
When: Oct 15th and 16th, at 7:00pm each night.
Where: Willow Knolls Theatres
Cost: $5.00 (proceeds go to IVS running programs)
Tickets are available at Running Central beginning Oct. 1, until they are gone. Get YOUR team together to see what can really make a team work, to the tune of 24 team titles in 50 years. Very exciting, motivational stuff that will make YOU want to get up and RUN!
Check out the website to view the movie trailer:
http://www.longgreenlinemovie.com/
Also, look for more news on the movie coming soon at http://ivs.org/ and http://runningcentral.net/ , as well as in the Journal Star.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
An apology and a congratulations!
First of all, I'm sorry to Nick Piper for alleging in error that he had been bested by the efforts of one Dale Domnick. I was going off of memory, and I didn't see the entire finish. My apologies, and I'll try not to make such a grievous error in the future.
Second of all, I said that I believed the girls race was fast and I was right! I just got the results from Joel, and Caitlin Pribble, Ashley Pribble, and Grace Jankowski all ran under 20 minutes, with times of 19:33, 19:55, and 19:57 respectively. As I understand that this course is a full 3.0 miles, I believe that means we have some new entries to the ladies 19 Minute Club! Way to go ladies!
Men, you're next. Who wants to be on the 15 Minute Club? I think it's fair to say that Detweiller is a much faster course than Northwoods, so there's no reason for some of you not to be thinking about it, with the times that were run today.
-Steve
Now THIS is cross country weather!
Morton vs. Metamora vs. Pekin
The superhero efforts of Metamora were too much to overcome today. I'd previously said that if the Redbirds ran equal to, or worse than, the way they've been running all season, Morton had a chance. However, the Redbirds looked significantly better than they have previously this fall, boosted by a resurgent Van Fossen. Morton's pack efforts defeated Pekin's front running team though, to give the Potter's a split decision, just as the ladies had.
Let's see, it was about 57.56163 degrees of the Fahrenheit variety, the sun was shining every now and then, the leaves were starting to fall, the wind was faintly detectable, and the Potters were ready to run some races and eat some cupcakes. Cross country season is officially rolling along now.
The girls race: a strong early attempt up front
The girls race was exciting as the Potters made a strong early bid to take the Redbirds down up front. Ashley Pribble led much of the first mile, with Metamora's top two runners in tow. The duo of Caitlyn Pribble and Grace Jankowski had a slight lead on Metamora's third runner. Following them, Metamora rounded out their varsity scoring, with Pekin getting in one or two runners before Morton's second pack of Ashley Coon, Brooke Carius, Lauren Wirth and Jenna Zbinden. Ashley Mcollum looked strong early on as well, running near the top 7.
Midway through the race, Metamora cranked up the pace, and their top two runners separated from the field. Their third runner started making up ground on Ashley Pribble, with Caitlyn and Grace following. After sorting themselves out in the middle of the race, Metamora took the top three spots, followed by Caitlyn and Ashley, then Grace. I didn't see the full results, but I know the Potters split the meet, falling to Metamora, but decisively beating Pekin. The race appeared to be fast, but I haven't yet seen the girls times.
The girls ran an excellent race and were handed their first loss, by a team that is consistently one of the best in the area, and one of the best AA teams in the state. Next week they face East Peoria, which is arguably the best women's team in AA in the state. The Potters will look to solidify their ranking as third in Mid-Illini over the coming weeks. I have seen no such official ranking, but after the races I've seen, and the record they've compiled, one would have to be a fool to not rank the Lady Potters in the top 3.
The boys race: Morton runs their best race of the year...unfortunately so does Metamora
The boys race started off fast and aggresive. Early on there was a Metamora lead group that consisted of 5 Metamoralonians, 2 Pekinlings, and 2 Mortonites, followed by a slightly strung out group consisting of Metamoras 6th and 7th, Pekins 3rd and 4th, and the rest of the Morton Varsity. For much of the first half of the race, Pekin's 2nd pair was leading Morton's 3rd runner, causing alarm in the team scoring.
This group started to string out, and coming up the hill the second time just after halfway it was 1 Metamoralonian out front, followed by Jared Marks, who was followed closely by Metamora's 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, who were in turn followed by Pekins front duo, followed closely by Joe Zeller and Metamora #5. Eric Meyer started to carve out a solid place for himself between packs, followed by Dale Domnick, Austin Bradford and Nick Piper. Nathan Smith trailed just a few meters back.
Somewhere between the second mountain ascent, and the entrance to the plains (the prairie grass section), Metamora switched into super hero mode. I'm told, they were heard saying things like 'Metamora, UP!!' 'It's morphing time!!' and one confused Redbird was seen showing off his ring and yelling 'Heart!!' Captain Planet never appeared, but whatever magic was unleashed, it worked for Metamora as they entered the plains blanketing the top 4 positions, running in two spread out pairs. They were followed by Pekin's front duo, then Joe Zeller and Jared Marks, then Metamora's 5th man. A little ways back, there was a battle between Morton's pack and Pekin's final scorers to ensure the Potters split this meet.
The race continued in similar fashion most the way to the finish. The Redbirds showed why they are favored to win the Mid-Illini and Pekin's front duo finished strong. Zeller led the Potters, followed closely by Marks. Meyer was 3rd Potter in followed by Domnick, then Pipes. Smitty showed his sprinting prowess to nip Bradford at the line to close out the Potter's scoring effort.
The superhero efforts of Metamora were too much to overcome today. I'd previously said that if the Redbirds ran equal to, or worse than, the way they've been running all season, Morton had a chance. However, the Redbirds looked significantly better than they have previously this fall, boosted by a resurgent Van Fossen. Morton's pack efforts defeated Pekin's front running team though, to give the Potter's a split decision, just as the ladies had.
Now before anyone thinks that the Potters had a bad race today by suffering their first defeat, let me point out a few facts.
- Most of, if not all of, the Potters ran faster today than they had all season over a full 3.0 mile course. Remember that, though the weather may have been near perfect, Northwoods is not an easy course, and times are usually slow. This bodes well for the fast course to come at Detweiller this weekend.
- Last years leading time from a Morton athlete on the Northwoods course would not have even made the varsity top 7 today. Take a moment and let that sink in to realize how far you guys have come. Two of the founders have been humbled today. I'm glad I never raced that course or I probably would have been humbled as well.
Steve does not endorse gambling
I promised Joe I'd get all Metamorical.....er, metaphorical on the site tonight, so here goes. Running a tactical race is like playing a game of poker. Now I don't really know anything about poker, but I've been lead to believe that it's a game where some combinations of cards are better than others, and people make wagers that their array of cards is better than someone elses unknown array of cards. These people have the option of wagering a lot, wagering a little, or quitting. To stay in the game, people are required to match other peoples wagers, however.Racing can be the same way. When you're halfway through a race, you don't know for sure what the opposition has, but you have a good idea of what you have. You can decide to go all out, and make a move to break the competition, taking the risk that in the end their strength will last longer than yours. You can decide to wager just a little, match other peoples moves, and hope that the strength you have in the end will outrun your opponents. Or you can quit, put nothing on the line, and simply decide the race isn't worth it.
The difference between poker and racing is that quitting, or folding, is a perfectly acceptable option in poker. In racing, where the fight is as much against yourself as it is the other team, bagging a race is never an acceptable alternative. You either race or you don't. If you're hurt and won't try during the race, then don't enter. Either of the other two options are perfectly good racing strategies and, as in poker, the key is analyzing your strengths, guessing your opponents, and making the right decision.
I saw no Potters quitting today. I saw some points where Potters took some risky moves. I saw some Potters who raced within their abilities to finish well at the end. But I saw no quitters. I simply saw teams that were up against an opponent with a stronger hand.
Now, not to beat a dead horse here, but the other difference between poker and racing is this: in poker your hand is completely random, and in running your hand is in large part determined by you. So if you want to show up at this race next year with the stronger hand, the key lies in offseason work. I guarantee that's how Metamora gained the hand they had. Both Morton's boys and girls teams are young teams and have lots of potential to come into next season with the Royal Flush. I've been lead to believe that is the best array of cards to have when playing poker.
MHS Runners Recognition of Achievement
I apologize that I'm not prepared to give out a full array of awards (array is my word of the day!). I was cheering the girls near the pavilion at the top of the hill and missed their finish, as well as part of the boys. Too bad, because the final finish is the best place to catch Photo Finish Awards and Jack-o-Lanterns as well. I also am going completely off of my memory here, as I don't have results in front of me, and man, it's hard to keep track of 39 of you! So here's a few, and I'll try to do a better job in the next few races.
- The Photo Finish Award - This goes to Nathan Smith, who narrowly nipped Austin Bradford in the last five meters of the race to claim bragging rights. He was cranking down that hill, and closed a pretty sizeable gap in the last quarter mile.
- The Punisher Award - This goes to Dale Domnick, for his valiant efforts against Pekin. Going into the finish, I knew it was tight with Pekin for team scoring, and Dale had just been passed by one Dragon, with another close behind. I yelled for him that he had to beat those guys, and I have no idea if he heard me, but I like to think he did, and he put those Pekinlings away solidly, to give the Pottes a few more points in their 25-30 defeat over Pekin. There was also a rumor that he was seen beating up one of his teammates during the race. While beating up your teammates is not encouraged, 'throwing vicious elbows' is an official criteria for this award, and it does make for a good story.
- The Punisher Award - This also goes to Grace Jankowski. I mentioned the other night that there is no way in a dual-scored race to overcome a 1-2-3 finish. While sadly, Metamora used this against the Potters, Grace followed the Pribbles to ensure that Morton used this tactic to deny Pekin any chance of victory. She may or may not have elbowed other runners as well. I honestly have no idea, but saying things like that is how rumors get started and legends get made.
- The Morale Rooster Award - This goes to "PIPES", who, of all the followers of this blog, has the funniest profile picture. Special recognition goes to any Potter who becomes a follower of the blog. Smitty needs to get a picture, and the girls need to become followers.
- The Morale Rooster Award - This goes to the girls team, who were seen making their way to the far reaches of the course cheering for the guys, even after an exhausting race of their own. Way to support the team, ladies!
Monday, September 29, 2008
H.E.A.R.T.
…is the desire to achieve GREATNESS. I’m not going to give you guys a funny story about a cartoon character today, I’m not going to tell you anything you already know, that’s not what you need today. Today…you need the truth. Tomorrow all of you will step up to the line at Northwoods and as you look next to you, you’ll see Metamora and Pekin. Then you’ll look up the hill at what is about to come. You know that Metamora hasn’t trained on that hill…but you have. You know that Metamora hasn’t run this course as many times as you have. You know that every step you take on that course you’ve taken before. Now it comes down to that moment before the gun goes off. You will prepare, you’ll blank your mind of everything except what you have to do in the next 3 miles.
Get out….get going…get in front of your man. The rest is all secondary. You WON’T measure yourself by what the clock says at the end, you CAN’T measure yourself by the sum of your places, but you WILL make it the race you wanted to run. You do that…if you really do it, give it everything that you’ve asked of yourself...it will no longer be Morton that’s the underdogs but Metamora scrambling to make the cut. You have already shown that you are one team, that every race is the projection of your desire to improve yourself. Now it’s all a matter of making sure everyone else sees the team that is MORTON CROSS COUNTRY is a team not to be reckoned with.
Tomorrow you run for your team….and everyone is cheering for you. Be that at the course, in Bloomington, in Champaign, or anywhere else. All that distance means is how loud we have to cheer.
I now quote Pre- “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift”
Nathan
Get out….get going…get in front of your man. The rest is all secondary. You WON’T measure yourself by what the clock says at the end, you CAN’T measure yourself by the sum of your places, but you WILL make it the race you wanted to run. You do that…if you really do it, give it everything that you’ve asked of yourself...it will no longer be Morton that’s the underdogs but Metamora scrambling to make the cut. You have already shown that you are one team, that every race is the projection of your desire to improve yourself. Now it’s all a matter of making sure everyone else sees the team that is MORTON CROSS COUNTRY is a team not to be reckoned with.
Tomorrow you run for your team….and everyone is cheering for you. Be that at the course, in Bloomington, in Champaign, or anywhere else. All that distance means is how loud we have to cheer.
I now quote Pre- “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift”
Nathan
Cross Country 101:
Strategy at the Battle of the Mid-Illini
Today's lesson will go in depth into the strategy that took down the Redbirds many moons ago, okay everyone take notes as you will be tested on this tomorrow. The final scoring at this epic battle was :
Morton - 2,4,5,7,9
Metamora - 1,3,6,8,10
For all you math geniuses that was a final score of 27-28. But what really happened only becomes apparent when you break it down.
One man in Morton was obviously down......................................... 2-1
2nd man they still were down............................................................6-4
3rd getting closer but still down.........................................................11-10
4th they'd tied it up thanks to the efforts of man 4..............................18-18
If everyone remembers you still have to get in man 5
which was make or break but he did it. ..............................................27-28
So what is the point of this example? Well it shows that it ain't over until it's over but it also shows that you can't give up and in one pair the tide can change. Morton although an epic team that year was not without fears of loss. However they were led by Coach E, whom i directly consulted before this lecture today and i am good friends with, and knew what they needed to get done. The same is true with all the great fighting powers. So i will now reveal the topic of tomorrow's exam: the Clash of Zehr vs Jones, a comparison of modern coaching styles and the effects of the Homefield advantage.
This will be a lab practical will have two questions:
1) How does the drive to win by the Morton Cross Country team affect the outcome of the meet?
2) How is the use of strategic running affect the final scores of the meet? Please include the style used and the reasons why Morton won.
I hope you have all seen the use of strategy in running. Good luck tomorrow ladies and gentlemen. Remember to not stress before the test and know that you know the material you just have to apply it. Get a good night's sleep beforehand, drink lots of water so you don't pass out during the practical, and remember since Red starts with R, it means turn left.
I won't see you all tomorrow as i have a conference in Champaign but you will have many professors watching over you tomorrow.
Today's lesson will go in depth into the strategy that took down the Redbirds many moons ago, okay everyone take notes as you will be tested on this tomorrow. The final scoring at this epic battle was :
Morton - 2,4,5,7,9
Metamora - 1,3,6,8,10
For all you math geniuses that was a final score of 27-28. But what really happened only becomes apparent when you break it down.
One man in Morton was obviously down......................................... 2-1
2nd man they still were down............................................................6-4
3rd getting closer but still down.........................................................11-10
4th they'd tied it up thanks to the efforts of man 4..............................18-18
If everyone remembers you still have to get in man 5
which was make or break but he did it. ..............................................27-28
So what is the point of this example? Well it shows that it ain't over until it's over but it also shows that you can't give up and in one pair the tide can change. Morton although an epic team that year was not without fears of loss. However they were led by Coach E, whom i directly consulted before this lecture today and i am good friends with, and knew what they needed to get done. The same is true with all the great fighting powers. So i will now reveal the topic of tomorrow's exam: the Clash of Zehr vs Jones, a comparison of modern coaching styles and the effects of the Homefield advantage.
This will be a lab practical will have two questions:
1) How does the drive to win by the Morton Cross Country team affect the outcome of the meet?
2) How is the use of strategic running affect the final scores of the meet? Please include the style used and the reasons why Morton won.
I hope you have all seen the use of strategy in running. Good luck tomorrow ladies and gentlemen. Remember to not stress before the test and know that you know the material you just have to apply it. Get a good night's sleep beforehand, drink lots of water so you don't pass out during the practical, and remember since Red starts with R, it means turn left.
I won't see you all tomorrow as i have a conference in Champaign but you will have many professors watching over you tomorrow.
Cross Country 101:
Strategy in Ancient Times
Metamora…the team to beat on Tuesday but what will it take? Dr. Gifford has given a strategy to get it done, and I know that Coach Zehr will give you one too. They may even line up with one another, you never know. But I want to give you something else, something that isn’t theoretical, and isn’t based on what could happen but did.
I want to start off by saying this is not me bragging about what a team I was on did, but just telling you what Morton has DONE. (I will tell it in the first person though, because it’s easier) We like you guys (this will be said a lot) were undefeated in the conference up to the race against Metamora. It was at home and it was our senior night. We had a good team overall and thought that we could beat Metamora (though at the time I didn’t know how big a deal this was because you get your picture on the wall if you go undefeated conference). We went into the week knowing we had one goal, beat the Redbirds. Coach E gave us our man to beat, we had to know their name and what they looked like, and we knew what had to be done during the race. We all went out and tried our best to beat our guy, though I was in my mind inconsequential (we’ll get to that later). We did it though, with a 27-28 win we did it. The question though is how?
I will give you the exact place to place break down when I get a response from my collegue Mr. Zehr, but I can tell you what Dr. Giffy got right for sure off the top of my head:
1. Our course is OUR course…our fortress and fighting ground. It should feel like your home and you know it just as well. Metamora, though they walk it every year trying to figure it out has never quite gotten a handle on it. You however know it for every bump, hole, stick, and underground gopher track. Gene Jones know his guys don’t know the course, all the coaches know you can’t learn Northwoods in a half hour before the race. Now time for a more recent example: East Peoria last year didn’t know the course and their coach knew this. They also knew something else, the top Morton guy besides not being able to kick well in a finish is also an idiot. They took their top five guys and formed a pack, then they went realllly sloooow. Stupid Morton runner (let’s call him Nathan, to keep the writing personal and to keep the identity of this poor guy secret) doesn’t know what to do so he passes them, and begins to run his race. E.P. just sits on Nathan’s shoulder the whole first lap just watching and taking a breather. When they get to the shelter during the first lap, they know the whole thing and as group pass Nathan and begin to actually run. The point of the story? You don’t have to run all out the whole time to run smart. They didn’t let the fact that they didn’t know the course hurt them.
2. You can all take any of the spots and in the race Tuesday must take the highest spot available to you, this is one of the only ways to win. You need to run fast, run hard, and help your teammates. I agree with Dr. Gifford when he said that if one man falls another must take his spot and run his goal. Northwoods eats runners for breakfast, be ready to help your fellow runner.
We are still looking for an answer to yesterday’s E.C question, I will accept the answer until 6:30 tonight. Thank you and everyone rest up for the Exam tomorrow. Wednesday we will be talking about the differences between Invite and Dual Strategies, please don’t forget to come.
Metamora…the team to beat on Tuesday but what will it take? Dr. Gifford has given a strategy to get it done, and I know that Coach Zehr will give you one too. They may even line up with one another, you never know. But I want to give you something else, something that isn’t theoretical, and isn’t based on what could happen but did.
I want to start off by saying this is not me bragging about what a team I was on did, but just telling you what Morton has DONE. (I will tell it in the first person though, because it’s easier) We like you guys (this will be said a lot) were undefeated in the conference up to the race against Metamora. It was at home and it was our senior night. We had a good team overall and thought that we could beat Metamora (though at the time I didn’t know how big a deal this was because you get your picture on the wall if you go undefeated conference). We went into the week knowing we had one goal, beat the Redbirds. Coach E gave us our man to beat, we had to know their name and what they looked like, and we knew what had to be done during the race. We all went out and tried our best to beat our guy, though I was in my mind inconsequential (we’ll get to that later). We did it though, with a 27-28 win we did it. The question though is how?
I will give you the exact place to place break down when I get a response from my collegue Mr. Zehr, but I can tell you what Dr. Giffy got right for sure off the top of my head:
1. Our course is OUR course…our fortress and fighting ground. It should feel like your home and you know it just as well. Metamora, though they walk it every year trying to figure it out has never quite gotten a handle on it. You however know it for every bump, hole, stick, and underground gopher track. Gene Jones know his guys don’t know the course, all the coaches know you can’t learn Northwoods in a half hour before the race. Now time for a more recent example: East Peoria last year didn’t know the course and their coach knew this. They also knew something else, the top Morton guy besides not being able to kick well in a finish is also an idiot. They took their top five guys and formed a pack, then they went realllly sloooow. Stupid Morton runner (let’s call him Nathan, to keep the writing personal and to keep the identity of this poor guy secret) doesn’t know what to do so he passes them, and begins to run his race. E.P. just sits on Nathan’s shoulder the whole first lap just watching and taking a breather. When they get to the shelter during the first lap, they know the whole thing and as group pass Nathan and begin to actually run. The point of the story? You don’t have to run all out the whole time to run smart. They didn’t let the fact that they didn’t know the course hurt them.
2. You can all take any of the spots and in the race Tuesday must take the highest spot available to you, this is one of the only ways to win. You need to run fast, run hard, and help your teammates. I agree with Dr. Gifford when he said that if one man falls another must take his spot and run his goal. Northwoods eats runners for breakfast, be ready to help your fellow runner.
We are still looking for an answer to yesterday’s E.C question, I will accept the answer until 6:30 tonight. Thank you and everyone rest up for the Exam tomorrow. Wednesday we will be talking about the differences between Invite and Dual Strategies, please don’t forget to come.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Ladies Potters vs. Redbirds
So the ladies want to beat Metamora too?
Good. I'm glad. I'll be honest with you. It's going to be tougher for the ladies than for the boys. There are two reasons for this.
- they have 3 consistent frontrunners instead of two.
- the margins to catch those frontrunners is larger
In dual scoring, there is no way to beat a team that goes 1-2-3 in a race. In an invite, it can work, but head to head, it's mathematically impossible. Either that, or I'm bad at math.
So the strategy is essentially the same as the boys. You have to break up that front running. You need to get at least one of your top runners in between Metamora's top 3. And the way The Law Firm of Pribble, Pribble and Jankowski (thanks go to Joe Zeller, who has a very mhsrunners.blogspot.com-ish sense of humor) has been running, if you get one up there, you'll likely get 2 or 3 up there.
But that's only one part of two things required to win. The other lies with the pack. You've got to get as many runners as possible in front of their 4th and 5th. It'll be tight, because their 4, 5, and 6 runners are often close. But you guys have managed to have your 4th and 5th competitive with theirs before, at Galesburg. And you've also managed to swap positions from 4-7 before. If you can manage to get several runners in front of their 4th, you can do well.
What exactly will it take place-wise to succeed? I can't say, because there's a lot of potential things that could happen. If you can get 1 runner to break up Metamora's top 3, it's tough. If you can get 2 in there, a big wave of Potters before Metamora's 4th could do it. And if you can get 3 up there, it becomes more reasonable.
So that's what it comes down to, the more people who have their best race so far of the season, the better the chance you have. Just like the boys, running together helps. There's no point having several people finish near each other, and sometimes run near each other, but not use each other and help each other. So use each other, and use the course. The course is tough, and the competition doesn't know it as well as you do. Resist the temptation to give them a tour the first lap. And if you decide to make a big push, try using a corner where you're out of sight for a second.
Some good racing Saturday!
Thanks Joe for the report on the Porta Invite. It sounds like it was an awesome race, and I'm glad to hear Morton ran well, putting up some quick times, and is running in packs. I wish I could have been there, but hey, moving boxes was fun too, right?
Scouting reports on Pekin
Pekin raced this weekend at EP. We haven't seen a lot of Pekin this year, so I'll tell you some quick impressions. Remember, these are quick impressions based on skimming results of only one of their races.
In the guys race, they will be tougher than I expected. They have a strong front two, but a large gap to the rest of the scorers. If you run the type of race that competes with Metamora, you should beat Pekin handily, unless they've been hiding something. If you don't run that well, you'll likely still beat them, but it'll be kind of close. A bad race for Morton could lose to them. They beat, but didn't destroy, Canton and EP on Saturday. Both of those are teams that you have also beaten, but not destroyed.
In the girls race, Pekin looks a little weaker, but just a little. They narrowly beat Richwoods, who Morton's beaten handily, and they didn't put a lot of points on Washington, who were annihilated by the Potters on Tuesday. They don't look like slouches though, and an off race for Morton could fall to the Dragons, so be careful.
So tear it up on Tuesday, and remember that the strength of winning these races lies in the pack!
A few clarifications
Just in case the girls felt slighted that my post tonight was shorter than what I wrote for the guys, I'll offer up two excuses and a reason:
- Much of what I would have said to the girls was covered in the guys post. It applies to both, but I didn't feel like typing it twice, and I'm too lazy to copy/paste. This is because....
- I'm exhausted from a long week and weekend.
- I realize that I have a tendency to write way too long, and I'm trying not to make everything as long as what I wrote for the guys (basically it's not that yours was too short, but that the guys' was too long)
A few last minute tips
- Nathan Young related a story to me that confirmed that some visiting teams do try what I have christened the 'tour guide approach' to racing at Northwoods. Don't let them! This confirmation makes me feel smart, as I came up with that idea all by myself, and find out experienced coaches use it too. Yeah for me!
- Use the course, Luke! Use the course! Let go of your feelings... (do you all even know the original Star Wars?)
- You have traded spots before, so don't anyone settle for their usual spot. I'll share a story from a similar situation. I was on a team that had to win against Richwoods to complete an undefeated season. I had to beat their third man, but I felt crappy and was fading in the middle of the race. But our normal fourth man came up, took my spot, and beat Richwoods third, allowing me to beat Richwoods fourth and we won the meet 27-28. It wouldn't have happened if our usual fourth man had settled for his usual fourth position. Anyone of you could finish in any position and many are rapidly improving. Who's it going to be this time?
- The strength is in the pack and running together. Not much more to say there. If you don't get it by now, come talk to us and we'll give you another lesson.
- Have fun. What could be more fun than making yourself hurt really bad for 15-20, and then hanging out with good friends? May not sound like as much fun when I say it like that, but it really is a blast. I have a feeling you all know what I mean. If you didn't, why on earth are you on the cross country team?
-Steve
Cross Country 101: Intro to Strategic Running
Professor: Dr. Young
TA: Dave Getz; currently in his 2nd year working on his BR in Titanic Running
TA: Ben Getz; currently in his 2nd year working on his BR in Greek Strategy, specializing in the story of Marathon
Welcome class to Day One of Intro to Strategic Running, I’ll be your professor leading lectures and your TA’s this semester will be Dave Getz and Ben Getz. Also if we’re lucky we may have a few guest lectures from Dr. Gifford, who has his doctorate in Strategic Running and Running with Injuries, and is working on his Masters in Greek Strategy which he will complete this October. He is also an accomplished writer including his works: Coaching the Modern Runner and Proper Forums for Advising the New Age Teen.
Today’s lesson is on the basics of cross country scoring. I know it sounds easy but in order to move into deeper topics we must cover the basics. Also keep in mind that the first exam is this Tuesday and will be closed book. The exam is made to be hard, but I know all of you can pass with flying colors if you listen carefully in lecture and get a good night’s sleep the night before.
Now then…Cross Country is based on lowest score wins. The score is the sum of the places of the first five runners from a team to cross the finish line. The sixth and seventh runners are there to try to get in before the fifth runner from the other team. I think that everyone knows that this appears simple but we will still give an example. Say a team gets 1, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 34; while your team gets 2,3,4,6, 9,10, and 13 . The scores would be: 32 for the other team and 24 for you so easy enough to say you won. This would be if the first guy finished one second faster than your man (or person) or a minute faster. So you wonder though where is the strategy in that then. Relax I’m getting there, the key is the Pack.
This is a very secret strategy that is rarely heard of but when mastered is quite powerful. Simply put it plays off the math involved in cross country. Numbers that are close together add up to a smaller number than nonconsectutive numbers (not together). An example: the sum of 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 is 15 whereas the sum of 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 10 is 30. And in this second case would even be beaten in a dual format by the 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 which is only 25. So we have learned so far what? That a pack is good, low score wins, and strategy is important.
Now I know that you will get addition studying and go into further details on this with your TA’s, but one final topic to think about before your discussion sections. How can one sixth man in front of a fifth change anything?
First person to post the correct answer will receive extra credit. Remember the exam is coming up and…okay there’s the bell have a good afternoon everyone. Class will be again tomorrow, we’ll be talking about Strategy in Ancient Times.
TA: Dave Getz; currently in his 2nd year working on his BR in Titanic Running
TA: Ben Getz; currently in his 2nd year working on his BR in Greek Strategy, specializing in the story of Marathon
Welcome class to Day One of Intro to Strategic Running, I’ll be your professor leading lectures and your TA’s this semester will be Dave Getz and Ben Getz. Also if we’re lucky we may have a few guest lectures from Dr. Gifford, who has his doctorate in Strategic Running and Running with Injuries, and is working on his Masters in Greek Strategy which he will complete this October. He is also an accomplished writer including his works: Coaching the Modern Runner and Proper Forums for Advising the New Age Teen.
Today’s lesson is on the basics of cross country scoring. I know it sounds easy but in order to move into deeper topics we must cover the basics. Also keep in mind that the first exam is this Tuesday and will be closed book. The exam is made to be hard, but I know all of you can pass with flying colors if you listen carefully in lecture and get a good night’s sleep the night before.
Now then…Cross Country is based on lowest score wins. The score is the sum of the places of the first five runners from a team to cross the finish line. The sixth and seventh runners are there to try to get in before the fifth runner from the other team. I think that everyone knows that this appears simple but we will still give an example. Say a team gets 1, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 34; while your team gets 2,3,4,6, 9,10, and 13 . The scores would be: 32 for the other team and 24 for you so easy enough to say you won. This would be if the first guy finished one second faster than your man (or person) or a minute faster. So you wonder though where is the strategy in that then. Relax I’m getting there, the key is the Pack.
This is a very secret strategy that is rarely heard of but when mastered is quite powerful. Simply put it plays off the math involved in cross country. Numbers that are close together add up to a smaller number than nonconsectutive numbers (not together). An example: the sum of 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 is 15 whereas the sum of 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 10 is 30. And in this second case would even be beaten in a dual format by the 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 which is only 25. So we have learned so far what? That a pack is good, low score wins, and strategy is important.
Now I know that you will get addition studying and go into further details on this with your TA’s, but one final topic to think about before your discussion sections. How can one sixth man in front of a fifth change anything?
First person to post the correct answer will receive extra credit. Remember the exam is coming up and…okay there’s the bell have a good afternoon everyone. Class will be again tomorrow, we’ll be talking about Strategy in Ancient Times.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Joe Zeller's Porta Invite Summary
Originally Posted by Joe:
I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with this. So I am leaving here for one of the founders to deal with. This is my very limited summary of the race.
First the girl’s race:
At 10:00 in the AM, started the battle for top dog of some randomly scattered cross country teams from Illinois. Leading the Morton girls was of course the Pribble twins and Jankowski in the mid-teens. They lead the first mile in (time unknown) while Carius, Coon, and Zbinden followed behind in (also unknown). They were also followed by Nace, Ogden, and Reins. Keeping strong all the way to the end of the race was the front pack of Pribble, Pribble, and Jankowski (kinda sounds like a law firm, doesn’t it?) in times of 19:33, 19:34, and 19:34 respectively. The rest of the Morton squad was filled by Carius (22:02), Zbinden (22:31), Coon (22:47), Nace (25:03), Ogden, Rachel (26:31), and Reins (27:02). All girls contributed to the scoring of a 6th place finish. Good job girls!
Then the guy’s race:
When the race started it was hot! It then soon cooled off upon entering the woods which was heavily shaded. This helped make the race quite enjoyable from some perspectives. To start the race, the lead Morton runner came through the mile at 5:30 and was closely followed by Bradford, Domnick, Meyer, Piper, and Smith. A key part to Morton’s success was the tightness of their 2nd through 6th men which finished only 20 seconds apart. Morton’s men are starting to run with each other rather than just happening to be in the same race together. They had about 4 or 5 close groups that worked off of each other, but back to the race. After the final part of the trails up the large hill (which didn’t really compare to big bertha, but was nicely complemented by a large group of lady potters), all that was left was a small straight away and the final hundred yard dash. First for the guys in ninth place over all was Zeller in a time of 16:30. He was closely followed by Bradford (17:18) and Domnick (17:15) who got out kicked by Meyer (17:10) in the final straight away. Very close behind were Piper (17:25) and Smith (17:30) which rounds out the first group of runners. To round out the normal varsity 7 was Hohulin at 18:10. Then in came Blunier (18:33) which started the announcer in my head saying “the 30, the 20, the 10, touchdown!” as he barreled down the football field for the finish. Next was Ivins (18:40) and Getz (19:00) which rounded out the scoring which I will explain later. The next pack of guys was Ackerman (19:03), Young(19:12), Hanser(19:20), Goodyear, Justin(19:33), and Smith, Chase(19:40). These guys are worked well together to finish the race strong. The rest of the Morton Potters were Lyons(20:35), Zimniek(21:09), Baer(21:14), Doan(21:54), and Goodyear, Jordan(25:56). The Guys ended up in 4th overall, good job guys!
Scoring:
The people in charge of the meet had an interesting way of scoring it. They took the number of students in school (in our case about a thousand), divided it by 100 (10), then took that many finishers from the team and averaged their scores, and then took that and multiplied it by 5 for the final team score. This kind of evens it out, but in some cases can be very unfair to some teams. But who am I to judge?
And yes Dave, aren't I fast for a 49 year old?
I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with this. So I am leaving here for one of the founders to deal with. This is my very limited summary of the race.
First the girl’s race:
At 10:00 in the AM, started the battle for top dog of some randomly scattered cross country teams from Illinois. Leading the Morton girls was of course the Pribble twins and Jankowski in the mid-teens. They lead the first mile in (time unknown) while Carius, Coon, and Zbinden followed behind in (also unknown). They were also followed by Nace, Ogden, and Reins. Keeping strong all the way to the end of the race was the front pack of Pribble, Pribble, and Jankowski (kinda sounds like a law firm, doesn’t it?) in times of 19:33, 19:34, and 19:34 respectively. The rest of the Morton squad was filled by Carius (22:02), Zbinden (22:31), Coon (22:47), Nace (25:03), Ogden, Rachel (26:31), and Reins (27:02). All girls contributed to the scoring of a 6th place finish. Good job girls!
Then the guy’s race:
When the race started it was hot! It then soon cooled off upon entering the woods which was heavily shaded. This helped make the race quite enjoyable from some perspectives. To start the race, the lead Morton runner came through the mile at 5:30 and was closely followed by Bradford, Domnick, Meyer, Piper, and Smith. A key part to Morton’s success was the tightness of their 2nd through 6th men which finished only 20 seconds apart. Morton’s men are starting to run with each other rather than just happening to be in the same race together. They had about 4 or 5 close groups that worked off of each other, but back to the race. After the final part of the trails up the large hill (which didn’t really compare to big bertha, but was nicely complemented by a large group of lady potters), all that was left was a small straight away and the final hundred yard dash. First for the guys in ninth place over all was Zeller in a time of 16:30. He was closely followed by Bradford (17:18) and Domnick (17:15) who got out kicked by Meyer (17:10) in the final straight away. Very close behind were Piper (17:25) and Smith (17:30) which rounds out the first group of runners. To round out the normal varsity 7 was Hohulin at 18:10. Then in came Blunier (18:33) which started the announcer in my head saying “the 30, the 20, the 10, touchdown!” as he barreled down the football field for the finish. Next was Ivins (18:40) and Getz (19:00) which rounded out the scoring which I will explain later. The next pack of guys was Ackerman (19:03), Young(19:12), Hanser(19:20), Goodyear, Justin(19:33), and Smith, Chase(19:40). These guys are worked well together to finish the race strong. The rest of the Morton Potters were Lyons(20:35), Zimniek(21:09), Baer(21:14), Doan(21:54), and Goodyear, Jordan(25:56). The Guys ended up in 4th overall, good job guys!
Scoring:
The people in charge of the meet had an interesting way of scoring it. They took the number of students in school (in our case about a thousand), divided it by 100 (10), then took that many finishers from the team and averaged their scores, and then took that and multiplied it by 5 for the final team score. This kind of evens it out, but in some cases can be very unfair to some teams. But who am I to judge?
And yes Dave, aren't I fast for a 49 year old?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Who wants beat Metamora?
This summary is for how the men can beat Metemora. I'll get my thoughts up on the girls Tuesday competition before I go to bed Sunday night. I promise. I won't be able to make it to tomorrow's race in PORTA, so I wish you all the best of luck and enjoy your first road trip this season.
Let's do it
So, men, I say "you can beat Metamora". You look at me and say "they beat us all 3 times we've seen them this year. Are you crazy?" And I respond, "Yes, I am a little crazy. But that doesn't mean I'm not right!" So let's have a look at some of those different races, shall we, and what we can do to change them.
First of all, Metamora's got 2 strong front runners. Their top 2 have beaten our top 2 in every race so far, usually by margins of greater than 30 seconds. So while anything is possible, I don't suggest formulating a strategy based on beating them man for man, because beating their top 2 guys is unlikely on Tuesday.
Your strength lies in your depth. Now in those later spots, Metamora's deep too. Your depth is very comparable as you guys have traded spots with them in many races. At Galesburg, for instance, you had 6 in before their 6th. Where they beat you was having 4 guys in front of your 2nd.
But then at Woodruff, you had four guys in before their 4th, and 6 in before their 5th. That's right, 6 in before their 5th (that's the key to beating them, but I'll get to that later). And your 7th was only 2 seconds away from putting 7 in before their 5th. They only beat you guys 26-30 in dual scoring. And you know what? For whatever reason, that was probably Jared's worst race so far this year.
If you place Jared up near Joe's placing, where he's been in the more recent races (and should be on Tuesday), you would have tied them 28-28. And in a tie, you go to the 6th man, which means you would have beat them. Don't believe me? Check the results and run the numbers yourself. Jared Marks has shown in the past two weeks that he can run at the front of the team, so I basically just proved that it's possible to beat Metamora. That proof might not hold up in geometry class, but it's true nonetheless
Now, at the Dunlap Invite, things were a bit worse, for two reasons. First of all, Metamora's 3rd and 4th men had great races, beating Joe and Jared by a few spots. Another team putting 4 in front of your 1st is impossible to overcome. To make matters worse, Morton was running a man down, as Eric Meyer is normally one of your scorers, and was absent that day. Metamora creamed you. I mention this so that you realize how tight it can be, and how things can swing one way or another really easily.
So how do you make sure this is one of the days where you run well against them? Well, here's a few suggestions. Hopefully none of them go against what Coach Zehr is telling you. If they do, listen to him, he's your coach.
- You need to put your top 2 in front of their 3rd. It HAS to be done. Joe has beaten their 3rd man 2 of the 3 times you've faced them (and was not far behind him the 3rd time), and Jared has shown he can run with Joe. You have to do this to have a chance. If they put 3 or 4 guys at the front of the race, you're not going to beat them. If Joe or Jared (or anyone who wants to step up) can break up their top two, all the better, but they've both got to beat Metamora's #3 at the very least.
- You have to get at least 3 more guys in front of their 4th. You were close it at Woodruff, where Eric, Dale and Nick all beat their 4th man, and Jared almost did. Dale beat their 4th man by 4 seconds. And you know what? Dale's been beaten by Austin this season. And Nathan has finished within 1 second of Dale. You guys are all close. So that means you have 7 guys, including Jared and Joe, who could potentially beat their 4th man on the right day. It is crucial to get your 5th man in front of their 4th. If they take the top 2 spots, it's basically the only way you can win. Remember, if you manage to win this, it'll likely only be by a point or two, so every spot counts.
- You have to get your 6th man in front of their 5th. This will inflate their score, and is the only way to counteract the low sticks their front runners will likely provide. 7 is better, but you HAVE to get 6 in front of their 5th. Once again, I've shown that's possible. Not easy, but it's possible. You've done it before. You had a 7th guy within 2 seconds of their 5th at Woodruff. 2 seconds is possible.
That's it. If you can manage those things, you'll beat them. Let's look at 3 likely best case scenarios.
- Metamora gets 1, 2, 5, 9, 11, 13, and 14. This gets them 28 points. Morton gets 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12. This gets them 28 points. Morton's 6th man (10th), beats theirs (13th). Morton wins the tie.
- Metamora gets 1, 2, 5, 9, 12, 13, and 14. This gets them 29 points. Morton gets 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11. This gets them 28 points. Morton takes Metamora by 1 point.
- Metamora gets 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 13, and 14. This gets them 28 points. Morton gets 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11. This gets them 29. Metamora takes you by 1 point.
So you see, you have to get that 5th man in front of their 4th again. Any other way likely just won't work. You also notice the key to victory is in the pack. Joe and Jared can't win the race for you, but your 5th and 6th man can. Everyone needs to do their part, and everyone is as important to a team effort as everyone else. Many people often say that the 5th man is the most important on the team, but in a super close race, like we hope this will be, all 7 are important.
Now you may be saying "wait a minute, Woodruff was a nasty day, maybe they were just off that day or whatever."
I respond in two ways "first of all, Woodruff was just as nasty for you as it was for them. Second of all, you don't think you have an advantage on Tuesday???!! 'Cause you do. You've got three that I can think of right now!"
- Metamora knows they've beat you all 3 times. They probably don't realize how close things can be. They'll come in overconfident and expecting that a B-level effort could win the race. You have surpise on your hands.
- You're a better team than you were before. You guys are showing improvement every time out. Your positions are constantly changing and you never know who's going to have a breakout race. Especially if you learn to run as a pack and use each other, you'll be extra formidable in ways you weren't earlier.
- You have a homecourse advantage. USE IT!!
Now I'm not suggesting we have volunteers misdirect the other teams. That's dirty pool and I don't roll that way. But approaching every corner, at least the first time around, Metamora's guys are going to be thinking "ok...I think I go right here...but I'm not sure...what's that Morton guy doing? Is that volunteer pointing me to the right or talking on her cell phone?" You guys will be going around that course with the confidence that you know exactly where every corner is. What's more, you know which hill's hurt the most, how long that hill on the trail lasts (coming out of the prairie grass section), and you should know the best line around all the corners. Use these things, because the opposition won't know the course as well as you, especially on the first lap.
You have corners where if you have a small lead, you're out of sight for a few seconds. Surge on those corners. It'll help to 'break' someone who's chasing you if they regain sight of you and find you've put another 10 meters on them. Know where to position yourself; when you want to be on the right side of the path to get ready for the next corner, and when you want to be on the left. Run the tangents as well, which means running the straightest path that follows the course. I noticed at Washington that many of you guys were running kind of wider paths than necessary, while Limestone's guys were not. Every second counts.
There's a good chance that Metamora will hang back a little and not force the pace the first lap. They've started conservatively in several of their races so far, and they might try to have you 'give them a tour' the first lap. Don't let them. If they hang back and run slowly, run just off their shoulder, but don't show them where to go, unless you think you're ready to take a big lead. Running 5 meters in front is just showing them around. We should have volunteers to point at the corners, but it's not your job to show them. It's your job to beat them. If they do run this way, be ready because when the second lap comes, or maybe late in the first lap, they're going to ratchet up the pace. Be ready for it.
The second thing is to RUN TOGETHER. The best teams always have guys running together, and if you've had a chance to watch Metamora, you'd notice that they often pair up for the first 2 miles or so. You guys have often finished near each other, but are not quite running as a team yet.
Joe and Jared, you keep finishing close, but I've never seen you run side by side for more than a few meters. It's too bad because you've got running styles that could complement each other. Joe is very good at managing pace and effort over the first 2 miles and ratcheting it up over the last 1/2 to 3/4 while Jared's very good at being aggressive and closing the last quarter mile, but is often not as strong in the middle. Run together and use each other. Use Joe's pacing the first two miles, and use Jared's late aggressiveness. It's much easier to run hard with a teammate by your side, and it's much harder for an opponent to try and run down 2 Potters than 1. I know you guys may have a bit of a rivalry going and you each want to be top Potter on Tuesday, but who are you trying to beat? Each other? Or Metamora? When it comes time to separate over that last 3/4 or so of a mile, then go as hard as you can, but make sure your teammate's with you and as ready as possible when you get to that 2 mile mark.
The next 5 guys, the same thing goes for you. You guys have changed your order up more frequently than a game of musicial ibexii (thanks Dave). If you work together, you'll have a greater chance of putting that 5th man in front of Metamora's 4th, and getting your 6th in front of their 7th. Nick, Dale, Eric, Nathan and Austin, you guys can all do this if you work together. Get together as a group, and take turns leading and setting the pace. Don't count on one teammate to lead you through all the way. Protect each other. Don't let Metamora or Pekin steal those good lines around the corners, or whatever other dirty pool they might try to pull (back in my day, Pekin guys always raced dirty). Do what you can to ensure you arrive at that 2 mile mark together and ready to rumble with their guys. In the latter half of the race, if your group splinters, try to pair off. Don't fall back for someone else in the last half mile of a race, but if 2 of you are faltering, use each other, and make sure to beat their 5th man.
Nathan posted a week or so ago about running so that you know that you have raced. This is that opportunity. This isn't a big invite with some strangers where your goal is simply to finish as far up the field as possible. This is a direct, man-to-man competition between the top 2 teams in the Mid-Illini! This is cross-country! Don't walk away from that race knowing that you could have done something more than you did. You'll kick yourself for it....especially if the team loses by one or two points.
Now, who knows, Metamora may have a better race than they've had all year an seal the deal no matter how well you race. They're a good team for a reason, and they have a savvy, experienced coach. They've been a better team than you all season and their best race may beat your best race. But you're getting better and if you run your best race on Tuesday, it might beat the race they run on Tuesday. If you don't triump, you want to be able to go home that night knowing that you - and your teammates - gave your all against a team that's beat you 3 times this season. You'll be a stronger person for it, you'll have learned more about your sport, and you'll be more prepared next year.
That's right, next year. We're thinking that far ahead and it's one of the things we're excited about with this team. You guys have only one senior in your top 10. If you guys put in the work over next summer, you could come back next fall stronger than ever. Wouldn't it be nice if this time next year, Metamora is sitting around trying to figurie out how to eke out every single point they can against you? So who wants to be on that top 7 next year?
Winning won't be easy, but the best goals to set are the hard ones that you think you might be able to reach, but you just don't know for sure. Who wants to try for something they already know they can do? You already know you can lose to Metamora, let's see if you can beat them!
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