It's Almost Time.

Believe it or not (sadly), there are just a few more weeks left of the summer. I hope everyone has had a great summer with friends and family. At the beginning of the summer, my family made a bucket list of things we wanted to do and have crossed off nearly everything; it's been so much fun! My wife is a professor, so we both have a little more flexibility in the summer to do things we wouldn't normally get to do.

Here is a picture of us at Cosmos where I nearly vomited; Sadie Miller wasn't having it, either.

First off, to help everyone get their ducks in a row, I put together a checklist of items that need to be completed before the first practice on August 11th. Look this over and get everything completed so that I don't have to come after you. Historically, seniors are the primary issue for getting these done on time. Let's break the cycle this year. You can do it!

Checklist

As for the season, we are excited, but also know we have a lot of work to do. From working with this group over the years, there are a couple of priorities we need to focus on. None of them have to do with performance, as that always takes care of itself. In fact, Coach Ben and myself literally don't care where we stack up- we're FAR MORE / FAR MORE / FAR MORE concerned with how you invest in the process and how we can help you realize your worth to the team. Every single one you matters.

Nothing we'll focus on takes any talent: they are simply choices you get to make. And we need everyone on board. I think these are super simple things...read on.

1. YOUR #1 Job: Make Your Team Better

   1. This ties to our team expectations and are THE TRAITS that make good teammates in Cross Country and well, life in general.

      1. Show Up

         1. set the alarm...get out of bed....this takes no talent

      2. Work Hard

         1. when you're on a team, it's not about you / the work you put in is for your team...this also takes no talent

      3. Do the Right Thing

         1. this is your overall responsibility as a Runnin' Raider and student at Stevens HS....and... you guessed it...this takes no talent

   2. To create a positive team environment, EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. has to commit to these things. It's part of the deal. It's what being on this team is about.

   3. We'll have some recognition tied to this that comes from the coaches:

      1. MYTB Awards

         1. more on this during the season

2. #2 Pound the Stone

   1. "Pound the Stone" refers to the relentless focus on *the process* (again...this takes no talent / see the theme?)

   2. The "Pound the Stone" quote comes from Jacob Riis: "When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before."

   3. Here's a cool story:

      1. Coach Ben was a 19 minute 5k runner as a freshman in high school. ~8 years later, he set the school record for the 5k at Colorado State University, running under 14 minutes. That's insane.

         1. Showing up, working hard and doing the right thing ALWAYS pays off in one way or another. Sometimes on the track or xc course and sometimes it pays off in other areas // either way, this is the essence of what it means to Pound the Stone.

      2. If you want to look at some recent examples, look no further than last year's senior class.

         

   4. During the season, we'll have team members present weekly PTS awards. It's one of the best awards you can receive.

3. Mile Club

   1. Again- this also takes no talent, but is crucial to success in distance running.

   2. Instead of high mileage, I like moderate mileage totals that we can stack weekly over the course of a season and career. (accumulated volume)

   3. We increase mileage every year which aids in something called "Long-Term Athletic Development"

      1. We want to take logical steps every year to progress towards the top of the ladder

      2. By the end of the track season, you've maximized performance at that mileage (or step) level & can safely move up to the next level

      3. This is an essential component of seeing yearly improvements

      4. At the end of your HS career, you will have built a smooth transition if you choose to run at the college level

   4. You'll have to keep track of weekly mileage on our Team Strava

   * You can see the daily workouts on Final Surge (FS). Download the app to your phone and then give me an email address where I can send the invite to join our team.

   1. You'll need the workouts if you're out of town or just like knowing what's coming up

   2. I'll typically post a 14-day cycle, as that's how we fit in all of the different types of training we need to optimally improve

   
   

4. Follow the Runnin' Raiders

   1. Facebook

      1. https://www.facebook.com/runninraiders

   2. Instagram

      1. https://www.instagram.com/rcstevensxc/

   
   

   Please let me know if you have any questions. Check the website (runninraiders.com) for the schedule, information about the coaches and more.

   Coach Coy

   coachjessecoy@gmail.com