Friday 9/21/18

This morning on my way to the office I was traveling behind two school buses (one for the Rockland schools, the other for SSVT,) each making alternating stops along the way, extending my travel time considerably.  I've seen impatient adults pound their steering wheels under similar circumstances, but that's not me.  I do a lot of thinking in those moments and today my thoughts went to yesterday's races with Duxbury.  After the buses made 10-12 stops over a mile or so I came up with this analogy for my reaction to yesterday's results.  As frustrating as it may be stopping/starting and stopping again while in a line behind school buses, the fact that young people are on their way to improve themselves through education somehow makes the wait worthwhile.  Similarly, while the scores of yesterday's races indicates a drubbing of sorts and may frustrate us all, the fact that all of you are improving will ultimately make this meet relatively insignificant. I got to my destination, and you will get to yours.   I've said it many, many times.  Nothing is won in September.

There are lessons to be learned however from this week's races.  For example, there is an advantage of a home course meet.  But the most significant lesson in my mind is the value and importance of summer training.  The Duxbury team has been and will continue to be  a talented group of athletes willing to put in the work in June, July and August to prepare for their season.  I've also said in the past that one of the factors which drew me to Whitman-Hanson was that during the summer months as I made the same trip to the office (with no buses thankfully) I would see the XC kids running together in the early morning hours.  The importance of that effort, coupled with my expression of hope that you will do the same, has not resonated with most of you.  This team has an opportunity.  While it may not be this year, it can and should be next year and thereafter.  Our overall numbers have improved and we have young teams.  Unless and until the MIAA changes the rules, preparation is up to you.  I can give you direction, but I can't enforce it.  Consequently the number of XC athletes who did meaningful summer training can be counted on one hand.  Not exactly the recipe for success.  Speaking from experience, during the years when I had consistent team entries into the All-State tournament, it was the base miles done during the summer that made all the difference.  You all have the ability to run.  Most of you have the ability to run well.  Our top 7 is not determined necessarily through mechanics or genetics, but by the correlation between effort and results.

On the subject of effort, I mentioned to my group the other day that during stress tests an individual's response to exertion is measured by the Borg Perceived Rate of Exertion chart.  I mentioned that I would simplify that to meet our needs.  Well, somebody (humorously) has done that for me as you can see in the picture below.  I will be making reference to it in the weeks to come.  See you at 2:30!