Run for the Prize

Our cross country team ran at our sectional meet yesterday up in Hibbing to close out the season for most of our students. One student, Eva Johnson, qualified for the State Meet next Saturday in Northfield with a great run. We had hoped to have more students qualify; in fact, we had hoped that our entire boys team would qualify. All of our runners worked hard all year and gave it their very best, but it was not to be this year.

However, the outstanding performance of the day came from one of our varsity boys, Eli Fromm. The passion he poured into his run was the most surprising, memorable, and exciting part of the day. 

Eli is a solid runner who works hard and is a vital part of our team, both for his performance on the course and his character and leadership throughout the season. It helps also that Eli is just an incredibly nice guy and very funny. 

Eli has regularly placed third or fourth on our team throughout the season, but yesterday he astounded everyone when, sometime in the second half of the race, he poured out everything he had and put on an incredible burst of speed. I'm not sure where it came from, but he reached down deep within and began to pour it on, passing both team members Charlie and Ethan, our two front-runners who consistently battled between first and second place on our team. 

As I watched him race the final few dozen meters to the finish line, I could see on his face a combination of both effort and pain in equal measure. He crossed the finish line in a lot of pain and utterly exhausted. When you talk about someone giving 110%, this is what you are referring to. I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 9:24: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." That was Eli yesterday.

Eli was less than five seconds away from qualifying for State as an individual. Nevertheless, he made us all incredibly proud. His heart and passion were evident in his performance, and he left a stellar example for the rest of the team to follow.

Really, it's a great example for all of us. What are you passionate enough about to go all out and give it your all? 

Fun Picture Friday: George

It Fun Picture Friday! This was my favorite picture this past week from the elementary fun run before our cross country meet in Hinckley. That's George in the middle who is a sixth grade student that loves running (and is pretty good at it, too!) I love the expression on his face and his overall passion for running is evident. I'm looking forward to having him on the Dragon Cross Country team next year!

Here's a bonus picture of all of the elementary Dragon runners. I hope to see them all on our junior and senior high team one day!

Time Trials for Cross Country

 

First time trials today for our Cross Country team. We've got about 47 students overall with a sizeable contingent of incoming 7th graders and only 2 seniors, meaning that since we have a pretty great team now, we will still have a strong team for years to come as we won't graduate too many out for a couple more years.

Best of all, these are great kids. They are fun to be with and are some of the highest quality students in our school. It's a honor and a pleasure to help coach them. I can't wait for the rest of the season!

(Lots more pictures on the Pine City XC/Track and Field Facebook page.)

Kudos to Our Wonderful Athletic Trainer

Since I started coaching Cross Country a couple of years ago I have been able to observe our school's athletic trainer, the incomparable Becky Zelenko, as she works with students throughout the season. I have been super-impressed with the work she does for all of the different students in all of the different sports. 

The athletic trainer doesn't just treat injuries, although, they do that, they also help prevent them and make sure students are ready for competition. Becky is tireless in her dedication to these kids and she knows them all by name, even the ones that aren't always needing medical attention!

I took a student to visit her today with some pulled muscles in his calf. As always, she was personable, professional, and patient in helping diagnose the issue and suggesting some stretches and other treatments he can employ. She has a great knack for making students feel comfortable.

Maybe every school has an athletic trainer as amazing as Becky. I hope so. Every student athlete deserves that kind of focused attention. 

So the next time you see Becky around (if you're at Pine City events), or the athletic trainer at your local school, make sure to thank them and let them know they are appreciated.

The New Season Begins Tomorrow

Cross Country practice starts tomorrow and I'm very excited. In honor of that, I want to share one of my favorite inspirational quotes from one of my co-coaches, Sherry Graber. When kids complain about how much running they do, she'll just remind them:

"The faster you run, the sooner you're done!"

If the Shoe Fits...

There are several items that can help you succeed as a runner. For example, it's great to have good tracking tech. All smartphones today have built-in GPS and with a decent app like Runkeeper or Strava you can track your run - as long as you run with your phone. A fitness watch is even more convenient. I currently use the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music, which is $125 (renewed) on Amazon right now. There are several others in that price range that will work great (any Vivoactive or Venu watch by Garmin is more than sufficient and pretty inexpensive). Mine also functions as an MP3 player and connects to my bluetooth earbuds - another helpful accessory. So with some appropriate clothes (shirt, shorts and socks), and little optional tech you, can start running.

Perhaps the most critical item is one that is often overlooked: a good pair of running shoes. Notice, I didn't just say shoes, I said "running shoes". It's worth investing in some good shoes that will assist you in your run and, most importantly, help prevent injuries. It's sad how many Cross Country students I see with inadequate footwear because they (or their parents) try to cheap out on the shoes. Compared to other sports, the cost for Cross Country or Track shoes is pretty minimal, and is definitely and investment in helping avoid injury.

A decent pair retails for about $129, although you can often find deals on previous year models. (I will often buy $150 shoes for around $60-$70 new - it's all about watching for sales and closeouts.) Most running stores will offer discounts to Cross Country student athletes, as well. I love and recommend Saucony shoes. My current favorites are the Saucony Endorphin Shift shoes, although for student athletes I might recommend the Endorphin Speed or Pro shoes. Again, talk to people at the running stores who are familiar with the different types and they can recommend shoes that work best for you.

If you're in the Twin Cities area (or in driveable distance), I'd suggest Twin Cities Running Company. They have a great staff and selection and will be able to help you out. Run N Fun also is a good choice. Both offer discounts to student athletes (I think 15% off, but you'd have to check).

It's worth going to a good running store to get fitted with a good quality shoe. It is definitely an investment in your own health and will help you become the runner you want to be.

Is it Time for Cross Country Yet?

I love coaching Cross Country. It's so great getting to know our wonderful students - and I think we have the best group of student athletes in Cross Country overall than any other sport (and I'm not biased one bit!!) And I love these kids - several have become very good friends of mine. I also enjoy our coaching staff and hanging out with them.

I look forward to our summer breakfast runs where we run a couple miles and then eat breakfast together at someone's house. It's great for team bonding and it's fun to get to know some of the parents, as well. I enjoy practices and talking to students and sometimes running with them, and the meets are always a highlight.

But by the end of Cross Country season, I'm ready from a break from the day to day practice schedule. It's pretty time consuming so I have to be extra diligent and structured in my prep time for Sundays and my pastoral responsibilities. So after the season is over I'm happy to have a few extra hours each weekday to flex a little bit.

Which is why I'm in awe of many of our student athletes who go from one sport to the next. Whether it's hockey (extraordinarily time consuming!) or basketball, many transition not only without a break, but actually with some overlap in practice schedules! Then it's on to spring sports - Track, Baseball, Tennis, Golf, etc. The students were begging me to help coach track, but there's no way. One sport is plenty. I don't know how they do so many and keep up with their schoolwork and other extracurricular activities like band, choir, drama, speech, etc. (Of course, they are a little younger than me...)

So kudos to our student athletes. I'll look forward to cheering many of our runners on at track meets (and baseball games, etc.), and I'll look forward to joining them again this Summer for Cross Country practice!