There is an old proverb that says "fear makes the wolf bigger than he is." With our first race under our belts, each one of these fine competitors has now met the wolf. In most cases, we have learned that the wolf is really a nice doggie - maybe a golden lab or beagle. A few have learned that the wolf is still there, but it's not as scary as it once was. For all who raced on Sunday though, we now know what we must do to meet the wolf the next time.
For a few who have not put their hearts into the practice routine, I suspect we will get a little more attention. For another set, I suspect we will see even more effort as they strive to improve their times and places. Then for another set yet, we will probably see a little slacking off - the "I did pretty well" set...those are the ones who are going to find that the golden lab will bite!
For the next three weeks, leading up to the Championship Meet, we will hone our skills in an effort to make steady progress each week. The coaching staff has the same problem every year...we get the Gumpian "box of chocolates," not really sure what we are going to get. We now have our first measure and a sense of what needs to be done to help everyone meet their goals.
In general, Monday's practices will be a little easier, Thursday's practices a bit harder. The rationale for that is that the day after race day needs to be a recuperative day. This is when we exercise gently to get blood flowing back through sore muscles and help the regenerative process. Thursday's practice leaves plenty of time for recuperation before Sunday's race, but will be used to work on course specific challenges. Some of the big issues I see facing us over the next couple of weeks are:
1. Rhythm - well, we do live in Music City! Every racer has an internal rhythm that works best - a pace that optimizes their performance. I saw quite a few examples of runners getting out of rhythm or using a beat that needed to be a little faster in order to place higher. Running rhythm is the combination of breathing and foot strike that carries the runner over the greatest distance at the fastest speed with the least discomfort.
2. Confidence - I mentioned the wolf at the start of this post...we had some wavering confidence on the part of a very small group of runners...unfortunately, that lack of confidence, especially if it is vocalized before the race to other team members can become a mental block for the whole squad. We need to be careful to contain that contagion! As Robert Louis Stevenson once observed: "Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others."
3. Late Race Form - fatigue does funny things to us, but the one thing we have to control is not letting our form come unglued in the closing stretches of a race.
Overall, though, I was VERY pleased with the efforts posted by all runners yesterday. We have a lot to be proud of and I am confident that they will make CKS proud going forward!
For the next three weeks, leading up to the Championship Meet, we will hone our skills in an effort to make steady progress each week. The coaching staff has the same problem every year...we get the Gumpian "box of chocolates," not really sure what we are going to get. We now have our first measure and a sense of what needs to be done to help everyone meet their goals.
In general, Monday's practices will be a little easier, Thursday's practices a bit harder. The rationale for that is that the day after race day needs to be a recuperative day. This is when we exercise gently to get blood flowing back through sore muscles and help the regenerative process. Thursday's practice leaves plenty of time for recuperation before Sunday's race, but will be used to work on course specific challenges. Some of the big issues I see facing us over the next couple of weeks are:
1. Rhythm - well, we do live in Music City! Every racer has an internal rhythm that works best - a pace that optimizes their performance. I saw quite a few examples of runners getting out of rhythm or using a beat that needed to be a little faster in order to place higher. Running rhythm is the combination of breathing and foot strike that carries the runner over the greatest distance at the fastest speed with the least discomfort.
2. Confidence - I mentioned the wolf at the start of this post...we had some wavering confidence on the part of a very small group of runners...unfortunately, that lack of confidence, especially if it is vocalized before the race to other team members can become a mental block for the whole squad. We need to be careful to contain that contagion! As Robert Louis Stevenson once observed: "Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others."
3. Late Race Form - fatigue does funny things to us, but the one thing we have to control is not letting our form come unglued in the closing stretches of a race.
Overall, though, I was VERY pleased with the efforts posted by all runners yesterday. We have a lot to be proud of and I am confident that they will make CKS proud going forward!
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