RACE COURSE: 5km. The always popular Twilight! A long out-n’-back section and a few tight turns in the second half of the loop. Mostly grass with just a few quick sidewalk crossings. After a lot of Marysville rain last week the course was still in really great shape. BEAUTIFUL XC running conditions with low 60 degree temps and negligible breeze. Perhaps one of our best Twilight days yet!
OVERALL: Time to revisit the goal sheets! What a great day!! So much hard effort and so many positive vibes – and look what happens! Across the board this was a good day. Everyone ran smart – patient but confident, bold and focused when you needed to be, and just going with the flow of some very fast races. Let’s bundle all the good feelings from this meet and carry it with us to each workout and race to come over the next four weeks. We’ve got a chance to make a real statement.
GIRLS: JV 9/10 - 267 finishers.
Alida: 22:52.8, PR, 20th place. 1st Mile: 7:08, 2nd Mile 7:29, Overall Pace: 7:22
My oh my. Last 5K you ran 24:51, this week 2 minutes faster!! You said on the bus that your dad thought you could run in the 22’s and he was right. What a wonderful race you ran. That second mile was so tough – you were powering up the hills and you caught a lot of people. You knew you were having a good race and you carried that positive vibe through in the hard parts of the last mile. Leading up to the race, you had a week of super solid workouts. Hope your confidence is growing and you’re having fun!
Ingrid: 23:28.7, PR, 38th place. 1st Mile: 7:06, 2nd Mile: 7:46, Overall Pace: 7:33.
That was a breakthrough. Aside from setting a new lifetime 5K best by 30 seconds and improving over Wenatchee by 2 minutes, you really showed your poise and tenacity in HOW you ran this race. You got out in a great spot and the first mile looked fast but in control. The hill section hurt and your breathing was tight. It would have been so easy to just give in at the two mile. But, you didn’t. You kept your stride long, you kept the arms going, and you kept believing. You really gathered yourself again and ran an amazing last mile. Yes, running fast can hurt, but you can do hard things and you proved that to yourself with this race. Awesome!
Yasmin: 27.30.9, 160th place. 1st Mile: 8:16, 2nd Mile: 9:09, Overall Pace: 8:51
25 seconds faster than Twilight last year and more than 4 minutes faster than Wenatchee. You did everything right in this race. You were pulled out pretty hard for that first mile, just because that was a fast race overall. You kept your calm in the second mile and worked hard up the hills, and you came back with a solid third mile. Great job staying positive and calm – and good job preparing for the race with extra hydration. Let’s get a few more weeks of solid workouts in and you’ll match that PR from last year!
GIRLS: Varsity - 171 finishers.
Leki: 19:29.4, 12th place, PR, 1st Mile: 6:09, 2nd Mile: 6:21, Overall Pace: 6:16
Oh my goodness. You’re back and better and stronger than ever. You looked so good from the moment the gun went off. You got into a great spot in the first mile and then you totally ran the race as it unfolded. Great hill sequence and super awesome last half mile. You made that look fun and flowing. It’s a good time to get serious about what you want to accomplish this season – let’s make it happen!
Oh my goodness. You’re back and better and stronger than ever. You looked so good from the moment the gun went off. You got into a great spot in the first mile and then you totally ran the race as it unfolded. Great hill sequence and super awesome last half mile. You made that look fun and flowing. It’s a good time to get serious about what you want to accomplish this season – let’s make it happen!
Sandra: 21:39.5, PR, 55th place, 1st Mile: 6:38, 2nd Mile: 7:06, Overall Pace: 6:58
A memorable and impressive senior race at Twilight. You wanted that PR and you shattered the 22 minute mark. You were so bold—got right out into a good place and then you worked so hard in that last mile, and that’s where the almost 30 second PR came from. I think it’s worth noting that in your sophomore year you ran 23:46 at Twilight….two minutes faster in two years. That’s all due to your hard work, persistence, and drive to improve.
Samra: 21:39.8, 56th place. 1st Mile: 6:39, 2nd Mile: 7:06, Overall Pace: 6:58
About as close to a PR as you can get – just 2 seconds off your best time last year, which came at the end of the season! This is terrific. And, wow, did you earn this fast time. You were so patient in that first mile. You could see Sandra, but you didn’t panic–you just steadily moved up and kept focused on connecting with her. Your arm work on the hills was pure magic – exactly what we have talked about. And your finish was so focused and intentional. Congratulations, that was a good day! Rest up this week with the wisdom teeth…don’t panic…we’ll ease you back in and you’ll be ready for the end of the season.
*****
BOYS: JV 9/10 - 485 Finishers - 43rd place of 54 teams, ALL classifications.
An awesome job you all, in navigating probably the toughest race at Twilight. No one knows quite how to handle the crowd and none of you got out too hard and blew up. On the flip side of that, our very consistent theme for most was maybe getting out just a little too slowly :) This made for some AWESOME moves from the mile to the end - Sam passed 85, Orlo 77, Liam, 55, and Benji 45, but we should all try attacking that first mile just a little bit more on Saturday :)
Sam: 20:40.4, PR, 195th place. 1st Mile: 6:47, 2nd Mile 6:43, Overall Pace: 6:39
Incredible running in those middle sections of the race! You ran those hills in mile two better than almost anyone that I saw all day. Great use of your arms and just an overall loose and energetic approach to climbing through that toughest part of the course. 52 people in that middle mile, and then 33 more to the end, so even a mid-race surge left plenty in the tank. At home this week you should try getting out a little closer to Brodi. Run tough from there and see what happens. Sub-20 should definitely be on your radar for later in the season.
Liam: 21:38, 261st place. 1st Mile: 6:55, 2nd Mile 7:03, Overall Pace: 6:58
Another solid day - once again pretty evenly paced - and you will slowly but surely start to trust your strength for later in the race. You looked relaxed and loose at the mile and moved up really well in the hills. Even though that may have hurt, you still passed an additional 20 runners in the final mile, so you are stronger than you realize when it comes to late-race endurance. Things get a lot easier this week when we all race together and the field will be more like 150 rather than 500 :) Great job and congrats on your second-ever HS 5k!
Another solid day - once again pretty evenly paced - and you will slowly but surely start to trust your strength for later in the race. You looked relaxed and loose at the mile and moved up really well in the hills. Even though that may have hurt, you still passed an additional 20 runners in the final mile, so you are stronger than you realize when it comes to late-race endurance. Things get a lot easier this week when we all race together and the field will be more like 150 rather than 500 :) Great job and congrats on your second-ever HS 5k!
Orlo: 22:59.1, 347th place. 1st Mile: 7:38, 2nd Mile 7:39, Overall Pace: 7:24
Close but not quite on the new PR, Orlo. You are still getting out a little too conservatively – which makes for some pretty fun things like passing 51 people in the final mile – but also probably means that your overall time could drop by quite a lot! I know that you would like to be doing workout paces closer to Liam, so maybe at the home meet this next week you should try going out closer to him in the race. See what happens and make that your goal. Congrats on your first Twilight and HS 5k number two!
Benji: 23:20.7, PR, 369th place. 1st Mile: 7:35.8, 2nd Mile 7:35.8, Overall Pace: 7:31
Great job on the first HS 5k race, Benji! And an awesomely steady one at that with those matching miles splits :) With an overall pace of 7:31 and the fact that you passed 45 people between the mile and the end, all signs point to getting out a little quicker in the next race just to see what happens. You are strong and keep a good rhythm out there once you get going. We just don’t want to give up too much time in those early miles. Great job and congrats again on the first Twilight race and the first HS 5k!
Finn: 29:47.9, 471st place. 1st Mile: 8:58, 2nd Mile 9:57, Overall Pace: 9:35
OK, Finn. Sometimes you just chalk it up. This was a BIG race and it was hard to settle in on a good spot to start. You picked a spot, but underestimated just a bit how fast you really are. No matter how large the field or how close the competition, try to find that racing feeling when we get back out there on Saturday. Think about how you feel on things like those 800 and 1000m repeats. Find that gear and that similar feeling to those harder workouts and roll with it. You are stronger than you think! Great job holding your place and even moving up across the race, but you are definitely a sub 25 minute runner.
Calvin: 37:58.8, PR, 484th place. 1st Mile: 10:55, 2nd Mile 12:50, Overall Pace: 12:14
Your cheering teammates on Saturday night said it all. AWESOME job Calvin! You had a 30 min goal and you pushed that aside in pursuit of the whole burrito :) You have been putting in the work. You are getting used to the grind. You had a goal. You crushed it! With this 38 min race under your belt. You are well on your way to a 40 min practice, and the more we start mixing in a little speed, the easier those easy runs will start to feel. Keep up the great work and congratulations again!
BOYS: JV 11th/12th - 420 Finishers
Omar: 27:04.0, 390th place. 1st Mile: 8:25, 2nd Mile: 8:54, Overall Pace: 8:43
I said it already, but that was a masterpiece in pacing! Your experience is showing and you knew full-well what you wanted to do. You were a little more patient at the mile, and your overall pace was nearly 10 seconds per mile faster than last year. You passed 6 people in mile two and another 12 in the final 1.1 mi of the race. Crazy the difference that a year can make, and also super great to have all of those other runners to chase and pass. We need to keep working on that quad so that it doesn’t hurt so much, but another excellent effort on Saturday!
Hunter: 27:04.7, 392nd place. 1st Mile: 7:39, 2nd Mile: 8:14, Overall Pace: 8:43
Not the race that you wanted, Hunter, but thank you so much for helping Omar over that final 600m of the race. It was a worthy effort and really nice of your to set your own race aside in the interest of helping a friend. Your cold and stuffy head are an easy fix with time, but check in with me today about Tim’s (Samra’s dad the PT) thoughts on your legs. I know that you want to keep running, but we might need to spot you a few days on the bike this week to help ease the pain.
BOYS VARSITY: - 419 Finishers - 13th place of 36 teams,
A really solid team race for us and our best overall Twilight in several years. I’m excited about where we are and very much look forward to the next few weeks of work to get us into the final Championship phase of the season. Keep showing up for each other. Keep building on the positive and keep patience with the rest. GRRR!
Dexter: 15:52.5, PR, 10th place, 1st Mile: 4:52, 2nd Mile: 5:11, Overall Pace: 5:07
Awesome job, Dexter. You put yourself right up and into the mix - maybe paid for it just a bit on the hills – but used that early contact and a gutsy final mile to earn yourself a new PR. In the next two weeks I hope to challenge both some speed and volume in different ways. Hopefully, this will help a bit with that mid-race fatigue and set everyone up for whatever the State can manage when we get to those races that matter on November 4th!
Will: 16:11.4, PR, 15h place, 1st Mile: 4:54, 2nd Mile 5:21, Overall Pace: 5:13
Some bold racing early and serious guts through that second mile of the race when people started to separate. You lost a small chunk before that first hill, but really didn’t give an inch in the tougher later stages – and all of this on the heels of sickness to start the week. Stronger days ahead for sure and that’s a great thing to say with a new PR under the belt. Great job, Will, and more good things to come!
Aksel: 17:12.3, PR, 59th place, 1st Mile: 5:18, 2nd Mile: 5:40, Overall Pace: 5:32
Really nicely done, Aksel! You ran a smart first mile, rock-steady in the middle with our fastest second mile of the day, and still knocked the pace back down a bit in the end. Good instincts led the way and you raced yourself well across the entirety of the course. Super excited for you and the new PR, but also totally know that you are not yet done with the potential for this senior year. Positive, positive, positive!
Tristan: 19:24.3, PR, 177th place, 1st Mile: 5:58, 2nd Mile: 6:28, Overall Pace: 6:15
Congrats as well on the new PR, Tristan, and I’m liking the sound of consistent sub-19:40s! There is more where that came from. You just have to trust the data and roll the dice. A 5:15 1600m says that you can run sub-18:30. No joke :) 18:15 is 5:52 per mile. Oh my word that is in your wheelhouse! Keep hitting those sub-six opening miles in the races, keep opening up that stride and driving those arms at the end of your races. More good things ahead!
Kyler: 19:27.4, 181st place, 1st Mile: 5:55, 2nd Mile: 6:28, Overall Pace: 6:18
The pack is BACK, baby! Great job to all of you on giving that a try in our first real attempt. It is only going to help us more and more as the next few weeks unfold. A solid first mile and we will slowly be able to challenge that even more. Nothing crazy necessary, but ballpark 5:50’s to 5:59 min will get us into the 18:30s (5:57 pace) which is where we need to be. I very much appreciate your comments on breathing, and we will practice working on that in practice over the next few weeks. You guys have all of the natural tools to get where we need to be. Be patient with the process. Embrace the pain but keep it loose! Also, Awesome to see how your whole group fell off just a bit in mile two but rallied back anywhere from 5-8 places in that final mile. THAT is a sign of strength. We can recover from the rough patches and the PACK is really good for that!
George: 19:29.3, PR, 183rd place, 1st Mile: 5:59, 2nd Mile: 6:29, Overall Pace: 6:16
Sub 19:35 for two races in a row, and George, you are just getting started! You are still building a base and still getting comfortable with the faster pace. That being said, you look incredibly relaxed out there when you are running. Keep working on that mid-race focus and as a group keep practicing who can lead and who can follow. You all have your strengths, but you are stronger as a pack, and a serious reason why we can be contenders for a State podium at the end of the season. Great job! Keep having fun and congrats on an awesome Twilight race!
Brodi: 19:48.9, PR, 200th place, 1st Mile: 6:08, 2nd Mile: 6:32, Overall Pace: 6:23
Such an excellent and steady race! Week-by-week you are adding info and feeling your way to that ideal race. You are already going out 8 seconds faster and finishing with an average pace that is 20 sec. faster per mile than Wenatchee. Crazy crowded fields like this can be good, but they can also be confusing… You didn’t get flustered or go out too fast at a pace you couldn’t handle. A smaller race this weekend, but you can keep getting closer to your teammates, and there will be a good cluster of Cashmere, Okanogan, Brewster, Manson and Tonasket boys in this sub-20 zone. Great work out there, Brodi!
PS For everyone in our varsity 4-7: Jackson Schmekel ran 20:05 at Twilight in his freshman year. He ran 18:08 at State. This kind of thing can happen. Keep having fun. Keep elevating one another!
