Liberty Bell XC
Location: Mill Bay Casino - Manson, WA Date: 9.26.15
Distance: 1.5mi/3mi. Conditions: 60-65 degrees. Sunny with wind.
Comments: Another fine weekend of running and Liberty Bell was a constant both on the podium and in the cheering throngs. A tiny race compared to last week and a particular nod to all of you that ran so tough — mostly by yourselves - on a lonely course. If you didn’t notice above, we are calling this a 3mi course rather than the 5k denoted online. No big deal, but definitely a little short.
MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS - 1.5mi. 15pts. 1st place… but no other scoring teams :)
Strong running across the board with Novie and Walker running well together up front and several others gutting it out after a fast net downhill first mile. Novie, a girls-only race to look forward to in Kettle Falls this weekend. Build throughout and focus on a sustained finish when you get back out of the sandy stretch. Rivers, excellent work! A patient start but still very connected in order to up strong throughout. If you like hills, then relish the sand this weekend as well :) Liv and Lindsay, strong running from you both again, but we’d love to see a tighter group approach from you two plus Gretta and Rivers for next weekend. Just try it :) 800m together or so and then it can break up, but hold just a little more off the throttle and focus communicate at the beginning. And Lena, a good job again in running a bit more on your own. I suspect that you’ll have more company this weekend in Kettle Falls. Good work with your arms and a nice focus with your eyes up on the hills. Keep that stride quick and short.
MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS - 1.5mi. 18pts. 1st place.
Walker, nice and steady. You looked more relaxed but still fast. No 180 degree turn at Can-Am this year! Be in good position upon leaving the sand on the way back and make a move there if you are running with anyone. Ian and Travis, you both continue to look so fluid and relaxed. A pace this week very similar to Manson and you will have more competition at Kettle Falls. Have fun with some racing in the last 800m! Logan, a hugely different level of comfort with racing between now and our first day in Moses Lake. Nice job in challenging the final hill and we’ll look forward to see what you’ve got left on a flatter course this weekend. Andrew, BOOM! out like a rocket, but tough as nails to the finish. Great open stride and a willing drive. Probably a little quick at the start :) Scale things back just a tad and you will have more for the middle to end. And Aidan, a mile pace 1:50 faster than Moses Lake. Nice job with adjusting your comfort zone (being willing to hurt a little more). You and Andrew will be well-suited to pace each other in this next race. Athlete of the Week: Aidan Catlin.
GIRLS - 3mi. 15pts. 1st place and the first scoring LBHS girls XC team in 10+ years!
The first scoring girls team in ten plus years!!!! And a tough one at that! I think that EVERYONE hurt a bit from a fast/downill first mile this week, but we held on well. And Sage (I’m starting with you) is still just tapping into her potential by running the only negative split race among all girls and boys this week. Continue to challenge that first mile a bit more each week and just race people at the end — which you seem to enjoy quite a bit :) Athena, bit by bit you were closing on Shania from Republic. We’ll see her a few more time and the faster first mile is going to feel better and better as we close out the season - especially given the head colds etc. that we’re currently shaking. Ella, a totally different course than Moses Lake and a totally different experience (small/twisty etc.) for only your second race. With an SAT break for Can-AM you’re are going to hit a consistent groove with successive races to roll towards the end of the season. It will be easier to measure progress from week to week. No matter what, a great race on tired legs. An energy sucking hill at the end, yes, but you ran tough all the way. Mia, steps. A strong first mile. Next week we’ll try for two. Ava and Icel, tough running from you both. I keep putting you together, but its a great pair. Ava, way to hang even tighter through the middle of this one and today you helped Icel where I think that last weekend the situation was reversed. Teammates rock! Strong arms and good leg drive from you both up that final hill. And Icel, just a quick reminder: 7:40 and 7:34 for your first miles in Moses Lake and Spokane. Today, 6:45. THAT is the main reason for the hurt. That being said, you fought through and were strong enough to hold your place throughout the race. No let down. Awesome.Your second mile at Spokane was 8:09 so we are certainly headed in a good direction!
VARSITY BOYS - 3mi. 37pts. 1st place.
Ben, I missed the finish this week, but I liked what I saw of the downhill running. A perfect place to make up the last of that gap on Oren during that second downhill in the first mile. Eli, straight ahead, eyes down the trail, great arms and running tall. Not a lot of people to pass, but you did have to move over some gaps and keep yourself focused on a lonely course. LOTS more to have fun with at Kettle Falls. Emerson, another solid week and good to have you feeling better. Way to stay calm with those several kids rabbiting out to the lead. A fun trio with you and Cade and Carter for the first mile this weekend, and you will have more people to chase as well. Keep that tempo light and fast again in the final mile. Carter, consistency is grand! Your race mirrored Emerson’s in many ways, and spotting him just 10 sec. per mile in final two shows some major growth in your mental toughness. Keep hitting that weight room and we’ll get you some speed in the week’s to come. Tim, eyes are up and you are super alert early on. Work on that middle mile and it will be easier next week with more kids to race. Another amazing kick, but that energy can go in a little farther spread across the race. Cameron, thumbs up to more oxygen! Thank you for trying the mouth breathing, and your race smarts are only going to grow with another race or two under your belt. It should be a good pairing again for you and Tim and Peter this weekend. Geza, nicely consistent with your place throughout the race. That fast first mile was a bugger, but you bounced back well in mile three and were moving well at the finish. Lazo, race by race. Great job in getting out nearly a minute faster and then realizing that you could still hang. Your splits were among the most consistent, and our continued speed work is only going to strengthen that middle mile. Peter, a hard first mile, and under the weather. Chalk it up. Not a big deal and you will bounce back. Simon, same as Peter, although you were a day or so behind on the sickness front. Part of the learning curve for sure. You were out 20 sec. faster than last week and one minute faster than Moses Lake! When you’re feeling better that will hurt much less. A good potential paring with you and Lazo for the weekend. Michael, nearly a minute faster in that first mile, so we need to balance your race a bit more. A denser field this weekend will help. Good form throughout. Work on that 180 step per minute. Up tempo. You’ve got the lungs for sure. Zach, a strong kick at the finish and way to challenge that first mile in a big way! A minute faster than each of the first two races but your middle mile was the same as last week and your final mile (with a big hill) was still tough as nails. If you can get out in 8 minutes then I think that you can average that for your race. Nice work! Athlete of the week: Lazo Gitchos.
