Manson Invitational - 9.24.16

Liberty Bell XC - Manson Invitational
Location: Mill Bay Casino, Manson, WA

Date: 9.24.16
Distance: 2500m or 5000m Conditions: Sunny and upper 70’s. Warm and a little dusty.  One or two loops of a mowed, weedy trail with some ups/downs, ups, and uneven ground.

JUNIOR HIGH BOYS: Excellent team result! You all ran with confidence and those intervals in the woods helped you accelerate on the twists and turns of the course. Each week you are figuring out how to race and you all showed a lot of determination and perseverance out there, even if sometimes you were more alone in this smaller field than last week. Can't wait to see you all race next week under the lights of the Twilight meet.

Bodie: 8:29, 1st place
Ah, the power of positive thinking. When you reached the hard spots in this race, you chose to believe in yourself and your strength and it made a difference in your race -- faster than last week's time and you had plenty of kick left. Nice job on the hills and finding your confidence.

Travis: 8:36, 2nd place
Once again you did a great job getting yourself into a position to race. Going forward it's going to be so great to have a teammate (or two) to help push you to your best racing--it's always great to have teammates near by to draw strength from, because when you know your team is running well, it can be a real boost. Let's be sure to get in some strides this week and make sure we are tuning up those speedy kick gears.

Dusty: 8:40, 3rd place
Wow! Welcome to racing Dusty. What an awesome first race. You said you wanted to go out harder and see what happens and you did just that. You held it together really well and as you get more practices and workouts in you, you will have even more endurance in the last quarter of the race. Great job.

Ian: 8:55, 5th place
You looked so smooth and in control this race. You ran with this steady fast pace. That is excellent. This next race let's work on finding more opportunities to switch gears and find places where we can purposefully pick up the pace and then back off. In a more crowded field, those surges will make a big difference in places. So great to see you having such a solid season.

Zane: 9:17, 8th place
Zane, we know you started off the day feeling tired and a bit under the weather, but you rallied big time. You are a racer and you know how to turn on the grit when you need it. Nice job getting out well in this race and then working the hills. Glad your hip is feeling better.

Andrew: 9:21, 10th place
Another great week for you -- love to see the consistency in your racing this season. You are doing everything you need to do -- getting out fast enough to be in the right pack for racing, staying strong in the middle, and then giving what you got at the end. You are going to continue to get stronger and faster each week and we hope you are enjoying your improvements!

David: 9:37, 13th place
My, oh, my. Looks like going out harder works for you -- and there's still even more to give! So much faster than last week overall and you even looked like you were having more fun. It's true, racing fast hurts, but you are learning you can handle that and that it is even fun when that happens. So great to see you have the courage to go for it. Do it again next week.

Aidan: 10:48, 16th place
Another solid performance where you got in there and really raced the runners around you. Nice job with a big kick at the end, too. It's terrific to see you getting into the races and testing yourself out there. Good job driving up the uphills.

Eli: 11:55, 22nd place
So glad you felt better after getting off the bus. Another good race in your season. You do such an excellent job of working the middle of each race -- sticking with it in your head and keeping your tempo going. Let's make sure we work on some surging this week to get you used to changing speeds and gears. Running under the lights next week will feel so fast!



JUNIOR HIGH GIRLS: Another fine week, another Team victory, and this young pride of lions is following proudly in the steps of their high school counterparts — or perhaps even leading the way since you all usually start the day :) Such good racing again, and the determination and effort is written all over your faces — from the starting gun to the final hill and sprint to the finish. Lots of fun in store for the Twilight meet this coming weekend. Costumes are an option so think of something fast and fierce!

Liv: 9:07, 1st place
Good working in pushing the pace and in following Ian and others out the front of the pack. I missed the earlier finishers this week, but your form and strength in stepping up and driving that mid-race hill was spot on. Think rhythm and flow on this next weekend’s fast golf course racing. It should be a fun one for sure!

Jori: 9:50, 2nd place
Patient racing and strong uphill running once again. You didn’t get sucked out TOO fast and you also did a good job of locking in on Keeley during those twisty middle parts of the race. Your strength to finish in that final uphill push is impressive and you will surprise some folks again in the nighttime running at Marysville this weekend!

Keeley: 9:51, 3rd place
Way to get out strong again and to run those downhills! Good arms out there too, and you dropped some nice time from your race last weekend in Idaho. Keep practicing good race awareness with an eye towards those ahead and give yourself little mind games and challenges - accelerating out of turns, “3 quick steps” etc. - to keep those sometimes lonely middle sections lively.

Lindsay: 10:28, 6th place
Let’s try a very subtle modification to your start this week and see what happens. After 2 weeks of charging super hard the first 200-400m, tuck in this next week with Jori and Keeley and let them do the work. Zone out on everything else (although it will be crazy fun to run in the dark with glowing lights etc.!) and see if that helps to relax things just a bit (relaxed AND fast). You are strong, and tough, but the relative sprint effort to kick things off may be to the detriment of breathing 800m into the race.

Eva: 10:50, 7th place
Once again moving steady and strong! Your efforts in this regard provided some great leadership for Mariah and Anja who followed you out in that early part of the race. I’m not sure that we’ve totally tapped your ability for speed, but keep pushing that start just a bit more each and every week to see what happens!

Stephanie: 11:18, 9th place
Wow! Junior High Athlete of the Week racing for sure. Compared to the summer runner a little nervous about going 20 min, you are Stephanie STRONG 2.0 for sure :) Poised and patient at the start, you can still get up and into the mix a little earlier. That being said, you moved up really well throughout (see hidden strength from summer training!) and had a fantastic dueling kick with Mariah to inspire fast finishing all around.

Mariah: 11:19, 10th place
A great race to the line with Stephanie and another terrific effort across the board. You, like all of your 7th grade co-hort suffered for a little weariness at the end of a big week but, a little rest and some Larkin smiles will set you up for some excellent races to end the season. Great to see you and Anja learning from last week and pairing up at the start as well. Let’s chat about a workout or two to keep you busy when your traveling east!

Lena: 11:28, 11th place
Nice and strong in stepping up that mid-race hill. Keep working on bringing up that early race tempo and lock into a rhythm that will keep you moving quick. Would love to see the Lena, Eva, Mariah, Anja, Steph train working together right from the start and you’ve got the depth of racing experience to pull that together and to make it work — for both you and everyone else. Talk it up out there!

Anja: 11:33, 12th place
Hanging tough at the end of a long week — and true for sure for most of our 7th grade crew. While you’re legs may not have had quite the same kick for the finish you still challenged the race and got out strong in that group with Eva and Mariah. Be patient and recover. Our workouts this week will be a little lighter. Take the same approach to the start next week and you’ll have more life in your legs at the end! Mariah will be traveling but Eva will be a good early-race partner again.

Payten: 11:58, 13th place
Such good form in that opening half mile plus the mid-race hill and it was great to see you running strong and smooth with Stephanie on the early turns. Another week or two of building mid-race endurance and then we pull back a bit to polish up some finishing speed for our final races of the year. Exciting race ahead at Twilight. Catch up on sleep this week and be ready to roll with some Mt. Lion pride!

Stella: DNF
Proud to see you start the race, even if this just wasn’t your week. Hopefully some rest over the weekend and a more regular (no Outward Bound) week ahead will have you ready to go for a fun race in Marysville. Way to be smart and to step away from the race, but also to calm that breathing down and to get things back on track. 

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS: Another impressive Saturday out there -- hope you are each taking a moment to enjoy it! Just one year ago at this race, we had our first full scoring girls team in 10+ years… and here YOU are today sending coaches around the state into a fluster wondering how we can have such a tight and fast pack (and we were missing Icel and we haven't even seen Lucy on the line yet!). Yes, this course was DEFINITELY shy of a full 5K and thus times are wicked fast (take those mile times below with a grain of salt) -- but remember that no matter what the distance, you are wicked fast and wicked tough. You all had to race alone at some point on Saturday and we are proud of the way you handled that mental challenge. Each of you, in your own way, persevered -- and you will be stronger for that. We continue to see such awesome support from each of you to each other -- you kind and generous with each other (but fierce with the race!) and you are each running better individually for it. Savor your collective power.

Novie: 17:54, 1st place, 5:31 first mile, overall pace of 5:46
You embodied this awesome balance of grit and grace -- pushing it and yet staying within yourself. It's hard to lead from wire-to-wire, but you kept up your intensity and focus by taking each part of the race in chunks and you seemed to actually look more comfortable with each mile. You ran the hills so strong. Your mental toughness will serve you well in more crowded fields the next two weeks — if you can run that tough all alone, watch out!

Athena: 19:44, 3rd place, 6:03 first mile, overall pace of 6:21
You had a goal to go out harder this week and see what happens. And look what happened! You can totally handle it. Good for you for being brave to take a chance and good for you for working it each mile. Awesome finish -- so fast, in fact, it probably means you have even more to give in the middle. We saw some joy out there today and that was so good to see!

Gretta: 19:57, 4th place, 5:55 first mile, overall pace of 6:25
You are so tough. Those bloody toes looked gnarly and that can't have made racing all that much fun. Still, you raced it hard and never gave up. That's so impressive. Maybe we can convince you to wear some socks next week (or those toes will be all calloused up) and you'll be right back out there tearing it up.

Rivers: 20:48, 5th place, 6:12 first mile, overall pace of 6:42
Excellent group running there at the beginning for you, Ava, and Taya. It's an intimidating sight to see three fast Liberty Bell girls packed together! You then moved into your own race and kept a good quick tempo throughout. You looked focused and like your head was in it - with some excellent downhills opening up your stride. Next week you'll be in a bigger pack and we'll focus on some surges to make it easier to keep your head in it! Great job.

Ava: 21:03, 6th place, 6:18 first mile, overall pace of 6:47
Thanks for the willingness to group it up at the beginning -- hope you got some comfort and strength from having friendly and powerful teammates nearby. In the middle of the race, you found yourself alone, but you held steady and used your fitness to relentlessly keep it going. You are looking so much more relaxed and your racing seems to have more "flow" to it. Keep that up -- that's the magic.

Taya: 21:45, 7th place, 6:21 first mile, overall pace of 7:00
This looked more like a race strategy that fits your style. You did an excellent job of finding a groove and going with it. You still went out good and strong and confident and your endurance carried you well in the middle. On the golf course this coming Saturday, let's focus on finding some times to purposefully make those quick step surges to keep the body moving into different gears. Those subtleties will drop seconds! We're so glad you're on the team and seem to be enjoying the whole process!

Sage: 26:45, 13th place, 8:13 first mile, overall pace of 8:37
You had a great week of workouts and you are ready to have a racing breakthrough. You did a good job moving up in the race and you kept it steady and solid. It seems like you still need to find your own version of joy in these races and we'd like to help. Racing is more about believing in yourself than it is in your split times.



HIGH SCHOOL BOYS: We said as much on Saturday afternoon — and its sprinkled about in several places below - but starting with the surge of Mountain Lion state appearances several years back, the League and District competition has been forced to get better in return. This is good for all and we are STILL the team to beat. Faster times than last year on a longer course, quick first miles and gutsy middle efforts - experiments within the early season that will only help us later on. With this first glimpse of League competition remember who you raced. Places matter and we are deeper than any other team. Several things are pointed out below, but study those race results and find your own markers for success in the weeks ahead. Nice work this weekend and look ahead to some fun big school competition on the golf course in Marysville!

Eli: 16:28, 4th place, 1st mile 5:04 - 5:18 pace
The proof is in the pudding and the six podium spots from Dist. 5/6 at State last year would appear to be just the beginning. You were faster by 20 seconds this year on a course that was definitely longer. Those Tonasket boys are simply racing well and they took off strong. That being said, the race held actually fairly static for a LOOONG time in the middle and didn’t even change that much from the gun to the finish. You race your best when you get into little dueling battles mid way through a race. The next two weekend’s will give you that chance and will be a better opportunity to experiment with getting out strong, and moving up on people with races within the race. A little more “surge” practice in this week’s tempo work for good mental toughness!

Peter: 17:36, 9th place, 1st mile 5:29 - 5:40 pace
Awesome race and perhaps your best even of the last two years for both pace and focus. Steady and strong is what comes to mind, but you must have been also bridging gaps and moving up for sure. Remember those faces, names etc. from Tonasket and Brewster. We will see those kids again at Leavenworth, Oroville and beyond and your placing ahead of a Brewster 4th or again in front of a Tonasket 3rd will be key to our Team success at season’s end.

Emerson: 17:56, 10th place, 1st mile 5:04 - 5:46 pace
“A stitch in time saves nine” Let’s talk / explore this cramping a little more this week to get you in the right for the weeks ahead. Probably out too fast — as the Tonasket crew churned it out! Workouts are going well, but let’s focus on some controlled pacing with Tempo in practice and ratchet back the early 800m + in the next race or two. Key on the Brewster 2-4 esp. (at Leavenworth) and feel like you are attacking them mid-race and accelerating away from them over the final mile.

Carter: 18:47, 16th place, 1st mile 5:37 - 6:03 pace
Race awareness and dogged determination - that’s what we need from you in the week’s ahead. A bit of a herky-jerky week for sure with the start of school and some tough interval and speed work. Even still, as our 4th runner on the day you were just one place (6 sec.) back of Brewster’s 5th, 8 seconds down on Tonasket’s 5th, and 15 second’s down on Tonasket’s 4th. When you are running with those same kids at Leavenworth in two weeks the tale of the tape is entirely different. Liberty Bell XC is still the class of this division - even if the last few years of Lion maulings have forced the other teams to raise their game!

Lazo: 18:54, 20th place, 1st mile 5:53 - 6:05 pace
One of the lesser differentials between your first mile and overall pace. Similar to Simon who was tracking you the entire way, but still not yet where you will be at season’s end :) As our 5th runner this week you were only 13 sec. down on Brewster’s 5th and 15 sec. down on Tonasket’s. Those are the kids to mark when we see them next at Leavenworth and beyond. You can definitely run with them, and if we put you in front of their no. 5s then everything's coming up roses. Look ahead not behind!

Simon: 19:06, 21st place, 1st mile 5:56 - 6:09 pace
Another solid race and great job in shadowing Lazo from the start. Some practice a bit with mid-race surges will help you both this week, but you are definitely running tough and headed in the right direction. You’re likely to be in a sophomore/freshman only race this weekend in Marysville, but another grouping with Henry will give you some LBHS company and the golf course running will be another great chance to post some faster times.

Tim: 20:24, 33rd place, 1st mile 6:20 - 6:34 pace
Another consistent effort, Tim, and you will get your breakthrough race any day now. Your task this weekend in a junior/senior only race at Marysville will be running your own race with a sea of unknown kids to spur you on — much the same as Ellensburg. Your pace is dropping week-by-week

Logan: 21:23, 36th place, 1st mile 6:36 - 6:53 pace

Congrats on your first-ever HS XC race! A solid debut and if true-to-form you will get faster with more race savvy and understanding for your preferred pacing as the weeks progress. A freshman/sophomore only race on tap for you this weekend and that should be a great chance for you to get out a little stronger and have lots more people to race over the final mile.

Zach: 22:57, 42nd place, 1st mile 7:05 - 7:23 pace
Throw down Zach Strong in the final 200m and there was something in the breakfast vitamins for you and your sister both this weekend! 90 seconds faster on a longer course this year - so your summer training is doing the trick and it was good to see you moving up through the pack in the middle of the race. You DEFINITELY challenged the first mile with a faster pace and you still had the strength to finish with an excellent kick.

Michael: 22:58, 43rd place, 1st mile 6:43 - 7:24 pace
Gangbusters in the 1st mile and cheers to that! Patience still for the fitness that’s building to carry you through those middle miles. It is coming! Even though a comparable time to last year… this year’s course was longer so you are running faster. 61 degrees and damp for the forecast this weekend — plus LOTS of racers in a freshman/sophomore only field. Spikes again on a great golf course surface and you will have your best race of the year to date!

Coeur d'Alene Invitational - 9.17.6

Liberty Bell XC - Coeur d'Alene Invitational
Location: Abandoned weapons test site -- Just kidding. Some kind of private land slated for future development. Scary abandoned sheds scattered amidst the woods -- and we camped on site!

Date: 9.17.6
Distance: 2500m or 5000m Conditions:  Maybe 60 degrees and wet ALL day. A mix of trail and mowed grass, one big rocky hill for Junior High - multiple hills for HS - and some nice long downhills. Rocks, gravel, single-track, double-track etc. 

Junior High Extra Comments: Another great day of Liberty Bell Junior High XC — and the Triple Play experience wasn’t too bad either - Thanks Craig for setting that up! 

JUNIOR HIGH GIRLS: Congratulations to our 12 girls who ran this team to a 1st place finish in the middle school girls division. It was so impressive to see so many green Liberty Bell uniforms in the top half or so of the race. SO many coaches came over to us to ask "where is Liberty Bell" and "how did you get a middle school program like that?" You made an excellent impression on Idaho, on the race course, and throughout the day - toughing out some inspiring cheering in some cold, wet weather. 121 girls in the race — that was quite a sight to see!

Liv: 9:15, 2nd place
You ran an exciting, smart, and fast race -- and you were fighting congestion and a cold! Way to get out there quick and establish a solid position. You make excellent surges in a race and you are savvy about when to make a move. When you are feeling 100% that kick will come back even stronger!

Jori: 9:41, 3rd place
Congrats on your first official middle school race and for such an inspired performance. You looked confident and comfortable from the start. You ran the downhills so well and still finished strong. Now, just get some superglue on that trophy and enjoy a good memory of a first race.

Keeley: 10:00, 7th place
Nice job running with a little more abandon this week and not overthinking things. You got out racing fast — and you've still got more to give in the middle. Find your groove and don’t let your head hold back your legs and lungs. Great job catching racers in the last 200m!

Lindsay: 10:17, 10th place
A super solid finish in one of the biggest middle school fields that we'll see all season. We know you didn't feel your best, but you should be proud of still running fast in spite of that. You are strong and tough and that will continue to serve you well each week of the season.

Eva: 10:46, 21st place
Watch out! Eva is on fire! And that was an incredible race! You looked so powerful and you were really pushing yourself out there. Great to see a breakthrough like this and hope you had fun passing runners!

Mariah: 11:00, 25th place
Another great week of running, Mariah. You do such an excellent job of balancing a sense of calm with your fierce racing. We appreciate that you keep cool but also know when to lay it on the line. Next time when you are in a big race, we'll make sure you get out a little faster so you have a little more room to run.

Anja: 11:03, 29th place
What a fun season you are going to have, Anja. This week you learned a little more about racing, you got yourself out a little quicker than last week, and you totally owned it. You enjoyed the hill, it seems, and you finished strong. We love that you surprised yourself!

Lena: 11:11, 31st place
You had quite a pack to run with this week and we hope that was fun! You do a great job focusing during your races and you used your height to your advantage running some fast downhills. Keep believing in yourself and let's work on picking your tempo up (just think music metronome!)

Elke: 11:52, 50th place
This course sure agreed with you, Elke! You ate that hill for breakfast and looked so smooth on the final downhill. Each week you are getting stronger and hopefully more confident. You just raced faster than more than 70 other middle schoolers! Amazing!

Payten: 11:54, 53rd place
You looked like you've been doing this racing thing forever out there, Payten. You maintained your calm and you really raced the girls around you. We love watching your grit and determination and hope you enjoyed flying down to the finish!

Stephanie: 12:11, 63rd Place
Another awesome race Stephanie, and you still had that smile. This was a tougher course than last week, but it also looked like you had even more fun with the hills (up and down) and all the twists and turns. That's the beauty of cross-country and it looks like you are catching the racing bug!

Stella: 12:19, 67th Place
You had an amazing kick--you took off at the "kicking corner" and never looked back. You charged through the finish line and looked so strong. Now you've experienced small races and big races and you are learning what you need to do to get yourself into the racing zone you want to be in. 

JUNIOR HIGH BOYS: With 128 racers this was the largest middle school race that we will see all year — and we rocked it with a great team effort and a 2nd place finish. SO great to have 8 boys on the line and a complete scoring team to show our stuff. As mentioned above, Liberty Bell was the talk of the meet with so many Idaho and Spokane-area schools having no idea where we’d come from and why our kids were taking the races by storm. Congrats to all on a great weekend, and we don’t even KNOW what happened on the Laser Tag court :)

Travis: 8:25, 1st place
A good patient race with strong running on both the ups and the downs. Lots of time in the hills this summer is evident in your legs and it was great to see you cheering others on at the finish line as well!

Bode: 8:33, 4th place
Congrats on your first official middle school XC race! As we discussed afterwards, be patient for the next few weeks and that 5:20 mile from from track will slowly find its way onto the more rolling and unpredictable XC terrain. You ran VERY strong from the front to start and it’s to your credit that you were willing to jump right into the fray without even batting an eye.

Ian: 8:48, 14th place
Super smooth and even out there. You are racing well and will come on even stronger as the weeks progress. You and Dusty will match up well for the next couple of races. It’ll be great to put you two together and to move things as a group in both our bigger and smaller races in the weeks ahead.

Andrew: 9:10, 16th place
Wow! In the final turn and kick to the line, you were energy personified! A great bounce to your step and a definite focus on both the finish line and the racers ahead. Your 2016 XC season is off to an excellent start — and we didn’t even have to dig you out from the bottom of your sleeping bag this year :)

Zane: 9:12, 17th place
Tough running Zane and good to have you on the line for yet another race. Your determination and drive to compete are evident in everything that you do. Let’s keep rolling that hip and be patient with flexibility etc. 17th place out of 128 racers is good stuff all around!

David: 10:19, 46th place
You had energy to space right after the race, so let’s experiment with going our just a little harder to see if you can hold one through the middle part of the race. Your summer training has you stronger than you know, so trust it just for sure and see what happens.

Aidan: 10:53, 66th place
A tremendous kick to the line and its really great to see you running strong and injury free thus far into the season. XC courses vary for sure, but your pace over 1.5mi on a challenging course was faster then your early season races last year by almost 2 minutes!

Eli: 11:33, 84th place
Also a good kick to the line. Super clear that you were listening to Sarah’s pre-race plan for the kicking corner and you looked strong and determined in the final 100m. Continued enthusiasm and a knee that is slowly coming around to cooperate will see you dropping even more time in the weeks ahead.

High School Extra Comments: In the last four years of Liberty Bell XC, we have not run a more challenging course or been quite as wet :) It was XC weather for sure, and while not for the faint of heart, it was actually pretty sweet for running. Perhaps a little wetter for the varsity boys at the and of a long and dampish day, but overall great completion and a definite divergence from our normal slate of league and eastern WA competition. 

JV GIRLS: Sage was our sole, but mighty, entrant in this field of 77 girls. The 5K course offered several big uphills, some long downhills, and quite varied terrain.

Sage: 27:43, 49th place, 9:00 first mile, overall pace of 8:55
You ran an even, steady race. You used your elbows well on the uphills — as always! Now you just need to figure out how to come to your own peace with racing. You are faster and have more to give - but you need to be doing it for reasons that matter to you. Keep talking to us and we'll figure it all out!

*****

JV BOYS - 12th place, 351 pts. (big and small schools combined) With 186 racers this was the largest field of the day by far. And for the second year running Liberty Bell can field a full scoring team in both the varsity and JV. So great to have this depth and so great to have such a willing and excited crew to put themselves out there each and every weekend.

Simon: 20:42, 53rd place, 1st mile 6:55 - 6:40 pace
Simon, you just ran your second fastest 5k ever. A terrific effort and just 8 seconds shy of your Spokane performance last year on a MUCH faster course. A great indicator of new strength as a sophomore and least year’s experience with racing. Keep pushing that first mile just a little more. You were moving faster over the second half so lay it out there a little more early and you get a bonus 15 seconds easy!

Tim: 20:57, 61st place JV, 1st mile 7:02 - 6:45 pace
Nice work Tim — but perhaps just a little too conservative early on. Tie yourself to that group with Simon and Henry just a little more this next week and then you won’t have to work so much on catching up during the middle part of the race. If you guys and talk a bit and spur each other on at different parts of the race, the whole group will benefit for sure.

Henry: 21:00, 64th place, 1st mile 6:55 - 6:46 pace
A great first race Henry, and just like Taya you did well to pace with some experience (Simon) and then see what you had at the end. You hung on really tough, and with another few weeks of racing and training under your belt that final mile won’t feel great… but you will develop your own personal sense of pace and kick etc. Awesome first race on a fun course.

Michael: 24:34, 158th place 1st mile 7:53 - 7:54 pace
A much better day in the rain and the cool vs last weekend’s heat in Ellensburg. Similar in time to your first 5k from last season in Moses Lake, so a good starting point for moving ahead. Let’s start targeting something closer to 7:30 pace for that first mile and see what happens. It might hurt for a week or two, but I know that you can get there as you see to lock in well on whatever pace you get after in the start.

Zach: 25:24, 169th place, 1st mile 8:28 - 8:11 pace
Just a fraction faster than your Spokane race from last year - on a much harder course with more challenging hills. You run great when your moving with a group, so let’s start challenging that 8min mark for an opening mile and then race with whoever you are with. You ran nearly 2.5 minutes faster than last years’ first 5k at Moses Lake, so the strength is there to carry you through! 

VARSITY GIRLS: We talked this week about what it means to run as a team and how important it is to take strength and pride in each other. We also talked about being positive and believing in our own superpowers. You each met all of these goals with this race and it was flat-out impressive to watch you laugh with each other and support each other on the start line and be there for each other with kindness and generosity at the finish. So proud of you -- and we'll keep working at it! Oh, and yes...you ran fast -- not only winning the Small Schools division, but winning the whole thing no matter how you look at it (Had the race been scored as just one race, you would have had 66 points and Couer d'Alene high school would have been second with 94).

Novie: 18:56, 1st place, 6:10 first mile, overall pace of 6:06
According to the records we have, you just logged the fastest 5K time ever for a girl in a Liberty Bell uniform -- and the first to go under 19 minutes. You ran so smart -- patient in mile one, strong in mile two, and then you really opened a gap and closed the race with a very strong extended kick. You were also a great example of positive support for others on your team. A very good day.

Gretta: 19:54, 3rd place, 6:20 first mile, overall pace of 6:24
You just look stronger every week. Once again, you got out in a good position and then you raced the race around you. You had an inspiring last 800 meters, working on those two girls in the Vikings uniform. You are powerful and smart -- and just only at the tip of understanding your superwoman racing potential.

Athena: 21:24, 10th place, 7:02 first mile, overall pace of 6:53
Such a classic Athena race -- you just were relentless in moving up throughout. You looked peppy and strong and like the race could have gone on for another mile or two. You are finding your racing legs and your racing mojo and each week is going to be better and better. Patience and joy -- just keep thinking patience and joy.

Icel: 21:37, 13th place, 7:02 first mile, overall pace of 6:57
Love that you went out with Athena and worked with her through 2 miles. That makes us such a tough team. You held it together well on the 3rd mile and had some good competition around you to race from other teams. Your kick will get even stronger in the next few races!

Ava: 21:54, 17th place, 7:09 first mile, overall pace of 7:03
By far, you were the best 5th runner out there (actually if we want to be technical about it, you were the fastest 5th out there by almost 30 seconds — that's huge!). You did a phenomenal job getting out and into the race in great position and you worked it throughout. Section-by-section (aka bird by bird), you are learning to trust yourself.

Rivers: 22:11, 20th place, 7:19 first mile, overall pace of 7:08
Super performance, especially after a week of illness. You were the total 6th runner spoiler out there, displacing many other team's fifth and sometimes 4th runners. You moved up smartly but also got out fast enough to be in the right general place to make your moves. Excellent last mile!

Taya: 22:37, 26th place, 7:11 first mile, overall pace of 7:17
A very, very impressive effort for your first-ever high school cross-country 5K. You showed real senior poise as the quick first mile pace caught up to you a bit. That's ok -- we're learning about how you race best and each week will be a bit of an experiment for the next few weeks. This is just how it should be. Next week we'll try a different strategy and we'll learn some more. You're going to respond quickly and be setting new personal bests like crazy! 

VARSITY BOYS - 6th place, 127pts. for small schools. 127 total combined big/small school racers, but scored with separate results. Some up and down performances on a tough course with sketchy weather, but each and every step of a season is on a continuum towards Districts and State. We are coming together as a group and with our first official 5k complete we have at least a little glimpse of how this team will fit into the greater context of mid-season competitions. We are in a nutshell, deeper then last year and right where we need to be. True interval work to begin this week. Ready. Set. Go!

Eli: 17:27.9, 9th place, 1st mile 5:29 - 5:38 pace
Unpleasant as it might be to get out strong and then get passed, you still competed well with a quality field — and for a season-opening 5k on a tough course this is an excellent result. A different kind of competition for the week ahead in Manson - with a smaller race and just a few front runners. A bigger field for Twilight again where you can adjust a little if desired for running in the larger field.

Walker: 17:59.2, 16th place, 1st mile 5:50 - 5:47 pace
A great start to the racing and typically poised and strong in the later part of the course. In right about 40th for the mile with a move up to 33rd overall by the end. It was a race well-suited to your strengths, but we are going to learn even more about how you like to run these 5ks in the weeks ahead. Manson, Twilight, Leavenworth - all very different but great for the learning curve.

Cade: 19:00.7, 31st place, 1st mile 5:49 - 6:07 pace
Curious to chat again today (Monday). Know you weren’t super pleased, but that kind of competitive spirit is worth its weight in gold. Rough races happen. You were out great in right around 40th overall and on a different day a top 40-45 placing in the 18:10-18:30 range was absolutely NOT out of the question. Tuck this one away as a training effort - even it it does still sting a little. Totally OK.

Emerson: 19:21.7, 43rd place, 1st mile 6:00 - 6:14 pace
Experiments abound across the season, so think a bit about food and drink, pre-race warm-up, etc. with regards to the side stitch. We’ll sort it out in due course, but a relatively more conservative 1st mile is not the likely culprit. A training effort still, that serves you well for late October and November.

Carter: 19:36.5,48th place, 1st mile 6:21 - 6:19 pace
A performance well worth of Athlete of the week — except for the sleeping on a hotel bed :) But seriously steady and strong — on a tough course that would not have jumped out as suited to your strengths. Talk to us more about the flow of the race and what was working well for you on a really solid day. Stay patient for that later race kick as you are still working/racing into shape - but this performance is a great indicator of things ahead.

Peter: 19:54.1, 51st place, 1st mile 6:21 - 6:24 pace
Steady again, but don’t underestimate your ability to hold form with an even quicker first mile. Break things up into little chucks and practice your speed by adding little surges - tucking into someone’s back - and then challenging yourself to move up to the next guy - especially early in that second mile. Work on “falling” down those hills and on not breaking too much with a longer stride getting out in front of you.

Lazo: 20:14.7, 59th place, 1st mile 6:31 - 6:31 pace
As mentioned on Sat. you continue to be leaps and bounds above a similar point in last year’s season. 6:42 pace at last year’s Spokane course at a similar point on a MUCH flatter course that probably measures short. Keep pushing and enjoy the racing in the second half. Challenge the runners around you and keep an eye to those ahead. Push that opening mile just a little more in the weeks ahead so that the later miles call fall into sync for Oct. and November.

Ellensburg Invite - 9.10.16

Liberty Bell XC - Ellensburg Invitational - High School
Location: Eireen Reinhart Park, Ellensburg, WA Date: 09.10.16
Distance: 1.1 or 2.2mi Conditions: Lo-Upper 70's depending on the race. Sunny. No wind.

Comments: A flat, one lap of a trail around the lake. Girls and boys raced together for Junior High. We’ll use this adapted “reporting” for another week or so and then perhaps return to our charts from the last two years. Experiments abound and great job to all!

Junior High Girls: The future of girls' cross-country at Liberty Bell sure is good! We had 10 female junior high finishers, all looking fast and like they were having fun. We're so proud of first-time racers Mariah, Anja, Stephanie, Payten, Elke, and Stella, who all showed a lot of poise on the start line and throughout the race. And, it's always great to see strong return performances from Liv, Lindsay, Keeley, and Lena. We thought you all showed a ton of grit out there and you raced hard. You also were awesome teammates at the finish line and throughout the day. Liberty Bell definitely had the most spirit out there!

Liv: 6:43, 2nd place overall, 1st place girls, 6:06 mile pace

Excellent run from start to finish. You looked so smooth and your turnover was quick. You also looked relaxed and you still had a solid kick. It's going to be so fun to watch you in a closer race, because we know you still have so many gears of speed left! Nicely done and congrats on the girl's race win.

Lindsay: 7:34, 8th place overall, 3rd place girls, 6:53 mile pace
Great racing, Lindsay. You looked like your mind was focused and you were "in the zone" on the course. You ran strong and you kept a steady (and fast) pace (almost a minute faster per mile pace than the Moses Lake opening race last year). Your strength will be an even bigger asset on hilly courses yet to come! This will be a fun season for you!

Keeley: 7:42, 9th place overall, 4th place girls, 7:00 mile pace
Congrats on your first cross-country race un-injured. You are finding your rhythm with this cross-country racing, rather than the controlled environment of the track. You were fast and comfortable out there and you had a strong finish. Now we just need to get you confident and willing to go earlier! You're going to get better every week.

Mariah: 8:10, 16th place overall, 5th place girls, 7:25 mile pace
Sweet first race, Mariah. Your mile pace was almost 20 seconds faster than when we did the time trial mile on the track just two weeks ago--that's awesome and not necessarily easy to do. That tells us you have lots more improvement to enjoy in the next few weeks. Keep believing in yourself and maybe even experiment with going out a bit harder next week.

Lena: 8:27, 17th place overall, 6th place girls, 7:41 mile pace
We're so glad you're back for another junior high season, Lena. You ran a smart, solid race. You can definitely test yourself by going out a little harder--you are stronger and faster than you think. We'll find some ways to practice a few quick surges here and there and that mile pace will shrink so fast!

Anja: 8:28, 18th place overall, 7th place girls, 7:42 mile pace
Wow! Congrats on the first race, Anja. And race, you did! So fun to watch you pick it up to a really big kick there in the last 400 meters. You quickly figured out how to race! We'll keep keeping an eye on those knees and legs so you can have a full season of racing fun!

Stephanie: 8:50, 20th place overall, 9th place girls, 8:02 mile pace
Super job on the first race. You were literally smiling out there--even near the end. It is so great to see you push yourself and believe in yourself (while still maintaining a smile). You are going to have so much fun setting new personal records (PR's) this season, because we are only beginning to know how much endurance you have. Thanks for being on the team!

Payten: 9:04, 22nd place overall, 11th place girls, 8:15 mile pace
Terrific first race. We loved how you seemed to take the whole scene in stride--you were excited but not overwhelmed. You also looked like your head was in the race. You were focused and working hard the whole time. As the season progresses you'll find your legs want to do more surges of speed at key moments and you'll be flying!

Elke: 9:05, 23rd place overall, 12th place girls, 8:15 mile pace
We sure hope you feel good about this first race, because it was a terrific opener to what will be a really good season for you. You handled the starting line jitters just fine and now that you have successfully navigated your first racing experience you'll be ready to push yourself even more in the next one. Next week we'll work on picking up the pace at each quarter mile or so.

Stella: 9:06, 24th place overall, 13th place girls, 8:16 mile pace
So excited that your shins held up for this race. It was fun to watch those pink socks fly over the hay bales and into the finish. You held your pace well and looked like you were comfortable but pushing yourself---that just right combination. You've got an awesome pack of teammates to work with and by working together you'll all get even faster! 

Junior High Boys: It was also exciting to field a full (and fast) junior high boys team out there. You all looked solid and confident. Congrats to Zane, David, and Eli on first cross-country races--you made it look easy! And, thanks to Ian, Andrew and Aidan for showing the new runners how it's done. You all were also terrific teammates and supporters of the high school races. It sure looked like you were having fun!

Ian: 6:51, 3rd place overall, 2nd place boys, 6:14 mile pace
An excellent showing, Ian. Almost exactly a minute faster mile pace than your opener last year at Moses Lake. That's a great sign for this season. You made the fast pace look effortless. We're sure that the ending speed you are seeking will come to you as we do more speed work. Enjoy the racing this year!

Zane: 7:01, 4th place overall, 3rd place boys, 6:23 mile pace
Wow, Zane! You are such an experienced racer out there--we had to remind ourselves this was your first cross-country running race. You went out well and worked hard in the middle of the race, which is always a key to overall cross-country racing success. Your overall fitness and strength will serve you well as we compliment it with speed work through the season.

Andrew: 7:09, 5th place overall, 4th place boys, 6:30 mile pace
We'll just call you Mister Improvement, Andrew. According to our records, last year your best mile pace in a cross-country race was 7:09 and you just cruised in at 6:30 pace for the first race of the year! That's incredible an you should feel really proud (and excited about races to come). Glad to see you pick it up in the middle of the race!

David: 7:53, 12th place overall, 8th place boys, 7:10 mile pace
Congratulations to you, David, on a very solid first cross-country race. You ran pretty close to your track time trial mile pace of 7:05--that's terrific. It was great to see you relatively relaxed at the start and now that you know how it all works, you'll be so much more confident next week.

Aidan: 8:09, 15th place overall, 11th place boys, 7:25 mile pace
Great job getting right back into the cross-country racing groove. You worked hard and you raced the runners around you. That's just what we want to see at the first race of the year. Your running stride looks smoother this year and you'll be turning in some personal records, we predict.

Eli: 9:09, 25th place overall, 12th place boys, 8:19 mile pace
We're so glad that you got to race. You showed a lot of determination out there. We know it wasn't the easiest thing since that knee still hurts, but we sure appreciate your dedication and desire to run. You ran well in spite of the injury and kept a good solid pace going throughout. Let's get that knee healed and you'll be surprising yourself!

High School Boys: A shorter and faster course than our opener at Moses Lake last year, but in these early days developing speed is perfect. We handled it well amidst a slew of competitive teams and each and every week will see us headed in the right direction. 11th place overall but only 7 points from moving up 2-3 spots — and still sitting 7 runners on the sidelines. Numbers are great, and we will be even stronger as a team when we have everyone at the line.

Eli: 12:11, 15th place, 1st mile 5:24 - 5:32 pace
5:24 in a noticeably speedy first mile is a good shock to the system - but a great start to the racing. You sensed it from the start, and were wise to not too extend too much, but the adaptations to speed will come over the next few weeks and that excellent summer base will give you strength to build on. Remember too that you have always been an excellent closer — so you have a little less opportunity to reel people in these shorter races.

Cade: 12:48, 31th place, 1st mile 5:42 - 5:49 pace
Super solid give your work-load in the last 10 days — and its so great to have you training and racing with us several weeks earlier than last year. More time for training adaptations across the season. More time for developing a sense of pace and strategy, and more time to set and modify goals for November. Enjoy that Tuesday!

Emerson: 12:50, 33th place, 1st mile 5:42 - 5:50 pace
A bounce-back race after the side stitch in Tonasket for sure. You looked focused in the middle and strong with a surge in the final 150m especially to the line. Our task all season long is going to be balancing work with recovery, so keep thinking about what you need and sensibly monitor yourself so that we can see big finishes like that at the end of the year.

Peter: 13:45, 85th place, 1st mile 6:06 - 6:15 pace
Solid again for sure after a similar outing on Tuesday. You seem to be doing a good early season job of pairing up with teammates and pushing with company in the early to mid part of the race. Keep that up, and your added strength from summer lifting is already noticeable in your form and carriage through out the race.

Lazo: 19:16, 94th place, 1st mile 6:08 - 6:25 pace
Another race where you started strong, and finished even stronger. So great to see that and a great indication that the deeper we go into the season the deeper our team is going to get with even a lesser spread between our times. Running, hiking, biking, whatever it might be, you have a new strength this year to go with your three previous years of XC racing experience. Its a good place to be!

Carter: 14:14, 97th place, 1st mile 5:59 - 6:28 pace
A fast first mile - the theme - but just right I think for this point in the season. Yes, you were 13 seconds faster then your TT, but that is where you want to be and you need to push around the edges until you break it down. Stay patient with yourself. Stay poised, and push through those middle miles. As the training and the season begin to level out you will it will fall together nicely.

Tim: 14:54, 12th place JV, 1st mile 6:32 - 6:46 pace
Welcome back Tim and its good to have you in the game. The 6:30 starting mile is solid, and as both your base and your adaptation to training come along you are going to drop time like crazy in the coming weeks. Steady as she goes and we'll start to develop some opening mile goals plus target to league-competition athletes for your to race/measure your progress against starting with our race at Manson.

Michael: 16:46, 61st place Community Race, 1st mile 7:32 - 7:37 pace
Psyched that you were willing to put in some time for the Community Race. Even being shy a few practices for the high school event, your effort here gives us a good baseline - and you should take some positive from the fact that even in the hottest race of the day you held pace pretty well from your first mile through your overall pace. Your average as a whole is going to drop across the season as you get a little more base and adapt to the training.

Zach: 17:10, 70th place, 1st mile 7:43 - 7:48 pace
A solid start to the season with some good competition in the JV boys event. And your 7:48 pace is much more aggressive then our first outing at Moses Lake last year so stay on that track and keep up the mindset of pushing a bit to start things off. 

High School Girls: If the future of LBHS girls XC (see middle school write-up above) is good then the present is looking pretty sweet as well! With only five runners toeing the line, this little school from Winthrop, WA made a nice little statement in comparison to several much larger schools. Please ladies, please, take a moment this week to congratulate each other and to fill your teammates in on what they missed. Be excited, be smart, and this group should have fun with some early season

Gretta: 14:34, 5th place, 1st mile 6:24 - 6:59 pace
Congrats on your first official HS race — and congrats as well on going out strong and even more so for floating back a few places only to get people back at the end! In speed work of late you’ve looked crisp and quick. Keep pushing that tempo and holding form. Big, fast, fields in 2 of our next 3 events and it’ll be great to have even more Liberty Bell racers moving through the pack!

Icel: 14:44, 6th place, 1st mile 6:39 - 6:42 pace
Perhaps a little farther back right at the start but you worked your way up in the first lap and moved well through the middle of the race. Be patient with yourself in regards to that finishing kick. A surging effort in the middle took a little snap from the legs at the end but it will come. You’re in a great spot to start the season!

Rivers: 15:09, 14th place, 1st mile 6:51 - 6:53 pace
And congrats as well on your first official HS race! Good form in the finishing kick and there will be a rhythm and flow to these longer 5k races that you will learn from each and every week. Keep that head down a bit when you start to tire, but great strong/quick arms and nice a tall in the finishing stretch!

Ava: 15:31, 24th place, 1st mile 6:52 - 7:03 pace
Good thoughts on the bus and you looked strong at every part of the course. Be patient with your kick coming into form and know that your summer running coupled with the speed/form of those track 800m races is going to serve you well. Use that strength in these early races to keep launching yourself into the race and holding strong. As the weeks unwind you’ll begin to sense when to push for that kick. You might be a last 200m kicker, but you may also be someone who gets a lot of people in the last 1000m and then doesn’t move as much one way or the other in the last little bit — and either one of those can be great!

Sage: 19:16, 76th place, 1st mile 8:26 - 8:45 pace
Always hard to know how to pace these things, but keep setting that bar high and know that you have more speed and endurance than you think. A great job this weekend of keeping the Prosser runner in your sights and then timing your kick to perfection. In the weeks ahead, try to set yourself up for some mini-races within the race, and pick out one runner at a time that you are going to pass as the race unfolds.

Tonakset Jamboree - 9.6.16

Liberty Bell XC - Tonasket Jamboree for High School

Location: Tonasket High School, Tonasket, WA          Date: 09.06.16
Distance: 2 mi (but gps said 2.2)      Conditions: Sunny, warm (at times hot), hilly, hilly, hilly and some grass

Comments: Great first race of the season for the high school runners who had completed the requisite 8 practices before a Jamboree.  We got familiar again with racing and had a chance to see many league regulars.  We learned about running hills (a lot of them--up and down) and basically got those first race jitters out of the way.  Coach Craig asked each athlete to focus on one thing of their choice in this race and it was awesome to see each athlete zero in on something they wanted to work on this season.  Now that we've had a taste of racing, it's going to be even better to have more racers join us on Saturday in Ellensburg and hopefully take full teams to Idaho on the 17th.  46 runners on the roster is amazing and those starting lines will feel full of good friends!

Girls: Though we weren't out there at this first warm-up Jamboree to keep score, it's still note-able that we had a full 5 runner scoring team at the first Jamboree.  Awesome considering just two years ago we did not field a full team ever during the season.  There seemed to be a lot of nerves before the start of this one and in Ellensburg I'd like to see us work on finding the joy and laughter in this process. We've got everything we need -- just relax, work together, be a team, and find the joy. It will be good -- very very good.

Gretta - 15:00, 1st place
Wow! From the moment the gun went off, you looked strong, comfortable, and confident. You said you wanted to run the hills well and you certainly did. You had those elbows pumping and you just floated up each hill hungry for more. I know you said you were tired on that last hill and we'll make sure we do what we need to help you feel like you've still got a kick at the end, but wow, what a great first high school race. Hope you are feeling proud and enjoying it!

Athena - 15:50, 3rd place
Loved your approach to this race. You understand that this is week #1 of the journey and that each week we'll improve one thing until the whole package comes together. You are off to a terrific start and we have every confidence that your legs, lungs, and tenacity will take you just where you want to be in November. You showed great patience and your typical strong finish.  It's all there.

Icel - 15:55, 4th place
Pleased to see you running so strong and fast in the middle part of the race. I know you wanted to go out a little harder than races last season and you did and held your position in the race really well.  This is great news and means good things for the season ahead. When we do our next hill work out, let's work on sharpening those elbows and you'll be tearing it up at Leavenworth.

Ava - 16:27, 6th place
Excellent! You went out well and attacked that first set of hills with lots of poise, and then got right to work. What a terrific stretch from 1.25 to 1.75 miles. That takes grit and you've got it! You were focused and held tough in the hardest part of the race. I know you felt like that last hill ate a bit into your kick, but trust me, you've got speed and we'll make sure you're passing runners at the end when it counts. So great to see your hard work this summer paying off. You were ahead of all the Tonasket runners but Johnna -- nice!

Rivers - 16:33, 7th place
Congratulations on the first high school race -- and a gutsy one at that.  I know you thought you were nearing the finish line there in the middle and that probably made the last three-quarters of a mile a little challenging, but you stuck to it. You had terrific form on the hills and I loved how you found moments throughout the race to surge. We'll work on those nerves and staying in the moment while racing. It's going to be such fun watching you improve each week!

Sage - 21:59, 18th place
So, so, so glad you are on this team! You are such an important runner and we all appreciate your energy, enthusiasm, and determination.  You said you wanted to work on passing people - and you did. You ran the hills well (such nice elbows) and I enjoyed seeing a little of your 200 meter speed from track on that finish stretch. You're getting stronger every day and you will enjoy the speedy feeling of a flatter Ellensburg course. Just trust yourself -- you've working hard since 7th grade and you know what you are doing!

Boys:  A great chance to see some of our league competition and our four runners definitely held their own.  There's obviously been some running and cross-training going on this summer and you all showed a tough course that you are up for the challenge.  I was glad to see each of you experiment a bit -- that's how we learn what works for each of you and that's just what these early races are for.  I know you'll all enjoy having a few more teammates on the line with you on Saturday!

Cade - 13:38, 6th place
Pretty impressive to come off a 50 mile mountain bike race this weekend (and lots of time in a car) and hammer those hills like you did. You were strong and controlled on the ups and you ran the downs better than anyone I saw. I know you said your legs felt tired (as they should!) - but just imagine how fast you are going to feel when they are recovered. It's going to be a good season, Cade.

Peter - 14:22, 11th place
You did a very excellent job racing people.  Every time I saw you, you were right with at least one or two runners.  This means you did a good job managing your racing and that helps keep your head in it.  You also held super tough at the end.  With 400 to go you had a racer on your back and you held off their charge.  That's tough on a course like this and such a good sign. At Ellensburg let's work on finding a few places where you can do some surges and change up the tempo - it might help the overall experience feel a little better.

Lazo - 14:25, 12th place
I hope you know this was some excellent racing, Lazo. You went out a little harder, I think, than last season and you proved you can handle it.  You still had lots left in the latter half of the race.  You did a terrific job moving up and I think we've only just seen the tip of the iceberg on your pace.

Emerson - 14:58, 17th place
You were ambitious with your start and that side stitch took its toll on the latter half.  But, you gutted it out and on a new day you'll feel much better.  We know you've got a super solid base and now that this first race is over you'll find your pace.  I think some of the workouts in the next week or so and another trip to the starting line will help you find that racing zone that works best for you.

And, a big shout out to Carter, Tim, and Zach who came out to cheer on their teammates and run up and down and around a few big hills, too.  Thanks for being so supportive.