RACE COURSE: Eastmont Junior High Campus. 5k. A warm-feeling 60 degrees and a challenging 2 loops up and around tiered ballfields. Long open stretches of flat and several short steep hills plus a longer down.
HS GIRLS: 5k. 33 Finishers.
While we may be a small racing team this year, our heart is big! And, once again, you did the Liberty Bell uniform (and glitter!) proud, with each of you racing hard, pushing your own boundaries, and realizing you are tougher than you knew! This season is all about adjusting, accepting, and recognizing that we can do hard things. Next fall, we’ll get that full team vibe going again, for sure. For now, enjoy the journey, be proud of your brave efforts, and take satisfaction in meeting all sorts of challenges!
Leki: 21:24, 1st place. First mile, 6:58 - 6:53 pace overall.
Strategic. You are one smart racer, displaying the patience and tactics of a much more experienced runner. Another week of patience but also putting yourself in a useful spot to be in the right race from the beginning. You let the runner from Eastmont do a lot of the hard work for the first half and then you turned that racing mind on at the “thinking spot” on the hill in lap 2 and you took the lead. She tried to go with you, but you didn’t panic - which is not always easy to do! You just kept running tall and strong and by the next level up on the course you had gapped her and then you just kept opening it up. Excellent long downhill and in that last half mile, your lead grew. Love that your first mile and overall pace are so close - you are doing all of this right!
Powerful. You looked so strong on each of the uphills. You were moving your arms well and keeping your eyes focused at the top of the hill. You did a great job moving with others and staying connected to that group from the second wave. You were out quite a bit more conservatively than your overall pace. That makes me think that maybe next time we go out just a little bit faster and see what happens! I know you had a side stitch this week and those shins are a pain, but you powered through it all and you had a great last kick on the infield. Another really nice race.
Ayeanna: 30:23, 31st place, First mile 9:18 - 9:47 pace overall.
Tenacious. I know that one hurt but wow did you stick with it. I appreciate your willingness to get out there and give racing a try, even when I know you felt like you weren’t totally ready. You haven’t had an opportunity to put in the running miles yet that you usually do before a race. You brought your brave for sure and you can feel good about how deep that well is within you. Now, we need to be smart, too, and not hurt those shins too much, so let’s communicate a lot this week about how they are feeling and what they need. But, if you ever wondered just how much determination you have, you answered it on Saturday - a LOT!
HS BOYS: 5k. 32 Finishers.
Another race and another couple of steps forward for this young squad of runners. Excellent team support and some fine adjustments from last weekend. Still a few things work on for sure - like going out under control, but not SO under control that we lose contact and let the race get away from us. But in this super short season every race is a workout and we enter the next three weeks with lots of room to grow.
Aksel: 19:17, 8th place. First mile 6:19 - 6:12 pace overall.
What a difference a week makes! While your pacing was a challenge last Saturday, today you nailed it! Near even for the first two miles and then a faster final stretch when the race really got rolling. You were in it, you had guys to chase, and that was a huge difference. You got our steady but not slow, tucked into that group and then just picked people off the entire way. You quite literally moved from maybe 25th or 27th early on and passed 18-20 people -- a super fun way to run and you looked strong and steady the entire way. Congrats on an awesome day. The seconds will peel away week by week if you keep running smart as the fitness builds.
Isaiah: 21:18, 26th place. 1st mile 6:55 - 6:51 pace overall.
Negative splits again -- with a little blip up in that second mile -- and you had a powerful kick when it started rolling in that last 50m. That being said, you are fully capable of running even or negative splits with a 6:45 or a 6:40 to start, you just have to get in the flow and keep your mind on the race and the guys just a few feet down the trail ahead. Your best best sections of the day came with catching a ride on the Eastmont runner just a little before mile no. 2 and that was the difference maker in a faster final mile. Trust yourself! You are stronger than you think and you’ve got an awesome flow and ease when you are cruising with rhythm. Next week be sure to keep contact with the likes of Aksel. You guys were just seconds apart the week before and it will be an excellent repeat of your races with Graham or running with Ian last year if you can work together and help each other along. Team racing rules. When we get Will back and tighten up with you and Aksel together we’re an entirely different team. We’ll try to get those spikes worked out this week too!
Jackson: 21:29, 28th place. 1st mile 6:58 - 6:55 pace overall. (2nd 7:14)
Just a touch slower overall than last week but that early pace was probably just a little slower than necessary. You are strong and mentally tough - and you thrive for sure on getting side-by-side with another runner and pushing yourself ahead. You moved well later and helped Isaiah late by giving him a mental push. Find some competition in that first 800m next weekend and make that your race until you drop ‘em like a rock and catch a ride on someone else. If last weekend’s Wenatchee results are any indication, it’s a course that runs quick and we have one more race under our belts plus another good week of training. Looking forward to it!
Tristan: 21:48, 29th place. 1st mile 6:56 - 7:01 pace overall. (2nd 7:41)
Guts! Pure grit and determination that entire race. No fun that your shins are hurting, but your heart and mind are strong and you fought it admirably the entire way. Ice and some modified workouts will help in the week ahead. We want to be smart about the shins and rest them but still get in the quality workouts when we can. Really hopeful that a few more days and potentially new shoes will make a nice difference. Stay patient and know that you can take a few days a little easier and still have a great last three weeks!
Guts! Pure grit and determination that entire race. No fun that your shins are hurting, but your heart and mind are strong and you fought it admirably the entire way. Ice and some modified workouts will help in the week ahead. We want to be smart about the shins and rest them but still get in the quality workouts when we can. Really hopeful that a few more days and potentially new shoes will make a nice difference. Stay patient and know that you can take a few days a little easier and still have a great last three weeks!
Kyler: 22:28, 31st place. 1st mile 6:59 - 7:14 pace overall.
A new PR by 8 seconds and a first mile roughly 38 seconds faster than last week. A gusty way to get that faster time, but a good sign too of more time to drop when we even out that energy expenditure and get in some side-by-side racing with folks in the later part of a course. You looked really strong on the hills and fought hard even when it got quieter out there in that final mile. Next week in Wenatchee you should have even more runners to race from the start. That should be fun and the course is looking fast and fun with a few changes from previous years. Keep driving those arms and congrats again on the new PR!
Madison & Jayden: Hope we see you next Saturday!
A new PR by 8 seconds and a first mile roughly 38 seconds faster than last week. A gusty way to get that faster time, but a good sign too of more time to drop when we even out that energy expenditure and get in some side-by-side racing with folks in the later part of a course. You looked really strong on the hills and fought hard even when it got quieter out there in that final mile. Next week in Wenatchee you should have even more runners to race from the start. That should be fun and the course is looking fast and fun with a few changes from previous years. Keep driving those arms and congrats again on the new PR!
Madison & Jayden: Hope we see you next Saturday!
