Welcome to DXC

Darts and Parents -
Welcome to Davis Cross Country. It was great to see so many of you at the introduction meeting this week. There were quite a few new faces - which is always good, and we are bringing back a strong TEAM for both the boys and the girls. We have an exciting summer of training in front of us, and I think it will be another incredible XC season this fall.

At the meeting I discussed I discussed the philosophy of DXC (Davis Cross Country). . .
1 - I expect you to work hard. Distance running is all about challenging yourself and learning to get out of your comfort zone. It is not always easy - but it is definitely rewarding. We are going to work hard in order to get into our best shape and in order to prepare for the season. You have to be willing to put forth the effort in order to get the rewards.
2 - I expect you to have fun. We are going to be doing a lot of things together as a TEAM. I want you to always bring a positive attitude and always be looking for ways to make the runs more fun (without sacrificing the benefits of the running). Come to practice with a sense of humor, and really look for opportunities to get to know your TEAMmates and build unity.
3 - I expect you to find a love for running. Even if you don't love it right at the start, I want you to find a love for running. If you stick with it, running will make you feel great. It has so many benefits for the body, the mind, and the soul. Look for things that you love about running, and look for your own personal reasons to run.
4 - I expect you to be patient and consistent with your running. It might not come very easily to most of you, but if you stick with it, you will see improvements and you will begin to feel better and better. Basically - don't give up just because the first few runs or the first few weeks aren't as easy as you thought. If you can stay tough and conquer running (no matter how fast or slow you are), you can conquer just about anything. Getting better in running only comes from getting out and running - consistently.

I also talked about our summer mileage plans. This week is week #1 of 12 for the summer training program. Over these 12 weeks, I am challenging the boys to reach 500 miles and the girls to reach 400 miles. This might be a little high for some of the newer runners, so I explained how you might set a more reasonable goal (300 miles).
You are all required to send me an email at the end of each week letting me know how the training is going. I would like to know what you did each day - not just an overall total miles. I will track your mileage throughout the summer - allowing us to see the improvements in your fitness. If you would like to go to high altitude camp in August, you will need to show me that you can handle the work load. And that you have been willing to work hard to get the opportunity to attend cross country camp.
I will be looking for your emails on Saturday or Sunday letting me know how this first week went. I realize it might have been a busy week - don't let a rough first week discourage you - just get after it better during the 2nd week if it didn't go so well.

Just to let you know, I am extremely excited about this upcoming season. I am excited about the number of 9th and 10th grade girls who showed up to the meeting - we lost 5 of our top 7 from last year - so it will be interesting to see who steps up to fill those spots. Our girls TEAM looks to be young, but talented. We are the returning state champions - and I hope we can work to repeat as state champs. I am also excited about what the boys might be able to accomplish. Last year we finished 11th in the U.S. We have a very strong TEAM coming back - can we make it back to NXN (Nike Cross Nationals)? It is going to take some work (starting now), but it is within our reach. And I am excited to watch as each of you work towards improving yourselves and the TEAM. I can feel that it is going to be a memorable season full of surprises and challenges that I look forward to facing with this TEAM.

Here are some things we have coming up in the next 2 weeks -
Friday (tomorrow) @ 7:00am - at Davis High we will be going for a distance run. It is totally understandable if you can't make it - this is just for those who would like to join us for a morning run. (You'll find in the heat of the summer that it is easiest to get your running done early in the morning while it is still cool).
Monday (June 6th) - Vita Course at 7:00am. This is our first official practice - remember that the vita course is at the top of 200 N. in Kaysville above Highway 89 by the animal shelter. We will be meeting here on Mondays all through the summer.
Wednesday (June 8th) - Davis High at 7:00am - we will probably be doing a run and a game.
Monday (June 13th) - Vita Course @ 7:00am
Tuesday-Wednesday (June 14-15) - Cross Country Kick-off Camp - I will send out an email soon with more information. We will be meeting at the school at 1:00pm and we will get back to the school before noon the next day. Just some camping, 2 runs, and some games to get to know each other better.

I have attached the information that I handed out at the meeting. Please let me know if you have any questions. And please try to recruit your friends or people you know who might be interested in running with us.

Get some good shoes and start your engines. I will see you at the trails on Monday. . .
Coach Talley
www.davisxc.blogspot.com

p.s. If you would like to watch the slideshow from the 2010 season that we were showing at the start of the meeting, it is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05cS0-TjcDs