DXC Summer Update - Week 4

Darts -

We are 4 weeks into the summer training (1/3 of the way). For most of you, it has been a strong start - but we are now entering the middle summer months where finding the motivation (and sometimes the time) to run can be more challenging (but also more rewarding). I issue a challenge to all of you - that your middle 4 months are as strong or stronger than your first 4 months. It will be hard, and you are going to have to dig deep (some of you have to really step up your game), but it is very crucial to our season's success that you stay excited and stay focused through the next 4 weeks of summer. I was going to send out an entire email about motivation, but it would make this a novel, so you are going to have to wait until next week for the motivation email. This week's email is mostly a summary of the Wasatch Back Relay . . .  

Wasatch Back Relay - Many runners on the TEAM ran in the relay this past weekend. It is a 12 person, 197 mile, relay race from Logan to Park City along the back of the Wasatch Mountains. It can be a grueling test of physical and mental toughness. We were well represented among family teams and the 3 teams representing Davis Cross Country. 

Our boys team finished 2nd overall in 20:46.39 - it is a new Davis record pace (6:19 per mile) and the highest finish we have had in the 7 years since they have had a high school division. Our previous best average was 6:24 in 2011 - and we have finished 3rd place each of the past 3 years. I wish I could give a more detailed report of the boys race, but I was driving for the girls TEAM. I do know that each of the boys ran tough and ran very fast. And I did get to see Josh Ward come flying by us in the middle of the night running about 5:15 mile pace. Our boys finished 75 minutes ahead of the next closest high school team (Timpanogos). Our current boys are a group of strong, determined young men who know how to race and work together as a TEAM. It was a great first test of our summer xc program. Thanks to Caleb Ward, Anthony Peters, and Alex "Schooch" White for driving and navigating. And great job to the TEAM - Logan MacKay, Daniel Tumblin, Bryce Ferguson, Brandon Peters, Colter Blanchard, Solomon Twitchell, Skylar Williams, Britton Porter, Colton Rimann, Josh Ward, Kimball Potter, and Mitch Perry. 

The girls team finished in 24:46:13 - which is also a new Davis record pace (7:32 per mile) - and we were the fastest all-female team in the entire race. Our previous best pace was 7:43 (2013) and we have finished 1st one time before (2008). The 2nd place women's team was a group of Weber State alumni runners (with my wife on the team) who finished only 75 seconds back, and provided a great challenge to the girls throughout the race. The next closest high school girls team was almost 5 hours behind us (Timpanogos girls). Our girls were the 11th fastest team of all of the 969 teams that finished the relay (the 10th fastest team was the Syracuse High boys team who beat us by 30 seconds). Our girls also beat 5 of the 9 high school boys teams and 15 of the 16 high school mixed teams (boys and girls). I was lucky to spend the 24 hours with the girls and witness one of the toughest TEAM performances I have ever seen. It was inspiring to see them run with so much heart and TEAM unity. A special thanks to Brad Albrechtsen in his 4th year as a driver and to Coach Timothy for helping me with the driving and navigating. Great job to our girls - Josey Hedquist, Tatum Beard, Hannah Albrechtsen, Grace Neuenschwander, Kenzie Weir, Taylor Cox, Sam Hedquist, Miah Weaver, Aubrey Argyle, Ashley Tyndall, and Ally Geisler. And also awesome job to our guest runner, Courtney Wayment from Northridge, who will always be an honorary DXC member and who ran speedy fast and showed how gutsy she is. Also, great job to my wife's team :)

Our mixed team finished the race in 28:40.12 - to place 26th of the 795 mixed teams. We got to see them a few times throughout the race and they were always so positive and determined. Great job to Nicole Wood, Kaity Datwyler, Sydney Zaugg, Alex Tanner, Amber Berry, Emily Berry, Jaron Erickson, Kelton Johnson, Jake Gipson, Caleb Gipson, Jason Lang, and Adam Aposhian. And thanks to Juston Gipson and Scott Tanner for driving -- and Juston for organizing the group. 

Nichols Park Trail Service Opportunity - For everyone who can, we are meeting at the Nichols Park Pavilion (by the castle playground) at 9:30 on Monday morning (tomorrow) after we run at the vita course. We will be helping clear the way for the path that we will end up utilizing quite a bit in the coming years. It is recommended that you wear long pants (and maybe even long sleeve shirts) and work gloves. Bring a water bottle. We will be working for about 2 hours. I know this is late notice - but any parents who would like to come are also invited to help - and if ANYONE has a chain saw or an ATV that can pull a trailer - we are looking for both of those items to help us clear out some of the debris. Thanks.

This Week:

Monday - Meet at the Vita Course at 7:00am

Tuesday - On your own (4-10 miles)

Wednesday - Meet at Layton Park at 7:00am - We meet at the pavilion close to the goofy statue - directly west of the Layton High track.  

Thursday - On your own (4-10 miles)

Friday - On your own - if you want to run the Kaysville 4th of July 5k or 10k - here is the registration link: https://www.runnercard.com/roadrace/public/raceGroup/975148 - the cost is $30 online (closes Wednesday at 6:00pm) and $35 on the morning of the race. Both races start at 7:30am at Davis High on Friday. 

Saturday - On your own (5-10 miles)

*Holidays are sometimes the most challenging days to get a run in - try to schedule time for it (even if you have to get up early in the morning). 

It is a pleasure to be connected with this program. I love being at things like Ragnar and hearing all of the nice things (and sometimes jealous statements) that people have to say about Davis Cross Country. Continue to represent in all that you do! Continue to work hard for the challenges we will face in the upcoming months. Thank you for putting so much HEART into what we do. 

- Coach Talley

ps. Send me your miles :) I will be sending out the first 4 week report early this week, and I will be making Cross Country Camp Invites early this week as well. 

Brad's Corner:

It was field day at Morgan Middle School. I was running the mile. I was wearing cargo shorts and a fresh pair of Air Jordan 5's. The gun went off and I took off with my J's beneath my feet. I tried not to smile at Camie Mead and Haylie Hansen as I cruised by the stands...though I did sneak a peek. I was feeling good cruising around the eroding track with basketball shoes cutting through the wind. I cruised in for the win and a pretty good time.
When I got home I told my Dad. He said: "We should get you in some racing flats and see how fast you can run." It was at that time that I thought: "He doesn't realize how light Air Jordan's are. I mean come on... AIR! " (FYI they weighed about 25 ounces. Racing flats: 7 ounces) It's not even close. I would run so much faster in racing flats.
My dad was my high school coach. I learned to trust him. He had years of running and racing experience, and knew how to coach. And even though I knew the freshest kicks, I had to trust his experience. There were many times I doubted his advice. But I still did what he said.  By doing this it helped me become the best runner I could be.
Trust your coaches. Even though you may know all of the words to the newest One Direction song. We know running. It will behoove you to pay attention.

DXC Summer Update - Week 3

Darts - 

This is a long email (one of the ones I promised you at the start of the summer) - it will build your endurance just getting through it. . . 

The first 3 week of summer flew by way faster than I would have liked. But they were awesome weeks of training for our TEAM. We are on record pace for both the boys and the girls - and I am really enjoying reading your weekly running log emails. I have attached the new set of workouts - post them somewhere you can refer to them. I hope to see more of you at the TEAM workouts over the next few weeks. There is even more information on the attachment - please read through all of that as well. 

For any of you who have not been to the workouts or haven't had a great start to the summer, don't give up! You have to start sometime - and there is still plenty of summer for you to get some good running in. Always feel welcome to start running with us - even if you have missed a lot or haven't made it to the TEAM runs at all. Just start coming - I won't judge you ;)

Topic of the Week - Healthy Mileage Increase: With so many of you running the most miles you ever have in your entire lives, I think it is important that we go over a few things that will help you to stay healthy and strong and have the energy you need to keep running higher mileage. The miles we are doing right now are crucial to our success this fall, but only if you can take care of your body (and your mind) as you run the base miles. I promise you that the work you are putting in during the first 6 weeks of summer is going to make you faster, stronger, and more mentally prepared for the cross country season. Here are a few tips to staying healthy while you are running high mileage:

1) Be patient and consistent - Remember that all of you are starting and progressing at different places - stay patient with yourself as you build. Our new runners may be starting around 15-20 miles per week (I hope we can build to 35-40), and our experienced runners are all different as well and might not handle mileage the same way. I said at the start of the summer that it is good to increase your mileage by somewhere between 3-7 miles per week. It is also important to increase in cycles. If you have had 3-4 straight weeks of increase, then try a "recovery" week that is a little lower before you begin to increase again. A lot of times this might happen on a girls camp, youth conference, family vacation, or EFY week. A good progression for a new runner who is trying to build up to 40 miles per week would be: 22, 25, 28, 32, 26, 32, 36, 40, 34, 40, 42, 44 (finishing the summer with 403 miles). Remember that everyone is different, and this may be too high or too low for you. If you started around 35 miles - an increase might be: 35, 38, 42, 44, 38, 43, 47, 50, 45, 50, 52, 55 (giving you 539 miles). Some of our top boys are shooting for even higher and have started around 50 miles. Although most of them will end around 70 miles as a high week for the summer. A good increase for them would be: 50, 54, 58, 60, 52, 60, 65, 68, 64, 68, 70, 70 (giving them a total of 739 miles). 

You also need to be consistent. You can't build corretly with running every other week. The kind of summers I don't like to see: 25, 6, 28, 28, 3, 30, 22, 15, 0, 6, 35, etc (you are just asking for injury). Occasionally you will have a low week because of a family vacation or another commitment, that is fine - just do what you can and be careful with your increase when you come back the next week (don't try to run double because you missed). 

2) Take care of your bodies - with the strain that we are putting on our bodies, we have to take care of them or they will break down: a) Stretch - before and after you run (especially after). b) Hydrate - you should be drinking a lot all summer long - water, gatorade, juice. c) Eat Right - make sure that you are eating good foods - a lot of carbohydrates, protein, fruits, and vegetables. Drink your milk or take a supplement for the calcium. It is okay to have some fats and sugars as well, but they should not be the main part of your diet. For a lot of you this means eating enough calories (2500-3000 per day). If you are running a lot of miles, you have to have enough calories to fuel yourself. If you are not getting enough calories, that is the number one risk factor for injury (especially in girls). Eating is also essential for recovery - do your best to eat something with protein and carbohydrates after you run. Chocolate milk is a good recovery drink - or I like to make an egg sandwich and drink a bunch of gatorade. d) Sleep - Eight hours is recommended for a normal person; I have found that runners need more like 8-10 hours - especially when you are hitting 40+ miles in a week. I know that it is a challenge in the summer to stay disciplined with your sleep - but it will pay off in the way you feel, the quickness of your recovery, and in how strong you are running. e) Listen to your body - if something is nagging you, take the time to ice that area, stretch, and maybe visit the physical therapist (I recommend Wasatch Peak in Farmington, Mountainland in West Kaysville, or Mike Smith at Fit Quest in Kaysville). Sometimes you might need to back off. For example, after 4 pretty solid weeks of increased mileage, my shins were feeling tender this week and I had to take Friday off of running and adjust my weekly mileage plan (I also ran less on Wednesday and Thursday than I was planning). By Saturday and Sunday, my shins felt a lot better - but I am still going to be paying close attention to that area. 

3) Have a good pair of training shoes - if you are starting to have knee pain or shin splints, it is most likely that you are running too many miles or even more likely that you are in the wrong shoes. I recommend Striders in Layton and Wasatch Running Center in Centerville because they are going to do their best to put you in the shoes that are right for the way your foot strikes the ground. Although the shoes are slightly more expensive - they will last longer before they break down. (Make sure you mention that you run for Davis at either store for a discount).

4) Strength Training and Cross Training - It is very important to strengthen your muscles. Your core is a very important area (that is why we spend so much time doing ab work). It is also recommended that you try to get in the weight room 2 times per week. The main lifting that I would like to see: legs - squats, lunges, calf raises; arms - bench, pullups, dumbell work, push ups. If you are feeling worn down, it might be smart to cross train a few days, and I will still give you mileage credit. Recommended cross training for running would be biking (3-4 miles biking = 1 mile running), elliptical (10-14 minutes on the elliptical = 1 mile running), and swimming (1 mile swimming = 3-4 miles running). 

5) Keep your purpose in mind - as the summer goes on, your motivation will be tested. We are running these miles in order to build a base that will support you and allow you to be faster in cross country, and indoor and outdoor track. Think of a pyramid - the wider and stronger the base, the higher the peak can be. We are hoping for a HIGH peak in October and November - and we need a strong base. There is a purpose to our hard work this summer. Set some goals for the summer and on a weekly basis - remind yourself of those goals - and that will help to keep you motivated to keep your mileage increasing. 

When it comes down to it - only the strong (and the smart) will survive. 

Be strong and be smart! We want tough, intelligent athletes on the TEAM.

High Altitude Camp will be held July 28^th - August 1^st at Granite Flats (American Fork Canyon).  I will be emailing and handing out camp fliers (invitations) to those who I feel are ready for camp and those who have been working hard and earning their spot at camp. It will be based on the mileage turned in for the first 4-5 weeks of the summer. We are limited to about 65 runners at the camp this year. 

This Week:

Monday - Vita Course - 7:00am - same as always

Tuesday - on your own

Wednesday - on your own

Thursday - Meet at the school at 7:00am

Friday - No boys and girls run because of Wasatch Back - run on your own

Saturday - on your own - Good Luck to those running Wasatch Back on the school teams or on your family teams!

I know that was a ton of information. I hope that you took the time to read it all. Keep up the good work, send me your miles for week 3 (if you haven't), and keep falling in love with running!

- Coach Talley

Brad's Corner (the best thoughts ever presented in email):

Want to get faster? Want to see improvement? Make goals! But not only make goals, write those suckers down!
When I was running in high school I wrote my goals everywhere. On my shoes, on my walls, locker. Had SC (State Champion) and my goal times written on the inner waist band of my running shorts. (Note: If you write on the waist band of your Davis High Issued shorts. We will find you. And you will pay for your transgressions.)By constantly seeing my goals it helped keep me focused and understand why I was training so hard. I had goals on the ceiling above my bed so it was what I saw when I woke up for an early morning run, and it was what I went to bed dreaming about.

*See attached picture.

DXC Summer Update - Week 2

Darts - 

We are off to a strong start this summer. I love the excitement and the positive attitude that I am getting from so many of you in your emails. Our returners are getting after it with purpose, and I like the determination and bravery I am seeing from our new runners. At the end of week 1 - when all the mileage was sent in - we had our best start ever for both the boys and the girls. The boys started with 2298 miles (old record was 2260), and the girls started with 1436 miles (old record was 1300). I will send out the mileage every 3 weeks so you can see your progress and the progress of the TEAM. We will have a special prize this year for all boys over 500 miles and all girls over 400 miles. We also had a strong showing at Vita Course with 7 boys and 12 girls joining the sub 50/sub 63 club.

Kick-off Camp: I hope that those of you who were able to come to kick-off camp had a good time. I felt like the running was solid, and it was a good opportunity to get to know each other. If you weren't able to come this time - there will be many more opportunities for hard running and TEAM bonding. 

For those of you who missed, I talked about the core beliefs of Davis XC, our TEAM goals, and what is going to help us reach those goals. In a nutshell: 1) Hard Work (summer miles, consistency, being passionate, and running with purpose). 2) TEAM unity (putting the TEAM first, racing and training with your teammates, pushing each other to be better, always having a positive attitude, and everyone making a difference). 3) Toughness (having "No Fear", looking for ways to challenge yourself, and bouncing back from rough days or rough weeks or other challenges). 4) Humility (we have to work for our goals - it is not going to happen just because we were good last year, we have to stay hungry). Brad talked about enjoying the journey and about running like a champion no matter how fast you are or what position you are on the TEAM - he emphasized that everyone can make the person in front of them better and that it starts at the bottom and works right up to the top. We have some great times in front of us. Keep your excitement high and your commitment strong!

A real quick thanks to all parents who helped drive kids up and back, and a HUGE thanks to the Tanners, Coxes, Bekki Argyle, and Jen Beard for helping with dinner and breakfast. The parents on this TEAM rock! 

There was a cool article in Running Times on Josh Ward ("Iceman"). He just gets tougher and tougher. We have such a cool TEAM and some great examples - http://www.runnersworld.com/high-school-training/my-summer-job-the-iceman-runneth?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunningTimes-_-Content-HighSchool-_-IceManSummerJob 

This Week:

Monday - Vita Course at 7:00am (4-10 miles)

Tuesday - Meet at Davis at 7:00am (4-8 miles)

Wednesday - On your own (3-8 miles)

Thursday - Meet at Davis at 7:00am or the Lagoon Trails at 7:15 (north entrance). We are going to drive over to the Lagoon Trails for a workout (push run or tempo run).

Friday - Girls Run - TBA

Friday - Boys Run - TBA

Saturday - On your own (5-10 miles)

Send in your mileage if you haven't already :)

Make week #3 great!

Have a great Father's Day.

Happy Running - 

Coach Talley

ps - follow us on Twitter (@davistrackandxc) and join the Davis Cross Country Facebook page.

Brad's Corner (Inspirational and Educational - the best thoughts ever presented in email):

I think running heroes are very important. I had many running heroes when I ran in High School. Ed Eyestone, Todd Williams, Billy Mills, Bob Kennedy, Moses Kiptanui to name a few. I loved reading about them. Watching them race and seeing what made them so great. It helped give me direction and goals. It showed me how to work hard to be the best. Whenever I saw Ed Eyestone run by my house in Morgan it was like seeing Harry from One Direction run by. I was star struck. I learned a lot about hard work, toughness and race strategy from having running heroes. With so many amazing distance runners right now, many that we meet at NXN, you should all find a favorite.

I emailed Todd Williams, who was an Olympian and my hero. Actually, he is why I started wearing Adidas. I asked him for advice he had for High School  runners:

"My biggest piece of advice is to believe and follow it up with the will to work for it! To be great at anything you have to separate yourself from the pack by consistent hard work over the long haul.... No quick way to success!" Todd Williams

Summer XC Update - Week 1

Darts - 

It was a great first week of summer training. I have only begun to read through your first emails, and I am very impressed with what I am seeing. I am excited to see what we can do this summer. I think we are going to see a lot of improvement and a lot of surprises. We have a very young TEAM (both the boys and the girls), and with a lot of hard work, it will be an amazing TEAM this fall. 

I think it is important for you to know WHY you are doing what you are doing. At this point in the summer, we are trying to build up our mileage and strength. That is why nearly all of our runs are distance runs. We call it our "base" - and the stronger your base, the faster you are going to be when we get to September and October. Keep in mind that everyone is starting at a different place. Some of you are pretty experienced runners, some of you are brand new this week. ALL of you will benefit from getting in some consistent distance runs for the next 4-5 weeks. Then we will begin to add other elements as well. During the 'base' period, it is good to vary what you do for running. Run different routes, run on different terrains (road, dirt, grass), and run different distances (not the same amount each day). The key is to stay consistent. 

Training Logs: It will really help you to see the big picture if you keep track of your running in some type of training log (as well as sending your weekly mileage to me). It is very helpful to be able to refer back to your running log to see what you might have done in the past. It also helps you to see the work you accomplished throughout the summer in order to build a base for the XC Season. I have attached the Excel file that Coach Timothy uses for his training log. You are welcome to use it throughout the summer. It keeps your weekly total and your summer total. 

Running on Vacation: Most of you will be on vacation (camp, EFY, Youth Conference, Family vacations, etc) at some point this summer. I completely understand that there will be times when you are unable to run. I would recommend that you do your best on those days/weeks, but don't let it stress you out too much. If all you can do is an ab workout before you get in bed on those days - just do the best you can. Sometimes I think of the vacation weeks as "maintain weeks" - where I do what I can to maintain my work/fitness without necessarily worrying about improving that week. Again - just do your best. 

Kick-off Camp: We are meeting at the school at 2:00pm on Thursday for the DXC Kick-off Camp. We will be home Friday at about 11:00. I have attached the information/waiver. The cost is $15 - and you need to bring the money and the waiver with you on Thursday (checks made out to Davis County Running Club). We will be running Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. The camp is at Anderson Cove (by Pineview Reservoir). 

Cross Country Camp: Will be from July 28-August 1. We will invite athletes based on the first 4-6 weeks of summer training. 

This Week:

Monday - Meet at Vita Course at 7:00am. 

Tuesday-Wednesday - on your own

Thursday-Friday - Kick off Camp

Saturday - on your own

As always, let me know if you have any questions. I will be working through the first week emails and answering any questions you might have had about your first week of training. I challenge each of you NOT to let laziness get in the way of your running this summer. Don't be typical summertime teenagers. 

Stay motivated. 

Happy Running, see you at Vita in the morning. 

Coach Talley

PS - Congrats to Josh Ward, Jordan Barnett, and Andrew Tyndall for their awesome performances at the Great Southwest Classic (track) in New Mexico this weekend. 

PPS - Congrats to our representatives at the Junior Achievement 5k yesterday. Our Davis boys and girls were both the TEAM champions. Good job Skylar, Kimball, Colton, Brandon, and Solomon. And good job to Miah, Aubrey, Ally, Josey, Tatum, and Sam. 

2014 Cross Country Meeting

Tuesday, May 27th

3:00pm in Coach Talley's Classroom (2512)

We will be going over our summer training plans and information for 2014 cross country.

DXC Update - NXN Finals

Darts - 

Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) was the perfect end to a dream season. It was a long path to get there for both the boys and the girls. It took a lot of drive, commitment, and most of all TEAMwork. I am sure most of you were following the race on Saturday, but in case you did not see, the girls finished on the podium with 3rd place, and the boys fought hard for a 17th place finish out of the 22 teams in the race. Davis XC was very well represented all weekend by the way our kids behaved and the way they performed.

The entire weekend was filled with fun and excitement. We were able to meet some of the best runners in the world: Galen Rupp (2nd place in the 2012 Olympic 10,000m), Dathan Ritzenheim (3 time Olympian), Matt Tegenkamp (helped with the shoe fitting), Evan Jager (U.S. Steeplechase Record Holder), Andrew Wheating (1:44 800m PR), Luke Puskedra (Utah native we got to run with and eat dinner with), Alan Webb (U.S. Mile Record Holder), Chris Solinsky (first non-African sub 27:00 10,000m runner), Shalane Flannigan (2 Time Olympian), German Fernandez, Chris Derrick, and many others including Mo Farah (Gold Medalist in the 5k and 10k at the 2012 Olympics). We also got some pretty sweet Nike gear - including some very interesting purple uniforms to race in. And we spent a lot of time on the world famous Nike Campus. It was an unbelievable experience that motivated me as a coach to be even better and work even harder - and definitely inspired the athletes to be there very best. I would hope that those of you following at home were excited for your teammates and especially that you young runners were inspired for next year when we get to go back (after a lot of work in the track seasons and the summer). 

Saturday was one of the greatest days in DXC history. It was cold, and the ground was lumpy and frozen, but the course was fast because there was no mud. It was a huge contrast to what we saw a year ago (just look at the pictures). The girls raced first - and were very positive despite the cold weather. We had a goal going into the race to make the podium (top 3), but it was not going to be easy. We were up against some very strong teams: Great Oak from California was coming off the fastest team time in CA state history, Fayetteville-Manlius is always tough at NXN and had won 7 in a row, Wayzata of Minnesota came in with the tightest pack in the country, Carmel of Indiana had been ranked #1 at some points of the season, Fort Collins and Monarch of Colorado were both running strong, and Unionville of Pennsylvania had an undefeated season going (even beating Manlius 2 times early on). It was going to be a battle. As the cannon went off (they used a cannon rather than a gun), our girls fought hard through the first 400m to establish position. Taylor got off the line strong and was in about 40th at the first turn, but it was hard to tell where the other girls were in the HUGE mass of runners. The race has a total of 199 runners (154 from teams and 45 individuals) - all of a relatively close level. As Aubrey tried to follow Taylor through the crowd, she hit a rough patch of ground and got tripped up and went to the ground before the end of the first turn (maybe 400m in). Falling that early in the race makes it very challenging - because 2-3 seconds can be 60-70 runners. But Aubrey didn't panic. She got back on her feet, and found herself back in the pack. The good thing was that she was with 3 other Davis girls. Kenzie, Sierra, and Hannah helped Aubrey get back in the race. By 1000m, we were further back in the pack than we wanted to be. Taylor held her position well, and Ashley wasn't far behind, but the other 5 were packed close together maybe 40 runners back. The first time the team scores came up on the board, we were in 4th place behind Manlius, Wayzata, and Unionville (I didn't know we were 4th at the time - it felt like we were quite a ways back). The middle of the race was huge for us. Our girls ran very strong through the pack and really moved up as a group. They had to fight for it though - the ground was not very smooth, and the whoop-de-doos and hay bales were definitely a challenge. It is not easy to move up through the groups, but our girls found a way. By 2k and 3k we had moved up into 3rd place, but were trailed closely by Carmel. When we were still in 3rd at the 4k, I knew we had a shot at the podium because our girls were running with so much heart and toughness. It was our strongest finish of the year. Taylor had faded back into the high 40s, but made up a lot of ground over the final 800 to finish 39th (13th in team scoring) with 18:16. Aubrey didn't stop fighting the entire race and gave a final strong effort to finish in 67th (28th team scoring) with 18:41. Ashley ran steady the whole race and finished in 71st (31st in team scoring) with 18:46. Sierra was huge for us as our #4 runner and really closed well to get 79th (38th in team scoring) with 18:48. (I thought this was cool on Sierra - http://www.dyestat.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=198252 - Taylor also shows up on the list). Hannah finished with so much intensity - probably passing more than 20 girls in the final mile to get 89th (47th in team scoring) with 18:55. Kenzie really helped our pack out and gave all she had to finish right behind Hannah in 96th (54th team scoring) with 19:00. And Ally had a very solid race - especially for a freshman - with her 116th place finish (71st in the team scoring) in 19:15. Ally ended up beating the #5 runner (or better) on 15 of the 22 teams. It was an honor to stand on the podium with these 7 girls who had given so much all season long and who really laid it on the line in the race. They were brave and strong and I could not have been more proud of who they are and what they accomplished. 

Girls Team Scores:

1. Wayzata, MN - 108

2. Manlius, NY - 120

3. Davis, UT - 157

4. Carmel, IN - 182

5. Monarch, CO - 211

6. Fort Collins, CO - 212

7. Unionville, PA - 214

8. Great Oak, CA - 276

9. Simi Valley, CA - 277

10. Bozeman, MT - 278

The boys had every right to be happy just to be there, but that wasn't enough for them. I really feel that we beat all odds in even qualifying for the meet. We have a very young team with little varsity experience (other than Skylar and Stokton, none of the boys had run in a varsity race before this season). We put together an amazing race at the regional and we showed a lot of determination and patience all season long. Qualifying for Nationals was enough of an accomplishment to make this a very successful year for the boys, and I was proud of them for not approaching the race just happy to be there. They put themselves in the pack and they didn't stop fighting until the very end. Skylar had a bit of a rough day - but Josh was right there to run with him and push him quite a bit through the final mile of the race. Kimball lost a shoe and had to run over a mile with only one shoe on (over the rough, frozen ground), and the 20 degree weather was not easy on Stokton's asthma. But they still fought and they still ran for something. Skylar had a killer kick to finish in 83rd (45 team score) with 16:05. Josh was right behind in 88th (49th team score) with 16:07. Logan had his typical wizard finish to get 114th (72 team score) with 16:22. Colton ran as steady and strong as ever - I think this was his course - to finish in 125th (82 team score) with 16:25. Colter stepped up huge for us with 140th (96 team score) in 16:31 (he made the same list as Sierra - http://www.dyestat.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=198252). Stokton went for it, and although he struggled with his breathing, he still held on for 157th (113 team score) in 16:45. And Kimball gave a great shoeless effort with his 188th place finish in 17:24. Our boys TEAM is filled with competitors and champions. I am so proud of all that they have done this season - and I think they have some great things in their future. 

Boys Team Scores:

1. Gig Harbor, WA - 111

2. Christian Brothers, NJ - 139

3. Brentwood, GA - 174

4. Manlius, NY - 216

5. Carmel, IN - 225

6. Cincinnati, OH - 228

7. American Fork, UT - 230

8. North Spokane, WA - 231

9. Arcadia, CA - 255

10. Edina - 263

17. Davis - 344

A special thanks to everyone on the team for all of the support and all of the hard work that got us there. I hope that more than anything, you were motivated to keep working together and keep accomplishing great things as a TEAM. 

I would also like to thank all of our parents for their support, for their trust, and for their friendship. We are very blessed to have some incredible parents on this TEAM. 

And a HUGE thanks to Brad for being my right hand man and for making NXN so much fun each year, and to Coach Timothy for all his help this season. 

Davis NXN History:

2007 Girls - 9th place

2010 Boys - 11th place

2011 Boys - 3rd place (Highest Utah finish at the time - AF finished 2nd in 2012)

2012 Boys - 13th place

2012 Girls - 12th place

2013 Girls - 3rd place (Highest Utah finish - beating the 2004 5th place Fremont team)

I know most of you know, but indoor track starts tomorrow (Tuesday). 9th graders should come over after school and get the information from me. I will most likely have a meeting with all the distance runners on Friday this week - in my classroom when the 9th graders can be there on time. 

Keep dreaming - 

Coach Talley

ps. Sorry for the long email - I did not have the time or the energy to do any editing - so sorry if I messed something up.

 

NXN This Saturday

Darts - 

I wanted to send a quick email before we head off to NXN (Thursday morning). I really want to thank the entire TEAM for all of the hard work and sacrifices that were made this season by each of you. We would not be sending 7 boys and 7 girls to Portland if it weren't for the entire TEAM. The boys and girls who are representing DXC and Davis High School know that they have great teammates who have supported them, challenged them, inspired them, and made them better runners and better people. It is a weird two weeks without the entire TEAM at the practices. While we have all been very focused on nationals, I think it has made each of us realize how great our TEAM really is. The 14 athletes and your coaches will do our best to represent Davis Cross Country. They will run stronger, be tougher, and dig deeper knowing that each of their TEAMmates are looking up to them and cheering for them from home. If any of you would like to see them off. We are meeting at the school at 6:30am on Thursday to head down to the airport. You can also watch them live online at http://nxn.runnerspace.com/ (follow the links for the live feed). The girls race at 11:05 (Utah Time) and the boys are at 12:35 (Utah Time). 

I hope that you are enjoying your break. I would recommend a few distance runs this week (anywhere from 3-8 miles). Don't forget about the indoor track meeting on Tuesday, December 10th in the cafeteria at 2:30pm. We will run after the meeting.

Thanks for an unforgettable season. I hope that many of you already have your sights on doing some great things in track. And I hope that all of you who are coming back next year have some XC dreams you would like to see come true. The secret is hard work, desire, and loving what you do. 

- Coach Talley