8/27 update

Phoenix,

Well done to everyone who raced yesterday. It is great to be in the full swing of things. We had some very strong performances, but beyond time, we had fantastic effort and support, which is a hallmark of our team. I always enjoy watching each of you race because I know the work that you put in, and the journey that each of you is on. Whether it is Kamryn, Julia, Tyler, Spencer, any of the A names, or M names, or one of our many freshman boys, or our one freshman girl, Sophia, and so on and so forth - I appreciate your hard work and sacrifice to give your best day in and day out, and I love watching you race. Ultimately I love seeing your hard work pay off.

Our varsity girls finished in 2nd place, behind Weber by 10 points. We have some work to do if we are going to overcome those points and get the win at Region in October. The boys team finished in 3rd place, 2 points behind Davis and 12 behind Layton. Same thing, we have a lot of work to do. I'm not sure that I've ever had a year in my career where both teams that won pre-region go on to win region. It seems like every year at least one is different, and this year, we hope to make it two that are different, and under 1 name, which would be fitting because there is only one PHOENIX.

Our path to victory, and reaching our team's potential is very clear. We have to run together. Gaps between our runners must close, and we have to be tightly together. Great teams have low spreads, meaning the time between runners is low, and that's our key. The idea of running together is both a strategy and a philosophy. We are better together. During the week, we will warm up together, run together, do abs together, have team dinners together before meets, etc. You are bound together as teammates, and we want that to manifest on the course.

We are already getting there, in terms of pack running, but we have work to do still. In the JV races I saw several groups working together as they went around opponents. In the varsity race, Ayla led her group through the mile and beyond extremely well, and as they master that element we will be tough to beat. The boys seem bound and determined to get it down, as once they do the pack may be overwhelming. Let's continue working in groups each day at practice. We're better together.

In order to better help us coaches plan our training, will you fill out this form to tell us each of your mile splits in the race? 

Upcoming

This week we will be travelling to Orem for the Timpanogos Invitational. The meet schedule and location can be viewed on our schedule page. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEET IS IN THE MORNING, AND YOU WILL LIKELY MISS THE FIRST 3 PERIODS.

We will be facing off with some of the best teams in the state, so it will be a perfect opportunity for us to gain the experience we need for region, state, and beyond.

We will only have 7 varsity runners at this meet, with the JV runners being split into freshman/sophomore and junior/senior JV races.

The entries for that meet can be found here. Please let me know if you will not be there.

The buses for this meet will leave at 7 AM.

Team dinner 

This Thursday we will be having a team dinner provided by the Reaveleys! 6 PM with the location to be shared in the coming days. 

Team snacks at races

If you sign up to provide snacks or drinks at meets, feel free to send them with your child on the bus, or you can bring them up if you'd like. Either way works great. Thank you to everyone who has been bringing them and signing up, the kids demolish them after the races. 

Meet Schedule

The Park City race has been removed from our schedule. Just too many races for the team. We'll do some quality training instead to be ready for what is next.

After School Practices - Class day (B-day)

On B days we will no longer be able to hold official after school practices. Therefore, if you aren't in the class, you may opt to do your runs/workouts in the morning, or at a more convenient time. You are still welcome to come after school, and get started before the class group gets finished, but it won't be official, and there likely won't be a coach there for the entirety of it. On Thursday there were just 3 kids who came after school, and I think you could have found perhaps a more convenient time or place to accomplish the workout.

Team Yard Signs

Laura Muirbrook has kindly put together a sign order. She's going to order them, if you want one you'll just need to send payment to her. This is, of course, completely optional. Here is the form and info if you'd like to order one. You have until Sunday night.

NXR

For information on NXR please go here. 

Please fill out this form to let me know your interest in attending NXR. 

This week training

This week will be pretty similar to last week, but with some stronger runs thrown in there. After the next week we're going to settle in to about 80% the rest of the way, and that will have you feeling pretty good I hope.

If you have any questions please let me know.

Week 13 - 90%			0.85	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25
Mon	August 28	FHS for class	30-45 minute stamina run	10	10	10	8.00	7.00	6.00	6.00	5.00
Tues	August 29	FHS A day (3:15)	Easy Distance Run, Strides (6-8)	7.00	7.00	6.00	6.00	6.00	5.00	3.00	3.00
Wed	August 30	FHS for class (1:30) (will then go to regional park)	tempo, 5 minutes rest, 400s	4/7	3/6	3/6	6.00	5.00	4.00	4.00	4.00
Thurs	August 31	FHS A day (3:15)	Distance Run, Strides (6-8)	6.00	5.00	5.00	5.00	4.00	4.00	3.00	3.00
Fri	September 1	Timpanogos Invite	Race Day; bus leaves at 7 AM	7.00	6.00	6.00	6.00	5.00	5.00	5.00	5.00
Sat	September 2	on own	Easy longish run	10.00	8.00	7.00	7.00	7.00	6.00	6.00	5.00
Sun	September 3		Off Day
Weekly Volume				51	46.75	42.5	38.25	34	29.75	25.5	21.25

8/20 update

Phoenix,

I hope you all had a phenomenal first two days of school! While it can be a big paradigm shift getting back on the grind, I personally am excited to have the whole squad back together every day for practices.

Practice Schedule

Now that we are back in school we will be practicing during 8th period beginning at 1:15, and after school on A days beginning at 3:15. We will meet at the school, north end, unless otherwise noted; we may have some A days where we meet at the regional park promptly at 3:15.

Practice on class days does not end when school dismisses. Practice ends whenever we end, which is generally about 2 hours after the start. Plan rides, activities, and work accordingly

We are moving the A day start time back for a few reasons. First, so that our freshman can arrive closer to the actual start time, and not be isolated from the team. My priority here is the team as a whole. 

Second, so that each athlete has time to consult with teachers, go to PFA labs, or begin their homework. I know this may make it a bit more difficult for work schedules, but do the best you can to arrange work accordingly. The pro move for the average-jo would be to get a head start on homework after 4th period an prior to practice beginning. Time management is a skill that is, and will be, invaluable in your life.

This week's schedule

Each week that we have a race, our mileage will have to drop a bit, if only because we now lose a long run. For the next few weeks we are going to hang around that 80-90% range. 

At the bottom of this page you can see the schedule for the week. As a reminder, we will be doing core together as a team at the conclusion of the runs, so don't just leave once your run is concluded. Core is a large element of successful running, so we need to emphasize it.

When the day calls for strides, those need to be calculated into your mileage. So if you are supposed to go 6 miles one day, with 6-8 strides, your run will need to be at least 600m shorter than 6 miles so you can do the strides.

PLEASE NOTE: if you miss a day on the schedule for illness or otherwise, do not go making up for lost days by adding it to another day. A missed day is a missed day, no need to compound it by over doing it and then not getting the adaptation desired by doing a long run one day when we want to have a hard day the next or something. 

This week we will also be having a team dinner. More on that below.

Meet on SATURDAY

The meet on Saturday is at the weber county fairgrounds (google maps link).

The bus will leave at 7:15 AM.

The latest schedule is JV girls at 9 AM. Please note that is different from what was originally shared. The order can be viewed on our schedule page.

The JV races will be 2 miles, and the varsity will be 3. I petitioned to get rid of the 2 mile races and was denied. As a concession they allowed us to enter 20 athletes into the varsity races, so more of you can race the full 3 miles. 

Who is in each varsity race is still to be determined, and won't be decided until later this week. We will use our best judgement from this last race, the time trials, and last year, if needed, to fill the 20 varsity spots. 

You must have register my athlete completed or you may not compete. You must have all "U"s cleared or you cannot compete. 

Team Dinners

On Friday, 8/25, at 6 PM we will be having a team dinner at the Wheeler home. If you can, please bring $2 to help offset costs for hosting.

We could still use a few more volunteers to host dinners, which can be at your home, a park, or elsewhere. 

We could also use volunteers for various items at races. You can send them with your child or bring them to the meet and we will set them out for the kids to have.

If you'd like to volunteer, please view this link: Signup Genius

Team Store

Because of so few orders in the team shop, we have opted to extend the order deadline until Tuesday. Mostly it is because I always have people tell me that they forgot to order things, and then ask to order them late. In this case we won't be ordering anything late, so please go on and make the order as soon as is convenient. Team Store Link

Upcoming

On our schedule it says we have a race on 9/8 at Park City. That race is likely going to be scratched, due to having too many races in a row which really hampers our training, and impede our ability to reach our team goals. A final decision will be made this week.

If you have any questions please let me know.

Coach Jacobson

Day	Date	Location	Type	Total Mileage For Max
Week 12 - 85%			0.85	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25
Mon	August 21	FHS A day (3:15)	Distance Run, Strides (6-8)	4/7	3/7	3/5.5	7.00	5.00	5.00	5.00	4.00
Tues	August 22	FHS for class (will then go to regional park)	step down 1200s	8.00	7.00	7.00	6.00	6.00	6.00	5.00	4.00
Wed	August 23	FHS A day (3:15)	Distance Run, Strides (6-8)	4/7	3/6	3/5	6.00	5.00	4.00	4.00	4.00
Thurs	August 24	FHS for class (will then go to regional park)	Tempo repeats	7.00	7.00	7.00	7.00	6.00	5.00	5.00	5.00
Fri	August 25	FHS A day (3:15)	Pre-race, easy effort + strides (6-8)	6.00	6.00	5.00	5.00	5.00	4.00	3.00	3.00
Sat	August 26	Pre-Region race, bus leaves at 7:15	Race Day	8.00	7.00	7.00	7.00	7.00	6.00	6.00	5.00
Sun	August 20		Off Day
Weekly Volume				51	46	42.5	38	34	30	28	25

8/13 update

Phoenix,

I want to say great job to all who competed and supported on Saturday. It was great to get out and show off some of your summer fitness and take our first step on our journey to repeat as region champions, and compete for a state title and beyond. 

There were many standout performances, including Abbey Klein in the JV girls race, who would have finished 4th on our team in the varsity race. Hailey Bird stepped up with a moment's notice to run in the varsity race instead of Katie who was out ill. Hudson Scott claimed our top spot in the JV boys race, and would have been our 6th runner in the varsity race. We had tons of people mention how many minutes faster than we this year than last, which was awesome to see. And, in many cases, athletes were faster on Saturday than they were at the end of last season - which is not easy to do, considering the focus of our training at the moment. 

As many of you know, Farrah had a bit of a scare there at the end of the JV girls race, as the heat seemed to take a massive toll, leading to a bout with heat exhaustion. But thanks to those who were nearby and ready to help she was able to bounce back, but it certainly wasn't easy. It is always hard to see someone you care about hurting, but it was also special to see her family and friends there to support her.

You can find the meet results here. 

We continue to move into some increased intensity as we get ready to race more, but we are also going to keep the volume high for the time being. This week we return to 100% and we will also be getting used to running in the heat a bit more. It is paramount that you treat your body with the utmost care as we run more in the heat, by giving it the rest and nutrition it needs to perform at it's best. When heat training it is also important to not worry about pace, but effort. If you normally easily run about 9 minute miles in 70 degree weather, that may increase by a minute or two in 90+ degrees. 

Please note the practice times for this week - beginning on Thursday we will be practicing after school/during 8th period class.

Coming up

We do not race again until 8/26, so we have some time to prepare. This week we will be doing a bit more heat training, with most of our runs being in the afternoon this week. The exceptions being Wednesday and Saturday. Please note the start time for Monday and Tuesday (1 PM). Wednesday will be at 7 AM unless otherwise noted.

You'll also notice that I got rid of the 20 mile column. Now that we'll be running together 5 days a week, plus a race or necessary long run on Saturday, it's going to be near impossible to only do 20 miles. (You'd be limited to 1 mile runs, after the warm up, which simply would not give you the stimulus you need to improve in any meaningful way, after the work you've put in this summer).

Team Store

If you would like to buy something from the team store, please visit this link. All items are optional and are paid for through the BSN site. Items will ship to the school once the store closes. The store closes on Friday. BSN Team Store

Spikes

Many of you have been running in xc spikes/flats for the races, and you well know the benefit. Others have yet to get spikes, and just race in their regular running shoes. I strongly recommend getting xc spikes to race in for a litany of reasons, but what it boils down to is, because we race on grass, you are significantly faster with the proper footwear. They are also helpful in training, as they allow you to strengthen up your feet and lower legs which in turn helps reduce energy. Anyway, don't just take my word for it, if you're skeptical of the value of spikes, just ask anyone who races in them. Or just google it. 

BSN is generously offering 20% off retail on Nike Dragonfly X ($110) and Rival X ($50) cross country spikes. If you'd like to order these they will ship at once to your home, not to the school. This is totally optional, and you can order or purchase from elsewhere if you are so inclined. BSN Nike Spikes

Team Dinner/Drinks and snacks at meets

If you would like to host a team dinner, or volunteer to provide drinks or snacks at the races, please go to our sign up genius. 

If you'd like to host on a different day just let me know and we can arrange that as well.

Team Dinners

Fees/Eligibility

If you haven't yet, please go pay your summer fees on mydsd. (Freshman, I will send a link out later this week so you can get those paid). There will be season fees uploaded in the coming days as well. And again, if you haven't yet, please go finish register my athlete. Many of you haven't finished it (if you raced than you have it done), so please take care of that ASAP.

Joining the team

This time of year we get a lot of questions on if it is too late to join. The answer to such inquiries is that it is not too late, you can still join for the next couple of weeks. So if you know anyone, please let them know.

Garmin order

I don't yet have a date on when these will be delivered, but they won't ship until payment is received, and payment is being mailed from the school. So once they get that, then they will ship. Once the items are received I'll let you know how to pay for them (through a link setup on dsdgives (a donation site set up by the school district). Once paid for you can pick up the watch!

Let me  know if you have any questions.

Coach Jacobson

Day	Date	Location	Type	Total Mileage For Max
Week 11 - 100%			1	60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25
Mon	August 14	Farmington Regional Park (1 PM)	Himpo (Hilly tempo)	4/7	4/6	3/6	6-7	5-6	4-5	4-5	4-5
Tues	August 15	FHS 1 PM	Distance Run, Strides (6-8)	8-9	7-8	6-7	6-7	6-7	5-6	4-5	4-6
Wed	August 16	Farmington Regional Park 7 AM	800 repeats	10.0	9-10	8-9	7-8	6-7	5-6	5-6	4-6
Thurs	August 17	FHS	Distance Run, Strides (6-8)	4/7	4/6	3/6	6-7	5-6	4-5	4-5	3.0
Fri	August 18	FHS	Fartlek	8	7-8	6-7	6	5-6	4-5	4-5	5
Sat	August 19	VITA (time tbd)	Long Run	12.0	11.0	10.0	9.0	8.0	7.0	6.0	6.0
Sun	August 20		Off Day
Weekly Volume				60	55	50	45	40	35	30	25