Transformed Forever!

I really don't know how much you guys read these messages we share with you...if they really mean anything, or if they make that much of a difference!  I do know that if you really are Invested in US and that somehow running has Transformed you, then these messages do make a difference!  

This is our final message for the summer, and we hope that you take to Heart what is about to be shared.  It's not that the message is out of this world or going to magically make you this better runner, but WE do need to you to know and understand a few things that are rumbling in our HEARTS about YOU! As we have watched and ran and even felt all that you have gone through this summer, YOU need to know that the "PATH" has been absolutely amazing!  Think about where you started this summer...what was your personal situation?  Maybe you aren't where you want to be at this moment, but that is why we put in all this time and effort into this...to shoot for something bigger than ourselves...to DREAM about things that most don't dream about!  YOU have an opportunity to do something with this "DREAM" and to take a chance on this "PATH" that YOU have chosen!  We can't promise what the exact outcome will be, but we can tell YOU that the outcome that is worthy of YOU, will happen!  YOU may not think or even realize, the TRANSFORMATION that has taken place inside of you...but WE do!  WE have watched and ran, and even felt the TRANSFORMATION taking place!  Is the Transformation done? Of course not...there will always be "new starting lines" to shoot for and take on...without any doubt or fear!  What do you have to lose by taking a chance on YOU?  Take this opportunity that you have and give it what it deserves...YOUR VERY BEST!

How do we know for sure that this TRANSFORMATION has taken place?  BECAUSE YOU HAVE CHANGED OUR LIVES FOREVER!  WE HAVE TRANSFORMED WITH YOU!  Now go keep doing the little things, keep giving your best, keep loving the tough moments, keep your heads up, keep believing, keep letting this team and running bring out the  

TRANSFORMATION IN YOU!

We always hope that what we share with you really makes a difference for you! You are all so amazing and you make every day showing up to do this, a blessing and worth it!

First Time!

What a great "First" race of the season!  We really had an Amazing day, and it was so nice to finally start seeing where we are and where we want to head!  :)   We had significant improvements by so many people!  We had nearly every top 10 list for the Settlement Canyon course, change significantly, and this is only our FIRST RACE!  We know for some of you more "experienced" runners, that the feeling of "this is our last Premier race" hit home a little, but we are here to help you hopefully see it a little different!  Look at it more as the "FIRST TIME" you will run it as a Senior or First time that it will be my last time (I know that is a stretch, but "STARTING LINES" ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN FOCUSING ON THE RESULT!).  Take advantage of the moments you have, but also realize that...it's just another day to be apart of this Team and crazy thing called running!!!!!!
It definitely was a very warm one out there, and we hope that you can really see the significance of taking good care of yourself before and after your running...but we also hope that you can see that it doesn't matter what the weather may be or who might be there or not there...YOU have been working hard...YOU have high goals and desires that drive you to reach deeper than you ever have before!  Yes, there are many challenges ahead of us...people/teams who will want to stop you from possibly reaching those goals, desires, or challenges ahead.  The question is...what will YOU do about it!  Haven't we learned that the "impossible" really is POSSIBLE!?  Haven't we realized by now that WE ARE IN CONTROL OF OUR DESTINY?  We need each other to keep moving forward...We need to keep believing that all the work we have done, and will do, is worth all the ups and downs we have felt!  We are hear to tell YOU that it is worth it!!!!!!!!!!

We will be making a transition here very soon to our Stansbury XC homepage from the summer miles page!  I have started this transition a little, by putting the link of the results to our Premier Invitational 2015 on the stansburyxc.blogspot.com Team page (there is also a link directly to the homepage on the FYI section to the left).  You will also find some previous races from years past to see what has happened before!  This is an exciting time and we hope that you EMBRACE the change and awesome (blossom), challenge ahead!

Important Items!

First:  We need to make sure that some important items get out to all of you ASAP!

1.  We have a total of 13 boys registered and 16 girls registered for our TEAM on registermyathlete.com, at this moment!!!!!!!      YOU WILL NOT BE RACING ON SATURDAY (OR ANY DAY), UNTIL YOU HAVE REGISTERED AND HAVE A PHYSICAL DONE!  That is not our rule, it is a STATE rule and we must follow it (if we don't then we can be severely fined or even lose our jobs!).  Turn your physicals to your Coaches or Athletic Director, Trever Wilson.

2.  For our race on Saturday, we don't race until after noon time!  But we have races that are going on before that (4A and 5A schools), and we need some ADULT help with telling buses where to park down below in the gravel parking area, and parking cars in the RV area.  If any of your parents can help us at this time (7:00 am to 11ish am), that would be great!  We can definitely rotate parents if we have enough.  It is not very hard at all and would be greatly appreciated.  They will not have to do any of it during your races.

3.  This week will be normal scheduled runs that we have had during the summer.  

4.  Did I mention that YOU ALL NEED TO GET REGISTERED AND GET A PHYSICAL?  Just making sure!  :)


The end of the summer is very near!  We can't believe that the season is upon us, but IT IS ALSO VERY EXCITING TO FINALLY GET GOING AND PUT ALL THE WORK TOGETHER AND QUITE HONESTLY...JUST GO ENJOY THE MOMENTS!!!!!!!
We want you to take advantage of every moment that you have!  Realize that even though we are so close to the season, that know is no time to let up or think that if things haven't gone perfectly, that what's the point, or if things have been good that you can afford to back off a bit (unless we have told you to due to circumstances!)...now is the perfect time to still go after you mileage goals, because once school starts, the mileage starts to back off.   

Another thought we have had, and its a good reminder is that YOU should focus on just being Grateful!  You have such an amazing Team, we have been through so much this summer (and years for some of you!), we have worked hard, we have ran up many hills and pushed many gears, we have challenged each other, we have had a lot of fun moments, we have bonded with much more to come!!!  Just be thankful that you have had the ability (even the injured ones), to be able to be a part of this great Team and people!  Be thankful for the time and others' sacrifices for YOU, and let those people know it has mattered to you!  We are telling you to do this because then all these things will continue to be powerful reminders and helpers in your quest to be the BEST! (sweet rhyme there, wouldn't you say!).   We are proud of all your efforts, but remember that the foundation is what we focused on this summer (and still a little more time to keep building that), and now we start focusing on building the "little things" that will help you TRANSFORM YOU into what you are trying to be!  Lets make it happen...come together...do the little things for each other (simple acts of kindness and encouragement)...and keep up the GREAT RUNNING!

That training (as mentioned in the picture/quote), doesn't have to be just the physical side of running!  It can be just positive thinking and positive encouragement, to others and yourself.  Be willing to give just a little more, especially when you didn't think you could...

"IT'S POSSILBE!!!!!!"

Remember...

First of all...there are no Team runs Monday through Thursday!!!!!  We have usually said no team runs all week, due to HARC, but we have found that it is good to still meet together on Friday morning and go for a run.  We will meet as normal at 7am and travel to Settlement Canyon.  It is NOT a Canyon run...it is NOT timed, it is just a chance to run together, anywhere in the Canyon.  Plus, we have our first race the next Saturday, so it is good to get together.   The Next week (Aug. 10-15), we will have our normal morning and evening runs at the same designated places.  Then the week of Aug. 17-21, we will start having afternoon runs at 3 pm, in addition to our morning and evening runs (It's the last chance to get some big but easy miles in).  They will not be hard or long runs...they are just to help us start getting use to running at a much more "elevated heat" (who am I kidding...when it is much HOTTER!).  We will still have our morning and evening runs, Monday through Wednesday.  Thursday is our race at Sugarhouse park for the Highland Invitational.  School hasn't started yet, but school starts later this year.  We will leave around 2 pm (school buses) from the school.  We just want you to be aware of what's coming up, so it doesn't sneak up on you!

GET REGISTERED ASAP (IF YOU HAVEN'T YET!),  Get on registermyathlete.com and take care of that now, PLEASE!  You also and MUST HAVE a physical done in order to be ok to race!  If you do not have that done by the 15th, you will not be able to race.  Of course you can still practice with us, you just can't race.  Turn in your physicals to one of your Coaches, or for quicker results, and you can, turn them into our Athletic Director, Trever Wilson.  Thanks for taking care of this.  P.S. You can just sign up for Track while you're on registermyathlete, if you want!  ;)

We have been doing a lot of running..sometimes it even feels like it is just part of your routine, but it is so much more than that!!!!  Running is a piece of YOU!  It is something that has and will continue to help FIND YOU!  Don't just make it a routine or just something you do...REMEMBER that you have found something special and that now is the time to refocus your mind, heart, and excitement for the beginning of the season!  We have done well this summer...but there is always a little more that we can do to improve...think about what it is you want to improve on and work on it this week!  Happy running everyone!

Being Connected!

As much as I missed you all, it was just nice to do some running up in the mountains, with no need to worry about my pace, or time, or weather (it was hot and then cold, then raining, then hot...pretty much the mood of a grouchy grizzly bear!).  One of the best runs I have had in a long time was a run that was suppose to be a lovely jaunt of a couple of miles to a big rock to jump from into the lake, turned into an amazing run around the mountain lake, weaving in and out of trees, through bushes that soaked my legs from the fresh mountain rain that had just fallen, along a beautiful single-track trail in the Tetons! With all that awesomeness, I didn't even pay attention to how hard or fast (or slow...it depends on how you look at it!), that I was going.  The boys (scouts), were hiking to the rock (2 miles), but I decided I was going to run there and do a little extra...obviously, I got caught up a little in my run, because the run around the lake was an additional 7 miles to the rock (not to mention that I still had 2 miles back to the car and literally ran 3.5 miles just before that run).  None of this mattered until I thought about it a little later (I think it hit me when I decide to jump 30 feet into freezing lake water!)...I actually got to the rock before most of the group did, not even thinking or worrying about my speed, just enjoying the moment in an awe inspiring place! It dawned on my later that I had to have been going pretty fast to make that distance and get there when I did (I even later checked again the mileage maps because I was a little amazed at what I did)!  Now, I don't share this story to talk about my speed (which is obviously still pretty amazing!  Heehee! J/K!), I share it because I had no real cares or worries in the world, and when I found myself in a place (like the Tetons), that seems like heaven to me, my mind and body just WENT!  I was connected to my surroundings, myself, to nature, to the dirt, tree roots, the lose rocks...you name it, I just felt like I could go forever.  It wasn't until later that I thought about the "CONNECTIONS" that we make all the time, especially in running!  Why did that type of setting allow me to just seemingly "FLY" along the path and allow me to just cruise without much stress on my body?  IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE CONNECTION I HAD MADE!  Then it really hit me...the only difference between running in those mountains and running back home, was the LOCATION! Sure, it makes a difference when you love where you are running and it sure helps on the motivation side of things, but truly, the biggest difference was that my ATTITUDE was at its best!  We all need to continue to work on our CONNECTIONS with our running!  Not every run or race may seem to be the best, but if we can CONNECT better with our attitude and allow ourselves to imagine that we are running on a beautiful trail, or with great company, or on a seemingly normal neighborhood road...we really can run any where and do things that we never dreamed possible!  It made me realize that whether you get to go to HARC or not, what matters is where YOU picture yourself, and where you know and believe you are heading!  Make that CONNECTION with YOU, realize that the power is within YOU!  I may have ran really fast on that trail, but the truth is...I can run that fast anywhere...if I will just make that CONNECTION!

P.S. The moment of truth is here.  When we first started HARC, it never seemed very hard to make the considerations for who would be going...it honestly, was a struggle many years to just get our top kids to pull their heads out of the ground and realize the potential...and some of those years we only took 12-14 kids!  I'm still unsure (to some degree), why so many want so badly to go to HARC...I mean, simply put, we run 2 times a day doing runs that last around an hour to hour and half, to cover 3-6 miles of a MOUNTAIN (sounds worth it!)...we have no real means of bathing (WHAT!?)...we sleep in tents for 3 nights (WOW!)...and we could go on...but amazingly, word gets around that it is absolutely worth it all and more (and it is!).  So please, if you did not get to go this year, realize that we had a quite a few people who had the mileage, but we just couldn't take 35 people...so we had to look at age.  If you were a so called "bubble" person (and you know who you are because you have the miles and you have been working hard and doing amazing things), we went took people on the bubble that were seniors and would never get another chance...so you younger ones, can still get your opportunity some day!  WE LOVE YOU ALL...we really do, or we wouldn't go through all of this...EVERY YEAR!  Keep up the great running!

Attitude!

I was recently reminded of a really cool quote that I have heard before...and it just felt very fitting for where we are right now!  "ATTITUDE REFLECTS CHARACTER!"  We could easily add to that with many other words like attitude reflects Heart, or Leadership, or Desire.  The point we want to share is that some of the biggest concerns we have as Coaches are that with so many things today right at your fingertips, We are easily distracted, or discouraged, and we expect immediate gratification for our efforts.  Truthfully, we understand why it is seemingly easy to feel this way, when you are working so hard, and feeling like you are sacrificing so much (which you are in many ways), but if you were to take just a moment and step back a little, and reflect on what really matters to you, and see how far you have come, and really look deep inside...you will realize that GREATNESS takes time, patience, a willingness to do more (not necessarily more as an "amount", but as a reflection of the big picture or the little things you do).  WE constantly remind you of focusing on things that YOU CAN CONTROL while you are running!  We try to remind you to take cleansing breaths, to focus on using your arms, and one of the biggest ones, is YOUR ATTITUDE!  Just the way you look and think about something will drastically affect the outcome!  We share this with you this week, because all the running can seem tedious and "crazy"...maybe you are working so hard to get to HARC, maybe you will get to go, maybe you won't, but what does that say about you and your character if it does or does not happen (read the P.S. section at the end about HARC)!  Maybe you are just trying to improve your speed, but it just doesn't seem to be getting faster...did you ever stop to realize that maybe they are getting faster also and since you are comparing yourself to others, you are missing out on the REAL Transformation happening!  We know that YOU ALL know and understand the POTENTIAL you have as a team, and truthfully, we really want you to know that you have been doing great things...we have seen people get out of comfort zones more than ever, we have seen kids realize that their biggest strength is being with their team, we have witnessed individuals run faster times on the Canyon run (and other runs) and amazingly, we have all these great things happening despite all the many things YOU ALL HAVE ON YOUR PLATES AND SCHEDULES!  It has been really hard for me as your Coach to really help you as a TEAM, know where we stand with YOUR goals, because we can't seem to all get together as much as we would like.  We don't say that to sound negative...we say this to help remind YOU how important it is to stay focused on the things we can control (you can't always control your schedules and all the many great things you do), SO YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL...and that leads us back to the title of the post...YOUR ATTITUDE!  If we can't always get together, are YOU doing all that you can for not only yourself, but your team?  Are you communicating with not just your Coaches, but your Teammates...remember the story I shared at the beginning of the summer about the NCAA National Champion Colorado XC team and how starting in June and all through the summer, they reminded each other that they were working together to be Champs...EVERYDAY!  And it wasn't about putting pressure on each other...they just really cared about doing everything they could, under their control, so that in the end, they knew they did all they could!  Sometimes we feel like we are little behind or "off" a little, so we tend to shut down or tell ourselves, "what's the point", and that is when YOUR ATTITUDE needs to step up and YOUR CHARACTER rings loudest...by simply realizing WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS, AND THAT YOU BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO!  We tell you this because even though we are little more than half way done with "Summer Miles", truthfully, we have less than a month before our first RACE!  (August 15 is our race up Settlement Canon and August 20th is the Sugarhouse Race).  Now is the time...no matter what may still be on your schedules, to keep up your strong attitudes and give a little more for YOU and your TEAM!  IMAGINE "IF" ALL OF US JUST FELT THAT DEEP DESIRE TO DO A LITTLE BETTER...SHOW UP TO RUNS WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE (even when maybe, you are not feeling to upbeat that day), BUT STILL GIVE A GREAT EFFORT, NOT JUST PHYSICALLY, BUT MENTALLY...WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN?  We believe you can IMAGINE what could happen, so MAKE IT HAPPEN!

I can't tell you enough how much it matters to me, and to us...the sacrifices you make to do this seemingly crazy thing called running!  YOU matter to us (from fastest to the slowest, to the most experienced to our newbies), YOU matter!!!! Why would we keep doing this every year and set this all up, if YOU weren't worth it to us!  Let's make this next week count...and the weeks after that!  

ATTITUDE!

P.S.  HARC: I feel I need to share a few words about HARC and what it really comes down to!  We know that everyone would love to come to HARC, but to keep it as special as it is, we must limit the number of people we bring.  This is not some kind of "good ole boys/girls club" or a "favorites"...we promise all of YOU that we do not take any considerations lightly and that we are here to reward kids, NEVER PUNISH!  We have taken seniors in the past who never thought they could get there, but definitely earned it, and we have left people who should have been there (we left our top girl one year cause she just didn't do the miles...her senior year), because we believe it what HARC represents! We obviously look first at those who ran the miles needed to go to HARC (only exceptions are injuries...which some of YOU may not know about, so don't assume or judge).  Then we look at ability...we know what HARC runs require and HARC is more about toughness and exploring yourself/team, then about mileage or speed!  After that, we look at attendance at workouts/communication with Coaches and AGE!  We will take a Senior who has met the requirements before we take someone who is younger, because they will not get another chance...I mention that, so that some of you who feel like you have definitely put in the time and effort (and some of you have!), realize that You will always be reward for those things...maybe not always right away, but you will!  HARC does not determine whether you are a great runner or even person...so if you get to go, YOU should be very grateful, and if you don't get to this time...don't be discouraged or hard on yourself...because truthfully, there are only a few of you who may be in this position and we know that your attitude and effort WILL BE rewarded...we just don't have enough spots!  In fact, just know that the last 2 years we have accommodated the EFFORT of you kids by taking more than we have ever taken!!!  Please know that we explain this because it matters to us...that we are not trying to create a separation, but that HARC is a special place, and if you really want to get there, it requires the BEST of YOU, and YOU will get there...someday!  Love, Your Coaches!

Break the "ROPE!"

           

              What holds us back?  We ask you this question, because we ask it of ourselves a lot!  For everyone of us, it may be a little different answer...but one thing is for certain, we all have things that are "holding us back" from becoming what we want to become!  I remembered a little story I came across, a long time ago, and it seemed to share how we are feeling, and how much we want to help you!

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.
He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” the trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”
The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we struggled at it once before?

Struggling and "falling down" are part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life, for that is how we truly TRANSFORM!

Now, that is not to say that we have struggles because we are conditioned or lazy, or bad, or we have horrible luck...what we want to help you understand is that LIFE will throw at us, everything it has...the good with the bad, the ups and the downs, and it is up to US to DECIDE how WE will REACT to those moments.  And truthfully, our "reactions" are usually an automatic response (like the rope situation), due to previous situations we have encountered!  Maybe, we need to focus a little more on being PROACTIVE since we obviously know that LIFE is going to hand us these Amazing moments!  How do we know that they are Amazing?...because the only way to truly understand Happiness is to have felt down...to feel like you're on top of a mountain, we must have felt the struggles of "climbing" to get there!...to understand why we RUN and work so hard for something that seems unexplainable, requires sacrifice, sweat, sometimes tears, soreness, planning ahead, more sweat, more tears, and then over time, we start to see a change!  The "running" doesn't necessarily get easier, but it becomes more relevant, it becomes doable, it becomes worth it, it becomes even fun at times (heaven forbid!), and before you really know it, a TRANSFORMATION has taken place.
BUT IT REQUIRES TIME, EFFORT, AND SACRIFICE, and when you do that, YOU look back and see that what held you back at times, was not LIFE throwing obstacles left and right (that will always happen), what held us back are how WE CHOOSE to see those obstacles!  How do you look at the "ROPE" that holds you back?...Look at your own personal situations and DECIDE that maybe if I tweak my perspective, that the so called "rope"no longer will hold be back, but will allow us to reach higher, to truly TRANSFORM into who you are meant to be!  Look at where you have come in your running and continue to see where it is you want to be and

BREAK that "ROPE" 

and make it happen!  It may be hard to "break through", but the decision to PURSUE this, may be all that YOU need to see it differently!  It is WORTH IT!  Break the "ROPE!"

Earn it!

I have always been very fond of this simple phrase..."Earn it!"  Truly, nothing in this life is worth much or valued, unless it is EARNED!  This has been a part of our program for years...in fact, it was a theme of ours awhile ago...and as you know, themes continue to carry over from year to year.  This stood out to me today because of a movie that I watched the end of over the weekend, with some of my brothers and in laws...of course, it being the 4th of July weekend, there were a few war movies on the TV (edited of course!), so even though this movie has nothing to do with running, it has a lot to do with Life and how we choose to make the most of it.  You may be familiar with the story, but it has to do with a group of Army Rangers, that are sent to find an individual who is behind enemy lines because he has lost all of his brothers in the war and he is all that is left of his family.  The Rangers complain as they attempt to find him, deep behind enemy lines, even losing some of their men to find just one person.  Obviously towards the end, they find him only to have to defend a small town and they are heavily out numbered...in doing the bravest thing possible and protect the vital bridge in the town, they literally sacrifice and give their lives because the future of the war is dependent upon that bridge.  In doing so, the leader ends up being mortally wounded and dying, in protecting the bridge and this young man, and he wasn't even suppose to be there...sacrificing lives, even his own, for seemingly ONE person.  What really stood out to me is this part where he is sitting there on the bridge, having helped save the bridge and the young man, and the conflict was over, he tells the young man quietly in his ear, his final words...to "EARN IT!"  Basically pleading with him to make all that the small group had sacrificed for just him, to be worth it...to have made it all count...to "EARN" what was sacrificed for him.  In the end, it shows the young man at a cemetery, no longer a young man, but an older man with kids and grandkids, standing over the Rangers cross, and tells him that he did everything to live up to what he expected of him...that it didn't just affect him...that he didn't just save him, but countless others because of his posterity who were with him! 

Compared to this story, it may seem that the effort we put into running is somewhat small and insignificant...but we are here to tell you that the story in this movie and your story in running are quite similar.  The things that you find out about yourself through running will change you...Transform your life in ways that WILL affect not only YOU, but possibly countless others...We know this because we are living proof of having running Transform us and never did we imagine the PEOPLE who would come into our lives and how much we would share with each other!

GREAT THINGS ONLY COME BY "EARNING" THEM!!!!!!   

So make this week count...make it mean something for the future...work through the tough moments...and Believe in what we are doing...EARN IT this week!!!!  :)

We are Different!

As I was contemplating this week about our theme of what it means to Transform Ourselves, I couldn't help but feel that the most powerful way to be Transformed, to be Better, is quite honestly, to be Different!  It takes courage, and something special, deep inside to realize that the difficulties in life, the tough moments, the amazing mornings, or fun nights, the chance for a personal best, or thankful that you just got out to run...are what separate us from the "normal" day to day things people do everyday!  It may seem at times that the reasons for doing this are quite far-fetched...I mean, just think about it...when someone asks you "why do you run?"  What is your response?  How do you really answer that?!  This is why we are different...it's not an answer that can necessarily be given in words, but rather, EXPERIENCED!  It is something that is FELT!  It is something that MOVES US because something deep inside is telling us that it is worth it...that there is something SPECIAL about what we are doing on this team!  It's not always easy to remember the goals, and the reasons for getting out there every day, in the heat, early in the morning, when you might be out of town, or out of your routine...those are the moments that make you Different...those are the moments that TRANSFORM YOU...that is how you make lasting MEMORIES!
                        I share these thoughts with you, as a reminder and a challenge, to re-evaluate where you are physically and mentally!  We feel as though we all want something special to happen, and we know that it can, but unless you have been injured or communicated with us about circumstances, WE HAVE MISSED TOO MANY OF YOU LATELY (we understand that you can't be to everything, but if you are at home, why aren't you with us?).  We are only reminding you that there are no excuses (except for certain circumstances...ie injury, etc), to hold you back from achieving your goals...your MILES.  After 5 weeks of summer miles, the HARC considerations require you to be around 180 miles.  If this is something that matters to you, and you are a little behind...evaluate why...talk to your Coaches about what you can do!  And just getting the miles is not enough to get to HARC also...it takes being at practices...or communicating to us...it takes being able to show us that you are ABLE to handle a HARC run!  We have a lot of special kids, giving everything they have and more, and we have some who could do just a little more...either way, the BEST way to Transform Yourself is with each other...seeing the good that you are doing and seeing if there are things that you can do better (I didn't necessarily say MORE, but BETTER!).  Like we said...this is just a reminder of reevaluating yourself and making any adjustments to head in the direction you WANT to be heading!

You being DIFFERENT as a Runner is a good thing...it is what makes you Special...it was what allows you to Transform YOU!  

                           I found this 2 minute video that I feel describes exactly what I have been feeling this week and hopefully can help us all go after that next step in our Transformation process!  Like the video says...hopefully it "MOVES YOU!"

What Defines YOU?

When you are running in an event like the Ragnar Relays (hours of running, time together in a Van, sleep deprivation, and even moments of running BLISS!), I find that I like to reminisce what running means to me and why "I" (and I also could put "WE"), keep running!
After all these years of running, you would think that at some point, I would get tired of it all!  That I would want to stop "punishing myself" with Tempo runs, speed work, recovery days, strength workouts (please stop the squats and lunges!...Not!), or the LONG RUNS!  Over 25 years of doing this, you would think that all that running would start to wear you down, or get old, or feel like enough is enough!  What is amazing is that after all those years, I find myself wanting even more...wanting to push myself even farther...to BETTER myself because honestly...I CAN!  Just being around you guys, helps me to want to be BETTER, to want more from myself...to not let YOU down!  We can't explain in easy words WHY, but we can tell you that the time and effort YOU put into this crazy running thing, will help TRANSFORM YOU into who will be come!  You would also think, that after all those years of running, that I would tell you that running easily defines me as a person.  Believe it or not though, running does not define me...running is not my life! (I know...that sounds blasphemous!).  Running has only HELPED me find myself...bring out the BEST in me...to DISCOVER what I could be!  And hopefully it's helped me to become a better Dad, husband, teacher, coach, and person (its still a work in progress of course!), and I believe it has!  Running has helped Transform me into what I believe DEFINES me...who I want to be and still am working at becoming!  So...Are you allowing this crazy running thing to help TRANSFORM YOU?   

P.S.  I know there are a lot of things going on...and honestly, that will never stop, but we all need to be reminded of the big picture!  HARC is not that far away and there are VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS on how one might be able to go to something as special as HARC!  We know it is something that many of you want to attend, but not all can...SO PLEASE, evaluate yourself and see where you feel you are, and make any adjustments.  Please, re-excite ourselves and know what it is we really are trying to do over this summer! HARC is just one of the Great things that we do!  Keep on Running my friends!

What's it Worth?

We hope you understand that we write these posts based on how we feel, on how connected we are trying to be with you!  I just recently returned (and I mean recently... I just walked in the door like 10 minutes ago from my run in Southern Utah), and on the way home, I was thinking about what I wanted to share with you!  Nothing specific came to mind, but thoughts of my race this weekend just flooded my mind, and all the emotions that come with that experience, I felt that maybe that was the direction I needed to go, and what YOU might need at this time!  I had an amazing experience running the Top of Zion relay this weekend and Coach Q ran the Utah Valley Marathon this Saturday, and maybe he will share his experience with us, sometime!  And we share our experiences, not so that you will compliment us or praise us, and we sure hope you definitely know that we don't do it to talk ourselves up...WE do it to simply share our passion with you and hopefully help YOU to see your passion or reasons for doing it!  

Like I said, I ran a relay this last weekend with some great running friends from the valley!  Some I just barely got to know and it was just simply amazing!  The company and scenery alone was just a great experience!  Besides all the amazing running, all I could think about was wanting to share this with my FAMILY and YOU GUYS (somehow, I wished you all could be there with me!).  This relay was not like Ragnar where there are umpteen million teams (just about 50 or so), and it was just such beautiful country...in fact, I ran a section where I had pure cliffs on both sides of me on the road...it was just breath taking (literally!).  Besides the pure enjoyment of it all, the thoughts I wanted to share with you come from my final leg in the race.  Of course, I really didn't have anything to prove (and still don't! haha!), and even though I ran all my sections with a good effort, I really didn't have plans to try to destroy myself on my last run.  On the last section of the race...we were watching the time of when the lead teams were coming into the exchange, as we waited for our awesome team members to pass "the torch" (not a literal torch of course!).  We kind of realized that we were in the top 10 teams or so, and we decided that we were going to really give our best for this last stretch!  When we took off, we were about a little over an hour behind  some of the lead teams.  We weren't stressed out about PR's or anything like that, we just wanted to see how much ground we could make up!  It was AWESOME!  Everyone just ran amazing and even though it was our last leg and we were tired, it was just so cool to see all the effort!  Now to share a little of what went through your crazy Coach's head as I ran my last leg, and why I titled the post "What's it Worth?" Out of the 6 people left, I was in the middle of the group.  We had passed a few people in the previous 2 legs, but the teams were so spread out, and we were hardly seeing anyone (which was really nice in its own way...I just love running alone sometimes!!!).  I had a 7 mile stretch that was mostly down a dirt road (like running the Canyon trail section), then a mile and a half of climbing a hill like Wapiti!  In my mind, I just wanted to help my team make up as much time as possible...hope that I might catch someone, but at least close the gap for our last 3 legs of the race.  there was no one in sight forever!  Remember, the top teams (about 3 teams were about 1 hour ahead when we finally started our last 6 legs).  Now, I knew I wanted to push myself... I knew I wanted to give my best, but what was my real motivation...what did I have to prove?  I know I work hard, I know that I am a good runner, I know that running is a passion that I have...what was going to drive me to go as fast as I could?  So as I took off, and my team was situating the person who handed off to me, I thought, "I will see how far I can get before they catch me!"   I pass mile 1 and I'm still feeling pretty good...focusing on my form, staying relaxed, trying to stay in the shade of as many trees as I can (it was around 11ish at this time, so it was pretty hot...remember, we are in Zion's!).  I get to mile 2, and I'm slightly thinking about where they are, but then I tell myself, how cool that would be to get to mile 3 before they do, so I try to pick up the pace, just a little...hydrating with my little water-waist pack.  I get to mile 3 and still nobody.  I'm on my way to mile 4 and think to myself, "I've done pretty good to this point...my team will probably be amazed at how far I got before they caught me, so I can just slow down a bit"...I am getting pretty tired and my quads were pretty beat up (I did a 6.5 miler up a mountain during the night before, so I was starting to feel it!).  But deep inside, I knew that wasn't good enough for me...Oh, I would have been just fine when I was done, but I wanted to know that I gave my best!  So, I kept pushing the pace and I was determined to get as close to mile 5 before they caught me!  At this point in the run, it is starting to go back up the mountain and turning into the Wapiti hill!  I'm pouring water on my face and head, at this point, just hoping that they will show up soon, so I can finally back off my pace a little!  ;)    I get to mile 5 and still nobody, and I am climbing now!  My energy tank is feeling pretty depleted at this point and was ready to just back it off.  Why not?  There was nobody around...I hadn't seen a single soul since I started...I was running in the mountains above Zion's National Park...I didn't need to keep pushing through this...so said the "human" side of me!  The real me knew that I wouldn't be happy with myself if I had come this far, only to back off now...not when I had just a mile and a half to go!  I was determined to get as close to mile 6 before they caught me!  I really focused on driving my arms and breathing deep and standing straight up (since I was climbing up a steep hill).  Before I knew it, I was at mile 6 and I knew I only had a mile to go!  I was not about to stop pushing it now!  I probably wasn't going very fast at this point, just trying to get one foot in front of the other, up that mountain, but around 6.5, the van finally caught me!  Come to find out, some huge ranching truck with a trailer full of cattle had come by them at the exchange and was in front of them, and was going super slow, and they couldn't get by until there was a spot for it to pull over!  But what mattered, is that it motivated me to keep going...I found a way to work through the tough moments, so that I could feel like it was ALL WORTH IT, when I was done!  And because of that, with about a quarter mile to go, I spotted someone running, and it gave me another little oomph to give another gear, that I didn't think I had.  As I passed him, of course I told him he was doing great!  All he could say in return was, "You!" (it was a pretty steep hill...but we run hills like that every week!).  I have done stuff like this enough times, to know, that in the end, I am the one that has to feel, remember, and deal with myself...that I could have given just a little more!  I have also realized that in that tough moment...when I feel like there is just no way I can do more and give more,  or even want to keep trying, that I never died (whew...thank goodness!), or keeled over...I have always felt that IT WAS WORTH IT!  Work through those tough days ahead...picture yourself in the future and where you want to be when we start racing this next season...because no matter how you may think you feel, we can tell you that if you work on giving now...you will know THAT IT WAS WORTH IT!

p.s. Just so you know...we passed those teams that started 1 hour ahead of us...in fact, we past one team with just minutes to spare!  Pretty crazy, if you think about it, when we are talking about a 30 hour race...to just time it with minutes to the finish line!  What a feeling!!!!  :)

Between "NOW" and "THEN"!

I always love a good long run!  It somehow, allows me some time to myself...to just enjoy the moment (even when I am getting tired and would like to be done, but I still got 3 miles to go!).  But I also look forward to all the other types of runs that offer me things that I just couldn't get, unless I was willing to see the big picture...THE END IN MIND!  
I guess that is why I titled the post, between NOW and THEN.  We have just begun this new summer and we all still seem some what excited for the REASONS that we are doing this, but do we really understand that TODAY matters?!  Do we feel the DESIRE and DRIVE to put in what is required?!  If we want GREAT things to happen, if we want our goals (I mean DREAMS!), to happen...We really need to work NOW for THEN (whatever the "THEN" might be for you...example: total miles, varsity runner, time for a race, State Champion...whatever it might be!).  We need to train like what we want is already here tomorrow.  All the moments that really matter to make "THEN" happen, are all done "NOW"!  Make the BEST of NOW so that when you look back at your Goals (ahem...I mean Dreams!), no matter the outcome, you will be HAPPY!  And that is really the reason for doing all this!  I am putting on a short, little video that I came across that pretty much shares the reason for the NOW!   It seems like a long summer, but before you know it...all the time you thought you had for that so called "day off", has turned into 3 days of missing YOUR MARK...YOUR GOALS! So Enjoy every moment, every tough day, every recovery, every obstacle...every DAY!
Back to my long run, and all the other types of runs there are...I do all of them because in the END, when I look back, and realize what I have done...I AM HAPPY!  And so I then look forward to the next type of run!
Keep doing great things!  Keep Believing with the END in mind!  Keep on Running my Friends!

The TRANSFORMATION Begins!

We are so excited for this Summer!  Just from this first week of training (mostly on your own), we saw lots of you put in some great miles (possibly too many for the first week...please be patient and adjust slowly or you will truly pay for it later...CONSULT YOUR COACH FIRST ABOUT YOUR MILEAGE, if you're not sure!)!!!!!!
We can feel the excitement in the air...we can feel how important the goals you have made are to YOU and your TEAM!  We have also seen, in the past, the first couple of weeks have great turnout and many people excited, only to fizzle out after a few weeks!  TRANSFORMING YOURSELF, does not happen overnight and it will not happen in a few weeks...CREATING SOMETHING SPECIAL requires SACRIFICE, PATIENCE, TOUGHNESS, GOALS, DETERMINATION, and a definite understanding of THE BIG PICTURE!
I was watching an interview just the other day on the Colorado Buffaloes XC team (who won the NCAA's XC Championship this last November, for the second time in a row...first time ever in NCAA history), and they were all standing together after the race, and they were asked how it was possible to repeat as Champions when everyone was coming after them? (Little side note...if you remember Ben Sarel from Park City, holds all Utah State distance records...he runs on this team).  Back to the question...Their comments were pretty simple and amazing!  They said that on the first day of XC training, back in the summer (June), they told each other they were going to do what it takes to WIN! Lots of people say those kind of things, but what they said next really hit home and I believe makes the difference on whether we accomplish why we are trying to TRANSFORM OURSELVES!  They said that they told each other that goal EVERYDAY AFTER THAT!  Transforming takes place, one day at a time, good days with the tough days, but REMEMBERING "WHY" You are doing it and realizing the CHANGE that is and will take place, along the Journey!  
Take one day at a time!  Aim high with your goals, but be patient and SMART as you get there!  But even more important is to Remind yourself of the reason for doing this...EVERYDAY!  To be great at anything, it requires that you do it everyday...physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually!  That is when TRANSFORMING YOU, will take place!

Keep Running my Friends!

Your Life Changed Forever!