VIEWPOINT

2 weeks and we have our first race! We are amazed every year how fast it goes by, but our amazement is not a negative one...it is an exciting one! We have spent a lot of time and miles, building up for this very reason...not to dread that school is around the corner (ok, we can understand a little dread about that!), but we have worked for this time of the year that is upon us!  You still have 3 weeks solid weeks of GREAT, CONSISTENT WORK, that we can and WILL DO!   Let's make sure our attitude matches the effort that we have been putting forth all summer! Just remember, we never stop building the foundation! We will begin adding or tweaking parts of our training, but we always work on what's most important...our foundation!

It is HARC week, and that means that this week is mostly on your own.

WE REALLY WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE, THAT WHETHER YOU ARE GOING OR NOT, THIS DOES NOT LESSEN WHAT YOU MEAN TO THIS TEAM...OR WHAT KIND OF RUNNER YOU CAN AND WILL BE!   IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR VIEWPOINT!  Sometimes it may feel like you are not good enough, or fast enough, or that you failed somehow...but truthfully, those things are never the reasons anyone goes or doesn't go.  Sure, we need to make sure you are capable of going, but that it easily proven by how you run at workouts, and simply putting in the miles...so never think that you can't be a part of HARC (just like you shouldn't assume you can go because you have before).  IT IS ALWAYS EARNED by being consistent and doing the little things that are asked of YOU.   LOOK FORWARD TO THIS SEASON AND YEARS TO COME!  And if HARC is really something YOU want in the future and you're not sure how to make it happen...ASK US and we will help you!

Just like it was a choice to balance your own personal goals, time, and effort for running and other things this summer...it is still a choice to continue to keep improving, want something better for YOU, and know that all will be well, if you will keep trusting and working!  We have great things to look forward to this season!  WE REALLY FEEL THAT SOMETHING SPECIAL IS ABOUT TO TRANSFORM AMONG OUR TEAM...EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU ARE A PART OF THAT!

With a little bit of LOVE, anything is possible!

LIVE    LOVE    RUN!

What Matters?

For some reason, moments of previous Stansbury XC Teams have flooded my mind.  Moments that came about because of realizing the big picture.  It is not always easy to keep giving, to keep going, to keep showing up, to keep believing, without understanding that there is a bigger reason for doing all of this...for giving up your time, for striving to go to bed earlier so you can make it to the morning run, for carrying your water bottle everywhere, for bugging your parents to make sure you can get a run in while out of town, for trusting your coaches - your teammates, for giving your best even if you have to bike or feel the slowest...IT ALL MATTERS!
As we look back and remember what many of our Teams have done, every single one had something about them...something that they fought for, that they worked for, and they believed in something more than they had ever done (the "Impossible!")  It didn't matter whether they were really going to do it, what mattered is that they were WILLING to give all they had to the big picture...for the chance for something amazing to happen.  Truthfully, this is the only way have GREATNESS happen.  We must keep taking that CHANCE...giving, wanting, believing, enjoying, loving, trusting, and of course, running...and before you know it...the season is over, the year is over, and all you will have are the memories of what you did...what we did!

What will the work of art be like for us?  What will our "painting" look like at the end of all of this?  Well, the beginning "strokes" are already happening!  What are YOU doing to add to our Masterpiece?  From what we can see, this painting has the potential to be one of the BEST!  Please keep adding your "strokes" (through your running!), by doing the little things, giving just a little bit more, and loving the process of becoming more than you ever thought possible!  That is what we see in you, and that is why we are proud to be a part of this!  Every "stroke" counts, every person matters, as it all comes together...IT ALL MATTERS!

                                                    (every stroke leads to the Masterpiece)

Constant

                                             (picture taken at Bradley Lake... about mile 37)

What an Adventure!  Even though the terrain and surroundings required me to be truly focused on the trail and every step was pure adrenaline "running" through me (because every rock was ready to take me down!)...I did have some ah-ha moments of running bliss!  Here are a few that I feel are cool to share with you and hopefully make a difference in your current Adventure.

I realized that there are a few CONSTANTS in my life that really matter...that really mean something to me...that have changed my life.
1. My Family!
2. My Beliefs and Faith
3. Running
4. and My Running Family!
I'm not going to sugar coat the reality of my adventure...as much as it was stunning and absolutely amazing, I can say that this is one of the hardest things I have done in a LONG time!  Sure, I have run farther before, over some unbelievable terrain, but this challenge was so much more! I knew going into this, that it was going to be hard...mostly because of my foot and what I have had to deal with that obstacle in my life right now.  I made sure I was being smart over the last year (I was not about to damage my foot and start all over again), but there is always the unknown...BUT over the years, the CONSTANT helped me know and feel that I could do this.  I wasn't able to train the normal long miles that I love doing (especially to prepare for such a long journey), but I never doubted that I could do it...HOW LONG was another question!  haha!  The longest I have been able to run at one time has been a little over an hour...this Adventure took us 13 hours!  The last 8 miles were really rough...it took every ounce of "WILL" to get to the DESTINATION!  A funny moment was when we passed an older couple and they asked, "where are you heading?" We told them "Death Canyon Trailhead" (that's the real name of where we started and parked.  And remember, we are about 6 miles from there at this point).  The nice gentleman said, "oh my, you've got a long ways to go!"  I didn't have the heart to tell him that we had already gone 35 miles!   ;)
I share this with you, because even though I wasn't as well trained as I have been in the past, it didn't stop me or scare me from believing that the journey was worth more than any discomfort I would or could feel...in that moment!  The 4 items I listed above (which includes you guys!), are the very reasons I LOVE, LIVE, and choose to RUN, and keep doing it day in and day out!  Don't let the chances of doing something great (because that is what you are doing), don't let that stop you just because you feel scared, or maybe tired, or even unsure, or if you go to HARC or are a Varsity runner or not and so forth...

TRUST the work you are doing...BELIEVE it is worth it (because YOU are worth it!)...and LOVE what you are doing!  

Just like the majestic Teton Mountains stand as a Constant, rising above the valleys below...let the Greatness in you (hopefully through your RUNNING), be a CONSTANT that can change your life!  

(on the back side of the Tetons...Hurricane Pass - highest point of the run.  about 20 miles)

Heart Felt "WISH!"

I must admit, with last weeks post about HARC and spending this last week running on my own with family and in new places, I can't help but feel a little down!  I have tried to figure out why. I guess as we reflect on what we know makes a difference in this program, and what is required to give our BEST, it just seems that there is a little something missing, as a whole...as much as us Coaches try to reflect on the "Big Picture" we are still human and feel like overall, our Team is missing a little something.  We sometimes feel like what we are trying to share (our Best, our Heart), and feel it is only heard/read by a small FEW...that this running thing is maybe not as big of a deal as maybe we thought or think it should be!  We only know how it has changed sooooo many lives and how it has brought out the BEST in US and many others... so we keep trying to give you everything you deserve...We really love you guys!

So why does it feel like, overall, we are just going through the motions or missing something?

We truly do understand...this is not EVERYONE (don't feel like this is pointing fingers...its about checking yourself and knowing what you want to do for this summer and beyond!), but it is also  about us together, and we know that there are many things going on, and it can drag on, or emotions just feel uncertain, or we are tired, or maybe it's not a big deal, and on and on...but we can tell you with absolute certainty...

YOU WILL LOOK BACK AND WISH YOU COULD HAVE DONE A LITTLE BETTER!  

Better with adjusting, better with attitude, better with starting over, better with each other, better trusting, better believing, better communication, better overcoming, better hydrating...JUST DOING A LITTLE BETTER!  And not because you didn't or don't try hard, but because you know, it just could have been a little BETTER! We keep trying to remind you that it doesn't matter what has happened (you can't change the past), BUT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT RIGHT NOW! AND ABOUT TOMORROW!

You will never know where this all could really take YOU!  Not until WE are willing to RUN with our HEARTS, and realize that this is so much more than just RUNNING!  

We felt the only way to truly share what we feel, is to remind YOU why we are doing this!  Here is our video theme for the year!  Watch it again, and again if needed, to hopefully remind US of What's special about US! 

                                       Love, Your Coaches

What Matters...To YOU!

First things...it looks like we have a scheduled GIRLS camp for July 10th to July 11th (one night), in Midway, Utah (at Masche's cabin).  We will bring a sack lunch as we leave and come home after dinner on the 11th.  More details will come out...but what we are expecting is that you read this and then send Coachie a message on dailymile if YOU CAN COME...THAT IS HOW WE WILL GET A NUMBER OF HOW MANY ARE COMING!  Yes, all girls on the team are invited to come, if they can or want to and if any parents want to help drive and come, they are welcome!

There is also a camp in the works for the BOYS.  Carson has been able to get permission to go up to his Cabin/house in Altamont.  It is scheduled for around July 17th.  You boys need to talk with Carson and decide exactly the details like the girls did.

So, this week is a great opportunity for all of us to EVALUATE where we are at!  You can meet and go run together if you want (check the schedule above or set up your own runs...also, if you want, go enter a race!).  It is a great week to let your bodies recuperate from all the work so far.  You can still get in your miles in, or back off a bit if you have enough miles in up to this point.  Speaking of miles...here are a few thoughts that us Coaches have been thinking about and need you all to know.

We understand that the summer can be very demanding and lots of things are going on...it is very busy for us also.  We have been doing this for many years now, and we know the in's and out's of overcoming the mileage and schedules and so forth.  What we are concerned about is that maybe YOU don't understand the need of the mileage requirement for HARC.  The thing that we look at right up front is your mileage for the summer.  If you are not even on schedule to get 500 miles for the summer (WE USE DAILYMILE TO DETERMINE THIS!), we don't even consider you (Little side note: as of today, you should be at 180 miles to be on track for HARC and 500 miles).  It's not that you may not be capable, but this is just an expectation we have of our Team.  If you are missing miles on your account, get them on NOW!  Please don't do mileage "dumps" where you put a ton of miles on one day...your job is to stay up to date as much as possible...so get it updated!  After the mileage, we consider if someone is able to handle HARC runs.  It is not about whether we believe in you or not (we absolutely believe in ALL OF YOU!), but these are tough mountain runs at high elevation and we must be safe, capable, and absolutely EARNED.  A good way to look at this is a HARC mentality requires that you have a Varsity mentality (you don't have to be a Varsity runner to have this type of attitude!).  And in order to have a Varsity mentality, there is NO short route in your vocabulary (unless your Coaches tell you to for a specific reason or you know that you MUST adjust due to how you feel that day...but that is only once in a great while).  Sure, we all feel beat up or might struggle on certain days, but there is no substitute to know that you are capable of doing what YOU expect of YOURSELF.  We hope you can see the connection between what is required of you and what you should be doing...to earn the chance to go to HARC!  We want YOU ALL to know that HARC is not meant to be about only the best runners on the team can go...it is about the BEST in YOU to be able to go!  The honest truth...if you feel that you are on the "bubble" to be able to go (for whatever reasons), then you probably won't go...we as Coaches need to know for sure, whether you are ok to make it through the camp...and your mileage, attitude and running full routes shows us whether you can or cannot.  There are only a few exceptions that we consider (less miles due to injuries and other items), but those are only considered because US COACHES KNOW ABOUT THEM because you have talked with US!

So please, evaluate yourself this week...be positive with your evaluation but also be recommitted to what you really want to accomplish.  Whether you go to HARC or not, DOES NOT DETERMINE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, WILL DO, AND STILL BEING A PART OF SOMETHING SPECIAL!  Make sure you are simply doing your BEST and that YOU are where you want to be..if not, believe you can improve and don't be discouraged if it hasn't been ideal for you so far...start fresh today, to LOVE what you are doing...LIVE up to your Best...RUN like it matters to you (because YOU definitely matter!).

If you have any concerns about your miles, or your situation and where you are at with your miles...PLEASE TALK TO ME!  We want to help you!  But you need to understand that it is up to YOU if this is something YOU WANT.  Have a great week and we will see you on Monday, July 9th.