What Winter Training looks like

Welcome to 2025! 

I hope your year is off to a great start!  With Winter Training beginning this Monday, I’d like to share some general (and some new) information pertaining to the program, how it works, etc., particularly because we have so many new families involved in the program.  This is truly an exciting time, and I’m delighted to have you aboard!

REGISTRATION

There are three options, which include the Runcard, the Full, and the Annual. 

1. The Runcard offers an opportunity for runners to attend at their convenience and is a great option for kids who are multi-sport and have responsibilities on nights away from Whisper.  For example, if your child has soccer (or other) on Monday’s and Thursday’s, they may join us for training on Wednesday’s or Saturday’s.

2. The Full offers athletes to participate in as much as the winter session has to offer – 6 weeks for HS runners, 9 weeks for MS/ES runners.  The Full is more economical than the Runcard.

3. The Annual includes unlimited training for 365 days from the date of purchase, forgoing the Runcard or Winter/Summer (Full registration) purchase.  The Annual is more economical than the Full or Runcard.

If your child is currently using a Runcard, purchasing the Full registration will place their current Runcard on hold until March 23, at which time their Runcard sessions resume.  Visit the Winter Training page for details.

TRAINING DAYS – SOMETHING NEW TO THE PROGRAM!

Monday nights we are at Hudson’s Bay HS, 5:30-7pm, with sprint and distance training being offered.  Distance groups will be performing longer intervals or tempos on the track (typically 300m-1k).

NEW!!!  Tuesday nights in the Evergreen HS weightroom for an hour of weightlifting.  Weightlifting is a great cross-training modality, supporting runner’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments, so they may recover faster, gain power, and gain confidence!  8th-12th grade runners may attend 5-5:50pm, while 4th-7th grade runners may attend 6-6:50pm.  I will lead the kids through a weightlifting routine.  Since the weightroom option is new to Whisper, we will use the first week to work out any kinks, and by week two, we should be lifting in small groups, with the kids knowing what to do and how to do it.   Weightlifting is a passion of mine, and I am excited to share this with the athletes. I do have a NSCA-Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist certification, which will be nice to put into practice!

Wednesday nights we are at McKenzie Stadium, 6:30-8pm, with sprint and distance training being offered.  Distance groups will be performing plyometrics and shorter intervals (typically 100-500m).

Thursday nights we are at Clark for mobility training, Propstra Pool for aqua jogging, or in Foster Auditorium for a seminar (Feb 13 – for parents with children in grades 8-12.  This is a FREE seminar!).  Because Thursday includes three options, please see the Calendar to remain updated.

Saturday mornings, 8:45-11am, we begin at Clark on OSC219.  If the weather is good, we will finish at the track (Hudson’s Bay HS track).  If the weather is intolerable, we will finish in OSC218.  If we finish in OSC218, we will bring all of the kids (being picked up) to the Red 1 (and Red 2) parking lot in front of the OSC building.

WHEN YOUR CHILD ARRIVES AT PRACTICE

On Monday and Wednesday practices, upon arrival, your child will come to the canopy, which will be located at the high jump area of the track facility.  Once at the canopy, they will sign-in, review the workout of the day (on a clipboard), note their training group (on a second clipboard), and their Pacer for that workout.  Once they are settled, they’ll be encouraged to jog a few laps, followed by team drills led by one of the coaches.  Workouts will follow, along with a cooldown (usually).

On Tuesdays in the weightroom, kids will sign-in, and there will be some instruction on room safety, spotting, form/lifting technique, and then an introduction to the program they will be following.

On Thursdays in OSC218, they’ll sign-in, then find a place in the gym for their mobility session.  Please bring a Yoga mat for these sessions (there are some mats available if they forget).  On Thursdays in the pool, athletes should come dressed ready for pool exercise, being sure to bring a towel, and extra set of clothes for changing into after aqua jogging.  An aqua jogging belt will be provided for on the shorter side.  There are changing rooms a Propstra.

On Saturdays, we will begin in OSC219 (Clark College) with instruction on the workout of the day, then venture to the track (sprinters) or roads (distance).  Saturdays also provide a time to discuss some excellent Sport Psych topics, such as managing anxiety, focus and concentration, goal setting, self-talk, self-confidence, visualization, and more.

WEBSITE & RESOURCES

The Whisper Running website has a wealth of resources and information.  Here are a few important pages:

• Resources – includes local Physical Therapists options, nutrition specialists/dietitians, a college admissions specialist, and a local running shoe store.

• Training Guide – includes training suggestions (calendar, schedule, mileage, etc.) for distance runners, as well as a cross-training (weightlifting) plan. 

• Coaches - these amazing humans volunteer their time to run alongside your children.  Pacers are employees of the program who oversee safety and administer the workouts.

SPRING TRACK

Spring track is a fantastic opportunity to compete alongside track-minded athletes throughout the PNW.  Our runners will be encouraged to race in most or all running events (100m to the 3k).  I will be alongside them, helping them through self-doubts, sustaining focused, and gaining confidence in their skills.  Track provides a great opportunity for all of this, with the long-term goal of developing a complete and confident runner.  While our season schedule is still growing, see the Spring Track (Join the Team) page for details.  Spring track registration is $49 and includes a uniform for the season.  Most meets are $25.

New High School runners joining us this winter:

In preparation for the start of Winter Training at Whisper, which begins Monday, January 20, runners should begin logging consistent mileage.  What this looks like should be based on an individual’s age, running history, and sport history. 

For high school runners coming off fall cross-country, spend the rest of December building a base.  For beginners, this should include 4-5 days of running per week of 4-6 miles on most runs, and at least one longer run each week of 6-8 miles.  Intermediate runners should be running 5 days per week, 5-6 miles each day, and a long run of 7-9 miles.  Advanced runners should be running 5-6 days per week, 5-7 miles per day, and a long run of 7-10 miles each week. 

Every runner should also incorporate some degree of cross-training via weightlifting that targets each primary muscle group two times each week.  The Training Guide webpage includes information about cross-training, as well as a general cross-training plan that one may adopt and modify as needed.  Mobility and flexibility training is also essential to longevity in the sport and should be performed following each run.

Once January arrives, runners are encouraged to incorporate one tempo or Fartlek run each week, to awaken their glycolytic energy system and fast twitch muscle fibers.  Tempos and Fartleks are dedicated mid-run intervals at a prescribed/predetermined set of time or distance.  Tempos are generally longer in duration, and Fartleks are generally shorter.  Runners performing a 50 minute run may include 1-3 tempos, or 5-6 Fartleks, depending on their needs or goals.  Paces are usually based on an estimated 5k, 10k, or half marathon – longer intervals are typically based on 10k or half marathon times, and shorter intervals are based on 5k or 10k times.  As a season nears, these prescriptions change, but for now, keep things simple and flexible.  If you are planning on running an indoor race, you may consider longer strides (100m-200m, 4-6 repetitions) after a run.

To keep things light and fun, runners are encouraged to run new routes, new trails, and run with friends or teammates.  Trail running is encouraged, and there are plenty around the Portland-Vancouver area (Salmon Creek Trail, Waterfront, Burnt Bridge Creek Trail, Lacamas Heritage Trail, Round Lake, and one of the best running spots in the PNW, Leif Erickson Trail (Wildwood) in Portland.  If you’ve never experienced Leif, go!  To get the maximum experience, you’ll want to plan a longer run at Leif/Wildwood – 8 miles minimum, 10-12 preferred (or longer).  On foggy or rainy days, the atmosphere is amazing!

Any runners with questions are encouraged to reach out via email or text (360-989-0935).   If needed, we can set up a Zoom/FaceTime session to discuss your season goals, training history, and current plan.

Whisper Runners Race AAU Nationals in Charlotte!

Elsa Linquist (Ilwaco HS) finished 19th between all 14yo female runners at the AAU National meet in Charlotte, NC.

Three months, and 2,700 mile later, Whisper runners closed the season at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, North Carolina, racing fierce competition on Saturday, December 7.  Led by the strong duo of Tristan Walter (Our Lady of Lourdes) and Mason Strogen (Liberty MS) and, the boys 13-14 team finished 11th in a field of 16 complete teams.  Additional highlights include Leif McBennett (Vashon Island HS), Elsa Linquist (Ilwaco HS), Chloe Carlsen, Lucas Ballard-Miller, and Elias Nitzschke, each placing in the top-25, and taking home a hefty finisher medal en route.

Whisper began the season in Tillamook, Oregon, at the Ultimook Race, with the girls team placing second, and the boys finishing first. Two new meets on the 2024 schedule included a trip to Seattle for the West Seattle Rust Buster, and the John Payne Invitational at Chambers Bay in University Place. The largest contingent of runners representing Whisper took place at the Halloween Dash Bash on October 19, which also happened to also be the largest Halloween Dash Bash race in its brief three year history.  See the teams athletic.net page for a list of season results.

The post-season included two trips to Seattle for Associations and Regions, and the final meet of the season in Charlotte. Associations was run at Magnuson Park, which proved to be a fast course among solid competition. Regions, on the other hand, was soggy, muddy, and slippery, particularly along the first 400m stretch, along the corners, and the final 400m home stretch. Whisper runners were not immune to running 30-50 seconds slower than average, as only 5.9% of the 8U’s, 9-10’s, 11-12’s, and 13-14yo age divisions set personal bests. Nationals, however, provided solid footing, compact gravel, and clear skies on race day, and in the days leading up to the championship race.

Whisper Running will offer club track in the spring, which typically begins in April. For elementary or middle school-age runners looking to participate in club track, connect with us today, and join the fun this spring.

Does your child want to run Junior Olympic XC?

Click here to view the list of Whisper runners participating in Junior Olympics.  If your child is not listed, please type their name in the appropriate age bracket.  If your child is listed, but not participating, please remove them from the sheet.

Ordinarily, the Junior Olympic National Cross Country Championship Meet rotates from region to region, providing access to all participants within of the continental United States.  However, the ripple effects of COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on today’s youth racing. 

2020 saw a halt on many businesses, and USATF was not immune.  Unable to travel and review potential sites for the national meet, USATF halted the bidding application process for those seeking to host the 2021 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Meet, and thus, the 2021 national meet was held in Kentucky, for the second consecutive year.  And again in 2023.  And up until August of this year, nationals was scheduled to be in Kentucky again, for the fourth time in five years.  After speaking with families in the Whisper program, it became clear: if we are going to travel to a place four times in five years, it’s not going to be to Kentucky. 

For Whisper Running, the 2024 post-season of cross country racing will include two USATF Junior Olympic meets in November, and the AAU Junior Olympic meet in December.  Meets that all kids can participate in are the first USATF meet on November 16, and the AAU national meet on December 7.  While it seems unusual to not have a qualifying meet to advance to nationals, rest assured, there are AAU qualifying meets, just not in the Pacific Northwest.  The AAU, or Amateur Athletic Union, is based in the southeastern region of the United States, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.  Because the AAU tentacles hardly reach the western seaboard, the Pacific Northwest region of the AAU is granted a free pass into Nationals since there are no teams hosting an association or regional meet, similar to what we have experienced in past years with USATF.

Whisper’s post-season racing includes:

• Saturday, November 16: USATF Pacific Northwest Association meet at Magnuson Park (Seattle).  Overnight stay is optional.  See the Calendar for travel, lodging, and meet details.  All Whisper runners must have a current USATF membership, and approved age verification.  See the Join the Team (Fall XC) page for USATF registration details under “How to begin competing with Whisper.”  Be sure to upload a proof of age document – a copy of their birth certificate or passport – into your child’s USATF profile, if you have not done so already.  Registration closes Tuesday, November 12, at 6pm. Runners will run in the following age divisions:

  • U8 (runners 8 years old and younger) run the 2k distance

  • 9-10yo, 3k

  • 11-12yo, 3k

  • 13-14yo, 4k

  • 15-18yo, optional 5k, meaning runners who are 15-18 years old may bypass this race, and race in the Region meet on November 23.  If your child wants to race in this meet, or the Region meet, please let me (Coach Dave) know before Tuesday, November 12.  Runners opting to bypass the Association meet and run the Region meet must still be registered in the Association meet so their name is in the system for the Region meet.  The top 35 individuals and top 5 teams qualify for the USATF Region 13 Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship at Chambers Creek Regional Park, Tacoma, on November 23rd, 2024.

• Saturday, November 23: USATF Region 13 Cross Country meet at Chambers Creek Regional Park (Tacoma).  All qualifying runners from Associations, along with all 15-18yo runners, may participate in this meet.  While there are qualifying standards to advance to the USATF National Meet on December 14, because we are running AAU Nationals, and not USATF Nationals, we do not need to meet any qualifying standard to race at nationals on December 7.  Registration closes Wednesday, November 20, at 3pm. Overnight stay is optional.  See the Calendar for travel, lodging, and meet details. 

• Saturday, December 7: AAU Cross Country Nationals at McAlpine Creek Park, in Charlotte, North Carolina.  All Whisper runners must have a current AAU membership.  See the Join the Team (Fall XC) page for AAU registration details under “How to begin competing with Whisper.”  AAU does not require online age verification.  Instead, parents must bring a proof of age document – copy of a birth certificate or passport – to the national meet, in case there is an age dispute or race petition. Registration closes Monday, December 2, at 3pm.

The cliff notes version of post-season racing in November and December is this:

• Whisper runners should be registered with USATF and AAU by November 5.

• RSVP to Coach Dave by 11/12 for Associations, 11/20 for Regionals, and 12/2 for Nationals

• Need a hotel? See the Calendar for lodging information.

• We will plan on a pre-race dinner on the Friday before Associations, Regionals, and Nationals.

Questions?  Connect with Coach Dave at 360-989-0935, or by email at whisperrunning@comcast.net.

Finding your rhythm in running

The start of the academic year provides a similar feeling to the start of an annual running cycle.  There’s a feeling of newness and optimism in the air.  Each year also provides an opportunity to play with running theory, building off the past, and sharpening through experience. 

In 2023, the team theme was push, in the physical sense.  Giving one’s mental and emotional best is inherently known, and with that comes one’s physical exertion.  Effort is never questioned – runners are trusted to provide their best at every practice.  The push we refer to comes with the cycling of the legs, where during the landing phase, one’s foot claws or pulls at the ground, providing a push action of the hips– cycle the legs well and the hips will thrust forward with each stride, thus pushing the hips forward.  In doing so, runners remain tall, with shoulders stacked on the hips, and hips stacked on the foot strike.

The 2024 theme has been rhythm, in a way, building off the 2023 theme of push.  To find a cardiovascular rhythm, athletes should have some semblance of fitness, so they may comfortably sustain an elevated heart rate for a predetermined amount of time.  Rhythm running can be experienced during various forms of training, such as interval or tempo training, where an athlete is running at a heightened level of exertion than normal, to mimic the feeling they might experience in a race.  Since the Whisper demographic is rather young, we lean on intervals to gain experience of feeling the desired rhythm. 

While running is predominantly a large motor skill, knowing how to manipulate one’s gate for efficiency through fine motor control is an essential component to improving running mechanics. Like playing an instrument, anyone can blow air through a horn, but to make an instrument play well, precision – aka, fine motor skills – is imperative. Knowing the proper feeling of how the foot should land, the placement of the hips, or the relaxed shoulders with retracted scapula requires minor fine motor skill modifications throughout one’s maturation as a runner.   

Last Wednesday we broke out the speaker to practice rhythm running using the Metronome Beats App set at 180 beats per minute.  After a warm-up, the kids ran around a 200-meter oval, one long side dedicated to running at 180 strides per minute, and the other long side dedicated to a recovery jog.  For years, I instructed runners to land on each beat, thus learning the turn-over rate of 180 strides per minute – a comfortable rate among competitive distance runners.  However, during Winter Training last February, Kyle Leif suggested timing the beat with the hind kick – lifting the foot off the ground during the pulling action of the stride.  Kyle added that in doing so, runners will feel propulsion at the hips, rather than their foot potentially stomping onto the ground.  This strategy made sense and has become an essential part of this rhythm drill.

An additional activity that supports rhythm running includes the use of cue words, which also elicit relaxation, decrease performance anxiety, and improve focus.  Using cues to remain sharp, keeping form consistently efficient, can be very advantageous.  This is especially true when attempting to sustain a rhythm that can be uncomfortable.  A cue word or phrase is an intentional thought or word that elicits a relaxed or controlled state.  Much like running practice makes one a better runner, the use of cue words helps make one feel more connected with their body, and in control of their running. 

2024 Junior Olympics - lets go to Charlotte!

When Whisper was formed in 2015, there was no intention of forming a cross country (or track and field) team, much less running Junior Olympics. The original intent with Whisper was to provide a training platform for local youth (middle school) runners. Quality assessment came in the form of returning runners - if the kids enjoyed the training and felt growth, they’d return.

This November, Whisper will participate in the 2024 Junior Olympic Association and Regional meets presented by USA Track & Field. Since 2017, Whisper has raced in the three rounds of USATF races - Associations, Regionals, and Nationals.

• ASSOCIATIONS: The first JO meet on Saturday, November 16, is called the Association Meet. To advance from Associations to Regionals, runners must finish in the top 30, or be part of a team that finishes in the top 5.

• REGIONALS: The second JO meet is Saturday, November 23, is called the Regional Meet. To advance from Regionals to Nationals, runners must finish in the top 35, or be part of a team that finishes in the top 5.

• NATIONALS: Historically, USATF cycles the national XC races between the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and Western states. However, COVID put a damper on the USATF search for race venues, and because of that, JO Nationals has been held in Kentucky for the fourth time since 2020.

Rather than travel to Kentucky (again), Whisper will pivot from tradition, and come December, the team will race in the AAU Junior Olympic National Meet at McAlpine Creek Park in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, December 7. Since there are no AAU qualifying rounds in our region, Whisper has received the green light to participate in the AAU National meet!

The reason for USATF participation in November? To keep the kids sharp! If a runners last meet is the Stumptown Championship on Sunday, November 3, it’ll be five weeks between races, which is far too long. To keep the focus and hunger alive, Whisper will run in the USATF Association meet on Saturday, November 16. If a child qualifies for Regionals, they may race on the 23rd. If they do not qualify for Regionals, they may still run Nationals in Charlotte, on December 7. If a child/family does not or cannot race in the USATF (November) meets, they may still race at the AAU National Meet in Charlotte.

For more information pertaining to our season and Junior Olympics, join us for the Sunday, October 20, 8pm Zoom call. Please share this information with families who might be interested. Thank you!

HOKA Meet Information from Meet Director

Please take some time to read through this entire email to avoid any problems on race day.  Here are a number of important details as we approach race day for the John Payne Invite:

1. The parking arrangements for the meet will be the same as past years.  All traffic will park in the gravel lot just north of the start area or in the lot south of the course.  Entrance to the parking area is not through the main entrance to Chambers Bay Golf Course, instead it is via an access road down the hill on Chambers Creek Road near the Chambers Creek Wastewater Plant. There will be NO TEAM OR SPECTATOR ACCESS through the Chambers Bay Golf Course entrance. The address that directs you to the access road is 10298 Chambers Creek Road West, University Place, WA 98466, and a map directing you to the parking area can be found here: https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0F-k6QmEzF8/V9H81ZkDKbI/AAAAAAAAPs4/sn_NsDbXlDclbaC0zuiL1pcxr2LdZdiuwCLcB/s1600/Untitled.png Team buses, team vans, and spectators will all enter and park in this area.  The only exception is for vehicles with ADA parking permits--those vehicles should enter the Chambers Creek Park via the main entrance by the golf course and park in the ADA spots in the public lot.  Please share this with your team families. Please also encourage your families to arrive early to give themselves enough time to find parking.  Buses will turn right just before entering into the gravel parking lot to park in the large paved area south of the main spectator parking lot.  If/when this lot fills up, other buses will need to do a drop off and pick up. Please share with your bus drivers.  Below is a map of the parking area for your information:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ncYWeC6l8hts6IC3clTZ-ValdPERgqbp/view?usp=sharing 

NEW:  Later in the day as the parking lots fill up, we will be running a shuttle bus for spectators to take from the Environmental Services Building lot (9850 64th St. W, University Place, WA 98467) down to the Chambers Creek Park Central Meadow.  This shuttle will begin at 11:30am and will run through 4:30pm.  Electronic signage at the top and bottom of Chambers Creek Road will indicate when lots are full and will direct spectator traffic to the ESB lot.  Please share with your teams and families.

2. Team tents should be set up anywhere in the grassy area in the park near the finish line or start line, as long as they aren’t too close to the course.  The registration tent will be located near the awards area in between the finish area and the coast. The course map includes suggestions for where to put up tents:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/17j8zptZPTQsQh-_f8O2Q2SGxQrw19QQH/view?usp=sharing  Tents are recommended as there is very little shelter in the park otherwise.

3. There will be course maps, meet schedules, bib #'s, pins, a QR code for live results, and a garbage bag included in your team packet when you arrive.  If you want to look at a course map or print one out beforehand, it can be found on the meet website.  If you have any additional athletes that didn’t get registered in time, come to the results tent to get the athlete registered with a bib number.  If possible, please bring a leftover bib number of an athlete that isn’t racing so we can reassign that number to the new athlete.

4.  All athletes will be issued an RFID timing chip to be affixed onto their shoe with a zip-tie.  After the runners cross the finish line, there will be race volunteers in the corral with wire cutters ready to cut off the timing chip.  Runners WILL NOT be allowed to leave the finish corral until their timing chip has been removed. Only one (1) timing chip will be assigned per runner.  The bib number of the athlete will match the number on the timing chip.

Only athletes who are competing must pick up their own timing chip.  No timing chips will be included in team packets.  Timing chips can be picked up next to the registration area near the finish line starting at 8 am on race day.  Athletes CANNOT pick up timing chips for their friends.  Coaches CANNOT pick up timing chips for their runners.  At the timing chip pickup athletes MUST show their bib number in order to receive their timing chip.  Athletes will also receive a zip-tie to affix the timing chip to their shoe.  It must be securely fastened flat on their shoe.  Staff will be available to assist with securing the timing chip on the athlete’s shoes at the pickup area. 

We need all timing chips returned.  Coaches, please ensure that all timing chips are securely attached to the shoe, and that any athlete that does not finish a race returns their chip to the finish line.

Live results will be at http://gc.trackscoreboard.com/meets/286/events.  We plan to have a live split at about the halfway mark (~2500m).

5. The start line will have marked starting boxes, each team may claim one box for each race, first come first served.  If there is room in other starting boxes just before the start, the starter and clerk of the course will allow larger teams to spread out into other nearby boxes just before the race starts.

6. Bathroom facilities are available, including many portable toilets next to the dog off-leash area as well as a permanent restroom in the park.  There will be a water-bottle filling station near the restroom building, so encourage your athletes to bring a water bottle.  There will be two athletic trainers available during the meet near the finish line, and EMT’s on site as well.  Please bring your own tape and pre-wrap for your athletes if they wish to have the athletic trainers tape them at the meet.

7.  There will be T-shirts and other apparel printed on site from NW Designs for sale, and the shirt design is on the front of the webpage. This year there will be six food trucks on site, located near the registration area:  Dirtyz Burgers, Pink Gorilla Espresso and Food, Sirius Wood Fired Pizza, Xantolo Taqueria, Original House of Donuts, and Kona Ice.

8. There will be a hospitality table with food for coaches and volunteers as always, located near the registration tent.

9.  HOKA will be staging a fan zone near the finish line and registration tent area.  The Ruston Family Foundation has provided a photo backdrop for athletes and fans to take pictures near the registration area underneath the concrete pillar site.

10.  The varsity awards ceremony (recognizing the top 20 varsity athletes in both varsity races and the top 5 gold varsity teams) will begin immediately after the girls gold varsity race near the registration tent.  Top 5 individuals in varsity gold races receive shoe certificates from HOKA, top 20 receive HOKA backpacks as well.  Medals will be given to the top 20 finishers in each varsity race during the awards ceremony.  

Ribbons will be given to the top 20 finishers in JV races.  Since we didn’t have time to order more ribbons for the second boys JV silver race, results from both boys JV silver races will be combined for those ribbons.  All JV awards will be available for pickup at the registration tent area following each race.

11.  Community Race: If you are considering running in our community open race at 10:20am, I'd encourage you to go for it!  We will allow coaches to register for free, and we all know that our athletes love seeing us running the same course they will run on. Registration is on site at the registration tent, which will be near the finish line. 

12.  Just to clarify about Friday...the course will not be set up or available for preview on Friday.  Please don’t schedule a trip for your team to come to Chambers on Friday. 

Here’s the new time schedule again if you missed it in the previous email:

9:15 Community Race

10:00 Youth Race

10:20 Boys JV Gold (under 20 minutes)

10:50 Girls JV Gold (under 26 minutes)

11:25 Boys Varsity Silver

11:50 Girls Varsity Silver

12:20 Boys Varsity Gold

12:45 Girls Varsity Gold

1:15 Awards Ceremony for Varsity Races

1:35 Boys JV Silver Teams A-O (20-24 minutes)

2:10 Boys JV Silver Teams P-Z (20-24 minutes)

2:45 Girls JV Silver (over 26 minutes)

3:30 Boys JV Bronze (over 24 minutes)

Complete meet info is posted at https://sites.google.com/upsd83.org/bmangrum/curtis-hs-cross-country/john-payne-invite 

How a XC Season Works

I have been answering excellent questions pertaining to the cross-country season ahead, so I figured it would be appropriate to share some of these answers on a broader scale

REGULAR SEASON:

There are eight (8) regular season XC meets on the schedule. For a few reasons, the Richland Invite will be removed from our schedule tonight, unless there is an uptick in interest. The main two reasons for removing this meet are, 1) there is a local meet the day before that is also on the schedule, and 2) there is an out of town (Seattle) meet during the regular season for those needing the out-of-town-fix. Keeping in mind the post-season (Junior Olympics) has up to three out of town races, I’d prefer to keep the Rust Buster (Sept 29) on the calendar, and possibly run the Richland Invite in 2025 (swap races each season). Pending input, a decision will be made by tomorrow morning. Our meet schedule for 2024 XC includes:

• Sat, Sept 7, Ultimook: 9:00am girls, 9:30am boys

• Sat, Sept 14, Ash Creek: 8:00am girls, 8:25am boys

• Sat, Sept 21, Three Course Challenge, 9:30am boys, 9:40am girls (meet info)

• Sun, Sept 29, WSRR Rust Buster: first race for us at 10:50am, final race is at 1:20pm

• Fri, Oct 11, Rose City Championship: 11:10am 2k Elementary, 11:30 3k MS Boys, 12:00pm 3k MS Girls

• Sat, Oct 19, Halloween Dash Bash: B/G 2k at 9:30am, final race at 11:15am

• Sun, Nov 3, Stumptown: 1:00pm to 3:00pm, four races

• Sat, Nov 16, USATF Junior Olympic Associations: 2k starts, usually around 9am. See the Calendar for updates.

• Sat, Nov 23, USATF Junior Olympic Regionals: 2k starts, usually around 9am. See the Calendar for updates.

• Sat, Dec 7, AAU Junior Olympic Nationals:

PRIORITIZING RACES TO ATTEND: Runners may choose which race(s) to attend. This is usually based on family/child schedules. While some programs have a firm stance on requiring participating every week, I take a different approach in an effort to increase an intrinsic desire to run - a long-term approach to running. Essentially, leaving the choice up to the runner, not the coach, similar to how I approach training - they know when they practice or race, they will improve.

I have prioritized five races (in bold above) that I believe provide the greatest value to a runner by balancing the fun-challenge experience. If your child wants to race all that is on the schedule - great! If they can only race a few, that is fine as well. See Junior Olympics below.

SOLICITING INTEREST: Meet entries are due sometime between Sunday and Wednesday of the week leading up to the race - entry due dates/times are up to the each meet director. Therefore, you can anticipate an email from me approximately two weeks from any given race. For example, Ultimook registration closes next Wednesday, and I am asking parents to RSVP before Tuesday, September 3, so I have time to ensure the registration of all of the interested runners. Since Ultimook is free to all Whisper kids, there is no meet fee due on your end. If there is a meet registration fee, then it’s usually $25, and I will include a link to pay, or you may pay via Venmo, whichever is most convenient.

Uniforms will be distributed next week for Ultimook, which runners may use for the season. Warm-ups will be ordered mid-September, in time for races in October.

The online Calendar was updated moments ago and includes meet information such as race start times, locations, etc. NOTE: I get all of our information from what the coaches provide on athletic.net. If you come across anything that doesn't match, or if you have more questions, please ask. I will update the Seattle meet on Sept 29 , with lodging information this week, and Junior Olympic lodging by mid-September.

RACE DAY: Runners should arrive at the race venue 75-minutes before the start of their race, taking into consideration drive and parking time. Upon arrival, the Whisper canopy will be set-up for you/runners to come to, pick up their bib, have a light snack (click here if you would like to sign-up to bring snacks), and hang out until the warm-up begins, which is usually 50-minutes prior to race time.

HOW JUNIOR OLYMPICS WORKS:

Association Race: Age groups are U8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18 and divided by gender. Anyone can race. The top-5 teams and top-30 individuals qualify for the Regional Race. Our Association (#310) is the Pacific NW division, which consists of western Washington teams.

Teams consist of 5-8 runners (top-5 runners for each team score), so if runners 4-8 finish outside of the top-30, they still advance to Regionals if the team finishes in the top-5. If we have 10 runners, 8 will be placed on a team, and 2 will run individually. The top-8 runners (of the 10) will advance to Regionals. If we have 12 runners, we will likely divide into two teams for that age division to maximize the opportunity for multiple teams to advance to Regionals.

Regional Race: Runners who met the qualification standards for this race may participate. The top-5 teams and top-35 individuals qualify for the National Race. Our Region consists of teams from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

National Race: I usually arrive on Thursday and depart on Monday, but most families travel Friday-Sunday.

We will have a team hotel for each of the races, but families may stay anywhere they wish. There is always an effort to eat dinner as a team the night before an away meet. If the dining venue allows, parents may dine with the team. Stay tuned for more information on travel, lodging, dining, and more.

Summer Training Kickoff Results & Summer Video

Click here for the 2024 Whisper XC Kickoff results.

Jason Hagen, Lake to Bay 100k Ultramarathon Finisher Report

Lake to Bay 100K “Relay” Report–Team Me, Vancouver, Washington, July 6th, 2024

This was my first ultramarathon over 50 miles and my first really long run under high heat. It was over 90 by noon and topped out at 99 around 5pm. I had to throw every little trick in my growing book to keep myself moving forward without physically burning out, since my heat training is pretty limited. Most of my training occurs at 4 or 5am on the daily. So, I rolled with what I theoretically knew about completing long distances while staying cool and luckily things worked out. My theoretical knowledge comes from studying what folks do to successfully complete Badwater, which is a 135 mile ultrarun through Death Valley in July. 

 My biggest concern was heat exhaustion. Once the heat was above 90, I was drinking about 120 ounces of liquid every 10 miles while having no perceivable sweat (only a bit of residual salt) and without peeing for ~30 miles. So that was weird. A little surprising. It felt like my kidneys basically went on vacation and said, “Dude, whatever the hell you’re doing, we don’t want anything to do with it. Good luck. We’re out.”   

While I felt good throughout, I walked more than I probably needed to out of an abundance of caution. My primary goal was to finish.

Overview of Pre-Race Training. Coros 100k, but I did about x4 the long weekend splits recommended, meaning five weekends in total with back-to-back 20 miles-to-marathons on Saturday/Sunday or I’d do a 50k on Saturday and a Half-marathon on Sunday. Sometimes, I’d mix it up with long bike rides up to 100 miles. The miles are not as relevant as the time at about 2.5 to 4 hour blocks for building aerobic endurance. I often prefer longer than this to understand what my body needs to keep going, so I’d sometimes be active for a good part of a day with AM/PM splits (say, 15 miles AM/10 miles PM or 10 miles AM and cycle 50 miles PM). My goal was not to just finish 100k but to do so “comfortably.” I enjoy doing these things but I’m very careful these days. (I traumatized myself many years ago by running a 50 mile ultra at close to a 8 mpm marathon pace. I took 4th but suffered severe exhaustion, hallucinations and never wanted to do it again. So now I try to take it easy and enjoy the ride.)    

Strategies While Running 100k

Heart Rate Consistency. Zone 2 running with recovery to Zone 1: For me, this meant staying around 120-135 bpm with recovery to under 110 bpm with intermittent walks after mile 5, approximately 30 seconds every mile or so. The time for the walks ended up scaling to the heat, getting longer as the day got hotter. The timing for walks eventually went out the window and I walked when I felt like it, targeting 15-16 mpm power walks.  

Drinking Constantly. This was mainly Tailwind or Electrolit mixed with Redbull, carrying about 60 ounces and refilling with water or Gatorade at exchanges. Race organizers wisely dropped some out there for me, thankfully, and I ended up needing that.  

Consistently Eating. This was Gu every 30-45 minutes, even if I didn’t want any or felt like it. The trick is to stay way, way ahead of the bonk curve.  

Solid Food. This was at my planned Meet Points with my wife and her dad, starting at the 20 mile mark at the Salmon Creek Trailhead and then every 10th mile thereafter, so at mile 20, 30, 40, 50. This was a bottle of Chocolate milk, a bottle of Ensure Plus (350 calories), a small tortilla filled with peanut butter, bananas, crunched up Reese's pieces and maple syrup, as well as a whole banana and some grapes. The target here was high caloric intake, easy to digest.   

 Staying Cool. I wore white and carried ice water in a cycling bottle and doused my back and chest every few minutes. For my head, I’d squirt some in my baseball cap and put it back on.

Sunscreen. Every Meet Point and lotion on my shoulders and arms every now and then.  

Overall I ended up taking a lot longer than intended, especially with a few wrong turns (my bad), but I felt comfortable throughout and was able to finish. I still feel pretty good the day after. A little stiff. It’s a little hard to walk down the stairs, for instance, but I otherwise feel normal. (For those who are curious, in reference to the below stat, 7,500 calories is about 20 hamburgers or 5 large pizzas, just FYI.)

Yours Truly,

The Ultra Guy Out There – Jason