Hug Mother Earth

With my first bite of quinoa, Laura says, “Your cells are thanking you one bite at a time.”  She is the same person who introduced me to Marion Nestle’s book, What to Eat, who says two consistent phrases near the end of almost every chapter, 1) we vote with our fork, and 2) if we don’t like our food system, take action by purchasing only ethically and sustainably raised foods.  The statement about voting with our fork resonates across many areas of life.  From choosing to purchase combustion engine vehicles versus battery operated, or a veggie patty versus a hamburger patty, we all make decisions that have a butterfly effect of sorts on the environment.  It’s our vote.

Having a tree-hugging bone in my body, I decided to Google some ways we can reduce our carbon footprint and share these tips in the present newsletter.  Certainly many parents at Whisper make an effort to carpool and send their children to practice with a reusable water bottle, which is very much appreciated.  Here are some additional goals we can set to reduce our impact on the environment:

• Choose sunscreens that are ocean and eco-friendly.

• Use reusable bags (avoid plastic)

• Be mindful of over consumption or unnecessary consumption.

• Turn off lights.Turn off water when not in use.

• When traveling less than a few miles, consider biking instead.

• Use mass transit.

The World Wildlife Foundation takes this topic to another level by highlighting ideas around environmental awareness, social norms, living sustainably, and more.  Also, Racing Extinction, is a modern documentary film around the extinction of animals and also our carbon footprint.  Whether it something as simple as turning off a light or eating a conventional meal, we are casting our planetary vote, and she is listening.

More than Nutrients

Topics such as Nutrient Density, Iron Rich Foods, and Organic Eating are always popular with runners, but perhaps the topic of Food Proximity should play an equal role when making our food choices considering the carbon footprint foods have on the environment and climate change. 

Instructor Garret Hoyt of Clark College says it best: "The growth of food plays a direct role on the health of the planet. To put it simply, the food industry emits ridiculous quantities of CO2 and other emissions because of its complexity.  It used to be that you went to the farm and picked up your food and that was it.  Now if you look at the farm, they're driving big tractors over the fields several times to seed, fertilize, spray for bugs and weeds, and then again to harvest.  Now look at where the seeds came from, they were likely purchased and imported.  Farmers aren't saving seeds like they used to.  The fertilizer used to be manure, but now they use different nitrogen sources which are a massive source of nitrous oxide emissions which is a potent greenhouse gas.  Add in the fact that the fertilizer was produced in a factory somewhere and had to be transported to the farm for application, that all contributes to the emissions of our food.  Pesticides and herbicides are also produced, transported and applied using fossil fuels that are part of the emissions produced by food.  Foods are then harvested and transported.  Rarely are they transported directly to a consumer, first they have to be processed, packaged, transported to a distribution center before shipped to a local grocery store where you drive your SUV to pick up dinner that traveled about 1500 miles on average to get from the farm to your plate.  And then there is the other side of things: while not technically 'emissions', our CO2 emissions wouldn't be as impactful if we had more trees to absorb the CO2...  But agriculture is the leading cause for deforestation.  Primarily we are cutting down trees to grow the crops that feed our beef addiction.  Here is another source that could be insightful."

 In addition to seeking the nutrient contents within a food produce when shopping, consider an effort to seek locally grown foods as well.  Happy shopping!

Video Analysis from Winter Training 2019

This video provides an assessment of form for most of the runners in Whisper’s Winter Training program. The video looks at runners, both from the side to assess lower body movement and the front to assess upper body movement. The videos were shot while doing up-tempo work, either intervals or strides, with the emphasis on foot strike during higher velocity work, which simulates racing paces and the bodily patterns during those intense times. We will watch this video at practice, then go to the track to apply what we have learned. We will aim to apply what we have gathered from the video analysis at each of the practices since watching ones self on the big screen can provide a profound learning opportunity.

"i need a friend."

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Whisper staples, Kiley & Candi.

Running is a unique sport in that it requires a lot of self-inflicted misery, with the long-term desire of becoming faster.  Some people require a bit more patience in this pursuit than others, but in due time, improvement does happens.  If you delve deeper into why one would want to join a running program, or any program for that matter, there is reason to believe that most of the desire is rooted in the need for companionship and acceptance, more than the improvement of running itself.

An article from the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships on the brains capacity for friendship estimates that the neocortex part of the brain has the volume and capacity for up to 150 friends, 50 good friends, and 1-5 really, really good friends.  An article from Psychology Today estimates that it takes approximately 50 hours for friendship bonds to be created, and up to 200 hours for a friendship to enter into the “best friend” classification.

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From left: Grayson, Michael, Lauren, Maddy, Charlie, Maddy and Abi. 2018 Ultimook Middle School Champions.

The best phone calls and text messages received are ones in which a parent relays updates, conveying the emotional progress their child is making through their hard work at Whisper.  Are they happy?  Are they enjoying the training?  Are they growing?  These are the questions that are most paramount, well ahead of “Are they becoming faster?” 

Winter training has approximately 30 and 45 hours of training for high school and middle school runners, respectively.  Since most of this time is spent in the trenches, this means any remaining time is spent socializing during the team warm-up, team drills, cool-down, or during cross-training.  The effort for cultivating a fun, challenging, safe, and stimulating environment for youth runners to train are essential ingredients for relationships to be formed organically. 

Purposefully teaming children into pairs or groups is solely to promote socializing while training, with the underlying reason of making a friend.  If your child needs a friend, it is our goal to help them grow a friend, organically.  Please feel free to let Coach Dave know how things are progressing with your child’s emotional growth in the area of friendship, specifically their happiness and their desire for companionship.

Time.

“If you think time goes by fast, try running a marathon.”

Undoubtedly, the best sign I have ever read while racing a marathon.

At 4am I awoke from a deep slumber to an ever growing list of realistically unrealistic expectations, yet there I found myself without the necessary time in the day to complete all of the days tasks, so I did what most people do and I picked up my phone and checked my Instagram.  While scrolling through the endless Seinfeld memes and Farside comics my mind drifted back to the list of tasks.  So much to do, yet so little time. 

Just yesterday, or so it seems, we were running into the middle of the street in Reno, Nevada to take this photo.

Following my IG fix, I began sifting through a dose of light research on the perspective of time.  The “speed of time” theories abound, from the Holiday Paradox and Forward Telescoping, to the Proportional Theory and, interestingly, the Body Temperature Theory.  Theories aside, the stress remained: How am I going to get my first core group of freshman (Whisper runners) to college?  Hardly fair to bear the responsibility alone, yet there I lie, now in a sweat, knowing these kids must do what I needed to do right then and there – get shit done!

Just 30 months ago, sweet Kiley was in the 7th grade and together we prepared her for running at the high school level.  Now to the present date and sticking to the Proportional Theory of time, she is three years away from high school graduation, which means the ratio of time we have before college is brief, and together, we must get shit done if she has a shot to compete at the next level.

Kiley is not alone in this approach.  My role, as I have welcomed, is to prepare middle school runners for high school running, and high school runners for college running.  Realistically, I do not expect all of my Whispers runners to run at the next level, whatever level that may be, but if they desire to do so, then I desire to help them achieve that goal. 

To say “Winter Training is going to be loaded with a foundational curriculum and miles of trials and intervals” would be a major understatement.  Whisper is a team.  An organic, fun, genuine, hardworking team.  Though the time will go fast, our moments together will be impactful and savored.

Final note: the person holding that sign was a teenager.

Junior Olympics - Reno!

The day was cold (low-30's), wet, muddy, hilly, and slick, making for perfect, albeit slow, conditions for an old school feel of a cross country race.  Most participants were 1-2 minutes off their personal best times, so this race was a testament to their fortitude and composure, in which we very fared well. Click here to check out the results from Nationals!

The latest video takes you through the 2018 year, starting on December 8 at the USATF XC Junior Olympic National race. Please enjoy!

Junior Olympics #ontonationals

The ideal weather made for near perfect conditions on a difficult Woodland Park course in Seattle, WA, as the runners of Whisper Running began their quest for their second consecutive trip to the USATF Junior Olympic National Cross Country Meet on December 8. Whisper was well represented, suiting up 41 runners at the Association/State meet, which is the first of three USATF cross-country meets. 33 of the 41 runners formed 5 teams - 11-12 boys, 11-12 girls, 13-14 boys, and two 13-14 girl teams, while 8 runners ran for Whisper individually. Of the 41 runners, there were 34 PR’s (Personal Records) and 3 SR’s (Season Records).

The Region Meet on 10/17 was held at Franklin Park in Yakima, WA, and included teams from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The weather was thought to be in the mid-30’s during morning hours, it turned out to be a beautiful day, - perfect XC conditions! Whisper brought 33 participants, forming 4 teams and 7 individuals (meaning they ran for Whisper, but did not score as part of a team of 5). At Regions, 27 of the runners had PR’s, while two had SR’s. 21 total runners advanced to Nationals. Of the 21 runners, 16 runners form two teams: the girls 11-12 and the girls 13-14.

Click here for the Association/State Meet (Seattle, WA) results from November 10.

Click here for the Regional Meet (Yakima, WA) results from November 17 held

Breathe, See, Run

A few short months ago, runners taking part in the Summer Training session lied down on the dance room floor and took part in what, for many, was their first experience at quieting the mind to focus on breathing, followed by a session of seeing with the mind’s eye.  We spent two cross-training practices performing this exercise called Visualization, all for the sake of learning how to relax on cue, seeing the field, and mentally rehearsing a future performance.

Fast forward to the present, with many runners nearing their seasons end and possibly competing in post-season races, seemingly right around the corner.  As the season crescendos to an end, we may find our stress levels heightening as well.  During these times of heightened anxiety, it’s important to find comfort and confidence in knowing how to quiet the mind, mentally rehearse a future performance, and emotionally harness our energy, saving that energy for our next race. 

The past few Whisper practices we have spent a fair amount of time practicing work in the starting box.  We’ve covered how to alternate runners so everyone gets a turn completing their strides while others save the starting box.  We’ve discussed varying intensities of the pre-race strides and how to form a strong front to assure everyone has their space.  One of the most important preparation discussions we have consistently had at recent practices is the importance of seeing the field.  Too often, young runners are unsure of what to do at the starting line, so many find themselves standing around getting cold, becoming intimidated, or side tracked with non-running related fidgets.  Instead of falling victim to these pitfalls, providing young runners with consistent activities that continue to prepare them for the event ahead can help reduce any perceived anxiety, harness their energy, and provide them with controllable actions to help prepare for what's to come. 

A bit of French, but the first 1:50 is really all you need.

In short, we divide in half with one group dashing from the starting line to perform their stride, then jogging back to the start and saving the box while the second group then performs a stride of their own.  Between the time everyone has completed one to two strides, until the starting official asks runners to line up at the start, lies the time of the unknown.  This is the space where I ask the runners to insert a degree of Visualization while scaling back the intensity of their strides to a mild, ankling pace.  Whether they stand at the front of the box or perform anklings, they're asked to imagine various points of the race, specifically imagining and rehearsing how they want to feel from the ground, up - foot strike, hip height, back posture, relaxed shoulders, etc.  

Parents may recall the movie Legend of Bagger Vance, starring Will Smith, Matt Damon, and Charlize Theron.  Plot aside, this movie provides excellent examples of Visualization and Focus Management.  The discussion around "seeing the field" and watching the final put illuminate along the green are my personal favorites, and they serve as clips that I share with my Sport Psychology classes.  To continue the teaching and learning of Visualization, check-out the videos and then share with your children if you feel it might help put their minds prior to the start of their performance.  With that said, it's important to practice anything prior to meets.  To do this, provide this activity as something they can choose to do at practice before interval repetitions to assure they are practicing this mental strategy, rather than winging it at the start of a big performance.  Most importantly, have fun with these mental tools.

USATF JO Association Meet Information

Eat the Frog

Its presence can influence our lifestyle choices, impact decision making, and show us the pace at which life goes by.  It can lead to feelings of both incompetence or satisfaction, yet we know it’s our own self-doing.  It’s a trait, likely adopted from our parents, who learned it from their parents.  It’s Procrastination, or on the flip-side, Time Management.  

With the new academic school year set to begin, proper time management is one behavior we can encourage our children to attain right off the bat.  If your children are like mine, they’ll come home from school looking to express their enthusiasm about the first day of school.  To sustain this level of motivation and prepare for the academic year, getting organized from the start can set the tone for the days, weeks, and quarters to come. 

The following list of websites offer a fun way to promote the discussion around procrastination and time management: Eat the Frog, Time Management 101, and TED Talk with Tim Urban.  As you talk with your children about these traits, remember there is no genetic predisposition to good time management skills.  Instead, time management is a learned skill, one which needs honing and consistent short-term practices building long-term palpable accomplishments.