“It may be easy to poke fun at 2020, but at Whisper, we accomplished quite a bit! Through our best efforts, we offered a safe place for kids to challenge and improve their running performance, and also a place to socialize, see their friends, and make new ones. Enjoy the 2020 Year in Review video and I’ll see you at practiced.” - Coach Dave
Double-Dose of Visualization at the National Meet
To provide some context, Whisper Running LLC was formed in October 2015 after working with a few middle school runners as a side hobby. I’d previously coached at the college level for 13-years, so this was the first time working with an athlete at the middle school age level. I have a bachelors in Exercise Science and a masters in Sport Psychology, which are two degrees that provide balance when creating training programs. In the field of Sport Psychology, we use Psychology Skills Training, which is the use of various behavior changing tools like goal setting, visualization, imagery, self-talk assessment/modification, self-confidence enhancement, concentration, anxiety management, and goal setting, to name a few. These tools are enveloped into a package called Psychological Skill Training (PST), which is used all the time in my world of working with youth runners.
What became common practice among many of the meet participants, Addy takes her turn signing the Welcome banner.
Implementing PST to youth runners isn’t exactly the target audience one can nerd-up the content or delivery, but rather, you have to be pretty adaptable with the audience you’re serving. For example, when we work on promoting better concentration, rather than discussing a classroom curriculum like, Internal versus External Focus and Narrow versus Broad Focus, we play games to harness their attention to a specific tasks, like blind-folded Jenga or practicing Concentration Grid exercises. What’s important is we aren’t performing anything, but rather, we are practicing these things. Presentation matters, i.e., performing versus practicing. My kids perform enough, so instead, we merely practice a lot of things, with the ultimate goal that these skills will be put into play when they need it – in a performance.
Phil Jackson, in his book titled “Sacred Hoops,” says that his team would practice meditation so that his players “can experience stillness of the mind in a low-pressure setting off the court.” When I work with my team on meditation, we do so in a classroom setting, away from outside distractions. My ultimate goal when performing mediation is visualization. Ultimately, if I can get my runners to control their breathing, then next is getting them to see with the minds eye, and if they can do that, then we bring in things of familiarity, like seeing their bedroom, a vehicle, a video game, etc. Then we begin to include different variables and senses, like color, sound, smell, taste, and others. As we practice visualization in these low-pressure settings away from the practice field (i.e,, in the classroom), in time, I begin to integrate visualization into actual running practice on the field we train on. For example, we have a wide-open field that includes a 1K loop that we run regularly. We run the loop as a warm-up, dropping cones every 200m. Before and during the workout, if there is anything I need to address, such as providing a runner with varying cues to consider in their next interval, I’ll point to a cone or zone and provide them with a suggestion on how to improve that specific area of their work, which usually means holding onto the emotional pain threshold a little while longer until they realize they don’t have far to the finish. This sort of course review, pointing things out, giving them cues and suggestions, etc., is a way to get them to internalize (Visualize) in a low-pressure setting (when I am talking with them, not to them), about their performance.
Fast forward to our national meet in Paris, Kentucky, on Saturday and Sunday, December 12-13. I am always one for spontaneity, and when I was warming up with the first athlete on the first day of competition, I figured I would try something new that I hadn’t done before – two doses of pre-meet visualization. With seven races on the slate, I figured Megan would be a good person to start with. First, we reviewed the course map of the 3K course, which resembled a three-leave clover. Then, we jogged most of the 3k course, and what we couldn’t jog, I pointed to and discussed strategies she could be mindful of throughout her race. After jogging the course, we stopped to perform about 15-minutes of drills. Mind you, Megan is 10, so the whole process is geared toward keeping things rather light, psychologically speaking, since she isn’t a die-hard runner. So, when the time was right, I stood with her, we closed our eyes, and I walked her through the course.
“When the gun sounds, head straight for yellow pole on the right. Its roughly 200m away, a straight line, and a steady downhill. You’ll get out fast, but it’ll be the perfect pace to place you into a great position within the field. At 300m, you’ll hang a hard-right U-turn and begin running on rolling hills and twists and turns, eventually circling back to the left. As you close out the first loop on a steady uphill, remain strong and keeping your foot strike sharp. At the top of the hill, you’ll turn right and head out for another 1K loop that includes a steady downhill, followed by an uphill. Let the feet fly on the downhill, and work diligently on the uphill. It should feel uncomfortable, but you’re ready for this. On the backside of the 2K loop, you’ll reach your midway point, then head back toward the starting area on flat ground. Feel tall, relaxed, and practice good form. The last 3k isa steady downhill for 500m, followed by an uphill 400m grind that you are ready for. Stay strong, drive the knees and hammer the nails (drive the arms) all the way through the finish.”
This session lasted about a minute, and when we were done, she ran to the team tent, changed into her racing shoes, took sip of water, and away we went, closer to the starting area. Rather than rushing her into the starting corral, we continued jogging around until about 5 minutes prior to the start. It’s running, rather simple, and there’s no need to stand on the starting line in the chilly weather, when we could be conversing and jogging together withing earshot of the starting line. In short, we had time, so I asked her to rehearse the course, just as I had done with her moments ago. We closed our eyes...
“Well, I want to get out hard on the downhill which is about 300m. I’ll go right, it’s a winding course. I’ll go out again on another loop that goes downhill, then uphill, then I’m halfway through the race. I’ll head back, do another loop, then hammer nails to the finish.”
This sort of visualization was performed with all of my runners. We would review the course map prior to the warm-up. Then we’d jog the course, perform drills, when the time was right, I would lead the first visualization session, then somewhere in the last 15-minutes of the warm-up, they would lead me through the visualization. This allows their voice to be heard (increasing their sense of control), encourages them to think about the course, and rehearse their strategies with me (and their teammates).
For this blog post, I thought it would be fun and insightful to ask the kids whether the two doses of prerace visualization helped their race. Here are some of their responses:
Pre-race chatter between Joe, Lorenzo, Nicholas, and Coach Dave at the National meet in Paris, Kentucky.
“I am responding to your email about the visualization methods. I think the guided meditation helped my performance better than the visualization I provided because I find when someone who has experience with running visualizes a course, I can better see it through their eyes compared to mine. I feel that the visualization not only made with think about my race before the gun went off but helped me when the race got hard. This visualization not only got me thinking about the every move of my race but allowed me to experience the joy it produced when I made a 38 second PR in the end. Furthermore, I feel the visualization you provided created a boost of joy in the end but instilled a focus that contributed to that joy.” - Addison
“Out of the two visualization methods I liked the one where you talked me through it more than when I went through it. I think that the visualization helped me think more about the course instead of just running it to get to the finish. It helped me think more about how I’m going to run the hills and where the best places are to pass someone. It definitely helped me focus on the course more than the people around me. It made me a little less anxious, because I had something to keep my mind busy with before the race. Before that race I had never really thought much about visualization, it didn’t really work that well for me, but in this race, it definitely made a difference.” Charlie
“I definitely thought that both forms of visualization played a big role in my race. In the weeks leading up to the race, I felt really unprepared. I knew what pace I wanted, but didn’t know if I’d be able to hold it. Even when we got to Lexington, I felt unprepared. The night before the race I got about 4 hours of sleep because of the loud highway, but I woke up having a dream where I dropped out of the race. The start seemed very ominous, but warming up, it felt a little less stressful. But after the visualization, I seemed to forget about everything, and realize that all I had to do was what I’d been doing for the past four years. My personal favorite was the first one, because with someone else talking me through it, it made it seem that I wasn’t alone, and helped me bridge the gap between my own thoughts and how others wanted me to do.” Joe
The visualization helped me get through this race. I had a lot of anxiety coming into this race facing injury and very little mileage in my legs, as well as not competing in almost a year. Visualization allowed me to think about the race in a way I could study the course and at the same time take a moment to breathe and conserve my energy. It also allowed me to take a moment and remember who I was as an athlete. Despite not having the race I wanted, Visualization helped me finish a strong 18:35 - Lorenzo
We took 11 runners to the National meet and all of them preferred to be led through the visualization process. Interestingly, In the research I have read, for what we were about to encounter – a race at the national level – it is the first-person (athlete-led) visualization that I had always thought to be most effective. Regardless, both forms are effective, so long as they are practiced regularly.
After a thorough warm-up and some visualization, Kaydie and Coach Dave head to the start.
In the end, all 11 runners performed a double dose of visualization on this day. Of the 11, nine had a personal record performance (lifetime personal best), doing so on the national stage. Though you can’t take away the significance of physical training, there is no doubt that the visualization process, having both guided imagery and the mental rehearsal in the first-person, played a role in their performances.
I should mention that in order to be successfully spontaneous with PST tools, in this case, visualization, the coach and athletes should already be familiar with the practice and use of such tools. Trying new visualization methods, goal setting styles, anxiety management strategies, etc., takes some risk on the coach’s part (there’s always a risk when trying something new). But remember, these tools do work, and it’s important to come back to them, practice them, rehearse them with the team, and be playful in how you integrate them into your team practice, and even meets.
My team may never know why or how their performance anxiety went away, or how their concentration and focus improved, but they’ll always remember the PST games we play – eyes-closed Jenga, standing in a dark gymnasium performing visualization, Concentration Grids, and practicing eyes-closed lunges as a cool-down. Integrating PST in a playful manner enables the runners to , “experience stillness of the mind in a low-pressure setting” away from the track, surrounded by friends, in the solitude of a coach believing in their abilities.
Final weekend to upload results
Hello Virtual Resolution Runners!
Well, if you waited to participate in your virtual event, this is a great weekend to be out and about!
This is a quick reminder that the final day to upload results is tomorrow, Sunday, January 17 by 11:59pm. I will review all of the results on Monday and send the medals and award ($25 gift card to The Old Spaghetti Factory) by Tuesday, which most of you should receive by the end of the week.
To upload your results, click here, which is hyperlinked to GetMeRegistered where you can upload results and view the leader board. To go directly to event pages for uploading results, see the following:
Keep track of the virtual leader board by checking in daily to see how they’re evolving as we countdown to the last day of participation!
I can’t thank you enough for your participation in the 2021 Resolution Run! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me directly at whisperrunning@comcast.net.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Dave Caldwell
Whisper Community
Post-Run Notes and Virtual Uploading & Leader Board
Hello Resolution Runners!
Thank you for taking part in the 11th Annual Resolution Run, hosted by Whisper Community! Through the help of volunteers, sponsors, and of course, the runners, yesterday’s event felt like a smooth transition from Get Bold Events (former owner/operator of the Res Run) to Whisper Community.
VIRTUAL & CONVERTING TO VIRTUAL: We had a few left-over packets at the Welcome booth, which means runners registered for the in-person race but didn’t pick up their packet and participate. If you missed the race and wish to still take part virtually, email me before midnight on Wednesday at whisperrunning@comcast.net and I’ll submit the request for the change through GetMeRegistered. You’ll be sent a change of registration confirmation and you’ll have through the end of Sunday, January 17 to complete your race. For all virtual participants, finisher medals will be sent in the mail next week, along with $25 gift cards from The Old Spaghetti Factory for 5k, 10k, and 15k (male and female) event winners. If you have not yet uploaded your participation results, see EVENT UPDATES on the whisperrunning.com/resolutionrun page.
For the in-person participants at yesterday’s event, I appreciate your due diligence in ensuring a safe, healthy, and fun event. With Whisper Community being new to the foot racing industry, the feedback I have heard from the volunteers and staff from the event has been very positive. We are looking at hosting two more events this year, and though we cannot share them at this time, stay tuned for some AMAZING experiences in and around Clark County in 2021! A HUGE thank you to all participants for bringing the best you possible to yesterday’s event!
We will be hosting an award pick-up at Athletes Corner this Wednesday, January 13, from 4-6pm. In-person age group winners will receive a Lava Lamp sponsored by Honey Stinger – we have over 50 to give away – along with a $25 gift card from The Old Spaghetti Factory for 5k, 10k, and 15k event winners (male and female). Awards not picked up will remain in the store (behind the counter) through end of day Sunday age group winners to pick-up on their own time. Any remaining Lava Lamps will be displayed in my home office!
A couple of additional notes:
Event pictures coming soon.
Event information and pictures can be found at facebook.com/whisperrunning and on our Instagram page at whisperrunning.
Spokane to Sandpoint Relay is looking to host more teams in 2021! This relay is a great alternative to other relays that are simply too congested. Our team has run S2S many times in the past, I have no financial dog in the fight, I just believe it the spirit of the host and event.
Expect another email tomorrow.
Thank you again for participation and support!
Sincerely,
Dave
Virtual Participants - How to upload your results
Congratulations on completing the 2021 Resolution Run, and doing so on your own time in your own space! I sincerely appreciate and applaud your concerted effort at checking a race off your 2021 bucket list!
To upload your results, click here, which is hyperlinked to GetMeRegistered where you can upload results and view the leader board. To go directly to event pages for uploading results, see the following:
Keep track of the virtual leader board by checking in daily to see how they’re evolving as we countdown to the last day of participation!
Finisher medals will be sent through the mail once the virtual event has concluded, along with a $25 gift card from The Old Spaghetti Factory for 5k, 10k, and 15k (male and female) for 5k, 10k, and 15k event winners.
Thank you for taking part in the event! If you have any question about the event, our Whisper Community nonprofit, or anything race related, please email me at whisperrunning@comcast.net.
Thank you!
Dave Caldwell
Night before the big day!
Good evening, Res Run Participants!
I hope this email finds you well rested and ready for tomorrow!
A couple of quick reminders before tomorrow:
START TIMES: Found on your bib, in your initial GMR email, or on the packet-pickup bag.
PARKING: Parking for runners takes place in the Cinema/Mall parking lot to the west of campus. If you are running late, please still park in that parking lot and know that for a race that starts in waves, it’s okay if you are a little late…
MASKS REQUIRED: Gators are a form of masks. Masks may be removed if you are running, and walkers may remove them once they’ve left school grounds.
PACKET PICK-UP: Remaining packets can be picked-up at the Registration booth. We have extra Resolution Run t-shirts for sale for $20 cash only, and please have exact change. T-shirt exchanges cannot happen for obvious reasons.
MEDALS: will be place on a table beyond the finisher chute. Grab and go (and I do mean that in the nicest way possible).
AWARDS: I’ll work with Athletes Corner to keep the awards at their store for one full week, in case age group winners cannot make it to the award distribution night scheduled for Wednesday, January 13 from 4-6pm. A post-event email will be sent with more info on this. The AWARDS include The Old Spaghetti Factory $25 gift cards for 5k, 10k, & 15k in-person and virtual runners, and Lava Lamps for age group winners (up to 54 Lava Lamps will be distributed with age group winners name and time on the lamp base – pretty great).
I’m forgetting stuff, but it’s running – simple.
Good luck tomorrow!
Dave
Less than 48 hours away - know what you need to know!
Good morning, Resolution Run participants!
We are less than 48 hours away from the start of the 2021 Resolution Run, and we couldn’t be more excited!
A couple of quick announcements as we head into race weekend:
PACKET PICK-UP: Our final packet pick-up is scheduled for tomorrow, January 9, at the race venue – Maple Grove School. It’ll be rather informal, since we will simultaneously be setting up, but please make a concerted effort to pick up your packet so we can avoid doing so on Sunday morning. If you are from out of the area, you may pick up your packet on race day morning 15-minutes prior to your scheduled start time on Sunday morning at the Welcome tent, which will be located on the south end of the parking lot between the two entrances.
COVID SCREENING: Will take place at the start of the start chute prior to getting in line for the start. Simple questionnaire that must be signed by each participant (and parent/guardian if under 18) and no-touch forehead temperature check.
START/FINISH MAP: See www.whisperrunning.com/blog for start/finish and 15k turn-around maps.
PARKING UPDATE: Only staff and volunteers may enter the MGS parking lot on race day morning. Please park in the cinema/mall parking lot to the west of the school. Thank you!
BIB PLACEMENT: Your bibs should be placed on the outermost garment (shirt, jacket, etc.) so the timer can see your bib number as you finish. No visible bib, no finishing time.
AWARDS: We have over $1,000 in finisher awards. In-person participant age group winners will receive a Lava Lamp (we have 54 total Lava Lamps to give away!) and each division winner (Male/Female, 5k, 10k, 15k) earns a $25 gift certificate to The Old Spaghetti Factory. Lava Lamps and gift certificates can be picked up at Athletes Corner on Wednesday, January 13 between 4-6pm. Gift Certificates will be mailed if division winners are unable to pick them up. Virtual winner’s division (not age group) will also win a $25 gift certificate to The Old Spaghetti Factory, and that, along with your finishers medal, will be mailed by Tuesday, January 19.
Pretty sure there is more, but I have to get to practice now. If there is anything of great importance, I will aim to send another email before 5pm tomorrow.
Dave
Resolution Run - Start/Finish (Maple Grove School) Maps
New Packet Pick-Up & Day-of-Race Info
The latest announcement is we have added a packet pick-up (PP), scheduled for tonight at Athletes Corner in Hazel Dell from 4-6pm. We have another on Saturday at Maple Grove School (home of the in-person race) from noon-2pm. That’s about how long it will take for us to figure out how to hoist up the tents as we set things up for Sunday. Saturday’s PP will be our fifth PP, so my hope is that you’re seeing the “minimize the crowds” theme. We are really trying to avoid long lines or gathering spots, so if you have yet to pick up your packet, please do so at one of our remain PP options. For those coming from afar, we will have your gear at the Welcome canopy in the MGS parking lot on Sunday morning.
Speaking of parking, on Sunday morning, please arrive early so you can park in the mall parking lot to the west of the event. Yes, parking may take place at MGS, but in the spirit of social distancing, we would appreciate your cooperation.
START TIMES: every runner has a self-assigned start time. Please arrive no earlier than 10-minutes prior to the start of your race. There will be a check-in area for screening (simply covid questions and a temp check), you’ll then walk towards the start in socially distanced lines (there will be flagging, similar to the Scary Run), you’ll come to the starting canopy, and then you’ll begin when you reach the starting area. PLEASE NOTE that you may start a little bit before or after your assigned start time. Please be flexible.
TIMING SYSTEM: On the back of each bib is a timing chip sensor for the timing mat. These chips will be used to start your race time, however, they will not be used at the finish. Instead, we will be doing hand timing at the finish. We ask that as you go through the finish chute, remove the tearaway tab from the bottom of your bib and place it on the skewer thingy at the end of the chute. We will have volunteers in place to remind you to do this, so please be prepared, as nobody will be doing this for you.
THE OBVIOUS: Masks required to be worn covering your nose AND mouth, no exceptions including medical. If you have a medical condition that prohibits wearing a mask, email me so we can arrange for you to participate in the virtual option. Masks may be removed by runners at the start, and walkers may remove them once they exit the facility. Please have your mask with you at all times so you can put it back on once you enter the chute at the finish. Incompliance will lead to disqualification and a one-year ban from next years Resolution Run.
MAPS – I just realized the maps on the RR site are not the greatest, so I will do my best to update them today so they are expandable. With that said, know the course. We have many volunteers along the course to help at crossings, along with certified flaggers. However, they are only assigned to a small portion and may not know the whole course. It is ALWAYS the runners responsibility to know the course. I learned this the hard way at Blooms to Brews a couple of years ago, and it’s the same thing I tell the runners that I work with – know the course (or just follow the person in front of you and hope they know where they are going.
If you are a participant who paid for shipping and have not received your packet, please let me know. If you are a virtual runner and you thought your gear would virtually appear, please let me know. Medals will be mailed to all virtual participants after January 17 who post their times. An email about posting times (for virtual runners) will be sent today after noon.
If you begin to feel uneasy about the in-person event and wish to switch to virtual, please let me know and we can make the switch. Virtual participants have until January 17 to complete their event, so if you wake up Sunday morning and decide to pass, you may still switch and have a few days to complete it.
Registration for all races closes today (1/6/2021) at 11:59am and will not be reopened.
That’s a lot for now. Please email me at whisperrunning@comcast.net if you have any questions.
Stay healthy.
Dave
Whisper Community
Resoluion Run email sent on Dec 30
For virtual participants, we are minutes away from the start of the 2021 Resolution Run, and for the in-person participants, we are merely days away! We hope any training you are doing pays dividends and we wish everyone a fun, safe, and grand event!
Please read the following information pertaining to the event, and to read past emails, go to our event home page (www.whisperrunning.com/resolutionrun), under “EVENT UPDATES” to view more event information.
REGISTRATION: ALL registrations will be completed online before January 10. There will be no in-person or day-of registration available for the in-person event on January 10.
PACKET PICK-UP: Tonight, Wednesday, December 30, 4-6pm at Athlete’s Corner in Hazel Dell. Please make a concerted effort to pick up your packet if you have not done so already.
HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE: A basic online COVID questionnaire will be made available on Friday, January 8 at www.whisperrunning.com/resolutionrun. This online form must be completed prior to in-person participation on the day of the event. More information about this questionnaire will be emailed next week.
PARKING: We will have limited parking at Maple Grove School, so please plan on arriving in time to park in the mall area on the west side of the school and walking to check-in. Please arrive no earlier than 10-minutes prior to the start of your self-assigned starting time.
DAY OF RACE PACKET PICK-UP: None. You may pick up your packet tonight, or on Saturday, January 9 between noon-2pm at Maple Grove School. Please help us out by choosing one of these two options, as we are trying to avoid group gatherings (i.e., race day packet pick-up).
MASKS: Participants without a mask (before or after, or walkers during the event) will be disqualified from the race.
WATER STATIONS: As a racer myself, I know the important of an aid on the course, particularly water. However, we all know the circumstances we are given, and for that reason, we are not planning on a water station for the 5k course (15k runners be mindful of this). We will have a water station on the 10k course for the 10k/15k participants which will be stationed around mile markers 1.5 and 4.5. When in doubt, wear a water belt. Safest and best bet is to come well hydrated, so your body is well lubed.
PATIENCE: If you’ve ever heard the expression, “Anyone who wants to have a child should first work in a daycare,” then you may be able to empathize with an event organizer. Whisper Community adopted the Resolution Run from Get Bold Events this year, which also happens to be our first time hosting an event ever! Behind the scenes has included weeks and months of continuous labor to make this event possible. All representatives, including the Timer, DJ, Administration, Volunteers, Police, Flaggers, etc., kindly ask for the best side of you on the day of this event. Thank you!
I can be reached directly at whisperrunning@comcast.net, so if you have any questions at all, please feel free to send an email and I will respond as soon as I possibly can.
Looking forward to a great event!
Thank you!
Dave Caldwell