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Aloha, Oregon

I dont know what to say. But Cross Country has dissapointed me so far this year I have to admit it. Ive worked hard this season. But havent gotten where I want to be. We run 5K (3.1 Miles). This year in order I have gotten the following times. 18:37, 17:33, 18:19, 18:16, 18:23, 18:25. I want to break 17 and get into the 16`s. We raced against Jesuit High School today and I got last in the Varsity Race with the time of 18:25. It now all rides on me if we go to state and I want to go to state soooo bad as a team. Now im just confused and lost. I just dont know what to think. I want to be consistantly in the 16:00 to 15:30 next year and I want to be District Champion and even State Champion. Im just lost and dont know what to think. I dont even know what else to even say.

~Jordan~

[email protected]

:-(

10/15/2008 11:04:35 PM

Logan Utah

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ok =)

10/15/2008 11:23:51 PM

Upstate S.C.

huh?

10/15/2008 11:50:18 PM

Pinedale, WY

get a real hobby, like pumpkin growing or something.

10/16/2008 12:27:57 AM

Minnesota

Practice makes perfect. You know how those Kenyan runners got so good at marathon running, in there country no one can afford to drive a car so they run everywhere they go. I saw a show on it.

10/16/2008 3:52:01 AM

Ohio

Id say your lost Jordon, try finding a message board about cross crounty, all we know how to do on these boards is grow pumpkins.

10/16/2008 6:48:03 AM

Minnesota

Good idea Jordan, lets start the giant pumpkin marathon, who can carry a giant pumpkin and run 26 miles the fastest wins. The winner, instead of laurels we'll make it out of pumpkin vines, amd of course the awarding of the medal, which will be a giant seed on a ribbon worn around the neck.

10/16/2008 8:08:18 AM

Wi

Jordan, first off I'm not sure how old you are or your body's maturity level.

I do know this. If you are consistently a 18's guy 16's is not a realistic goal. 15:30 is 5 minute miles. That's very very fast for any high schooler and a respectable time at the college level really.

If you really want to be good you should be running a minimum of 50 miles a week in the off season. That means you take some time off after the cross country season. 2 weeks or so then take a month or so to build up to 50 and carry that until track season. 50 miles a week is easy mileage. It's not designed to hammer you into the ground. If your body is still really growing maybe think about 40 miles a week or something you are comfortable at.

Running is a lot like growing pumpkins. The big difference is we have more control of our running game. There is no luck. You just have to take what God gave you and do the best you can. Not everyone is a 15:30 guy. Train hard and train SMART and you'll be as good as you can be.

Sincerely,
A former sub 16 guy :)

10/16/2008 8:57:33 AM

Wi

And Brooks states it well above. This site is pumpkin growers. Most definitely not athletes. That's why when pumpkin growers call this a "sport" it bugs me. Let's reserve the term "sport" for the athletes....lolol.

10/16/2008 9:00:01 AM

you mean were not athletes running back to cover plants in hail in 6 seconds? shooting varmits from 100 yards?

10/16/2008 9:27:01 AM

Wi

Don, I'd have to see you run before I could consider you an athlete or not...lolol. Haha.

I believe Des Moines is also the home town of the VERY desireable Lo Lo Jones. Mmmmm.

10/16/2008 9:49:24 AM

Aloha, Oregon

Guys I know this isnt a athlete message board here. I just know some of you guys and needed some support.

Thanks!

Jordan

10/16/2008 10:05:56 AM

Santa Rosa, CA

What is the OTHER NON-PUMPKIN RELATED message board for?

10/16/2008 10:24:25 AM

Minerva,ohio

J,
You shouldn't be discouraged...
you have done very well, just keep up the hard work
you have posted very respectable times :)

oh, and Pastor.... you don't have other interests other than pumpkins?
Encouragement is a mighty tool, seems that we all need to take a lesson in using it.
cut the kid some slack.
Don... too funny... athletes I agree :)

10/16/2008 10:33:57 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Sometimes you hit plateaus... but keep up the work and when your body is ready for it you'll be rewarded with faster times. (I used to run CC in high school, and my daughter is running now.) My daughter has never been one of the 'elite' runners, but she has stuck with it and now she's right on the dividing line between making it on to the varsity team or not. If she holds on, she'll be on the varsity and hopefully traveling with the team to state.

10/16/2008 11:10:18 AM

Marion,IN

Go Pre!!

10/16/2008 11:17:29 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

>> you mean were not athletes running back to cover plants in hail in 6 seconds? shooting varmits from 100 yards?

I must admit, I love that sport where they do CC skiing, and then stop to shoot. But if you do it only once a year.... well.... ;-)

10/16/2008 11:41:56 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

OK, I gotta tell you this story, Jordan, you'll love it.

Last Saturday there was a meet where my daughter ran, JV race, against about 12 other schools. It was snowing, thick heavy stuff... and her SHOE CAME OFF in the first mile!

SHE DIDN'T STOP. She just kept running that way, one shoe off and one shoe on for the rest of the race, in the snow... near the end of the race there was a 200 yard section which passed over GRAVEL! Then the last lap of the race was on the track. She got 10th place out of 80 or 90 runners.

It's determination like that that will get her on to the varsity team, and something we can learn a lesson from. (I guess it also helps to be light as a feather...)

10/16/2008 11:47:01 AM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

Jordan, run ever day morning and nite. learn to push your self when you hit that wall. Sadly maybe this sport isnt for you. But have heart and do your best. BUT PUSH your self.

Cliff love the story.

NEver give up.

10/16/2008 12:04:04 PM

Indiana

Chris seems to know what he was talking about. What do you think about Jordan working on his speed. It sounds to me like he has the endurance. Perhaps some 400-800m intervals would help? I dont know much about distance, but I was a sprinter, and our coach made us run 400m intervals like it was our job. I pretty much puked every day for a month...haha

I would say work on your speed as well Jordan.

10/16/2008 12:38:52 PM

Wi

Speed is really not something you work on in the off season. Maybe just some light strides. Obviously I need MUCH more information on Jordan to make any firm recommendations.

Yes I ran track / XC in college. Favorite event by far was the steeplechase. I've also done quite a bit of reading on physiology / etc. The human body can do some amazing things when trained properly.

In my opinion trained properly = over 70 miles per week.

10/16/2008 12:51:30 PM

jordan, you're doing a great job, those are some fast times! pumpkin pastor, for someone whose job it is to provide support, you've make some pretty hurtful remarks.

david

10/16/2008 1:30:36 PM

Oz

Jordan
Try "sarsaparilla",It is natural.
It comes in gel cap or powder form.

Remember that acid builds up in your muscles when you work them.Your body has to flush it out.

10/16/2008 1:41:10 PM

I think you should talk to your coach and see what off-season training programs there are. Maybe there's other athletes that want to work hard in the off season to improve as well. Working out with other people is a great motivator.

10/16/2008 1:53:42 PM

Waquoit Mass

are we having a f---ing OPRAH moment lol hamr

10/16/2008 1:56:10 PM

Midwest

Jordan

I want to encourage you. Seems to me like you are beating yourself up too much. That kind of thinking is unnecesary and a weight around your neck. Why beat yourself up ? Chris may jump in here but, but every distance has a different effect on you.... Every race is different. So, the 5K is different than the 10K. Train ONLY for the 5K and so DON'T run over 4 miles. Then, repeat every day. You won't get faster by running farther distances. You have the desire. Now, add to that desire, discipline and strength and target specific parts of the race... descreased time for the 100 yard dash at at the end... Slight push after 2 miles. It's worth every extra effort. I'm not an expert so you find a web site for racing and ask questions and then listen and act on their advise.

10/16/2008 2:27:31 PM

Linden,PA

Jordan
My son's team just finished their regular XC season undefeated 21-0. His senior year. But that was only a third of their goals. The other two thirds are winning districts and making it to states. His hard training this summer paid off. He is second man on the team. They have five kids that really compete with each other and it has helped tremendously. Also the three seniors on the team are in the top 8 of their class academically. Hard work yields great results. Just like pumpkin growing..... with a little luck added!!
Jordan keep working hard it will come.

10/16/2008 2:51:41 PM

Montgomery, Minnesota

You are a junior right? That means you still have time, and that is what is important. If your high school is anything like mine was we were training on less than 30 miles a week. This may seem like enough but really even high schoolers can withstand more miles than that. At our state cc meet I'm sure that some of the top 30 place winners were running on less than 30 miles but for most people they need more. Like chris had said before you need to increase your miles. There has been studies that show an increase from 30-40 and 40-50 mpw will have dramatic changes on high school runners. I've experienced this after joining college cc. Take the winter and focus on building up your miles over 3 or 4 months for track season. Depending on how much you run now increase your miles something like this: 30-35-40-30-35-40-45-35 and work up to 50 or so and try and maintain that for a few weeks before you actually start doing some speed or interval work. Really its nothing to dramatic but you will notice a HUGE difference. If your feeling tired break your miles in half and run 2 times a day. Keep it EASY though. It will feel slow but once you get into faster paced workouts the speed will come.

10/16/2008 3:12:01 PM

Pataskala,OH

No one cares about your running. This website is for pumpkins.

10/16/2008 3:55:45 PM

Pataskala,OH

Also I like cheese

10/16/2008 3:57:06 PM

Wi

First off Nic2Nic I care.

Second to weatherman. Yes he needs to run more than 4 miles a day. A realistic higher end easy run would be 10-15 miles and in one day yes.

I won't go into all the details because this is a pumpkin site.

For more information on running see letsrun.com.

10/16/2008 4:06:57 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

Jordan,
That would be quite an improvement in your time for the 5K in one year, if that's your goal? You'd need to take off about 1.5 to 2 minutes off your personal best. That equates to roughly 30-40 sec./mile improvement.
I ran track and cross-country in college. My two main events were the 1500 meters and the steeplechase(which I had the most success with). In college we usually ran 8K or 5 miles races in cross-country.
I think running is a fine sport...it can teach dicipline and perserverence.
Maybe ask your coach what he/she thinks. Or get read some good books on running/training and consult with your coach. Remember doing too much too quickly could lead to injury...I learned this one year with a stress fracture.

10/16/2008 4:20:37 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

Jordan, you're a sophmore and running Varsity? That's awesome! My husband said he'd love to have you on his team. Chris gave you some really good idea. Keep your goals realistic and Go Jordan Go!

10/16/2008 6:34:45 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

whoops, meant advice, not idea.

10/16/2008 6:34:59 PM

Long Island,New York

Im pretty good at a beer run.

10/16/2008 6:51:43 PM

I can't believe I just wasted 5 minutes reading this dribble.

10/16/2008 7:14:54 PM

Minnesota

We already have pumpkin boat races, why not a mini run....

10/16/2008 8:26:45 PM

Griffith, In

One of my younger sisters ran cross country in high school,,,she was a decent runner, but they had no girls team so she ran with the boys,,,at meets, guys would yell don't let her pass you, she's a girl!!!!!

10/16/2008 9:32:46 PM

Kalamazoo, MI ([email protected])

Don you're right...that last big storm we had...I have never moved faster covering plants before or since...green skies, hail, and trees falling make you SPEEDY...and it's always fun shooting varmints...

10/16/2008 9:50:19 PM

Ohio

I remember back in the day I used to be a heck of a runner, pretty fast too, when I would act up or do something I wasnt suppose to do my grandmother would chase me around the house with a hot wheels track, I was lighting fast when she would get that out after me. I often wonder what my times would have been if I would have had her chasing behind me at one of them cross country meets? I bet I wouls have been state champ.

10/17/2008 3:31:05 PM

Minnesota([email protected])

LOL Brooks! Those Hot Wheel tracks would leave a mark I imagine. I remember having orange Hot Wheel tracks.

10/17/2008 5:05:15 PM

Wi

Oh and if anyone wants to try something challenging try the beer mile.

Run 400 slam a beer run a 400 slam a beer run a 400 slam a beer and run the final 400. So there is a lighter side :)

Yes Dan the beer mile makes everyone dribble.

10/17/2008 6:49:01 PM

Massillon, Ohio

yes listen to your coach!!! we all have diff philosophies but a soph in HS shouldnt be running over 70 miles per week (i read that suggestion up there).

train consistently. take 2 weeks off after CC ends and DO TRACK THIS SPRING!! we have lots of runners doing lacrosse in the spring and then they wonder why the kids that did track got better and they didnt. haha.

run the workout your coach wants you to do, but then run / walk like 2 miles at night. go to all the conditioning sessions your coach has this winter. and go to all the conditioning in the summer. no vacations. taking 3 days off running makes you lose about 2 weeks or more of stamina. school lets out june 5 and we start concitioning june 8.

MOST IMPORTANTLY!!!! i know the big meets are coming up for you as they are for us; just dont stress over this!!!!!!! relax and have fun and your team will end up doing great. if you make yourself a nervous wreck (by thinking it ALL rides on you...it rides on all 5 runners!!!!!!!!!....) then you will only end up doing poorly. you've trained all season, now just GO OUT AND HAVE FUN!! :)

10/17/2008 7:13:51 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Darn Varmits at a hundred yards!! Wow...but could ya do that with a .177...lol

10/17/2008 8:08:54 PM

South East

determination and hard work. a firm believe in yourself, and times wil come. Rome wasn buildt in one day. And you dont get a toprunner in one year. patience.

10/18/2008 10:49:26 AM

Jordan
Here are my suggestions for what they're worth -

1. put this kind of stuff on the right forum so people don't have a reason to get in your grill

2. as a few people advised above, don't freak yourself out for the rest of the season. That won't do you or your team any good. So you finished last in the varsity race - it's a tough lesson to learn but someone is last in every race. Use it as motivation. How many kids in the JV would have loved the chance to even be in that race? In sports there's always a wolf nipping at the leader's heels. Now that you know what if feels like to be at the back of the pack it's time to become the wolf.

3. Core body strength has a huge impact on endurance. Ask your coach about a sensible weight training/core program for the off-season.

4. Off-season cross training is a great way to build strength and cardio without beating up your legs. Again ask your coach about how to get started.

5. Consider joining the swimming or wrestling team this winter. If you fully commit yourself to either you should head into track season in better shape than you're in now.

6. Don't get hung up on goal times. Train hard and do your best. If you're in great shape you'll know if you ran your best or not. Times don't translate from course to course or even from day to day on the same course.

6. Do the best you can, enjoy the experience and keep a long-term goal. You've only got four chances to be on a high school cross country team - at close to 12 weeks each season that's less than a year total. Make the most of it and carry that with you as the basis of a life-long running career. Most of the kids on your school's football team will never get the chance to play again after senior year. If you choose to do so and approach training intelligently you can continue to participate in this sport for the rest of your life.

Good luck with the rest of the season and your off-season training.

10/18/2008 11:38:17 AM

Aloha, Oregon

Thanks Guys this encourages me. Tonight im going to go watch the The Long Green Line a documentary on the York Cross Country Team with some of my teammates at my coaches house it should be very inspirational. I cant wait.

~Jordan~

10/18/2008 7:16:35 PM

Taber, Alberta

We all can talk about how much he's running, but there's other things to consider.

1. Are you eating properly? I know as a teenager, I when I didn't eat right, my running suffered.

2. Are you getting enough sleep at night? The body needs to recover when pushed as hard as runners can do.

3. Taking care of your body. If you have a way to get them, massages are amazing to help speed recovery. Are they offered through your team? Do your parents have an health plan that offers massage therapy? If so, use it as much as you can. Your body will thank you.

I ran track in high school as a sprinter as well as triple jump. Now I'm 37 and have switched interest to long distance marathon running and love it. If I knew back then what I know now about the three points above, my track career would probably have been quite different.

Jordan, take care of yourself and listen to your body. As stated above, pumpkin growing is a lot like running. You need patience and discipline. You need to know when to push yourself, you need to know when to hold back. We also need to know that there is several things about pumpkins (weather, disease etc) that we can not control. The same goes with running. We can not control the body that God gave us, but we can find the best way to use it.

Finally, running is a lifelong activity. I've run marathons where 80 year old people have zipped past me. My wife did competative swimming and pushed herself so hard, she hated it and quit. Find what works best for you and enjoy it. Hopefully you will still enjoy running 60 years from now.
Alan

10/18/2008 10:44:45 PM