Upcoming Runs and Races and What Not.

Each Summer, we have taken kids to Atwater for their annual July 4th "Run for Independance" Here is the Link to the Website for the race.  If you are interested in going, let me know.

Also, we will be heading out to the hills at Warnerville Road on Tuesday, 6/24 at 7:00 AM

Here is a link to the Map of the Run

The best way to get there for most people that might be interested would be as follows

1. Travel North on Geer Road from Hughson.  
2. Turn right on Claribel Road
3. Follow Claribel for 6-7 miles until it intersects with Tim Bell road.
4. Park at the corner of Claribel and Tim Bell.

Remember, if you want to do this run, you need to be there by 7:00 AM

Map of the run for 6/17

Start at Cressey Fire Dept.

To get there from Hughson, head south on Santa Fe until you cross the Merced River.  Take your first left after the river.

Map of Run

Summer Training Well Underway

We are at the end our second week of summer training.  Our first week went exceedingly well, with one major exception.

1. What Went Well:  Most of our projected varsity boys team is out running, running together, and running consistently.  Guys like Austin, Jared, Daniel, Wyatt, and Michael all put in over 40 miles in the first week of the summer.  If those numbers keep increasing from those guys, then our VB squad will once again be a contender at the league and section levels.
2. What Didn't Go So Well: We only had 11 kids submit mileage in the first week.  I don't know if more kids are running and not submitting, but the proof I have of our WHOLE TEAM striving to be good is non-existent.  I got no submissions from any girls.  Girls, summer mileage will work for you, just like it works for the boys.

Summer Practice

Summer practice starts Monday at 6:00 PM.  We will work out M,T,Th at 6 PM for the remainder of the summer.  We will also have a hill run on Tuesdays at 7 AM.  For those runners wishing to make a double day, you can attend both sessions.

Our first summer hill run session will be on Meadow Road, out of Cressey.  Meet at the Cressey fire station at 7 AM for the run.  Here is a Map of the Route. I will bring snacks for afterward.  For the hill runs, you are responsible for getting yourself there.

Summer Training

OK, guys.  It is wednesday, June 4th.  Your summer running should be underway for the past 3 days now.  If you have not started running yet, start now!  If you are only running a little bit, run more!  If you can't find motivation, find a running partner.

Practice starts on Monday, June 16th.  We will practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 6:00 PM and on Tuesdays at 7:00 AM.

Tuesday's runs will actually be earlier, because the plan is to be out to the hills BY 7:00 AM and begin running then.

Please check the following page for a partial list of hill runs

http://valleyeliteathletic.blogspot.com/p/hill-runs-and-directions.html

Ian and Zach moving on to Masters!

Our two stud seniors are winding down their high school careers.  Before they do so, they have at least one more meet to attack....The CIF Sac Joaquin Section Masters Meet.  They will be joining a school record sized group of 10 athletes making the trip to Elk Grove for this meet, which is more elite than many state meets.

 Ian is qualified in the 800m.  He will go in as the 5th seed, with his time of 1:56.87 from the divisional meet.

Zach will go in with a lower seed.  His time of 9:42 will put him perhaps 10-12.  However, Zach's 2 mile at divisionals was run while it was still fairly warm, whereas the other divisions (where kids posted faster times) ran later in the evening when the weather was cooler.

Both of our boys should represent HHS very well at the Masters meet.  Let's give them our best wishes that they come out with PRs and maybe even more!

Cross Country and Track

We're getting down to the end of the track and field season here in central California.  As I start to think about the championship meets coming up on the track, I also am thinking about the upcoming cross country season.  Specifically, I'm thinking about how the two sports compliment each other.

There aren't any two sports that benefit each other like cross country does for track and like track does for cross.  The two sports are nearly inseparable for athletes striving to reach their full potential in either.  To be sure, some people prefer to race on the track and some prefer the trail.....but almost without exception, every runner who is good at one sport also competes in the other (my apologies to guys like Coly Candel and ladies like Tiffany McWilliams, who don't fit the general mold).

So, I've posted two videos to our Training and Racing Page.  The first features the Butler University Women's Cross Country Team, who surprised the big name schools at last fall's NCAA championship meet to take 3rd place.  The second video is a track workout by Alexa Efraimson who last fall broke Sarah Baxter's lifetime unbeaten streak in cross country to win Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon.

It is highly unlikely that the Butler women or Efraimson would be as good as they are if they decided not to run either cross or track.

Butler on the Podium last fall in Indiana

Efraimson crossing the line first at Nike Cross Nationals

Pitman Distance Wars

Congrats to the Hughson Husky runners who took to the track Friday night for the Pitman Distance Wars.  Our night was highlighted by Zach Morrett's impressive front running win in the Boys 3200.  Zach's time of 9:42.8 set the stadium record at Turlock's venerable Joe Delby Stadium.

Also running well and setting PRs were

Anthony Arce dropped his 1600m PR from 5:17 to 5:54
Garrett Hartman dropped his 1600m PR from 5:57 to 5:53
Ilina Gonzales, running in her first track race ever, won her heat of the 800 in a time of 2:49.
Michael Sanders Set a PR in the 3200m dropping his best time from 11:35 to 11:21

The clock shows the results of Zach's dedication and perseverance.