For my latest entry I would like to talk about a new form of recognition I have decided to implement with the team. Since we have a unique team I think it is appropriate to develop a weekly MVR (Most Valuable Runner) award. No, there will be no formal recognition or actual award that goes along with this recognition. Sorry, but this is a pretty low key addition to the team atmosphere. In retrospect, I want to do this so that student-athletes that are going above and beyond the “call of duty” will be acknowledged for doing so. The MVRs are chosen solely by me, Coach Riedel, and are completely subjective and the result of my observations from the past week at practice. The votes will have no rhyme or reason other than to allow me to recognize someone who has been doing good things the past week. In a sport like cross country and track and field (a sport, that in my opinion, few people outside of those that directly participate care about it is important to promote our athletes and shine a light on them when necessary), awards for hard work and dedication come few and far between.
The MVR will be given to the athlete that has worked extraordinarily hard to improve over the course of the previous week. This person will not necessarily be the fastest runner on the team. In fact, a lot of times top athletes are overlooked because everyone is so used to them bringing a solid effort everyday that it becomes the expected norm (but the norm that got them to where they currently are).
Enough banter…Drum roll please……
Our first ever women’s MVR for the week of August 20-25 (and in a close contest nonetheless) – Sonya Gibbs, Georgetown, TX. Sonya is a freshman Lady Cardinal. Her hard work has been an inspiration to everyone on the XC team. She did not run her entire senior year in HS because of several illnesses. In fact, she wasn’t even sure if she would be able to run this year. That didn’t stop her desire to be the best runner that she can be. She has brought an enthusiastic attitude and a lunch-pail work ethic to the team as she continues to work herself back into shape. She had a fantastic 11 mile run on a hilly course Saturday morning – hitting her easy run pace the entire run. Finishing a close second for this week’s MVR was freshman Melissa Martinez, San Antonio, TX. Melissa, despite her surprisingly short training age, continues to serve as an inspiration to the girls on the team with her focus each and every day. Congrats ladies on your hard- earned award!
Next, we need to award our men’s MVR for the week of August 20-25. Again, this was a difficult vote for a number of reasons, some of which I will address in my closing remarks today. After tough deliberation, I have chosen Adrian Carrillo, freshman from El Paso HS. Adrian is only in his fourth year of cross country (having joined his sophomore year of HS). Adrian struggled with IT band issues all summer, which severely limited his base building goals. God’s gracious hands healed his knee just in time for the start of pre-season practice, allowing Adrian to begin some serious training. After overcoming some initial soreness Adrian has shown some great improvement the last week of practice. He had a great long run Saturday morning on a not-so-easy course. Finishing a close second was Shayn Weidner, sophomore from Marion, TX. I am reluctant to brag about Shayn because of his propensity for becoming easily embarrassed when praised. But, as any of the men or women on the team will attest to, not many people will outwork Shayn, a quality that nowadays seems hard to find – even in the intense world of distance running.
Closing remarks…Get it over with already!
I have enjoyed the first two weeks with the team. It can sometimes backfire when a coach heaps praise after only two weeks of practice. In fact, we have not yet raced and racing can bring out the best and worst in athletes. But, I say that while we may not be the most experienced, or the deepest, or even the most talented collegiate team, I believe that there may not be many that work harder than we do. I have been pleased with the work ethic of our cross country team up to this point. This may seem silly to say as you read and think “all distance runners work hard.” However, after last XC season, I have come to not take this characteristic for granted. I always took it for granted with my athletic pursuits because I grew up knowing no other way than to love what you do and pour everything you have into that pursuit. Good things are bound to reap from being responsible and consistent. I always look for student-athletes that want to come to UIW to be mature, responsible, consistent, and love cross country and track and field. Desire and hard work can overcome minimal talent in a way that not many other characteristics can. By this I mean, that an athlete with a strong desire and good work ethic can make themselves a good, competitive athlete capable of regularly out performing someone with more talent and less work ethic.
It is important to live in the “here and now.” As Socrates in Way of the Peaceful Warrior asks Dan Millman: “What time is it? Where are you at?” Dan answers “It is NOW and I am HERE.” Always remember that there are no ordinary moments. Never live in the past or look too often to the future. Live in the Here and Now and allow yourself to be a great WARRIOR every day of your life no matter what you are doing. Great individuals find deep meaning in the mundane tasks of an otherwise meaningless day. People that can find meaning in things they otherwise would not find meaning in can truly understand what it means to be a superb individual capable of achieving extraordinary things!
P.S. – Please remember the Mandatory Track and Field team meeting – set for Thursday, September 6th in the Natatorium classroom (114) at 5 PM. It will be an informational meeting for everyone on the track team. We will outline the workout schedule for the month of September and discuss the start of pre-season practice October 1. See all of you then!!
Until next time…
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Update on Cross Country season
Well, we are now officially one week into our new cross season! The team checked into their apartments and/or dorm rooms last Monday evening just in time for the initial physical examinations.
We had our first practice of the season Tuesday, August 14th at 7 AM. It was good to see all the new faces and the old faces for that matter. After an easy run we talked about the upcoming 2-mile time trial Wednesday morning. We do the 2-mile trial for two reasons. First, it allows us to see where everyone is and what kind of work was done during the summer base building phase. Secondly, it helps us set everyone's daily paces. We take the 2-mile as an indicator of a race-based VO 2 Max (based off of Dr. Jack Daniel's formulas). This assures me that we are training at our prescribed paces based on where each athlete is at the this moment.
2-mile time trial highlights: Shayn Weidner continued his accent with a solid, uncontested 9:42. He was able to run that time solely based on his summer aerobic building. With that time we are encouraged that he will have another successful school year. Yvonne Rodriguez led the women's team with a very undercontrol 11:36. Yvonne is attempting to get back into the competitive realm after sitting out of athletic competition for the past two years as she served in the military. She looks like she hasn't missed a beat. The girls looked strong as a team as Melissa Martinez, Maggie Callahan and Rose Caldwell all worked together to finish in 12:40, which is ahead of their pace at this point last year.
After the time trial we packed our vans and headed for the Hill Country and some team building! We spent the next two days at a camp in the hill country running on the beautiful trails and swimming in the spring fed Frio River. Each team cooked on dinner (spaghetti for the women and chicken fajitas for the men). We cleaned up and came back to the UIW campus Friday afternoon.
Monday morning (August 20th) called for us to do our second time trial – a 6 miler for both the men’s and women’s team. Needless to say, it did not go according to plan. It was quite rough for most people. It did help us work on our mental and physical toughness, however.
Our first meet is quickly approaching (September 1 relay hosted by us at Live Oak City Park). This will be a good opening test for us as we continue preparation for our big meet September 14 at the National Catholic Championships hosted by Notre Dame.
Keep checking out our progress on this Blog throughout the season as we continue to strive for our seasonal goals!
We had our first practice of the season Tuesday, August 14th at 7 AM. It was good to see all the new faces and the old faces for that matter. After an easy run we talked about the upcoming 2-mile time trial Wednesday morning. We do the 2-mile trial for two reasons. First, it allows us to see where everyone is and what kind of work was done during the summer base building phase. Secondly, it helps us set everyone's daily paces. We take the 2-mile as an indicator of a race-based VO 2 Max (based off of Dr. Jack Daniel's formulas). This assures me that we are training at our prescribed paces based on where each athlete is at the this moment.
2-mile time trial highlights: Shayn Weidner continued his accent with a solid, uncontested 9:42. He was able to run that time solely based on his summer aerobic building. With that time we are encouraged that he will have another successful school year. Yvonne Rodriguez led the women's team with a very undercontrol 11:36. Yvonne is attempting to get back into the competitive realm after sitting out of athletic competition for the past two years as she served in the military. She looks like she hasn't missed a beat. The girls looked strong as a team as Melissa Martinez, Maggie Callahan and Rose Caldwell all worked together to finish in 12:40, which is ahead of their pace at this point last year.
After the time trial we packed our vans and headed for the Hill Country and some team building! We spent the next two days at a camp in the hill country running on the beautiful trails and swimming in the spring fed Frio River. Each team cooked on dinner (spaghetti for the women and chicken fajitas for the men). We cleaned up and came back to the UIW campus Friday afternoon.
Monday morning (August 20th) called for us to do our second time trial – a 6 miler for both the men’s and women’s team. Needless to say, it did not go according to plan. It was quite rough for most people. It did help us work on our mental and physical toughness, however.
Our first meet is quickly approaching (September 1 relay hosted by us at Live Oak City Park). This will be a good opening test for us as we continue preparation for our big meet September 14 at the National Catholic Championships hosted by Notre Dame.
Keep checking out our progress on this Blog throughout the season as we continue to strive for our seasonal goals!
Former Cardinal Attempts 100 mile Ultra Marathon in Colorado!
Read below for a first-person account of Edgar Gonzalez's attempt at finishing a 100-mile run in the mountains of Colorado. It was definately a test of the human will and Edgar went after it with heart! Edgar, we are proud of you!
And remember - at UIW, we do it to the extreme!
Yes, it is over. My best friend Patrick and I got up @ 2a.m. Saturday morning, had one final meal of eggs, toast, and bacon, and slowly walked toward the starting line of the infamous Trail 100 in Leadville, CO. We had a game plan. We would stay close to the back, make the first check point in 2hrs,30min and hit the 50 mile mark in about 12 hours, 30 min. We felt great as we moved forward, that is, until we went off course within the first 13 miles. We got back on track but hit our first checkpoint 15 minutes slower than what we wanted. We were ok though. We met up with our crew, changed clothes to prepare for the rainy weather and moved forward.
There were 592 participants at the starting line. Patrick and I must have met about half of them along the course. We would find a person or group of people and run/climb/descend in single file for miles......and miles. The vibe was unmatched compared to any other race I have done. Determination was oozing out of every individuals cold breath. We get to mile 40 and Patrick and I are feeling like we could conquer the world. Our crew sees us and reassure us that we are looking great but we all new what was ahead of us. I 10 mile trail going over Hope Pass (just under 13,000 feet). It doesn't matter how good you feel when you start this trail. We were up for the biggest challenge of the day. We leave the 40 mile aid station at 9hrs,15min and finally reach the 50 mile turnaround 3 hrs,45min later. Thats a
22 min/mile pace for the 10 miles over Hope Pass. But we conquered it! We're at the 50 mile aid station, we eat, we change socks and clothes, and we head back. I was feeling like a rock star. Patrick on the other hand was having some knee pain but we stuck together.
Truthfully, the challenge is not getting over Hope Pass the first time. It's getting over it the second time on the way back. But we were up for it. We get over hope pass and hit the 60 mile aid station with 45 minutes to spare (cuttoff was 9:45 p.m. and we got there at 9a.m.). This is where I started getting worried. In my head 45 minutes is not enough. We need to get out of there quick. I start trekking up the second to last mountain before Patrick. He catches up and we're off together again. By this time, your mind starts getting loopy. I was glad it was night out. Patrick could not see the tears in my eyes. Everything hurt. My fear of not finishing was starting to get the best of me. We find a pack heading up the mountain and we stick with them. I slowly start fading. Patrick yells out every few minutes to make sure that I'm there and I reassure him that I will not stop. " Keep going. I'll recover and catch up." was my response to him everytime. His voice would eventually fade away and before I knew it I was on that wretched mountain alone, in pain and this is where the hallucinations struck me. From this point forward, it was hell. I was falling asleep on the trail, could not drink water because I had accidentally pee'd on the nozzles(i did not think to unscrew them and drink), and my back was stuck in a leaning forward position. Every few minutes or so I would hear someone behind me passing me up. I would move over to the side and let them through and would realize there was no one there. I was talking to myself, crying to myself, and cussing out the mountain. The mountain was alive and it's sole purpose was to break me. I finally made it out of the trail. I was on an open jeep road with 2.5 miles to go in 10 minutes to meet the checkpoint. Lindsay comes out of the darkness grabs my hand and begins to pull me toward the aid station. She was convinced we could make it. I began to believe.......again. We get to the aid station,
5 minutes too late. I was done. 70 miles in 20hrs and 50 minutes. I cried myself to sleep in the aid station tent shorly after they cut off my wrist band. A few hours later the rest of my crew would pick me up and take me to the next checkpoint where Patrick was in danger of not meeting the next cutoff. He runs in with 5 minutes to spare, eats, changes clothes, gives me a hug, and heads out toward the last mountain. I head to the cottage we were staying to get some rest before I would wake up to see Patrick cross the finish line. Well, that did not happen. Mile 85 was his breaking point. Search and rescue had to get him off the mountain. His knee was in bad shape and he showed symptoms of hyponatremia. We did not finish.
Of the 592 people that started the race, only 210 crossed the finish line. We added to the numbers that make this event one of the hardest in the world. Patrick will be back next year. I on the other hand will have to wait and see.
And remember - at UIW, we do it to the extreme!
Yes, it is over. My best friend Patrick and I got up @ 2a.m. Saturday morning, had one final meal of eggs, toast, and bacon, and slowly walked toward the starting line of the infamous Trail 100 in Leadville, CO. We had a game plan. We would stay close to the back, make the first check point in 2hrs,30min and hit the 50 mile mark in about 12 hours, 30 min. We felt great as we moved forward, that is, until we went off course within the first 13 miles. We got back on track but hit our first checkpoint 15 minutes slower than what we wanted. We were ok though. We met up with our crew, changed clothes to prepare for the rainy weather and moved forward.
There were 592 participants at the starting line. Patrick and I must have met about half of them along the course. We would find a person or group of people and run/climb/descend in single file for miles......and miles. The vibe was unmatched compared to any other race I have done. Determination was oozing out of every individuals cold breath. We get to mile 40 and Patrick and I are feeling like we could conquer the world. Our crew sees us and reassure us that we are looking great but we all new what was ahead of us. I 10 mile trail going over Hope Pass (just under 13,000 feet). It doesn't matter how good you feel when you start this trail. We were up for the biggest challenge of the day. We leave the 40 mile aid station at 9hrs,15min and finally reach the 50 mile turnaround 3 hrs,45min later. Thats a
22 min/mile pace for the 10 miles over Hope Pass. But we conquered it! We're at the 50 mile aid station, we eat, we change socks and clothes, and we head back. I was feeling like a rock star. Patrick on the other hand was having some knee pain but we stuck together.
Truthfully, the challenge is not getting over Hope Pass the first time. It's getting over it the second time on the way back. But we were up for it. We get over hope pass and hit the 60 mile aid station with 45 minutes to spare (cuttoff was 9:45 p.m. and we got there at 9a.m.). This is where I started getting worried. In my head 45 minutes is not enough. We need to get out of there quick. I start trekking up the second to last mountain before Patrick. He catches up and we're off together again. By this time, your mind starts getting loopy. I was glad it was night out. Patrick could not see the tears in my eyes. Everything hurt. My fear of not finishing was starting to get the best of me. We find a pack heading up the mountain and we stick with them. I slowly start fading. Patrick yells out every few minutes to make sure that I'm there and I reassure him that I will not stop. " Keep going. I'll recover and catch up." was my response to him everytime. His voice would eventually fade away and before I knew it I was on that wretched mountain alone, in pain and this is where the hallucinations struck me. From this point forward, it was hell. I was falling asleep on the trail, could not drink water because I had accidentally pee'd on the nozzles(i did not think to unscrew them and drink), and my back was stuck in a leaning forward position. Every few minutes or so I would hear someone behind me passing me up. I would move over to the side and let them through and would realize there was no one there. I was talking to myself, crying to myself, and cussing out the mountain. The mountain was alive and it's sole purpose was to break me. I finally made it out of the trail. I was on an open jeep road with 2.5 miles to go in 10 minutes to meet the checkpoint. Lindsay comes out of the darkness grabs my hand and begins to pull me toward the aid station. She was convinced we could make it. I began to believe.......again. We get to the aid station,
5 minutes too late. I was done. 70 miles in 20hrs and 50 minutes. I cried myself to sleep in the aid station tent shorly after they cut off my wrist band. A few hours later the rest of my crew would pick me up and take me to the next checkpoint where Patrick was in danger of not meeting the next cutoff. He runs in with 5 minutes to spare, eats, changes clothes, gives me a hug, and heads out toward the last mountain. I head to the cottage we were staying to get some rest before I would wake up to see Patrick cross the finish line. Well, that did not happen. Mile 85 was his breaking point. Search and rescue had to get him off the mountain. His knee was in bad shape and he showed symptoms of hyponatremia. We did not finish.
Of the 592 people that started the race, only 210 crossed the finish line. We added to the numbers that make this event one of the hardest in the world. Patrick will be back next year. I on the other hand will have to wait and see.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
UIW Cross Country/Track on www.txrunning.com!
For those interested check out my interview about the upcoming cross country and track and field season with Alex Aldaco on: http://www.myrunningnetwork.com/IWU%20Teampage.htm
It is some more great publicity for the program!
Have a great weekend!
Coach Riedel
It is some more great publicity for the program!
Have a great weekend!
Coach Riedel
Thursday, August 2, 2007
2008 Track Team Preview
I would be remiss to not include a short highlight of the upcoming track season. After returning home with our first-ever women's NCAA All-American (Morgan Moszee in the long jump) we look forward to continuing our building process for the immediate future.
The future looks bright as we come off a 2007 season that saw our men break 17 school records and the women break 10 records.
I am very excited about our newcomers to the Cardinals and Lady Cardinals squads. Without further adue here is the list of incoming men's and women's tracksters:
Men:
Christian Alicea (Juson HS - Converse, TX) - 200/400 sprinter
George Alicea (Judson HS - Converse, TX) - 200/400 sprinter
Cody Beaman (Humble HS) - Distance Runner
Keith Coleman (West Campus - SA, TX) - 100/200 sprinter
Taylor Echevarria (Warren HS - SA, TX) - 200/400 sprinter
Marcus Edwards (Reagan HS - SA, TX) - 100/200 sprinter
Leslie Hall (Sam Houston State via East Central - SA, TX) - 100-400 sprinter
Randy Lighteard (Sam Houston HS - SA, TX) - 100-400 sprinter
Chacho Madera (Corpus A&M via Eagle Pass - Grad Student) 200/400 sprinter
Chris Monroe (Sam Houston HS) - 100/200 sprinter
Everrett Rusher (Oklahoma Baptist transfer) - 100-400 sprinter
Chase Turner (Sachse HS) - 200/400 sprinter
John Zavala (Ausuncion, Paraguay) - 100-400 sprinter
Randy Mitchell (Randolph HS - SA, TX) - 100-400 sprinter
Women:
Brittany Black (Bandera HS) - 100-400 sprinter
Courtney Immel (Bandera HS) - 200/400 sprinter
Kristen Sims (Taft HS - SA, TX) - 200/400 sprinter
Jenada Morrison (Randolph HS) - Hep/400/800
Jenovia Morrison (Randolph HS) - Hep/400/800
Carolyn Hart (John Jay HS - SA, TX) - 100/200 sprinter
These are the incoming Cardinals and Lady Cardinals for the 2008 spring semester. We are adding women's indoor track in a test trial mode with the hope of adding the men's team to the indoor schedule in 2009. Follow UIW track through the fall semester as we tune up for another record setting season!
The future looks bright as we come off a 2007 season that saw our men break 17 school records and the women break 10 records.
I am very excited about our newcomers to the Cardinals and Lady Cardinals squads. Without further adue here is the list of incoming men's and women's tracksters:
Men:
Christian Alicea (Juson HS - Converse, TX) - 200/400 sprinter
George Alicea (Judson HS - Converse, TX) - 200/400 sprinter
Cody Beaman (Humble HS) - Distance Runner
Keith Coleman (West Campus - SA, TX) - 100/200 sprinter
Taylor Echevarria (Warren HS - SA, TX) - 200/400 sprinter
Marcus Edwards (Reagan HS - SA, TX) - 100/200 sprinter
Leslie Hall (Sam Houston State via East Central - SA, TX) - 100-400 sprinter
Randy Lighteard (Sam Houston HS - SA, TX) - 100-400 sprinter
Chacho Madera (Corpus A&M via Eagle Pass - Grad Student) 200/400 sprinter
Chris Monroe (Sam Houston HS) - 100/200 sprinter
Everrett Rusher (Oklahoma Baptist transfer) - 100-400 sprinter
Chase Turner (Sachse HS) - 200/400 sprinter
John Zavala (Ausuncion, Paraguay) - 100-400 sprinter
Randy Mitchell (Randolph HS - SA, TX) - 100-400 sprinter
Women:
Brittany Black (Bandera HS) - 100-400 sprinter
Courtney Immel (Bandera HS) - 200/400 sprinter
Kristen Sims (Taft HS - SA, TX) - 200/400 sprinter
Jenada Morrison (Randolph HS) - Hep/400/800
Jenovia Morrison (Randolph HS) - Hep/400/800
Carolyn Hart (John Jay HS - SA, TX) - 100/200 sprinter
These are the incoming Cardinals and Lady Cardinals for the 2008 spring semester. We are adding women's indoor track in a test trial mode with the hope of adding the men's team to the indoor schedule in 2009. Follow UIW track through the fall semester as we tune up for another record setting season!
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