Deerfield Opener

I love this meet as our first race of the season. The course is flat and fast. The options (2-mile and 3-mile) provide the right fit for newbees and veterans. And the competition is always on point! This year, we experienced a bonus:  the mildest temperatures I can remember at this meet. I knew we were ready for greatness!

2-Mile Women:  
We had a small crew of four in this race, fewer than last year. Our warm-up was compressed, but Kailey, Charisma, Divonalynn, and Rosalie handled the quick prep like champs. Pre-race, we discussed the course, being strong in the final loop, and kicking with pride at that last flag. These women were so strong! At the gun, they got out strong and looked great in the first loop, with Kailey leading the way, Charisma working as our 2nd, and Rosalie and Lynn pushing each other together. After encouraging them to keep working hard, I zoomed over the creek to see them work the second loop. By this point, Charisma had worked up to Kailey, and Lynn (after looking out for her teammate, Rosalie) was pushing herself to catch some Deerfield girls. I was so impressed at this point in the race--all of our women were running with confidence and pride! The best part, however, was when they headed back over the bridge. By this point, Charisma was just slaying--catching competitors and working hard. She did an outstanding job of shifting gears with 400 to go, and her final 100 kick was beautiful to witness: she was open and showing off her speedy skills. She broke 20 for two miles, which is awesome! Congrats, Charisma! Kailey was our second finisher today. At 400, she was doubting herself, but she locked in and had a tremendous kick at the end! Way to work through it, Kailey!  Proud of you! Divonalynn looked fantastic, too. Like Charisma, she shifted at the 400 and finished so strong. Overall, did a great job in their first race! They set the positive tone for the day, and they took on the challenge of something new with courage. So proud of all of our two-mile chicas!  :)

3-Mile Women:  
​Our 3-mile crew was mighty today, despite missing a few friends to the holiday weekend and illness. While we have some work to do on the breakdown, the race itself left me smiling wide. At the gun, we got out well, finding our packs and asserting the pace. Arwen was the first around the corner, but then eased up to re-pack with Rachel and Alivia who were working well together. Our next bee was Sophie, who told me the day before that she has big goals for this season! Janelle was close behind her, fighting hard despite the last remnants of her cold. Then the big packs began:  Fernanda, Lili, Eva, Candy, Nathaly T., and Celene were all close in the first might pack. Not far behind were Carla, Cici, and Cynthia. And in shouting distance, Yaritza and Dani were working in concert.

I was so excited to see all the pack work because I could tell it was not complacent; each pack was shifting in leadership each time I saw it. This is true racing, and it is great to see! On the first loop opposite the creek, Rachel had moved up to establish herself as our #1. I loved what I saw:  confidence and power with eyes up on who she was working to catch. Only steps behind was Alivia with the same energy! She looked strong and was not letting Rachel go. Woman King Arwen was doing the same--pulling on Alivia's lead and looking so in control and confident! Love it! Sofie was looking so locked in at #4, working on connecting with the pack of Deerfield runners ahead of her. At this point, Fernanda was making MOVES. She had pulled away from her pack and was working toward Sofie. She looked so determined, and it was cool to watch her realize her strength. My picture of Eva, Celene, Lili, and Candy is so powerful in this stage of the race! Not only were they completely locked in, but they were also so close that you could blanket them! It was so cool to see that power! Nathaly T. was working hard to pull on that energy, focusing on the Grayslake North runner who was hanging onto our pack! Like her teammates, she was determined to pull on the people around her. At this point, Carla had made a move like Fernanda, pulling toward Nathaly and acting as a leader to the strong pack of Cynthia, Dani, Cici, and Yaritza. She gave them a goal to work toward, and she gave herself a chance at a great time! 

When our women headed back to the starting loop, I knew the times would be sweet. Seeing everyone push in the final loop confirmed my hopes! I was near the 400 mark, and I was so impressed to watch everyone shift gears and not save their kicks until the final straightaway. While I was stoked by our finishes today, Alivia's stands out the most. She had been working on a Deerfield runner, but she channelled the enthusiasm of our men's team's cheers and found a gear to put her away. With 250 to go, Liv turned on the wheels and dropped the runner convincingly! She did not let up, though, and ran her way to a sweet time that is only seconds away from her LPR from the end of last season. To be that sharp in August is so sweet!  Speaking of being close to a lifetime, Rachel did the same with her smart, even race. She is only seconds from her LPR, which is super fun! More importantly, she stepped into her seniorness today; she paced wisely, stayed locked in, and believed in her fitness. It was so fun to watch! Woman King had a similar outcome today. She was close to her LPR from Conference last year, and it's only August!  The hard work of the summer is paying off for these top three!  Sofie had a strong finish, too, opening up on that final stretch to close her race with power. Her race was a great first effort, and I look forward to watching her grow this season! Fernanda had the biggest come-up in this race. She moved up so much in miles two and three--it was so fun to watch! She was knocking on Sofie's door by the end of the race. As she gains fitness, she is going to be fun to watch! Janelle had a strong finish, too! She did a great job of driving her arms and finishing within eyesight of Fernanda. Proud of you, Janelly!  Our power pack had a great day, too. Eva was close to her sophomore LPR from Lakes--an October race. More importantly, she is stepping into her seniorness like Rachel. She really showed off her summer strength, and I'm here for it!  She caught a Grayslake North runner in that last 400, which was sweet! More importantly, she pulled her pack to greatness. Celene and Lili had amazing debut races because Eva showed them how! Like Eva, their summer dedication is paying off. I cannot wait to watch these two peel off time as they become more race savvy in the coming weeks! Proud of you two newbees--congrats on the LPRs! Candy was hot on their heels looking like a veteran. She has only been under 30 three times...but you can make that four now. Not only did she run a huge LPR, she also looked SO DANG STRONG. I'm grateful that she got the summer miles in because her hard work is SHOWING. She dropped a dramatic 2:04 from her previous best. SO PROUD OF YOU, CANDY! Nathaly T. was our next finisher, and her last stretch was so impressive. She was in no-man's land, but she didn't care that there was no one to catch. She kicked hard, flying to the finish line. Proud of you, Nat! Cici was our next finisher, and like everyone else, her finish was on fire. She looked so strong, using her PT form knowledge, her summer mile strength, and her senior wisdom to run her second-fastest race ever! I see a different runner in her now--strong and confident who is not satisfied. I cannot wait to see her race again! Carla was our next finisher, and I am so glad she decided to stick with XC! As a senior and newbee, she is really coming into her own. The summer dedication is paying off; she looks so much more confident and powerful compared to track season! In her racing debut, she decisively broke 30, which is fantastic! She also pulled her pack to great times; nice work, Carla! :) Speaking of her pack, her twinnie Cynthia ran such a great race, too. Not only did she pull on her sis, but Cynthia also had a great finish. Proud of you!  30:22 is a great starting point, and I cannot wait to see what you do this season! Dani was our next finisher with an impressive time fueled by her summer work. She was 3 minutes faster than Bee Linked, and she is going to take out her LPR soon! Like Candi, she is running like an upperclasswoman now, pushing herself to greatness. Proud of you, Dani! Yaritza was our final racer of the day. Like Candy, she smashed her previous PR. She was six minutes faster than Bee Linked and ten seconds faster than her awesome race from Conference last year. Whew! What a great place to begin the season! So proud of your grit, Yaritza! :)

Overall, today felt GREAT. I loved the energy on each bus ride. I loved the positivity during races. I loved the energy you poured into the boys. And I loved watching you all RACE. Honestly, this team is in a great position to do some cool things this season, and I cannot wait to see you all race again! 

Here is my challenge to you all:
​1.  Let's work on helping our immune systems. It's simple, but it requires dedication: go to bed at the same time every night, wash your hands frequently, hydrate appropriately, and eat a colorful plate of food as much as possible. Fun fact--did you know that people who eat a variety of plants (goal is 30 different ones a week) have stronger immune systems? Click here to check out a list of foods to push yourself to eat a variety!

2. Let's keep the energy from this meet. The shout outs on the bus felt great, and I want to keep that kind of positivity going! 

3.  Stay on your grades. Skyward Q (the update) has been a mess, but teachers are now putting in grades. My expectation is that you will be on time, locked in, and turning in all assignments with honest effort. If a grade slips, I expect that you will talk with me rather than me finding out on a grade report. 

Let's have a great week!  SO proud to bee your coach!  :)