Author Archives: Andy Young

Summer Running ’22 Week 5

Week Five 8/1 – 8/7:

Hey Cougs! Coaches are back in town and Moratorium Week is up, so the coaches will be at practice this week. There are a couple of things to pay attention to:

  1. Registration is now open for Fall Sports. Please make sure to get signed up through the Athletics page for MV. You need to register, pay the Pay-to-Play & have a current physical on file in order to practice/compete. Wednesday, August 10th is the last day to register and be able to practice on the 16th when official practices start. If you’re not cleared by the 110h you won’t be able to practice.
  2. Official practices start Monday, 8/15 (two weeks away!!). We will be having those practices at 3pm and will be meeting at Mountain View near the “Cross Country Tree” across from the ticket booth of the football stadium. Please bring water!! It’s going to be hot.
  3. The race calendar is still being worked out as local meets will be our priority and we’re still waiting on some finalized dates of meets.

This week’s workout schedule:

  • Monday 8/1 – 8 am, meet at the COCC Track for a trail loop workout. Bring water and park on the road, then walk down to the track.

 

  • Tuesday 8/2 – 30-45 min easy run on your own or with friends.

 

  • Wednesday 8/3 – 8 am, meet at Goodrich Pasture Park as the meeting place for hills on Pilot Butte. Hopefully this will avoid any construction related issues.
    • Saw blade workout using the 1/8th mile markings on the side of the road. Up two, down one. See my awesome graph w/o an X-axis.
Goodrich Pasture Park to the base of Pilot Butte.
Awesome description of the workout.
  • Thursday 8/4 – NEW!! 2 pm @ MVHS. 20 minute easy run followed by strength in the weight room. Should be done by 3:30pm.

 

  • Friday 8/5 – 8 am, Drake Park by the stage. Loop to the top of Overturf Butte and back for strides and Ultimate if people want to play.

Saturday and Sunday – Get out for a 40-60 min easy run at some point. Go early, stay hydrated and run where you can get drinks. Try having a couple parks on your route to make sure you have water.

Summer Workouts Week 4

Week Four 7/25 – 7/31:

Great work to those of you making it to the summer workouts and those who are doing the work on your own!

The coaches are back in Bend this week, but unfortunately it coincides with OSAA’s Moratorium week which means starting Sunday, we’re not to have contact with athletes for the week. Big THANK YOU to the captains for keeping things rolling while the coaches were out of the country or working all the track meets in Eugene.

We’re saying goodbye to July this week. Last week we injected a slight hint of speed with Monday’s workout, and we’ll do the same this week. Tuesday should be an easy run/cross training day. Try to get out early to beat the heat. This week is going to be ridiculously hot, so if you can try not to be out there in the afternoon. Wednesday will bring some short hills that should be strength building, but not not overly taxing. Friday will be a short, fun day with the focus shifting to a long run on the weekend.

 

  • Monday 7/25 – Pine Nursery @ 8:00 am. Meet by the playground.
    • 10 min warm up jog
    • Warm up drills
    • 30 min Fartlek follow the leader run. Break into 3-4 groups with people of like pace together.
    • Strength and core.
  • Tuesday 7/26 – 30-50 min easy run with friends or family.
  • Wednesday 7/27 – Hillside Park @ 8:00 am.
    • Hills!! Short ones, but we’ll do several to get the work in. 2-4 sets of 5 uphills from the base of the slope up and around the top tree. it should be continuous, so the recovery is just an easy slow jog back to the start.    
    • And… there’s some shade!
  • Thursday 7/28 – On your own or with friends. 10-minute warm up jog followed by 5 x 1-minute hard/1-minute easy. 10 – 20 minute cool down easy run, then stretching.
  • Friday 7/29 – Al Moody Park @ 8:00 am.
    • 10 – 15-minute warmup.
    • 4 – 8 Laps at Tempo pace. Fast, but relaxed, enough effort to be able to say a few words while running. 1:30 to 2min recovery. Try to run with like paced people.

Saturday & Sunday 7/30 & 7/31 – Saturday, try and do a long run of 45minutes to an hour + depending on how much you’ve been running. Plan for hydration by running in a place that has access to water. One of the best things to do is to run to parks near where you live where you know they have drinking fountains. Stop at each fountain for a couple of seconds and get a drink, splash some on your face and hair and then keep going.

The coaches are looking forward to seeing everyone in August! Have a great week!

’22 Summer Running Week 3

Please make sure to join the new Remind group. The link is: https://www.remind.com/join/ebd6c64 If you have the app already, please add this group. We’re going to change the start times this week to try and beat the heat a bit. 8:00am will be the start time for practices. Week Three 7/18 – 7/24:
  • Monday 7/18 – Juniper Park @ 8:00 am. Meet by the tennis courts.
    • 10 min warm up jog and drills
    • 2-4 x 1/2 mile loop starting at tempo pace and finishing with a hard effort
    • Finish with Strength and Core.
  • Tuesday 7/19 – 30 – 45 min easy run on your own or with friends.
  • Wednesday 7/20 – Pilot Butte Park @ 8:00 am. Meet by the playground.
    • 3 laps around the base grass area
    • Warm up drills (get water before workout)
    • Jog to the base of the road hill. On the road or side gravel. 6 – 12 x 1 minute up/30sec down recovery. Work hard, but don’t sprint the uphills. Easy jog or walk the downhills. Most should work with the goal of making it to the top of the hill by the end. Get water at the top before heading down.
    • Stretch and elevate your legs.
  • Thursday 7/21 – 25-35 min easy run or cardio alternative. If biking or hiking, double the time but be sure to have plenty of water with you and a light snack for during or after the workout.
  • Friday 7/22 – Shevlin Park @ 8:00 am. Meet in the gravel lot section near the gate and park loop trailhead. The longer loop is around 5 miles, and you can do various out and backs. I suggest going counterclockwise starting with the trail on the west side of the creek first. Try to stick together and always run with a buddy. It makes the runs more fun, and makes keeping track of everyone easier.
  • Saturday and Sunday – For one or both days be active for an hour or more. Anything that gets your heartrate up. Low impact is great, but going for an easy jog on soft surfaces is an easy go to. Go explore. Use Google Earth or another mapping service to plot a new route you’ve never tried or find a place you haven’t seen yet. Running is an incredible way to explore new places efficiently.

Week Two Summer Workouts ’22

Hey Everyone,

Great start to the summer running! It is exciting to see people out getting those base miles in as the middle of summer is nearly upon us. Remember that these practices are voluntary and open, so if you have friends or family in town and you want your cousin wants to get a run in while they’re in Bend, they’re more than welcome. Coaches are still gone for the week, so the runs will be lead by the captains. f you’re up for it, you can go longer on the Tuesday/Thursday runs. It’s warming up, so take care to hydrate. Just be aware of the heat and listen to your body. Here is the plan for the week. Week Two 7/11 – 7/17:

  • Monday 7/11 – Pine Nursery @ 8:30 am
    • Meet by the playground. Out and back on the canal trail. 30-45 min total at conversational pace. Jog the whole time, but it should still be conversational pace.
    • If you have a hand-held water bottle, bring it. Otherwise, make sure you drink a decent amount before you take off.
    • Strength & core back at the playground.
  • Tuesday 7/12 – Easy run on your own or with friends. 20-30 min.
  • Wednesday 7/13 – Pilot Butte Park @ 8:30 am
    • Meet by the playground
    • 3 laps around the base grass area
    • Warm up drills (get water before workout)
    • Jog to the base of the road hill. On the road or side gravel. 6 – 12 x 1 minute up/30sec down recovery. Work hard, but don’t sprint the uphills. Easy jog or walk the downhills. Most should work with the goal of making it to the top of the hill by the end. Get water at the top before heading down.
    • Stretch and elevate your legs.
  • Thrusday 7/14 – Easy run on your own or with friends. 25-35 min.
  • Friday 7/15 – Pioneer Park @ 8:30 am
    • Meet near the Picnic Tables but not near other groups if they’re already there.
    • Out & back on the river trail with 3 turn around options. See map for turn around points.
      • Shortest route turn around at Mt Washington at the top of the dirt hill by the golf course. (~ 2 miles round trip)
      • Middle route turn around at Archie Briggs, the second road crossing with the crosswalk. (~ 4 miles round trip)
      • Long route, turn around at the bottom of the big dip just after the scenic overlook. (~ 6 miles round trip)
      • * Make sure to stop for water at the fountain by Sawyer park if you do the middle or long route.*
  • Strength and core back at Pioneer Park.

Saturday/Sunday – 30-60 minutes easy run, bike ride or hike with some climbing. Explore Central Oregon with family or friends.

Summer ’22 Practices Start July 6th!

 

Hey Everyone,

We’ll start our summer group runs on Wednesday, July 5th at 8:30am at Riverbend Park. These are completely optional, but a wonderful chance to get those base miles in and start gearing up for the XC season. Summer runs will be largely captain-led this summer, so if a coach isn’t there please pay attention to the captains and follow their lead. Be sure to check the website for updates to location and workout details as summer progresses.

We’re looking forward to having a relatively normal lead up to the season and hopefully and normal season.

IMPORTANT!!!! Be sure to bring plenty of water to practice, drink some water and get a small bite before you get to practice as well. It goes without saying that it is HOT right now and will continue to be throughout the summer.

Also, we’re starting a new Remind group for the 2022 season to help with communication. If you don’t have the Remind app, please download it on your phone &/or iPad. The join link is:

https://www.remind.com/join/ebd6c64

Week One 7/6 – 7/10:

  • Wednesday 7/6 – Riverbend Park
    • Intro, name game if needed. Easy run 20-30 min at conversational pace. Strength & Core at the end.
  • Friday 7/8 – 1st Street Rapids
    • 15-20 min jog North on trail, turn back and stop at the base of the Mt Washington hill.
    • 4-8 x hills, short but punchy climb, start by the pump house and ease into it.
    • Stretching in whatever shade possible.
  • Saturday & Sunday – Do something, anything that gets your heart rate up. Go for a hilly hike, a decent bike ride, play pickle ball, anything active. Get some rest too and make sure to stay hydrated.

State Week!

Hey Everyone,

This week is the week of the State Championships for our Varsity Boys team and its going to be a fun experience. The guys race at 3:30pm @ Lane Community College in Eugene. Everyone is welcome to come watch them run if you can make it over to Eugene. It looks like it might be a wet one, but that will just make it more fun.

For this week, everyone is welcome to come to practice, but it is not required. For the JV athletes it can be a nice time to recover and get ready for Winter sports. We will be doing our MVXC Dessert Banquet on Tuesday, November 9th @ 7pm. The team will provide ice cream sundae toppings and beverages. We will meet in the Commons outside of the Library. We will recognize the amazing job this team did this year and look back at some of the fun and success we had as a team. FAMILIES ARE WELCOME! and encouraged to come. There will be plenty of desserts. Please bring your washed uniforms to the banquet as it’s a great time to just get them all compiled together. Also, we’ll have leftover shirts and socks from this year and previous years for sale. We’ll only be able to take cash or check. If your athlete didn’t get a pair of socks, they get one set for free, and then they can get another set for $10. T-shirts will range from $5 (older shirts) – $15 for this year’s shirt. It’s enough to cover the cost of them.

 

Workouts for the Week:

Monday 11/1 – 3:40pm @ MV. Stadium intervals including the upper football fields.

Tuesday 11/2 – 3:40pm @ MV. Easy 30-min run and strength.

Wednesday 11/3 – 2:10pm @ MV. Captain led, 40 min out & back on the Canal Trail.

Thursday 11/4 – 3:40pm @ MV. 20 min run and long strides on the FB field.

Friday 11/5 – 3:40 pm @ MV. Easy 15 min run and strides.

Saturday 11/6 – Meet is at Lane Community College in Eugene. The race is at 3:30, be there by 1:15pm. Watch the weather and be prepared for snow over the pass, potentially. I can’t organize rides for athletes, so figure out how to get there. Bring rain gear, water and some snacks. Have an extra pair or two of socks so you can swap them out for warmups and the race. I’d like you to wear the BLACK MV (make sure you’ve gotten your pair) Socks we get as a team for the race. You can warm up in other socks if you want.

Tickets for parents/fans: Here is the info from OSAA:

  1. The OSAA has transitioned to a 100% digital ticketing system for the Championships.  There will be no transactions on site.  Patrons will need to have a printed paper ticket from an online purchase or digital ticket on their mobile device ready when arriving at the gate to gain access.  Send your fans to https://www.osaa.org/docs/osaainfo/HTTwebsite.pdf.  This QR takes you directly to the tickets page itself.  Ticket can also be purchased through the OSAALive Mobile AppHomeTown Ticketing App and, of course, the OSAA tickets page at https://www.osaa.org/shop/tickets.  Please help us communicate this change to your communities.  Contact Kyle Stanfield (kyles@osaa.org) or Kathi Fetch (kathif@osaa.org) with questions.

State Championships Ticket QR

 

BOOM!

Hey Everyone,

Wow, what a great end(…ish) to the season. The JV Boys got us started out with some great efforts, PRs and SRs (season records). I was impressed with their guts and willingness to work. The Varsity Girls exceeded most expectations with every runner finishing at, above, or well above their seed place from times this season. Most of the girls had SRs with one having a PR on a relatively slow course, at elevation. The Varsity Boys had all top 5 scorers in the top 20. Nobody PR’d, and that just goes to show how hard the course was. Overall, the Varsity Girls finished 4th compared to their 7th seed going in and the Boys finished 2nd compared to their 4th seed going in. The Varsity Boys will move on to the State Championship Meet that will be held at Lane Community College on Saturday, November 6th. So, we’ll continue practices for the Varsity athletes, but the JV athletes are welcome to join as well.

MVXC Dessert Banquet will be Tuesday, November 9th @ 7pm. The team will provide ice cream sundae toppings and beverages. We will meet in the Commons outside of the Library. We will recognize the amazing job this team did this year and look back at some of the fun and success we had as a team.

 

Workout Schedule:

Thursday 10/28 – 3:40pm @ MV. 30-min easy run with core and stretching.

Friday 10/29 – 3:40pm @ MV. Jog to Al Moody for low slope intervals.

Saturday & Sunday – Rest days, plural.

Monday 11/1 – 3:40pm @ MV. Stadium intervals including the upper football fields.

Tuesday 11/2 – 3:40pm @ MV. Easy 30-min run and strength.

Wednesday 11/3 – 2:10pm @ MV. Captain led, 40 min out & back on the Canal Trail.

Thursday 11/4 – 3:40pm @ MV. 20 min run and long strides on the FB field.

Friday 11/5 – 3:40 pm @ MV. Easy 15 min run and strides.

Saturday – Itinerary to come.

Week 10 & 11 Workouts: Tune up time

Hey Everyone,

We’re only a week and a half shy of the District Championships! I’ve had a few questions in regards to who will be running, and the answer is everyone! All JV and Varsity runners will compete at Districts (if they’re healthy). For many it some it will be the last race of the year, but hopefully not for all. Districts will be at Pine Nursery this year in the middle of the day on Wednesday, the 27th. We will be checking out the course a few times before then, but let’s be honest, we do that pretty regularly as is. Last week was a great one. We notched another couple of wins on the boys side with both Varsity and JV taking the spot, and the girls raced really well to get 3rd!! Many highlights, but my favorites are always seeing those PRs happen. We’re definitely looking to see a couple more top times tumble down next week.

This Week’s Schedule:

  • Monday 10/18 – 3:40pm @ MV. 45-60 min easy run with 4 strides and a little bit of strength & core.
  • Tuesday 10/19 – 3:40pm @ MV. Run to Eagle park for some short intervals.
  • Wednesday 10/20 – 2:10pm @ MV. Captain led Canal Trail out & back. 20 minutes out, then turn around. Core.
  • Thursday 10/21 – 3:45 @ Pine Nursery. District Course cut down intervals.
  • Friday 10/22 – 3:40 @ MV. 30 min easy run.
  • Saturday 10/23 – 8:30 @ Shevlin Park. Easy out to the far end of the park. 2-min on, 1-min off on the way back.
  • Sunday 10/24 – REST

Next Week:

  • Monday 10/25 – 3:40 @ MV. 20 min easy run, long strides on the football field.
  • Tuesday 10/26 – 3:40 @ MV. Easy shake out jog and strides.
  • Wednesday 10/27 – District Championships @ Pine Nursery. Athletes excused @ 10:40am. Be at Pine Nursery by 11:00am.
    • JV Boys race @ 12:40pm
    • Varsity Girls race @ 1:20pm
    • Varsity Boys race @2:00pm

**Bring warm clothes!!! Bring extra clothes and thin gloves/beanies. It will potentially be cold and windy. Be hydrating always, but especially from Sunday on… Eat a good breakfast, and have some small, healthy snacks (pretzels, fruit, bars, etc.) during the day, but I would not suggest having a normal sized lunch.

Let’s get hyped!! Go Cougs!

Week 9 Workouts: Black Butte or Bust…

Hey Everyone,

Eugene treated the team pretty well. Our ladies got us started with some awesome times and high placings on a beautiful, autumnal course. The guys Varsity played some tactical games on the way to a 1,2,3 podium sweep and an overall team victory. Very shortly after, the JV boys scored another team victory on the back of some gutsy racing. Lunch and the campus walk wasn’t quite the same and SPLASH, but it was still fun.

JV Boys start

This week is our last race before Districts. It is a chance to run on a fast, beautiful course that will give a lone comparison to fitness from last Spring’s season. We’re not quite ready to take the foot off the accelerator just yet though as we have 2 1/2 weeks until we need to be primed. So, expect to work hard still this week.

This week’s schedule:

  • Monday 10/11 – 3:40pm @ MV. 40-60 minute easy jog with some strides & lunges.
  • Tuesday 10/12 – 3:40pm @ MV. Longer tempo & Race intervals at Al Moody park.
  • Wednesday 10/13 – 3:40pm @ MV. Easy 20 minute jog and 4 strides.
  • Thursday 10/14 – RACE DAY @ Black Butte Ranch. **There is no bus transportation to the meet** You must get a ride with parents or teammates. Bring water and a snack. Eat a sensible lunch, enough to last you until 5pm, but not so much that you’re crazy full.
    • Athletes will be excused @ 1pm from class.
    • Please arrive @ Black Butte Ranch (13020 Hawks Beard, Sisters, OR 97759) by 2:30pm
    • Boys JV @ 3:30pm
    • Girls Varsity @ 4:00pm
    • Boys Varsity @ 4:30pm
  • Friday 10/15 – Meet @ the grass area across the flag bridge from the Old Mill Shopping area @ 4pm. Easy run on the river trail loop from there and strides in the grass. Afterward, we’re going to the theatre to watch the new Bond movie. It starts @ 5:00pm. Tickets are on the team. Bring $$ for snacks if you’d like some. This is completely optional and I’ll figure out how many tickets to get when we meet up. Bring some spare clothes to change into so you’re not wearing your smelly clothes into the theatre. You need a mask!! We should be done by 8pm.
  • Saturday/Sunday – Do something active. Run, hike, bike, anything. Just don’t sit around for both days (unless your hurt and recovering).

Week 8 Workouts: To the EUG

Well done yesterday to all the racers. Our JV boys got off to a great start with several season’s bests or PRs. That’s impressive given Bend’s higher elevation and the course’s funky tight turns and rolling hills. Our girls Varsity all ran well considering the week we had, and our Varsity boys took home another 3rd place trophy topped by a new #1 runner for the 3rd week in a row.  That shows how competitive the boys team is. So awesome. This week takes us to Eugene to soak in the fall colors and enjoy what should be another flat, fast Valley course.

This Week’s Schedule:

  • Monday 10/4 – 3:40pm @ MV. Easy 35-45min run and strength.
  • Tuesday 10/5 – 3:40pm @ MV. Track workout. You’ve heard me talk about it. There’l be music and a well-deserved treat for afterward.
  • Wednesday 10/6 – 2:10 @ MV. Captain led practice. Run to Eagle park for Ultimate.
  • Thursday 10/7 – 3:45pm @ Pine Nursery Park. We’ll do a shorter workout and then meet and hangout with the Skyview team. It’s a chance for us to talk to students who will be incoming Freshman next year about the program.
  • Friday 10/8 – 4:00pm @ Riley Ranch Nature Reserve. Easy loop run and down to see the river.
  • Saturday 10/9 – Look at the Itinerary. We meet at MV at the Bus loop at 6:15am. Bring a pillow. Lunch will be provided on before we head back to Eugene, but bring money if you want to buy stuff. We’ll have some free time to explore the U of O campus after lunch.

Springfield Invite Itinerary

Week 7 Workouts – Coming Home

Start of the Varsity boys race

Hey Cougs,

Great race yesterday! We had a lot of said performances across the board with 8 of our runners coming home with top 50 medals at the biggest race we’ll see this year. We have exactly 1 month until our district race! We’ve got 3 weeks of work to put in before we start tapering a bit in preparation.

Here is the schedule for the week:

Monday 9/27 – 3:40pm @ MV. Easy 30-50 min run on the canal trail. A little strength and stretching.

Tuesday 9/28 – 3:40pm @ MV. Hollinshead Hills.

Wednesday 9/29 – 2:10pm @ MV. Captain led out & back on the canal to Boyd Acres.

Thursday 9/30 – 3:40pm @ MV. Run to Big Sky for Race start sims.

Friday 10/1 – 4pm @ Drake Park for easy run and surprise treat.

Saturday 10/2 – Oxford Classic @ Rockridge Park.

Be at the park by 9:45am. Boys JV will warm up first, but everyone should be there for sure by their race time.

Race Schedule:

  • 10:40am Boys JV Gold (all JV boys)
  • 11:20am Girls Varsity
  • 11:50am Boys Varsity

**Bring Cougar Pal gifts**

Sunday 10/3 – Volunteering for the Bigfoot race in the morning. This is a fundraiser for the Bend Lapine HS XC programs. This is the only fundraiser/volunteer thing we’re doing, so please be there. No details on the exact time, but it will be around 9am. I’ll have more precise times later in the week.

Week 6 Workouts: Portland Bound!

And we’re off! Wow, what a great start to the season on Wednesday in Silver Falls, as we found a lot of success in all three races.

Starting with the JV boys team, Weston & Mason took it out hard to lead our JV team to 1st place as a team.

The 3400m was a bit shorter than we’re used to, but it just made for some good speed work.

Our Varsity girls followed with 3 runners in the top 10 that led to a 2nd place finish behind a strong Corvallis team.

The Varsity boys ran a tight, smart race with the top 6 within the top 15 overall and a scoring bunch with less than a minute between 1st & 5th.

This week, we head to Portland on Saturday for a high quality competition experience with a lot of runners in each race.

This week’s schedule:

Monday 9/20: 3:40pm @ MV. Easy run to Mountain View park for strength there, then back to MV for stretching.

Tuesday 9/21: 3:40pm @ MV. Run to Pilot Butte State Park for hill repeats.

Wednesday 9/22: 2:15pm @ MV. Captain led practice. Easy run and games.

Thursday 9/23: 3:50pm @ Pine Nursery park. 8,4,8,4,8,4 w/ 1-min rest between each. Finish with 2 x 200.

Friday 9/24: 3:40pm @ MV. Easy 20 minute run & strides.Stretch & get ready.

Saturday 9/25: Meet @ MV @ 5:30am. Itinerary is below.

Nike Portland XC 2021

 

Sunday 9/26: Rest!