Sunday, September 22, 2019

Week 5 Recap


Fern Creek Cross Country 2019 Week 5 Recap

Gatorland Run – 9/21/19
As I said to our athletes on the bus as we got back to FCHS – we really had a great overnight trip this year.  The kids were well-behaved and represented themselves and their school with class and integrity.  Between course runs, movies, and a catered dinner, we kept the team busy, but there was lots of time for team bonding and fun.  Thank you all for a great trip, and a special thanks to the pareants and family members that tagged along and helped me out as needs arose.  From grabbing water to helping set up the meal, I really appreciate all that you do in lending a helping hand to the team.

Meet Results:

Team Photos:

If you have photos from races please email them to me at robert.redies@jefferson.kyschools.us


Girls Race



Highlights
·       Most of our girls really pushed the pace from the start of the race, but especially our top-3 of Tayona, Kaci, and Trishna.  To be honest, they probably went out a little too aggressively, slowing down by about a minute in the second mile.  Despite that, Tayona really pushed herself to her limit and was rewarded with a huge PR and solid top-30 finish in a huge field.  Congrats!
·       Kendall had a PR-day!  After being sick last week it was great to see her back out competing in that FC uniform and racing to a new all-time best.
·       Sarah & Kylie both did far less walking on the course than last weekend and were rewarded for their work with PRs.  As you all get in better shape those times will continue to come down.  Just keep showing up and working hard!
·       Congrats on your first 5k, Madi!



Boys Race




·       Two wins in two weeks for sophomore Jimmy Mullarkey.  Jimmy has the potential to win most races he enters, and yet, it still comes down to race execution and going out and and putting a plan in place.  Jimmy went out a bit quickly this week but was able to put in a few strategic surges that put some space between himself and two other VERY talented runners.  Next week will be another big test, with Griffin Staude of Western Hills currently entered in the Berea Invite.
·       Mickey wins perhaps the toughest athlete of the meet.  He was literally pushed in to the course boundary, taking a tumble within the first mile.  Unfortunately, the course marshals didn’t see the act, or the other athlete would have been disqualified.  Despite this, Mickey recovered, and still ran his second fastest 5k ever.  I know he’s disappointed in not medaling and not having a chance to fairly compete, but Mickey’s perseverance and dedication to getting back on his feet and competing fairly, rather than trying to get back at the kid, was one of the most inspiring parts of the day.  I’m very proud of you.
·       A new PR for Weston!  I am so happy to see the success that this kid is having.  I tease him a lot at practice but he’s really one of our hardest working kids and it’s great to see that hard work pay off.  I have no doubt he will break 18:00 this year.  Cooler temps are coming! (I hope).
·       George took a big step this week.  Racing in spikes for the firt time, he’s now a sub-19 runner and I don’t honestly expect him to go back anytime soon.  We are hoping to get him out to a few more practices a week and really are counting on him to solidify our varsity lineup.  Nice run!
·       Great to see Xavier back running after taking most of the week off due to his knees.  I know that his time wasn’t what he wanted, but with a full week of practice and getting you some XC spikes, I have no doubt you will be back to where you want to be.
·       Also great to get Trey back out there!  Even though he’s been injured, Trey has been with us at practice every day, working with the trainer, getting short runs in when he can, and still supporting the team.  Just because you’re injured doesn’t mean you aren’t a big part of this program – and that goes for everyone.
·       For our varsity group, we are really heading in to the most important stretch of the season.  The next few weeks will determine whether we make State as a team or simply send some individuals. We are not quite as deep as in prior years, but I do think that we have some kids ready to make a leap.  Can we train consistently, get enough sleep, eat right and get 5 guys under 19:00 minutes?  Can we get our entire top-7 under 20:00?  What about our top-10?  I honestly think we can do it, but it’s going to take the next level of dedication on an individual level.
·       We have a huge pack of runners in the 21:00 – 22:00 ish area.  Who is going to rise up and decide they want to break through?  We need some athletes to take some chances in practice over the next few weeks and get after it.  Check out our group from last year to see what I mean:
·       Congrats on your new PR, Trent!  Trent has been super consistent about rehabbing his knee and it was so nice to see him back our there running in the FC singlet and hitting a new all-time best.
·       Speaking of knee pain, Connor has struggled mightily since the summer with tendonitis, and it was great to get him back out for the first time since Tiger Run.  He PR’ed by nearly a minute!
·       Kendrick had a huge PR after not running last week.  Great job!
·       Congrats on your first 5k, Jonathan!


Things to Work On
·       We have only a few guaranteed meets left, especially for JV runners.  Think about what you want to accomplish over this last month of competition and think about what you can do to take your races to the next level.  Once the season is over you don’t want to have any regrets.  If you’re young, ask a Senior how they feel as the season wraps up.  The time is now.  Let’s do everything we can to have a great rest of the season.
·       We had one runner DQed for swearing and talking to a race official in the finish chute.  I know that officials don’t always have as much patience as they should, but you must remember it is their job to herd 300+ runners in a safe manner and get all of their times correct.  If you ever have an issue, keep your cool, bring it to me, and let me address it. 
·       Diet. And. Sleep.  The two areas some of us failed on Friday night.  Lots of popcorn, soda, and snacks at the movie theater, even after a healthy Olive Garden dinner that had tons of uneaten food.  After that, lots of us likely staying up too late in the hotel rooms.  I could send you all literally hundreds of articles/studies etc. that show that the number one performance enhancer for teenage athletes is consistent sleep and healthy food, but rather, I’ll just remind you that the teams we are trying to beat are not drinking soda the night before a race and they definitely aren’t eating fast food before practices or workouts. 

News & Notes for the Week Ahead
Tuesday:
JV Meet @ Tom Sawyer Park (4k)
(Varsity Workout)
Please note the updated times for this meet, as I had them incorrect from last year.


Saturday
Berea Invitational (Entries due Tuesday). I need to know by Tuesday if you cannot run on Saturday.
We will stop somewhere for lunch after the meet. (Pay individually)

Remaining Schedule:

Tuesday, September 24th
Assumption JV Series #2
(Varsity Workout)
Bus = 3:00
Boys JV = 5:00
Girls JV = 5:30
Back = 7:00
Tom Sawyer Park (BMX Area)



3000 Freys Hill Road
Louisville, KY 40241
Saturday, September 28th



Berea Invitational
Bus = 7:45
Combined JV (4k) = 11:00
Girls Varsity = 11:45
Boys Varsity = 12:30
Back = 4:00
Berea Alumni Field

225 Scaffold Cane Road, Berea, KY  40404
Friday, October 4th – Sunday, October 6th


Open Weekend
No Meet
Wednesday, October 9th
Triple M JV Race
(Varsity Workout)
Bus = 3:00
Girls JV = 4:30
Boys JV = 5:00
Back = 6:00
Moore High School



6415 Outer Loop,
Louisville, KY 40228
Saturday, October 12th

Haunted Woods Classic
Bus = 7:00
Girls Varsity =9:00
Boys Varsity = 9:35
Girls JV = 10:05
Boys JV = 10:50
Back = 12:00
Oldham County High School




1150 KY-393,
Buckner, KY 40010
Thursday, October 17th

JCPS Championships
Bus = 2:30
Boys Varsity = 4:30
Girls Varsity = 5:00
Combined JV = 5:30
Back = 7:00
Tom Sawyer Park



3000 Freys Hill Rd
Louisville, KY 40241
Saturday, October 19th
Open Date / No Meet
(Varsity Workout)

Run on Your Own

Saturday, October 26th
Regional Meet
Schedule TBA


Seneca Park


3114 Rock Creek Dr
Louisville, KY 40207
Saturday, November 2nd



State Meet
Kentucky Horse Park

4089 Iron Works Pkwy
Lexington, KY 40511



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