Cross Country

socal · Post by **socal** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:29 am

Props to my kid. As a freshman he's worked hard this past summer and turned in some impressive times. Saturday he ran a Division 1 three mile race with 290 kids entered. He finished 39th overall in 17:42. Two days earlier he ran a hilly course in a frosh/soph league race and finished 9th overall (third freshman overall) despite staying up till 1:00 a.m. doing homework and having a cold.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:55 am

No football?

Ang · Post by **Ang** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:22 am

socal,

Rack the kid, and realize he's not a kid for long! The prep work he put into getting there is not just the work of a kid, it is the work of a young man who decided to accomplish something he had in his sights, and has done it well. That is way cool!

We have a freshman as well, and I think that at that age...what they do is really what they want to do. The transition from kid to young man just amazes me daily. And the fact that I am easily entertained does not diminish the wonder of it all :).

Wolfman · Post by **Wolfman** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:57 pm

Cross country is brutal. I remember when
my older daughter ran a race in rain and mud--
ended up dead last, but never quit.
One year I coached Junior High Track (grades 7-9).
We'd run 10K every day for practice. The boys would work hard and never complained, but I didn't return the next season because the girl's were so
annoying (sorry Ang) and the district didn't want to hire separate coaches for boys and girls.
Now I'd probably run out of gas at 0.1 K !!

Luther · Post by **Luther** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:11 pm

I went to a cross country meet once.

Rip City

socal · Post by **socal** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:21 pm

They wouldn't let you run with nine? Sue 'em, Luth. Of course, now they would exclude you as the bionic man.

Ang, you're absolutely right.

Yes, WSteve, no football. Although I did it in high school, I wasn't about to push him into. I've done enough of that with baseball and soccer. This was something he wanted to do. And dangitall if he ain't doing pretty good at it, too.

Trampis · Post by **Trampis** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:22 pm

I had to quit jogging because the ice kept falling out of my drink,

Sincerely Martin Mull

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:52 pm

RACK your kid, socal.

My kid, also a freshmen, decided to go out for x country too (is that any surprise to you?).
He didn't train at all over the summer, though, even though I kept telling him that no doubt everybody else was. This is the first time he's actually gone out for any kind of organized sport, since T-ball, and he started out pretty far behind. His times aren't anything like your kid's but he's getting better fast and he's really enjoying the whole thing, which is what really counts.

He had to give up band, which he's been doing for the past 5 years or so, to do this. He was first chair trombone in both the 8th grade concert and jazz bands. But the band program at the HS has been pretty much abandoned by the administration, and the only way they are surviving now is because they have a volunteer leader. We thought, over the summer, that it might get dropped all together so both kids (my senior daughter would have been first chair flute) decided to do other things. Their band geek friends call them traitors, but why continue in a program that the school won't even support.

Luther · Post by **Luther** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:59 pm

Bwahahhahha.

Sorry Mikey, I mean no disrespect, but leaving the band camp for cross country just sounds so

.

Again, I apologize.

HAHAHAHAHA

Rip City

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:30 pm

Yeah, well, 'cept there never was a band camp.
At least, he switched to running before band camp started.

socal · Post by **socal** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:07 am

Mikey,

What's cool about xc is that there are all kinds of kids running from elite runners to those kids who just don't want to take PE. And it's a good mix of kids. Doing any sport in high school requires discipline but I'm amazed at how hard these kids work. Plus they have fun doing it.

We saw Fallbrook was at Dana Hills this past Saturday. Their junior and senior boys dominated. Props to them and your son, too.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:37 am

Yeah, I think it's a great sport. You don't have to be an "elite" athlete or have played on travel teams for 6 years to participate. My boy is really enjoying it, and getting in really good shape too.

socal · Post by **socal** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:59 am

It's a good regimen. Up at 6:00 A.M. Classes start at 7:45 A.M. Practice 90 minutes or so after school. Homework till at least 10:00 P.M. Sleep till 6:00. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. They're so dog-tired they don't argue an longer about staying up late. It's beautiful.