Week 1 - 6/20-6/26

The first week of cross country IS HERE!  We enjoyed seeing those of you that braved the weather for the kickoff BBQ and look forward to seeing more of you on Monday for our first practice.  Here is our schedule for the week:

Practice Schedule

Monday 6/20 – Meet at Drake Park at 8:30 am.  Running to Compass Park.  (3.5 Miles Round-trip)

Tuesday 6/21 – Meet at Mountain View Track at 6:30 pm.  Long Hospital/Daggett Extension plus strength Training (2 miles short or 3 miles long)

Wednesday 6/22 – Meet at Drake Park at 8:30 am.  Running to Sawyer Park (4.5 miles Round-Trip)

Thursday 6/23 – Meet at Mountain View at 6:30 pm.  Shepard/Al Moody Loops plus strength Training (3.5 miles long or 2 miles short)

Friday 6/24 – Meet at Drake Park at 8:30 am.  Running to RiverBend Park. (4 miles long or 3 miles short)

Saturday 6/25 - Sunday 6/26 - Rest Days

If you’re new to running or getting back in shape don’t be intimidated by the mileage.  We can accommodate your needs if this is too long.  You’ll be caught up in no time!


Pacific Crest Triathlon Fundraiser

This is our largest fundraiser of the season and will be on Saturday (June 25th).  We will be managing aid stations along the run course.  Please let me know if you can help or if something has changed for you and you’re no longer available.  We still need a few more volunteers (especially in the afternoon)!  Team Athletes that volunteer will get a free 2016 MVHS XC T-Shirt and a discount to Cultus Camp ($10 for one shift or $20 for two shifts). I will send an email on Wednesday with all the final information for Pacific Crest.  Also – a waiver needs to be signed by all volunteers (or parent if under 18) that was attached in the team weekly email..  Please print, sign, and bring to practice next week.


Cultus signups are also available online. 

Our annual team summer camp is scheduled for August 3rd-6th.  We have setup online payments through touchbase so you can signup now.  A waivers was attached in the team weekly email that you can print and turn in at any of the upcoming meetings or team practices.

Pay Camp Fee at https://touchbase.bend.k12.or.us/

Bend-La Pine Schools
touchbase.bend.k12.or.us
For Parents: User Name is Student ID Number Password is Student's Last Name - Password is case sensitive For NON-Parents (Guest Users)*: Please CLICK HERE to create ...
                  User Name: Student ID Number
                  Password: Last Name w/1st letter capitalized
                  Select Cultus Camp
                  Enter Payment Amount
                                    $60 if you aren’t volunteering at Pacific Crest
                                    $50 if you are volunteering at one shift of Pacific Crest
                                    $40 if you are volunteering at two shifts of Pacific Crest

2016 Cross Country Schedule

2016 Cougar Cross Country Runners –                                                                                                                                                                                                            

I know its a little early to be talking about cross country with spring sports only a week in, but I wanted to pass along our tentative 2016 schedule so you are able to plan summer work schedules, family vacations, etc. accordingly.  I've also included some other useful information ahead of the start of our season and information on some of our key team fundraisers. 

If you’re in 8^th grade or haven’t participated in cross country before and you’re not sure you want to participate that’s ok!  We encourage you to attend some of our summer activities and practices to see if cross country is for you!

Please take the time to read this and let me know if you have any questions.  We have an exciting summer and fall of cross country ahead of us!

For those of you that participate in track, plan to take two full weeks off from running before our first practice.  During this time you should remain active by doing other low impact activities such as swimming, biking or hiking.  Staying active while taking a break from running will give your body a chance to rest and recover while maintaining your cardio fitness for the start of cross country.

If you don’t do track you should run a couple days a week to maintain/build a base.  We will be running relatively low mileage at the start of the season but the earlier you begin running, the more you’ll be prepared to keep up with those athletes that did track, and the less likely you’ll be to get injured.  Start with a 2-3 mile run every other day and don’t increase your mileage by more than 5 miles a week.  If you’re new to running, 1-2 miles every other day is a good start.

If you’re hurt or dealing with a chronic injury let me know and we’ll figure out a plan for you.

Summer practices will start June 20^th and be optional until August 15^th, but attendance is highly recommended.  If you hope to be a varsity runner, you are expected to make as many practices as possible.  We will meet at 8:30 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Drake Park and 6:30 pm on Tuesday and Thursday at the Mountain View Track. Some days we will carpool to nearby trails.  Please attend as many summer practices as you can!  Participation in summer practices will reduce the possibility of injuries, improve performance, and is a great opportunity to bond with your teammates and coaches.  If you’re unable to attend summer training please let me know.

Shoes!  One of the best things about running is that compared to other sports the equipment is relatively inexpensive.  Please consider this when justifying the purchase of a new pair of running shoes EVERY cross country season. Running shoes can seem a bit pricey but they are less expensive than potential medical bills caused by injuries due to worn-out shoes or incorrect shoes for your biomechanics.  Consider getting yourself fitted at Footzone or Fleet Feet.  Both stores offer this service complimentary whether or not you purchase shoes and are great supporters of our team.  If you’re concerned about the cost of shoes there are several other stores in town that carry comparable products at a more affordable price.  Please let me know if buying shoes is cost prohibitive and we will buy them for you!  Lastly, when you’re buying shoes, BUY THEM FOR FUNCTION OVER FORM.  There are some cool shoes out there that look great, but will break down quickly or hurt over time.  We will think you’re cool even if your shoes aren’t.

Schedule - We are still finalizing a schedule but have a draft summary provided below.  Please plan around these while realizing that they are subject to change:

June 18^th - Team Kickoff BBQ – Mountain View Track at 6 pm

June 20th – Mon/Wed/Fri practices begin at 8:30 am at Drake Park

         Tue/Thur evening practices begin at 6:30 pm at Mountain View Track

June 25^th – Pacific Crest Fundraiser 6am-4pm

July 24-30 – Moratorium Week – No contact with coaches

Aug 3-6^th – Cultus Lake Camp

Aug 15^th – First Official Practice

August 20^th – XC Challenge – Bend Area

August 27^th – Breese Ranch – Prineville, OR

Sept 2^nd – Mountain View XC Runoff – Pine Nursery

Sept 2^nd – Pine Nursery Sunset Run Fundraiser – Pine Nursery

Sept 10^th – Ash Creek Festival - Monmouth, OR

Sept 17^th – Three Course Challenge – Seaside, OR

Sept 24^th – Trail Run – Bend Area

Sept 30^th – Oxford Classic – Drake Park

Oct 8^th – Juniper Preview – Redmond, OR

Oct 15^th – George Fox XC Classic – Brooks, OR

Oct 19^th -  Central Oregon Relays (Last day for JV Runners-below top 18)

Oct 28^th – IMC District Championships – Redmond, OR

Nov 5^th – State Championships – Eugene, OR

Fundraising:

Pacific Crest Triathlon, June 25^th 

This is our biggest fundraiser of the season.  We are offering two shifts but need athletes or parents that are able to signup for both.  We will be managing the water stations along the run course.  Any athletes that volunteer will receive a discounted Cultus fee.  Cultus will be $40 for athletes that cover both shifts, $50 for covering one shift and $60 if you do not volunteer at Pacific Crest.

-      1^st Shift 6:00 – 11:00 am (40 Volunteers Needed)

-      2^nd Shift 11:00 – 4:00 pm (40 Volunteers Needed)

Mountain View XC Runoff, Sept 2^nd           

We will be hosting a meet at Pine Nursery and will need parent volunteers to help with setup, race management and takedown.  

Pine Nursery Sunset Run Fundraiser, Sept 2^nd    

As part of the Mountain View XC Runoff we will also be hosting a community 5k/10k at Pine Nursery the same day.  We encourage parents to signup to participate in the race and will be relying primarily on athletes to help manage the event. 

Bigfoot Run, September 11th

Details to come  

                                   

Goals –  We will be building off our individual goal setting efforts from last year, for returning athletes, and helping to set goals for new athletes.  Each athlete will meet with the entire coaching staff to discuss goals and will be assigned a coach to follow-up with throughout the season.  Begin thinking about what you hope to achieve this season and what you can do now to work toward that.  Consistency at summer practices is the most important step toward a successful season.

My goals for our team include:

-        Creating an inclusive and supportive environment for athletes to succeed academically and achieve personal growth.

-        Success as a team in competition.

-        Instilling a passion in each athlete for exercise, health and the outdoors.

-        Team Growth/Increase athlete participation. 

Contact Info –  Please visit mountainviewxc.blogspot.com for team information, news and schedule.  There is an option to subscribe to updates on this site by entering your email address.  If you have any questions or concerns about the season please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by email at cougarxc at outlook.com or phone/text at five four one-420-0497.

Go Cougars!

Mike Condon

Final 2015 Weekly Update

Lady Cougars 2nd at State!

Congratulations to our girls on an incredible performance at the state meet!  Our top 4 runners finished within the top 12 overall, setting the team up for an impressively low score of just 49 points!  What a great way to end a fantastic season!  We are looking forward to having our boys back at State again next year too!  Thank you to everyone that came out to support the girls on Saturday!  Here are results:

http://www.osaa.org/activities/bxc-gxc/results

Other Reminders:

1. Our end of the season team banquet is This Sunday, November 8th at 5:30pm at the St. Charles Convention Center.  All athletes and their families are invited and encouraged to attend as we look back on the season and honor this great group of kids!  There will be a $14.50 fee for dinner for all family members but you can come and not eat if you don't want to pay - we will even have free cake for you!  The team will cover the cost of athletes. Please pre-pay for parents and family members online at https://touchbase.bend.k12.or.us.  Login with your Student ID number for User Name and last name as the password.  Please send us an email if you WILL NOT be attending the banquet OR if you will need a vegetarian meal as we need a headcount for total meals.

As a side note, most athletes typically dress in formal wear for this event.

2. All athletes are strongly encouraged to participate in a winter sport.  Some options to consider are Nordic Skiing, Swimming, Winter Track, Basketball and Wrestling.  If you plan to run during the winter, take a few weeks of before rebuilding your base for track or cross country next summer.  Take a solid 1-2 weeks of from running altogether and then you can think about running 2-3 days a week for a few easy miles.  If you have any questions on training during the off-season let Mike or Megan know!

3. Team shirts and hats are still available.  T-Shirts are $5 for athletes and $15 for adults.  Limited sizes are available.  Really nice long sleeve shirts are available to athletes only for $30.  These are the same long sleeve shirts we will be using for the next few years so if you buy one now you won't need to buy another later on.  Hats are available to both parents and athletes for $25.  We will have these at the team banquet if you are interested in purchasing anything.

4. Remember to turn in your uniform (all four items - jacket, shorts, jersey, pants) or you will be fined.  Please turn these into Andy in room C-3 this week.  

XC Update 10/16 to 10/31

Great job yesterday at the District Championships!  Our girls Varsity secured a berth to the state meet with their 2nd place finish and the rest of our team truly gave their best effort.  It was exciting to see our guys give Bend High a close race - we are truly proud of you for being willing to go after them!  Both our JV boys and girls also finished in 2nd!  Way to go JV runners!  Overall we also had 12 out of 19 boys and 9 out of 10 JV girls run season bests - Girls Varsity will be running theirs at state after a taper this week :).  What a great way to end the season!

Thank you to all of the parents and coaches who helped setup, run, and takedown the race.  We couldn't have done it without you!

Checkout District Results Here:  http://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/Results/Meet.aspx?Meet=109561#263

Check out Season Bests Here: http://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/Team.aspx?SchoolID=263

We will be taking uniforms on Monday and Tuesday.  All boys should show up on Monday and all girls on Tuesday at our normal practice time and location.  Please wash your uniforms before turning them in!  If you are unable to make it please bring your uniform on the alternate day.

Girls varsity will be practicing for state at our regular meeting time all week (M, T, Th at 3pm & W at 1:15pm.  Any seniors interested in attending practices to help pace our girls are welcome to attend as well.

Also, thank you to the boys that attended the pancake breakfast fundraiser this morning!

Other Reminders:

1. Mark your calendars!  Our end of the season team banquet is on November 8th at 5:30pm at the St. Charles Convention Center.  All athletes and their families are invited and encouraged to attend as we look back on the season and honor this great group of kids!  There will be a $15 fee for dinner for all family members but you can come and not eat if you don't want to pay - we will even have free cake for you!  The team will cover the cost of athletes. Please pre-pay for parents and family members online at https://touchbase.bend.k12.or.us.  Login with your Student ID number for User Name and last name as the password.  Please send us an email if you WILL NOT be attending the banquet OR if you will need a vegetarian meal as we need a headcount for total meals.

As a side note, most athletes typically dress in formal wear for this event.

2. All athletes are strongly encouraged to participate in a winter sport.  Some options to consider are Nordic Skiing, Swimming, Winter Track, Basketball and Wrestling.

3. Team Shirts are still available.  T-Shirts are $5 for athletes and $15 for adults.  Limited sizes are available.  Really nice long sleeve shirts are available to athletes only for $30.  These are the same long sleeve shirts we will be using for the next few years so if you buy one now you won't need to buy another later on.  We also just got team hats in that are available to both parents and athletes for $25.

4. The State Meet is this coming Saturday, October 31st and would love as many athletes as possible to attend to support our Varsity Girls and experience the atmosphere of the state meet (And be inspired to reach state in future seasons!).  If you are a parent and are willing to drive athletes over on the morning of the 31st please let us know.  Coaches and competing athletes will be going over on Friday but our hope is to get together a caravan of parents to bring the remaining athletes.

5. Fundraising Opportunity - Our team is managing the VIP parking at the Civil War Football game on October 30th starting at 3pm and going through half time and into the 3rd quarter.  We need a minimum of 3 athletes/adults throughout the game.  Please let me know if you are able to help out for a 1 or 2 hour shift between 4:30 pm and 8pm (The shift from 3 - 4:30 has been filled).  

6. Team Photos are still available for purchase with proceeds benefitting our team:

Team & coach portraits:https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-Rk47t7/
Girls portraits:https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-JBTbPK/
Boys portraits:https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-3SN45f/

7. We will be having an after-state party to celebrate the end of the season at the Leapaldt's home on Saturday, October 31st at 7pm.  All team members are welcome to attend.  Please bring a snack to share.  Their address is:

319 SE Springer Court
Bend, OR 97701

XC Schedule 10/19 - 10/25

Great week of practice team!  I appreciated the level of effort at hard practices and how fast and fresh you are all looking as we continue our taper into Districts.  I am excited to see you race!

The district race is this Friday, October 23rd.  Make an extra effort this week to get 8-10 hours of sleep, a consistent 3 meals, and stay hydrated.  It is especially important on Friday that you plan your diet ahead of time so that you eat a meal a few hours before your race.  Students will be released from class at 11:00 am.  Meet at the XC tree and we will carpool to Drake Park.  The race schedule is as follows:

Varsity Girls: 1:00 pm (Warmup at 12:00 - w/Megan)
Varsity Boys: 1:30 pm (Warmup at 12:30 - w/Monty)
JV Girls: 2:00 pm (Warmup at 1 pm - w/Mike)
JV Boys: 2:30 pm (Warmup at 2 pm - w/Andy)

Cool-downs will be done with the same coach immediately following the race.  Click here for a link to the course map.

We will send a separate email early this week with details for those of you that volunteered to help with setup and managing the race.  Thank you for the great response!

Other Reminders:

1. There is a Pasta Feed this Thursday evening at 5pm at the Hassells.  Their address is 63536 St Cloud Court Bend, OR 97701.  This pasta feed is costume themed for halloween.  Please bring the following:

Freshmen - Salad
Sophomores - Drinks
Juniors - Desert
Seniors - Bread

2. Mark your calendars!  Our end of the season team banquet is on November 8th at 5:30pm at the St. Charles Convention Center.  All athletes and their families are invited and encouraged to attend as we look back on the season and honor this great group of kids!  There will be a $15 fee for dinner for all family members but you can come and not eat if you don't want to pay - we will even have free cake for you!  The team will cover the cost of athletes. Please pre-pay for parents and family members online at https://touchbase.bend.k12.or.us.  Login with your Student ID number for User Name and last name as the password.

As a side note, most athletes typically dress in formal wear for this event.

3. All athletes are strongly encouraged to participate in a winter sport.  Some options to consider are Nordic Skiing, Swimming, Winter Track, Basketball and Wrestling.

4. Team Shirts are still available.  T-Shirts are $5 for athletes and $15 for adults.  Limited sizes are available.  Really nice long sleeve shirts are available to athletes only for $30.  These are the same long sleeve shirts we will be using for the next few years so if you buy one now you won't need to buy another later on.  We also just got team hats in that are available to both parents and athletes for $25.

5. The State Meet is coming up on October 31st and we want as many athletes as possible to attend to support our Varsity athletes and experience the atmosphere of the state meet (And be inspired to reach state in future seasons!).  If you are a parent and are willing to drive athletes over on the morning of the 31st please let us know.  Coaches and competing athletes will be going over on Friday but our hope is to get together a caravan of parents to bring the remaining athletes.

6. Fundraising Opportunities - We have two fundraising opportunities coming up:

a) We will be assisting with a pancake breakfast at All Seasons RV & Marine this coming Saturday morning.  All proceeds from this event will go to our team.  We need a minimum of 5 athletes not qualifying for the state meet (those athletes will have practice) to help at this event. Please let me know if you can attend.

b) Our team is managing the VIP parking at the Civil War Football game on October 30th starting at 3pm and going through half time and into the 3rd quarter.  We need a minimum of 3 athletes/adults throughout the game.  Please let me know if you are able to help out for a 1 or 2 hour shift between 3pm and 8pm.  

Workout Schedule This Week (Meet by the XC Tree at 3pm M-T-TH-F and at 1:15 W):

Workouts this week will continue to get shorter and faster as we taper into the District meet.  Length will decrease on hard workouts but you should maintain the same intensity to avoid feeling flat on Friday. Workouts for our girls varsity will be slightly altered to train through Districts and peak at the State meet.

Monday 10/19 - Speed Play at Pine Nursery 4-3-2 w/Increased rest (add 5 for Varsity Girls)

Tuesday 10/20 - Easy Run at Drake + Strides & Corners

Wednesday 10/21 - Track Workout 2 x (400, 300, 200) (3x for Varsity Girls)

Thursday 10/22 - Easy Run to Pine Nursery + Strides & Corners

Friday 10/23 - District Championships - Go Cougars!

Saturday 10/24 - Easy Run for athletes that qualify for the State Meet

Sunday 10/25 - Rest!

Weekly Update - 10/12 - 10/18

Great job at the George Fox Classic this weekend.  We had several breakthrough races and 40 season bests as a team!  Results are available here.


We have the Central Oregon Relays this Wednesday, October 14th.  We will carpool to Pine Nursery and you will be picked up there after the race.  Athletes will select their own teams to be either Male, Female or Co-Ed and consist of 4 athletes. We will signup for teams at practice on Monday.  The first leg of the relay for all categories begins at 3pm.  Some teams have costumes and you are welcome to indulge.

We will also be getting together on Friday night at Sun Mountain Fun Center at 7pm!  Please bring money for shoes and bowling.  If money is an issue talk to Megan or Mike and we will make sure you are covered!

Other Reminders:

1. This Friday will be the last day of practice for those athletes that did not qualify for the District Meet.  These athletes will be turning in their uniforms on Friday and we will be voting collectively as a team on captains for next year.  All athletes including those not racing at Districts, are invited to the team pasta feed on Thursday, October 22nd at the Hassells.  Athletes not racing at Districts will also be released from school early for Districts on October 23rd along with competing athletes to attend the District meet and cheer for their fellow teammates.  More information to come on these next week!


2. All athletes are strongly encouraged to participate in a winter sport.  We will have the Nordic Skiing and Swim Team Coaches at practice on Monday talking about their sports and how these will benefit your running.  Some other winter sports to consider are Winter Track, Basketball and Wrestling.


3. Team Shirts are still available.  T-Shirts are $5 for athletes and $15 for adults.  Limited sizes are available.  We also have really nice long sleeve shirts that are available to athletes for $30.  These are the same long sleeve shirts we will be using for the next few years so if you buy one now you won't need to buy another later on.  

4. Mark your calendars!  Our end of the season team banquet is on November 8th at 5:30pm at the St. Charles Convention Center.  All athletes and their families are invited as we look back on the season and honor this great group of kids!  There will be a $15 fee for dinner for all family members but you can come and not eat if you don't want to pay.  The team will cover the cost of athletes.  We will be sending out more information on the banquet soon.

5. The State Meet is coming up on October 31st and we want as many athletes as possible to attend to support our Varsity athletes and experience the atmosphere of the state meet.  If you are a parent and are willing to drive athletes over on the morning of the 31st please let us know!  Coaches and competing athletes will be going over on Friday but our hope is to get together a caravan of parents to bring the remaining athletes.

Workout Schedule This Week (Meet by the XC Tree at 3pm M-T-TH-F and at 1:15 W):

Workouts will be a bit harder than last week to avoid peaking too early, with a taper next week leading into the District Championships.  Workouts for our girls varsity will be slightly altered to train through Districts and peak at the State meet.

Monday 10/12 - Speed Play 4-3-2-1 on Canal Trail and Strength Workout 

Tuesday 10/13 - Easy Run to Pine Nursery/Help with Sky View Meet

Wednesday 10/14 - Central Oregon Relays (3 x .7 Mile Each)

Thursday 10/15 - Capture the Flag at Juniper Park

Friday 10/16 - Track Workout 2 x (4x400)

Saturday 10/17 - Easy Run at Drake Park at 9:30 am with strides

Sunday 10/18 - Rest!

Weekly Update - 10/5 to 10/11

Great job at the Oxford Meet yesterday!  Results have not been posted yet but should be on Athletic.net soon.  Our Varsity Girls took 3rd in the Varsity Gold race.  Way to go girls!

George Fox - Saturday, October 10th

This coming Saturday we will be racing at the George Fox XC Classic at Willamette Mission State Park.  Meet in the bus loop at 9am and bring lunch to eat along the way.  You will not be able to purchase lunch!  We will stop for dinner in Salem on the return to Bend.  Bring $7-10 for dinner.  We will return to Bend between 9 and 10pm.

The race schedule is as follows:

JV Girls - 2:30 PM

JV Boys- 3:00 PM
Varsity Girls - 3:30 PM
Varsity Boys - 4:00 PM

Please keep in mind that this will be the last 5K for many of our JV athletes.  The Central Oregon Relays on October 14th will be the last day for athletes not in the top 17 for boys and girls.  JV Athletes will be excused from school on October 23rd to support our athletes at the District Meet!

Our team pasta feed this week will be Friday after practice (5pm) at the Allen's House.  Their address is 3427 NE Sandalwood 97701.  Please bring the following items:

Freshmen - Salad
Sophomores - Dessert
Juniors - Bread
Seniors - Drinks

Other Reminders:

1. Team Shirts are still available.  T-Shirts are $5 for athletes and $15 for adults.  Limited sizes are available.  We also have really nice long sleeve shirts that are available to athletes for $30.  These are the same long sleeve shirts we will be using for the next few years so if you buy one now you won't need to buy another later on.  

2. Our end of the season team banquet is coming up on XXX.  We are looking for a volunteer to bake a cake for this.  If you are interested please let us know!

3. The State Meet is coming up on October 31st and we want as many athletes as possible to attend to support our Varsity athletes and experience the atmosphere of the state meet.  If you are a parent and are willing to drive athletes over on the morning of the 31st please let us know!  Coaches and competing athletes will be going over on Friday but our hope is to get together a caravan of parents to bring the remaining athletes.

Workout Schedule This Week (Meet by the XC Tree at 3pm M-T-TH-F and at 1:15 W):

Monday 10/5 - Pilot Butte Perimeter with 5 - 1 minute pickups

Tuesday 10/6 - Relays at Pine Nursery with Sky View Middle School 

Wednesday 10/7 - Canal Loop

Thursday 10/8 - Whistle Drills at Al Moody Park

Friday 10/9 - Easy Run to Stover Park

Saturday 10/10 - George Fox XC Classic!

Sunday 10/11 - Rest!