June 23-28 (Week 4)

Thanks for all those that helped with our flag fundraiser. That ended up being a pretty easy and quick way to make a little money for our program. 

As coaches, we just want to say how great a job everyone is doing this summer. So many of you have been pushing out of your comfort zone and trying to grow and get better. Many of you have been very consistent at being to practice - even when it is tough and every other teenager is sleeping in, you get up and push yourself. And you've been great with the kids at Summer Club, coming to team parties, and all that other stuff that makes us an awesome program. It really is you athletes who make PVXC the best! We do realize that the next week or two is pretty packed for a lot of you. So we just bring up our same goal: when you are in town, be to practice; if you are out of town, do your best to get some running in.

***We've been having some communication problems using Remind - If you haven't been getting our message (usually one is sent Sunday to remind you to read the new blog announcements for the week), it may be because you don't have the Remind app (this is something Remind has changed). If that is the case for you, please get the Remind app and then join our class - parent code: @pvxcparent / athlete code: @xcchamps 

Purpose of the Week's Workouts: Click here for a link to this week's workouts (Week4). Remember that consistency is key - let's get those runs in on a consistent basis, and you'll see a lot of growth over the next month. We are changing our Saturday long runs to 6:30a. Hopefully that extra 30 minutes gives us a little break from the heat. We encourage everyone to be to Saturday mornings. Update your minutes from Week 3 here: Weekly Minutes. 

Doubles and Running in the Heat: This week we are starting to add doubles for some of you (doubles = a second run for the day). The purpose of doubles is to get more running in; but for now, the purpose is to start getting used to the heat. When school starts, most of our main practices will be after school. As we know, it is very hot around here, so we need to start acclimating to the heat. So these next few weeks, we will assign a short (15 min) run in the afternoon a couple times a week. Silvers, Blacks, and Whites are expected to get this run in. For our younger runners, Maroons, this is optional. Our best advice for these runs is to wear loose fitting and light colored clothes, soak down your hair and maybe your shirt before you head out, be drinking consistently throughout the day (you should be drinking 100 oz of water a day and probably an electrolyte drink as well), and stay close to your house or somewhere you can cool off if you don't feel well. It would be smart to run a short loop a few times so you can stop off and get a drink or even cut the run short if you aren't feeling good. Always know the signs of heat stroke. And always let someone know that you are going out for a run (or even better, go with another person) so someone can be keeping an eye for you. Running in the heat can be difficult, but it is also something we need to work on, so please be careful and smart.

This Week's Schedule:

Monday: Regular practice at 7:00a at Washington Elem. (Everyone) - Youth Summer Running Club 8:30-9:45 (everyone plan on staying and helping out)

Tuesday: Regular practice at 7:00a at Washington Elem. (Everyone) / weights after at PVMS (usually takes about 45mins) / afternoon on own or organize own group (Silver, Black, White expected; Maroon optional)

Wednesday: Regular practice at 7:00a at Washington Elem. (Everyone) 

Thursday: Regular practice at 7:00a at Washington Elem. (Everyone) / weights after at PVMS / afternoon on own or organize own group (Silver, Black, White expected; Maroon optional)

Friday: Regular practice at 7:00a at Highland Park (Everyone)

Saturday: 6:30a at Sunrise Park (Everyone / optional for Beginner)

Book Club Reading: Here's our article for this week's discussion: The Power of Positive Self-Talk. On Wednesday we'll talk about it for about 10 minutes at the end of practice.

Upcoming Events:

• WEEKLY ACTIVITIES: Waffle Wednesday (Wed after morning practice - location TBA) / Team Party (often Thursdays, info will be shared each week at practice)
• High Altitude Camp - July 28th-31st at Jacob Lake. Cost is $90. We will need to get this planned and figured out who is going, parents driving (staying for all or part). This is a VERY worthwhile event to be a part of... everyone on the team should make it a priority to join us. Those who are new, talk to your teammates about camp and see why you should plan on being there too. Please take a minute and fill out the following form for participation. Registration and Payment are due June 16th. We've past our registration date, but we know a few of you have let it slip... Please take care of it today! If there is a payment issue, get the registraion done, and then talk to coach about later payment.

PVXC Thought of the Week: "Don't underestimate the power of small wins. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how minor, to build momentum and confidence. This positive reinforcement can fuel your motivation and drive towards larger goals. Acknowledge your progress."

-Steve Magness

Closing in on a month of running this summer, and now is a great time to look back that all you've accomplished. In another part of this thought, Magness says that, "too often we don't see the small wins. We look past them." Take a few minutes today and think about your own journey in running. It may be years, it may be only a few weeks. But that reflection is a powerful tool. See how far you've come. Maybe this week you can 10 minutes for the first time, or you conquered Washington Steps, or maybe you can look back a few years and remember what it was like to get your first long run in and now you are burning 10 miles in just over an hour. Whatever it is, take a few minutes and be proud of yourself for your growth and enjoy those feelings. Now, let's keep it gowing!