Sept. 21 - 26 (Week 17)

Hopefully everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed your Homecoming festivities or whatever else you did. We need to get planning our Post-Season meets. Each athlete and parent together please take a look at this Google Form and fill out a response (even if you aren't planning on going, so we can have all the numbers of who is/isn't planning on attending). We'd love to have everyone come be a part of our PVXC Club travel meets. They are a great way to continue to build the team and your own individual progress as we move into the winter and spring.

Purpose of the Week's Workouts: Click here for a link to this week's workouts. We'll be on a pretty usual schedule this week. Use the Weekly Minutes form to go enter the number of days you ran and your total minutes from this past week (Week 16).

This Week's Schedule: **wear White or Bright to every am practice**

Monday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS (White, Black, Silver: expected; Maroon: optional; Beginners: no) Maroon can decide if they want to come in the am or not (those that do will do our drills and wickets in the pm, those that don't will get a run in the pm) / PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) and Youngsters.

Tuesday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS Regen run and weights (White, Black, Silver: expected; Maroon: optional; Beginners: no) / PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice)(for now, we are planning on doing the workout in the afternoon, but we may switch to am because of heat)

Wednesday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS Regen run (Black: expected; Silver: optional; Maroon and Beginners: no) and yoga (all invited to yoga at 6:45a) / PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) and Youngsters.

Thursday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS Regen run and weights (White, Black, Silver: expected; Maroon: optional; Beginners: no) /  PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) and Youngsters

Friday: AM - 6:00a at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) / PM after school at PVHS (White: expected; Black & Silver: optional; Maroon, Beginners: no)

Saturday: Race - Cedar Invite, info below

Upcoming Events:

• Race: Cedar Invite - September 26th (Sat) at Cedar HS; Youngsters 8:00a, JV Girls 8:30a, JV Boys 9:10a, Var Girls 9:50a, Var Boys 10:30a; bus leaves PVHS at 6:40a
• Race: Region 9 Championships - October 6th (Tues) at Bloomington Hills North Park; JV Girls 4:00p, JV Boys 4:40p, Var Girls 5:15p, Var Boys 5:45p; no bus
• Race: 4A Divisionals - October 14th (Weds) at Lake Side Park, Orem; time around noon, but TBA (depends on our placement at Region) Var Girls, Var Boys; travel info TBA (Varsity and a couple alternates only)
• Race: 4A State Championships - October 28th (Weds) at Sugar House Park, Salt Lake; Var Girls 2:30p, Var Boys 3:15p; Varsity races, but whole team is invited, travel info TBA
• Race: JV State Championships - October 31st (Sat) at Spanish Fork Sports Complex, Spanish Fork; JV Girls 11:00a, JV Boys 11:30a; Team has to sign you up (last day Oct. 29th), but athletes will plan your own travel/lodging plans *also open to Youngsters down to 5th grade*
• Race: Autumn Classic - November 5th (Thurs) (POSSIBLE DATE) at PVHS; Girls 7:00p, Boys 7:20p; 2 mile on the track
• PVXC Awards Night - date and info to be announced soon (athlete and families invited)
• Race: Nike Southwest Regionals - November 21st (Sat) at Toka Sticks Golf Course, Mesa; race times TBA; club travel trip to Az, leave Friday morning (20th), race 21st *also open to Youngsters*
• Race: Brooks West Regionals - December 5th (Sat) at Mt. SAC, LA area; race times TBA; club travel trip, but athletes plan own travel/lodging *also open to Youngsters*

PVXC Thought of the Week: "I thought about dropping out, but knew team USA had a chance at a medal, and I couldn't let them down. I told myself to keep pushing... At 15K I was encouraged for a bit... but then I began slowing again into the next windy patch... My motivation was low, and I didn't match their moves, even though they were about the same pace I was running. Looking back, I should've kicked it in for top 10 and sub 60 minutes. I was a little embarrassed and down... but in my next race I'll do better at that. It's a good spot to be in heading to the NYC marathon. I was proud of the men's team coming away with a bronze medal, and inspired by the women's team coming away with a silver medal."

-Conner Mantz

I actually had a different thought in mind for this week, but then I read Conner's thoughts on his race from today's World Half-Marathon Championships. Something about this just really stuck out to me as an idea we could all learn from. Here is the American record holder going through a bad day. He is coming back from a serious of long injuries that have kept him out of racing for a while and now he is finally back on the world stage. But it didn't go as well as he'd have wanted. In his commentary, you can see his humility, vulnerability, and willingness to grow, as well as his ability to find joy in his teammates success and his ability to help them do well. I also thought about how the best of the best have rough patches too - whether it's in training or a race, they are just like us. Remember, you aren't the only one that has tough days at practice and races (or in everyday life). It's how you respond to the challenges and move forward that matters most. Just like I know Conner will be in competition to bounce back and run great at the NYC Marathon in a month, I know each of you can work through tough times with humility, vulnerability, and a willingness to grow.

Alumni Report: Our alumni continue to do great things at the collegiate level. Trey had a great race for UVU in Indiana taking 3rd for the team and 54th overall with a 24:31 8K and helped UVU beat numerous top 25 ranked teams. Sariah and Avery raced at Riverside this past weekend. Snow raced the 5K, and Sariah ran an 18:53 while placing 5th for the team. While UNLV raced the 6K and Avery ran a 23:03 and also placed 5th for her team.

Our Middle School program: This week we will have practice on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday after school at PVHS. We also have a race on Saturday - race starts at 8:00a at Cedar High School. I need the names of any of our Youngsters that want to run so we can sign you up. This is a developmental camp hosted by our HS and is available for 6th-8th graders.  

Sept. 14 - 19 (Week 16)

Great job this past week at Bloomington Hills and up at Border Wars. No races this week, but we still have a busy one with Homecoming stuff. Please try and work your day dates so that you can get your Saturday run in. Stay healthy; get good sleep; stay up on your school work; and let's have a fun week.

Purpose of the Week's Workouts: Click here for a link to this week's workouts. We'll be on a pretty usual schedule this week. Some of our workouts, we will move into Goal Race Pace. So take a minute and think about a target goal for Cedar based upon your improvement in the past month. Use the Weekly Minutes form to go enter the number of days you ran and your total minutes from this past week (Week 15).

This Week's Schedule: **wear White or Bright to every am practice**

Monday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS (White, Black, Silver: expected; Maroon: optional; Beginners: no) Maroon can decide if they want to come in the am or not (those that do will do our drills and wickets in the pm, those that don't will get a run in the pm) / PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) and Youngsters.

Tuesday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS Regen run and weights (White, Black, Silver: expected; Maroon: optional; Beginners: no) / PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice)(for now, we are planning on doing the workout in the afternoon, but we may switch to am because of heat)

Wednesday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS Regen run (Black: expected; Silver: optional; Maroon and Beginners: no) and yoga (all invited to yoga at 6:45a) / PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) and Youngsters.

Thursday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS Regen run and weights (White, Black, Silver: expected; Maroon: optional; Beginners: no) /  PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) and Youngsters

Friday: AM - 6:00a at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) / PM after school at PVHS (White: expected; Black & Silver: optional; Maroon, Beginners: no)

Saturday: We will discuss if we meet as a team or one own (if we meet as a team it would probably be around 7:00a)(PLEASE get your run in)

Upcoming Events:

• Homecoming Parade - September 16th (Weds), meet at approx 100 W 200 N in Washington for our parade line up; 6:30p (time and location may be updated) 
• Race: Cedar Invite - September 26th (Sat) at Cedar HS; Youngsters 8:00a, JV Girls 8:30a, JV Boys 9:10a, Var Girls 9:50a, Var Boys 10:30a; bus TBA

PVXC Thought of the Week: "You're never out until you're out."

-Brad Stulberg

On the bus ride home, I was kinda following some of the college football action for the day, and I noticed that #1 Ohio State was pretty much dominating #4 Texas. So when I got home, I flipped on the game to just decompress a little. However, as I watched, Texas started coming back and it actually turned into a game. In the end, Texas scored with just 30 seconds left to end up winning by 1 after trailing by 20 with 10 minutes left (apparently its first time ever that the #1 team has lost after having that big of a lead that late in the game). Now I'm not a Texas (or Ohio State) fan, but that game has a great lesson. Stulberg tells us, "You've got to keep playing the game in front of you. Not the game you wanted, hope for, or wished for - but the game that is happening right now." This made me think of Benji a little for his race on Saturday. Before the race, I noticed that he didn't look great (but I didn't want to say anything and freak him out... just go race Bungus and get it done!). He didn't start great, but it wasn't horrible either. He was doing what he could. No doubt, though, Benji could tell it wasn't his best race - he should have been further toward the front and mixing with the lead pack. Instead of hanging his head and giving up because this day he didn't feel his best, in the second lap, Benji began passing people and moving up. Ultimately, he salvaged a decent race out of a day where he didn't feel amazing. And supported by teammates that were doing their part, the Varsity boys improved from their 9th place finish last year to 5th this year. Run the race in front of you. Not the race you wanted, hoped for, or wished for - but the race that is happening right now!

Race Report:

Dixie All-Comers - Usually it's a bit warm out at BHNP for this race, and this year was no different. We are very proud of those that didn't let this get in their heads and were still able to control their effort and give a positive push. The girls were led by Ole who finished 5th overall. The boys finished 2nd as a team and were paced by Sebastian's win and Finn's 5th place finish. Results.

Border Wars - Our team travel trip up to Salt Lake was a great success. A lot of good results, positive team vibes, and some more warm temps. The team focus was on keeping a positive attitude and passing people in the 2nd half of the race to help us keep a positive mindset. It was great to see so many Panthers really pushing and working to move past our competitors at the end. Our Varsity girls took 2nd with Tevye leading the team with a 2nd place result and Vanessa with a 5th place finish. The Varsity boys ran in the Championship division and placed 5th overall. Our 31 second spread was one of the best in the meet and highlights the importance of team racing in XC. (Here's a little hidden gem... we've been encouraging everyone to read the blog. Anyone who reads this and shoots a message to me on Binderly will be entered to win some free PVXC swag Monday at practice. Don't tell anyone, let's see if they read it themselves). Continuing... We also had some strong results from our other divisions: Lydia placed top 10 in the Sophomore girls, same with Andi in the Junior girls, and Sebastian was just outside the top 10 in the Sophomore boys.  Results. 

Alumni Report: Bridger raced at the same course he did the previous week for UVU and saw a efw seconds improvement on his time. Keep up the great work Bridge!

Our Middle School program: This week we will have practice on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday after school at PVHS. We also have a race on Saturday - race starts at 8:00a at Cedar Middle School. I don't have much info on it, so we'll try to get more out for those interested. This is a developmental camp hosted by our HS and is available for 6th-8th graders.  

Sept. 7 - 12 (Week 15)

*It is best to view this in the Web Version - so scroll to the bottom of your phone and click "Web Version"*

Are we ready for our travel meet? Make sure we are at practice this week; also turn in your printed grades to Coach Decker and pay your $35 hotel fee (must be paid before the trip) and give Holt your receipt.

Purpose of the Week's Workouts: Click here for a link to this week's workouts. Monday we'll practice at 8:00a at Highland Park. Those who didn't race this past weekend will be doing PreRace to get ready for Tuesday's meet. Those who raced at Timp will be doing a long run (if you raced, but would like to also race at Dixie, let Coach know and that may be a possibility). Besides Monday, we'll be on our normal school schedule (see the workout spreadsheet), including a Regen Run for some on Wednesday morning and Yoga. For our Varsity, this will be the last long run of this stage of the season as we get ready to head toward Region, Divisionals, and State (coming sooner than you think). And JV is working toward being ready to roll at Region. Use the Weekly Minutes form to go enter the number of days you ran and your total minutes from this past week (Week 14).

This Week's Schedule: **wear White or Bright to every am practice**

Monday: AM - 8:00a at Highland Park (Everyone) / NO PM 

Tuesday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS Regen run and weights (White, Black, Silver: expected; Maroon: optional; Beginners: no) / PM Race at Dixie All-Comers - see info below (Varsity practice at 4:00p at the park, JV show up at 5:00p for warm ups for race) / Youngsters race info in you section

Wednesday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS Regen run (Black: expected; Silver: optional; Maroon and Beginners: no) and yoga (all invited to yoga at 6:45a) / PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) and Youngsters.

Thursday: AM - 6:15a at PVHS Regen run and weights (White, Black, Silver: expected; Maroon: optional; Beginners: no) /  PM after school at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) and Youngsters

Friday: AM - 6:00a at PVHS (Everyone, this is our main practice) / PM State Course shake out (all who travel)

Saturday: Race at Border Wars - see info below

Upcoming Events:

• Race: Dixie All-Comers - September 8th (Tues) at Bloomington Hills North Park; JV Only; Youngsters 5:00p 1 or 2 mile, HS Girls 6:00p, HS Boys 6:40p; no bus; Youngsters be there by 4:30, HS be there by 5:00p. 
• Race: Border Wars - September 12th (Sat) at Valley Regional Park (Taylorsville); schedule see Sporttrax; travel itinerary (we will take approx. 44 athletes on this overnight trip - attendance at practice is a requirement to be considered for trip - no unexcused absences; we will also have a grade check for this meet in the middle of next week). (Those invited to race at Timp must: tell Coach your travel plans by Monday, turn in grades for grade check by Monday, pay $35 to PVHS finance office for hotel fee)

PVXC Thought of the Week: "Rather than focusing on your race time, focus on passing the person in front of you and helping your team score. Be a teammate that lowers your team's score... and when you keep passing people in front of you, the chance that you'll like your finish time goes up."

-Jay Johnson

XC is 100% about racing! Race the competitors around you. Don't worry about times; courses vary so much in distance and conditions that the only thing you should be worried about is helping the team out by racing those around you. This week, in the last mile of the race, go get some people! Those who raced at Timp, take a few minutes and study your graphs... evaluate what the graphs show about your race and the team's race (especially in comparison of individuals/team we are looking to compete with), and use this info to help you set goals as we move into this week.

Race Report:

Timpanogos Invite - This is a great meet to gauge our early season and get the Varsity runners on the Divisional course that is used for State qualifying. We had a strong weekend and probably one of our best meets overall at Timp. The Varsity boys were led by Benji who placed 22nd and the TEAM took 10th overall (top 4A team). Tevye led the Varsity girls, but we didn't run a full scoring squad, so no team placement. Brennan and Nathan earned top 10s in their Sr. Boys race. And Brooklyn and Alyeska earned top 10s in the Fresh/Soph Girls race and led the ladies to a 1st place TEAM finish! Results.

Athletes of the Week: Shout-outs to Samantha, Ole, and Colby for earning Athlete of the Week. Your teammates love your example and commitment.  

Alumni Report: A few of our Panthers lined up this weekend for their college teams. Trey and Bridger hit their home course for UVU and ran very well. Trey was the 3rd runner for UVU and 9th overall. He ran the 3 mile course in 14:21! Bridger started his season well with a 15:11. Sariah also ran at the UVU meet for her first collegiate race with Snow College. She took 4th for Snow and ran an 18:53. In California, Avery ran her first collegiate race, as well, for UNLV. She was 6th for the Rebels in a time of 23:26 on the 6K course. So awesome to follow our PVXC alumni as they move to the next level of running. They are a great example that so many of our TEAM could become like them through GROWTH, CONSISTENCY, and DEDICATION!

Our Middle School program: This week we will have practice on Weds and Thursday. We also have a race on Tuesday - race starts at 5:00p at Bloomington Hills North Park, registration at 4:30p. 1 mile and 2 mile options. We still would love to have more athletes come on out, so bring some friends. This is a developmental camp hosted by our HS and is available for 6th-8th graders.