Oct. 30-Nov. 4 (Week 22)

What a great State meet! Both Varsity squads picked a great time to have their best team races. The Hype Squads were as hype as ever. We had amazing support from family, friends, and alumni. It was a wonderful day... exactly what Pine View XC is all about.

As we turn our attention to the post-season, just another push for everyone to keep running. We will take some time off in December and rejuvenate mentally and physically. But for now, we want to keep building on the amazing shape we are in and run some fast races.

Purpose of the Week's Workouts: Click here for this week's workouts. We're going to get back into our regular schedule, so that means some cold mornings - dress warm, but make sure we are always in white/bright for those dark runs (and there is nothing wrong with lights or reflective gear either). 

This Week's Schedule:

*Wear WHITE or BRIGHT to ALL AM PRACTICES*

Monday: AM - 6:15a PVHS (Black and Silver required; no Maroon) / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone - no team meeting today)

Tuesday: AM - 6:15a Weights and short run PVHS (Black, Silver required; Maroon optional) / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone)

Wednesday: AM - 6:15a regeneration run PVHS (Black required; Silver optional; no Maroon; no Freshmen), Yoga at 6:45a everyone invited / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone)

Thursday: AM - 6:15a Weights and short run PVHS (Black, Silver required; Maroon optional) / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone)

Friday: AM - 6:15a PVHS (Black required; Silver and Maroon optional) / Afternoon(PM) - RACE see info below (no practice) 

Saturday: TBA

Upcoming Events:

• Halloween Ice Cream Run - on Halloween for practice we run to Artic Circle and get ice cream, plan your costumes now.
• RACE: Autumn Classic, Friday 11/3, in the evening (7:00p) Desert Hills HS, 2 mile on the track! Everyone should plan on racing, this is a great opportunity to see how quick your track times are after an amazing season of XC (plus it helps you get ready for Nike)

Race Report: 

State - 2023 results. Great time to run our best team races of the season! The girls started us out well and placed 5th overall. Emmalee led the way with a 16th place finish. Kate followed with a 26th place finish. Brecken, Elle, and Katie rounded out our scoring with 32nd, 34th, and 39th place finishes. Brianna took 52nd (check out this article about her from the St. George News) and Vanessa 75th. This was the first time all season we beat both DH and Cedar at the same meet. It was a very solid team effort. The boys also beat DH and Cedar for the first time at the same meet all season while taking 4th overall. Talmage led the way earning medalist honors with his 9th place finish. He was followed closely by Bridger in 13th and Bender in 16th. Kyler, 34th, and Porter, 38th, finished up our scoring. Trevor ran another great race and placed 47th, while Evan finished 71st. St. George News Article

JV State - 2023 results. We had a few of our athletes go up to Spanish Fork and compete in the JV State Championships on Saturday. Laura and Samantha ran well for our girls. Jake led the way for the guys with a close pack of Ian, Brennan, Nate, and Elliot following behind. And Nathan also hit a PR. Proud of you for being brave to head up there and get a great race in (even in the cold).

Alumni Updates:

It was conference weekend in the NCAA. Julien ran very well for Utah Tech at the WAC championships taking 3rd for the team and helping them place 5th. Both Jessica and Carson raced for Weber in the Big Sky championships. Jess was 6th finisher for the Wildcats and Carson was 7th. 

PVXC Thought of the Week: 

"It's not about impressive workouts. It's about stacking week after week, month after month, of good solid hard work. Give me months on end of solid consistent work over some lights-out workouts, any day."

-Steve Magness

We've actually had this quote recently. But as we head into the "off-season" this is a very important thing to think about. I've had numerous people asking why we are still running - "You just had State, why are you still having practice?" This quote is the answer. Distance running is so different than almost any other sport. It's not skill-based, it is endurance-based (even our quicker stuff like 800s). So if you really want to excel you've got to keep developing it. Don't worry, we'll take a little downtime in December for a couple weeks. If we look at where we want this program to go, however, and where you want your individual running to go, now is an important time to keep stacking the weeks and keep on building with consistency.

Oct. 23-28 (Week 21)

Excited for State this week! Here's the itinerary for those that need it. Those that are wanting to run at JV State, you need to get your form and $8 to Coach real soon. And finally, we do have a few more spots for Nike, so if you have some last minutes thoughts, turn your slip in for that and everyone needs to get their $100 deposit in.

Paperwork about the post-season races: here it is. Please take a look at the dates and info on it and have it back soon.

Parents and friends coming to State, make sure you check out the previous post about parking and admission. This needs to be prepaid.

Purpose of the Week's Workouts: Click here for this week's workouts. We'll be hitting a Pre-Race workout at 6:15a tomorrow for Varsity and anyone else who wants a little workout this week. We will have a short run up at the hotel tomorrow and then on Tuesday morning. The rest of the week, we will back off a bit with singles and most mornings off (except Fri - we will meet at 6:15a). Hopefully the end of the week can be a little refresher after a long season. Then we can refocus for a strong set of post-season workouts and races.

Minutes: If you want to update your Minutes for awards at the end of the year go and do that for last week and any other week you might want to.

This Week's Schedule:

*Wear WHITE or BRIGHT to ALL AM PRACTICES*

Monday: AM - 6:15a (Varsity required; JV optional) / evening - short run at the hotel (no team practice for those not traveling with us, so get your minutes in on your own)

Tuesday: AM - short run at the hotel / Afternoon - no team practice for those not traveling with us, so get your minutes in on your own

Wednesday: Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone) 

Thursday: Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone)

Friday: AM - 6:15a PVHS (everyone)

Saturday: on own or form your own group

Upcoming Events:

• RACE: 4A State Championships, Tuesday 10/24, Regional Athletic Complex in SLC, *Invited Athletes*, just Varsity will be racing and we will fill the bus with Hype Squad to cheer, bus info found above in the itinerary.
• Halloween Ice Cream Run - on Halloween for practice we run to Artic Circle and get ice cream, plan your costumes now.
• RACE: JV State Championships, Saturday 10/28, Spanish Fork Sports Park in Spanish Fork, See paperwork above (or sent home last week) for info
• RACE: Autumn Classic, Friday 11/3, in the evening (7:00p'ish) Desert Hills HS, 2 mile on the track! Everyone should plan on racing, this is a great opportunity to see how quick your track times are after an amazing season of XC (plus it helps you get ready for Nike)

Alumni Updates:

Brook ran at the Utah Invite hosted by the U of U. She was the 12th finisher for the Utah State women in the 6K.

PVXC Thought of the Week: 

"What if it all works out?"

-Melanie Robbins

What if we all spent as much time and energy thinking about the good things that could happen when we absolutely go for something instead of using so much energy being worried about what bad things could happen? Every time a worry comes to your head about "What if (something negative)...?" I challenge you to switch the thinking to "What if it all works out?" Why shouldn't it all work out? You've done the work; you deserve it as much as anyone else! 

State Stuff

Here is some info about State

State Sweatshirts: If you would like to pre-order your State XC gear and skip the lines go here (this is just swag, nothing you have to get).

Parking/Admission for Fans: Parents and friends who plan on attending the meet must pre-purchase your parking/admission. Go here to do that.

Oct. 16-21 (Week 20)

Big congrats to both the girls and guys teams for qualifying for State this past week. Although only 7 runners can compete in Varsity, we want everyone to know that every single one of you helped contribute to this accomplishment and to this team as a whole. Each one of you play a role in our attitudes, our work ethic, the fun times we have, and everything we accomplish. We are a team, and the 7 varsity runners are a reflection of the group as a whole.

If you didn't get the paperwork sent home about the post-season races on Wednesday, here it is. Please take a look at the dates and info on it and have it back soon.

Purpose of the Week's Workouts: Click here for this week's workouts. The biggest focus is getting the Varsity ready to really rip a good race next week at State. JV, we'll be hitting a workout as well as you keep building to your post-season races.

Minutes: Update your minutes for Week 19 Minutes (fill out the form for the week we just completed). This week (week 20) is our last full week of minutes that will count to our final season totals, so you may want to get some info entered.

This Week's Schedule:

*Wear WHITE or BRIGHT to ALL AM PRACTICES*

Monday: AM - on own (Black and Silver required; Maroon off) / Afternoon - regular practice at 1:00p PVHS (no team meeting, just out to practice)

Tuesday: AM - Yoga at 6:45a everyone invited (no am run) / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone)

Wednesday: AM - 6:45a regeneration run PVHS (Black required; Silver optional; no Maroon; no Freshmen) / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone) 

Thursday: AM - Yoga at 6:45a everyone invited (no am run) / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone)

Friday: AM - 6:00a PVHS (everyone) / Afternoon - Black and upper-class Silver required; no Fresh/Sophs or Maroons)

Saturday: on own or form your own group (Varsity will discuss meeting together at 1:00p)

Upcoming Events:

• RACE: 4A State Championships, Tuesday 10/24, Regional Athletic Complex in SLC, *Invited Athletes*, just Varsity will be racing and we will fill the bus with Hype Squad to cheer, bus info TBA (this will be an overnight meet leaving Monday returning Tuesday) - those traveling with the varsity will be announced on Weds or Thurs.
• Halloween Ice Cream Run - on Halloween for practice we run to Artic Circle and get ice cream, plan your costumes now.
• RACE: JV State Championships, Saturday 10/28, Spanish Fork Sports Park in Spanish Fork, See paperwork above (or sent home last week) for info
• RACE: Autumn Classic, Thursday or Friday 11/2 or 11/3, in the evening (7:00p'ish) Desert Hills HS, 2 mile on the track! Date kind of depends on football and scheduling. Everyone should plan on racing, this is a great opportunity to see how quick your track times are after an amazing season of XC (plus it helps you get ready for Nike)

Race Report: 

Divisionals - 2023 results. This was our first time participating in Divisionals. We entered the race confident that we would qualify for State (top 10 in each race for 4A), so we decided to work on a few things to get ready for State. Both teams placed 3rd in their respective race and solidly moved on to State. 

Youngsters Info:

There is a race at Grandpa's Pond in Hurricane on Wednesday. Look for updates from Coach Martha. Again, Youngsters who want to practice with the HS after your season ends are able to and we will modify runs to your ability. Come out and see what the next opportunity of running is there for you. 

Alumni Updates:

Good job to Julien and Keaton on their races for Utah Tech down at the Highlander Invite in Riverside, Ca. this past weekend. J had a strong race and just missed breaking 25:00 for 8K. Carson and Jessica both traveled with Weber State to participate in Pre-Nats in Virginia. Carson was the 6th scorer for the Wildcats with a time of 24:55 (8K) and Jessica was the 5th finisher for the Weber women finishing the 6K in 22:11.

PVXC Thought of the Week: 

"Confidence comes from being good, not great. Anyone can have the starts align and have a great day. But the confidence from that is fleeting. Confidence comes from consistency. Show up and make your normal pretty darn good."

-Steve Magness

This might be geared toward our Varsity a little as we prep for State coming off a Divisionals race where things were kinda mid, but as usual its a message everyone of us can grow from. The reality of this running thing (as in life) is that is a long journey. And sometimes we get stuck in the present and think about maybe not a great performance or that some other team did something great or whatever. Despite this, we need to be thinking in the long-term. Every one of us could go back through the season, into the summer, and (for many) back years and years and see that we have been consistently good for a long time (and I don't mean the team, I mean each individual). You have been to practice nearly everyday. Working hard nearly everyday. Having good runs nearly everyday. Having fun nearly everyday. Having good races nearly every week. And when we add in a few really goods to balance out those bummers that happen sometimes, we see that each one of us has been consistently good. And consistently good is actually a really good thing! So take confidence (REAL confidence) from know that each of you have work very hard on this journey and deserve to do very well for yourself and your team. We are very proud of everyone of you!

Oct. 9-14 (Week 19)

Congrats to the whole team on a successful Region meet this past week. It was great seeing so many of our teammates have great races and continue to improve. To those who didn't quite get what they wanted (individually or as a team), just remember that the journey is bigger than the actual result. Think back to all the great things we have done this season: the friendships, the memories, the good times - and know those are the things that will really stick with you. A big shout-out of thanks to those who helped at the marathon and those who helped with the Youth meet. Thanks for your help and for being willing to get up early and sacrifice a little of your own sleep and sticking around after practice on Wednesday to help out others.

A couple notes (leaving this us from last week as just a reminder):

JV State and Foot Locker West - we've had many show interest in attending these meets. Attendance at both of these post-season meets will be organized by the athletes/parents. So don't wait. Start talking to your teammates and making plans for travel if you want to attend.

Nike Southwest - our PVXC Club will be taking a bus down to Phoenix for this meet for those who want to go. Info will be coming out this week.

Practice after Region - For JV that choose, the season officially ends with Region. It's been a long season and some might want to be done practicing; that is okay. For Varsity, and those JV that want to attend state to cheer (we will take app. 30 JV plus the Varsity), you are expected to keep coming to practice following our regular schedule (including during Fall Break, unless plans are made with coaches - Varsity needs to be at practices during break). As we move into the post-season, we would really like to encourage everyone (who isn't in a winter sport) to keep running. Distance running is different than almost every other sport. Because it is an aerobic-based activity, the body needs to continue building day after day, week after week, and season after season. A prolonged time off (like during winter, or even skipping all the way through spring and not doing track) will greatly hinder your development. Of course, we will need some downtime, so we do take a couple weeks off and then start a build again through December. But to really develop, the linking of seasons from summer and fall XC to winter and spring track and then back to XC is a must. So please think about your goals and how you want to develop and the commitment that this then requires and hopefully, you'll join us through the winter and track (even if you don't plan on traveling to post-season XC races).

Purpose of the Week's Workouts: Click here for this week's workouts. Our varsity team will be focused on the Divisional race this week and then prepping for State. Our JV crew, our goal for you is to keep motivated and hit a few good workouts over the next few weeks to keep running strong.

Minutes: Update your minutes for Week 18 Minutes (fill out the form for the week we just completed). 

This Week's Schedule:

*Wear WHITE or BRIGHT to ALL AM PRACTICES*

Monday: AM - 6:00a for Varsity for PreRace, 6:15a PVHS (for other Black and Silver required; Maroon optional) / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (no team meeting, just out to practice)

Tuesday: AM - no practice /  Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone) / Race - Varsity at Divisionals (see info below)

Wednesday: AM - 6:15a regeneration run PVHS (Black required; Silver optional; no Maroon; no Freshmen), Yoga at 6:45a everyone invited / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone) 

Thursday: AM - on own / Afternoon - regular practice at 1:00p PVHS (everyone) 

Friday: AM - on own / Afternoon - regular practice at 1:00p PVHS (everyone)

Saturday: on own or form your own group

Upcoming Events:

• RACE: 4A Divisionals, Tuesday 10/10, Lakeside Park in Orem, *Invited Athletes: Kate, Brecken, Elle, Katie, Brianna, Emmalee, Vanessa, Laney, Talmage, Porter, Evan, Kyler, Bridger, Trevor, Bender, Grant, Liam*, just Varsity will be racing and a few others going to cheer, Var Girls 11:00a, Var Boys 12:00p, Itinerary
• RACE: 4A State Championships, Tuesday 10/24, Regional Athletic Complex in SLC, *Invited Athletes*, just Varsity will be racing and we will fill the bus with Hype Squad to cheer, bus info TBA (this will be an overnight meet leaving Monday returning Tuesday)
• Halloween Ice Cream Run - on Halloween for practice we run to Artic Circle and get ice cream, plan your costumes now.

Race Report: 

Region 9 Championships - 2023 results. Congrats to all everyone on the team. Here are some of our top performances: The JV girls took 5th - we were led by Jordyn who took 5th overall. She was followed by Laura (who saw a lot of growth over the season), Alianna, Laney, and Sariah in 24th, 25th, 28th, and 39th place. The JV boys took 2nd - Grant medaled with his 7th place finish. Parker (11), Carson (13), Liam (15), Ian (16), Brennan (17), and Carter (18) followed him with top 20 finishes. The Varsity girls took 2nd - Elle, Brecken, and Kate earned medalist honors with their 5th, 6th, and 9th place finishes, respectively. Emmalee finished 12th and Katie 15th to round out the scoring. Brianna was 16th and Vanessa 32nd. The Varsity boys took 3rd - Talmage and Bridger were in the mix at the front throughout the race and finished 3rd and 4th. They were followed by Bender in 17th, Kyler in 18th, Porter 21st, Trevor 26th, and Evan 27th. Another great showing for PVXC at our Region level!

Athletes of the Week - (I really can't remember who earned what... sorry! But you're all still awesome)

Team Builder: Elle, Sr. Ever since moving to our school, she has been someone who brings everyone together and brings out the best in everyone.

Tough at Practice: Evan, Sr. This dude is always grinding. His consistent hard work this year has led him to securing a Varsity spot.

Performance of the Week: Samantha, Fr. Her improvement of over 5 minutes from the first Cedar race to now, shows her hard work and commitment to herself and the team. 

Youngsters Info:

Practice is held at PVHS at 3:00p on Monday. This is the last practice of the season. Ice Cream Run to Artic Circle. Bring a dollar and have some fun with the team. There is a race at Grandpa's Pond in Hurricane next week. Look for updates from Coach Martha. Again, Youngsters who want to practice with the HS after your season ends are able to and we will modify runs to your ability. Come out and see what the next opportunity of running is there for you. 

Alumni Updates:

Good job to Julien and Keaton on their races for Utah Tech up to the SUU Invite this past weekend. J continues to be in the top 5 for the Trailblazers and Keaton is learning a lot about running at the collegiate level. 

PVXC Thought of the Week: 

"You don't get results by focusing on results. You get results by focusing on the habits and behaviors that produce results"

-@bechampionminded

This is probably a great time to remind everyone about some things we talked about in the summer. Specifically the idea of focusing on the purpose of everything we do each day. Why do we do warm-up drills and post-run work like we do? Why do we do each workout? Why do we hold morning practices? Lift weights? And on... Because these are the habits and behaviors that produce results. Are you doing each of these things in ways that will build the results you want? Or are you just going through the motions and kinda being here? Those who see the best results, growth, and success are evaluating themselves each day in each behavior and doing the best they can each day.

Oct. 2-7 (Week 18)

It's Region Week! It's exciting to finally be here. We've worked very long and hard through a hot summer and early mornings, through good races and bummas, and with some of our best friends to get to this point. And now, we deserve to do great. So get good rest, stay healthy, control the things you can control. And let's all have a great attitude and be ready to succeed.

A couple notes:

JV State and Foot Locker West - we've had many show interest in attending these meets. Attendance at both of these post-season meets will be organized by the athletes/parents. So don't wait. Start talking to your teammates and making plans for travel if you want to attend.

Nike Southwest - our PVXC Club will be taking a bus down to Phoenix for this meet for those who want to go. Info will be coming out soon.

Practice after Region - For JV that choose, the season officially ends with Region. It's been a long season and some might want to be done practicing; that is okay. For Varsity, and those JV that want to attend state to cheer (we will take app. 30 JV plus the Varsity), you are expected to keep coming to practice following our regular schedule (including during Fall Break, unless plans are made with coaches - Varsity needs to be at practices during break). As we move into the post-season, we would really like to encourage everyone (who isn't in a winter sport) to keep running. Distance running is different than almost every other sport. Because it is an aerobic-based activity, the body needs to continue building day after day, week after week, and season after season. A prolonged time off (like during winter, or even skipping all the way through spring and not doing track) will greatly hinder your development. Of course, we will need some downtime, so we do take a couple weeks off and then start a build again through December. But to really develop, the linking of seasons from summer and fall XC to winter and spring track and then back to XC is a must. So please think about your goals and how you want to develop and the commitment that this then requires and hopefully, you'll join us through the winter and track (even if you don't plan on traveling to post-season XC races).

Purpose of the Week's Workouts: Click here for this week's workouts. We continue in our Competition Phase where we want to give everyone a chance to really have great races. Although we still need to keep our aerobic engines strong, we don't focus as much on the long run; instead, we continue the growth of race pace (and touch on sub-race pace) development.

Minutes: Update your minutes for Week 17 Minutes (fill out the form for the week we just completed). 

This Week's Schedule:

*Wear WHITE or BRIGHT to ALL AM PRACTICES*

Monday: AM - 6:15a PVHS (Black and Silver required; Maroon optional) / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone - Team Meeting in Lec. Hall)

Tuesday: AM - 6:45a short run PVHS (optional for everyone - no weights) / Afternoon - RACE see info below (no practice) 

Wednesday: AM - 6:15a regeneration run PVHS (Black required; Silver optional; no Maroon; no Freshmen), Yoga at 6:45a everyone invited / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone) THEN WE WILL BE HELPING WITH THE YOUTH MEET AT PVMS from 4:30-6:00p

Thursday: AM - 6:15a Weights and short run PVHS (Black, Silver required; Maroon optional) / Afternoon - regular practice at 3:00p PVHS (everyone)

Friday: AM - 6:00a PVHS (everyone) / Afternoon - Black and upper-class Silver required; no Fresh/Sophs or Maroons)

Saturday: plan TBA - we will be helping with the St. George Marathon Aide Station at mile 22. We'll meet pretty early and get a run in then carpool up the course to help until mid-afternoon. If you haven't signed up yet, please do (and ultimately, everyone is invited - including family - even if you don't get signed up).

Upcoming Events:

• RACE: Region 9 Championships, Tuesday 10/3, Bicentennial Park in Cedar, times TBA, bus info HS out after 4th, MS out at 1:45p (bus will come grab you)
• YOUTH RACE: PV Youth Meet, Wednesday 10/4, PVMS after practice, everyone expected to be there to help
• RACE: 4A Divisionals, Tuesday 10/10, Lakeside Park in Orem, *Invited Athletes*, just Varsity will be racing and a few others going to cheer, Var Girls 11:00a or 11:40a, Var Boys 11:20a or 12:00p, bus info TBA (this will be an overnight meet leaving Monday after school and returning Tuesday)
• RACE: 4A State Championships, Tuesday 10/24, Regional Athletic Complex in SLC, *Invited Athletes*, just Varsity will be racing and we will fill the bus with Hype Squad to cheer, bus info TBA (this will be an overnight meet leaving Monday returning Tuesday)

Race Report: 

Cedar Invite - 2023 results. We had another strong meet up in Cedar. Our Youngsters, once again, did a great job. Then from our JV squads to our Varsity squads, we saw a lot of improvement in times and place throughout the race and in comparison to our first race of the season in mid-August. Here's a look at how we improved over the season from our first race in Cedar in August to now (and over the years for the Sophs-Seniors). PVXC Record (2016-present)

Athletes of the Week -

Team Builder: Nate, Fr. He has a great attitude and work ethic. The future is very bright for Nate.

Tough at Practice: Cannon, So. He has really worked hard this year and pushed himself.

Performance of the Week: Sariah, So. She ran her first Varsity race up at TwiKnight and has shown great improvement throughout the season. 

Youngsters Info:

Practice is held at PVHS at 3:00p on Mondays and Thursdays for 6th-8th graders. Youth race Wednesday at PVMS 5:00p. Be there 30mins early. Look for updates from Coach Martha about the last few practices of the year. After the Youngster season ends, you are invited to come run with the HS team if you'd like (don't be scared, we'll modify workouts for you!)

Alumni Updates:

Jessica and Carson went out to Notre Dame representing Weber State on Friday. Both ran very well and are right around 4-6 on their respective teams. It is great seeing Panthers continue to do great things in running (and life). We're very proud of these two. By the way, take a second and look at where both Jess and Carson rank on our Cedar Invite records (up above). These are two amazing people who trusted our program and the coaching and worked for years (even through the winter; notice we are pushing that a bit?!) to become the amazing contributors to our HS and their university programs.

PVXC Thought of the Week: 

"Too often we hold on to the wrong ideas on competition... that we need some weird mix of fear, punishment, and to be pushed. When in reality all we need is to have the freedom to take risks, to see what is possible. That comes from joy, support, and security."

Steve Magness

This seems like a good thought as we approach the last regular season race for many and the championship season for others. Coaching for over 20 years (on top of my own 35 years of racing/running) I've seen (and experienced myself) the first thought all too often - that feeling of fear and worry about an important race and that someone will be mad if the best race isn't run. But those who I have seen reach their peak performance when it matters most are those who live by the second thought - that racing when extremely fit is an opportunity to take a risk, to experience the great joy of being brave and seeing what is possible from all your hard work, while knowing that everyone around you loves you, supports you, and is excited to see you give your very best and your growth in action. Please know that those final thoughts are how your coaches, your teammates, and your family feel right now. There is no need to be scared or timid as you approach this week (and the weeks to come). We all love you, trust you, and are excited for you to exemplify your best self out on the course!