My Cross Country Experience Learning to communicate through
numbers, not words
Slide 2
Mr. Woolsey Cross country coach Started coaching in his early
20s Been coaching for 33 years Ran cross in high school Only girls
cross coach ever at Lumen Christi 8 state championships Won coach
of the year in 2005 In 2007, had second- generation runners Most
successful cross country program in Michigan High energy Extremely
supportive Pushes athletes to be their best Also a history teacher
Calls team his adopted daughters Each team unique to him Devotes
most of his time to cross
Slide 3
Cross Country Terms PR Personal Record: Running your fastest
time for the race distance Negative Split When you run the second
half of a course faster than the first half Surge When someone
suddenly speeds up. The purpose is to pass a runner. A surge is not
a sprint. Kick - Usually happens at the very end of a race, maybe
the last 200 to 400 meters of a race Straight Lining Running the
shortest possible distance from one point to another, usually a
straight line Pace Average running speed over the course Race Pace
- The pace that you will run at in a race Goal Pace Pace you want
to be running at by the end of the season
Slide 4
Terms Continued Blind Spot locations on a course where trailing
runners cannot see those ahead. Trees, bushes or hills often create
blind spots Warm-up running and stretching done prior to practice
or competition to gradually warm up the body for more intense
training or racing Cool-down jogging and stretching done after a
practice or race to gradually allow muscles to purge themselves of
waste products which have accumulated during exercise False Start
leaving the starting line before the gun sounds Splits recording a
runner's time as he/she pass a predetermined mark on the course in
order to check the runner's pace. Chute a rope bordered funnel past
the finish line that moves runners into a single file order of
finish Hitting the Wall - Happens when a runner totally runs out of
carbohydrates. Legs feel dead, speed goes down dramatically, and
thought processes get really fuzzy
Slide 5
What He Taught Me Believe in myself I can accomplish anything
if I want to I can surprise myself I can surprise others Set goals
that are high, but achievable The results are worth all the hard
work put in If you had told me your freshman year that you would
become one of our top varsity runners, I would have said, What is
going to happen to our team?! -Mike Woolsey
Slide 6
Communicating Goals can be more specific when communicating
through times and numbers: I want to finish here I want to be under
this time Creates a different thinking style Steps toward the final
goal can be achieved by dissecting the goal into smaller
sub-goals
Slide 7
Cross Country is a Family After four great years, Its okay to
shed some tears. Even though at times I just wanted to be blue, The
running and racing has gotten me through. The hollering of coaches,
Huffing of tired lungs, Heaving of leaden legs all create the
experience. Most of all, though, we do not run on our own. We run
as one, as we should. Like a pride of lions, we have been family,
sisters, and that means more than anything else ever could.
