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Cross Country
Cross Country wll begin on Monday, August 18 in the hall between the gyms. If you are out for another sport, please check in with Coach McGurren before going to your other practice.
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Coach
Contact Information
Dan McGurren home phone - 530-1929
School Phone: (701) 323-4550
Dan McGurren
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Horizon Middle School - Cross Country 2008
Dear Parents/Guardians and Runners:
Welcome to a new year of cross country. This is my third year heading the program and I'm very excited to share it with you. I think we'll have a good season.
Our races consist of various courses of 3000 meters or about 1.8 miles. The 7th and 8th boys race together and the girls race together most of the time. There may be a race where 7th will compete separately and 8th too.
Cross country is a team sport with the first five runners per team counting towards the total points. The team with the fewest points is the victor. As an example let's say we place 1st 3rd 7th 12th and 20th. Adding those numbers gives us a total score of 43. Your 6th 7th, etc runners are very important as well because the runners they beat increase the score of opposing teams. In addition running is a sport where you compete against your best competition and against yourself. The goal for the season is to make improvements each meet. We'll work hard and have some fun as we progress towards the last meet of the year.
We will meet everyday that we have school at 3:30. Practice will last between an hour and 90 minutes. There will almost always be running involved but I also plan to incorporate two days a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) to core training which is very much like Pilates. Our emphasis will be on the muscle groups of the stomach, back and legs.
Success in cross country is determined by the quality and effort of each individual runner. Many factors play into this success including nutrition, rest, attitude, and training. I will do my best to train you for your meets with the goal of your personal improvement and having your best races in October. It is therefore important that you attend practice every day. Nevertheless, we coaches understand that there are many conflicting interests and activities and at times you cannot make practice or you are involved in another sport or extra curricular activity during cross country practice. Please see me about these times and I will do my best to accommodate your schedule. Again, success in cross country is determined by how much you are willing to put into it. If you cannot make a practice, see what we're doing that day and try to do it on your own if you are getting little physical activity in your conflicting area.
Before anyone is allowed to race they must have a physical (or form B for 8th grade), pay the fee, and watch the video. I am very pleased you have decided to run cross country for Horizon Middle School. I have a personal bias for runners. It seems to me those who have dedicated themselves to the work of running and racing acquired important life skills that have served them well in their successful post racing lives.
Sincerely,
Daniel McGurren see reverse for schedule
Racing Schedule for Horizon Cross Country 2008
Race Date Place Time/transport
1 Tuesday, September 2 Rusty Bucket at Cottonwood 4:30
2 Saturday, September 6 at Dickinson *bus at BHS
3 Saturday, September 13 at Mandan Municipal Golf Course 1:30
4 Saturday, September 20 at Tom O'Leary Golf Course 11:00
5 Monday, September 22 Candy bar Meet at Hillside Park 4:30
6 Thursday, October 2 at Jamestown I-94 *1:30 bus at BHS
7 Saturday, October 11th at Mandan = WDA (same as above) TBA
• The three middle school boys' and girls' teams will ride the same bus to and from all out of town meets. We will meet in the southeast parking lot of Bismarck High School. Time of departure will be announced as soon as possible. The Dickinson meet will begin at 9:00 MST or 10:00 our time. The varsity will run first and the junior highs will run last. We will likely need to depart no later than 8:00. Our return time has been between 4 and 6 pm and we encourage the kids to make calls as we approach home. Runners may ride to and/or from the out of town races with their families but PLEASE notify me.
I am providing a blueprint of our workouts for the rest of the year for those athletes involved in other sports who may not be able to make it to practice on a given day. This is a good guide for what I'd like to follow throughout the season but do not make it rigid. If you are already getting a good workout in your other activities then modify this workout, run easy miles or rest.
Striders are what I consider fast light running. My intent is to get the body and the muscles involved in running accustomed to going faster than they will in a race. These are not meant to tax your cardiovascular system so you should feel good and be breathing normally before doing the next one. Striders are between 100 and 300 meters in length and you should run them at the pace you run the mile. If you can run them on grass.
Threshold is a pace that is faster than our normal running days but slower than your race pace. A rule of thumb is you should be able to maintain this pace for a little longer than our races. If you are having difficulty breathing you are going to fast. An example of threshold pace would be for someone who runs a mile in 6 minutes to run a threshold at about 6:45 pace.
All other running listed is at easy pace. Run relaxed.
Stretching is an important part of training. We emphasize a group of about eight stretches to be done before and after each running session. This is an often neglected area and can often lead to injury.
Core - We emphasize the muscles of the lower body and we do these on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Abs = crunches, raise-up, Vs, bicycle, and obliques
Back = superman, cobra and child's pose
Glutes and legs = triangle, pyramid, lunges, squats and partner hamstrings
Monday, August 25 Stretching, 4 miles easy, 5 striders
Tuesday, August 26 Practice at Cottonwood Park (H.S. Rusty Bucket)
If not able, run 20 minutes easy and 5 striders
Wednesday, August 27 5 minute warm-up with striders, Timed mile, 10 minute cool down, Uniforms
Thursday, August 28 Stretching, core, 5 minutes threshold, 5 minutes easy
3 minutes threshold, 5 minutes easy
Friday, August 29 20 minutes easy
Saturday, August 30 30 minutes easy or 4 miles easy
Sunday, August 31 REST
Monday, September 1 Labor Day - No School - Stretch - 20 minutes easy
Tuesday, September 2 Meet at Cottonwood - 1.8 miles - 4:30 YEA HUSKIES!!!
Wednesday, September 3 Stretch 4 miles and 5 striders
Thursday, September 4 Stretch, core, 25 minutes easy
Friday, September 5 Stretch, 20 minutes easy
Saturday, September 6 Meet @ Dickinson bus leaves BHS 8:00 GO HUSKIES!!
Sunday, September 7 REST
Monday, September 8 Stretch, 30 minutes easy, 5 striders
Tuesday, September 9 Stretch, core 10 minute easy, 10 minute threshold, 10 minute easy
Wednesday, September 10 Stretch, 5 X 3 minute threshold with 3 minute easy
4 striders
Thursday, September 11 Core, Stretch, end of path and back easy (about 4 miles)
Friday, September 12 Stretch 20 minutes easy
Saturday, September 13 Meet @ Mandan 1:30 HUSKIES ARE GREAT!!
Sunday, September 14 REST
Monday, September 15 Stretch 3 miles easy
Tuesday, September 16 Stretch, core 30 minute easy, 5 striders
Wednesday, September 17 Stretch, 10 minute easy, 10 minute threshold, 10 minute easy, 8 striders
Thursday, September 18 Stretch, core, 25 minutes easy
Friday, September 19 20 minutes easy
Saturday, September 20 Meet @ Tom O'Leary Golf Course 11:00
Huskies are Hot to Trot
Sunday, September 21 REST
Monday, September 22 Candy bar Meet at Hillside 4:30 - HUSKIES DOMINATE!!
Tuesday, September 23 Stretch, core, 25 minutes easy, 8 striders
Wednesday, September 24 Stretch, 5 minute easy, 7 X 3 minute threshold, 5 minutes easy
Thursday, September 25 Stretch, core, 25 minutes easy, 8 striders
Friday, September 26 Stretch 5 minutes easy, 1 X 600 threshold; 1 X 400 threshold; 2 X 200 Fast sprint 5 minute easy
Saturday, September 27 Stretch, 25 minutes easy
Sunday, September 28 REST
Monday, September 29 Stretch 30 minutes easy
Tuesday, September 30 Stretch, core, 10 minute easy, 20 minute threshold, 10 minute easy
Wednesday, October 1 Stretch, 25 minutes easy, 8 striders
Thursday, October 2 Meet @ Jamestown McElroy Park 1:30 - Huskies # 1
Friday, October 3 Stretch, core, 5 minutes easy
2 X 600 @ Threshold 2 X 400 @ Threshold
2 X 400 @ Race pace, 5 minutes easy
Saturday, October 4 25 minutes easy
Sunday, October 5 REST
Monday, October 6 Stretch 3 miles easy, 5 striders
Tuesday, October 7 Stretch, core 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes threshold
10 minutes easy
Wednesday, October 8 Stretch, 5 minute warm-up, Timed mile, 10 minute down
Thursday, October 9 Stretch, 20 minutes easy, 5 striders
Friday, October 10 Stretch, 20 minutes easy
Saturday, October 11 WDA CHAMPIONSHIP @ MANDAN
HUSKIES TIME TO SHINE
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