GLVC Champions

The Screaming Eagles made the most of their weekend in Rolla, Missouri, sweeping the men's and women's team titles in dominating fashion.

The men split an impressive 12.6 seconds for their top 5, taking places 3-4-5-6-8-9-11-15-16-20....that's 7 in the top 11 and 8 on the all-GLVC team (a new league record). All-GLVC members were Dustin Emerick (also the named the GLVC freshman of the year), Bryan Phillips, Brendan Devine, Brandon Campbell, David Goodman, Andrew Dixon, Sam Gebreselassie and Rob Roads. Not too shabby for a squad that had exactly zero GLVC Runner of the Week awards this fall.

The women kept things rolling right along, placing 6 on the all-GLVC squad and placing 10 runners in the top 21 en route to a 39-63 win over rival Wisconsin Parkside. Mary Ballinger finished 2nd in 20:59. Adrienne Curtis, Allie Shafer, Sarah Whiteman, Christy Dixon and Brittany Rutledge joined her on the all-GLVC squad.

Special mention goes to Kiel Lovekin and Lacy Williams, who both finished in a not-so-sweet 16th... one place from All-GLVC recognition (AAAGGGHHH....wait until next year!)

The team got right back to work on Sunday afternoon, logging an easy long run on the campus trails. On Tuesday the squads assembled at the IM Fields for our longest set of 800m reps all fall....8 for the women and 12 for the men. Not knowing what to expect on the heels of a hard effort Saturday, we were all greatly encouraged by the effort...as the men and women managed to run faster than the same workout 3 weeks prior (even with the additional 2 reps for each squad). All indications are that our best running is still ahead of us....as it should be.

Congratulations, team... I'm proud to be your coach.

Up next: 6 mile cutdown for the men/4m cutdown for the women on Friday. And then....

On to Big Rapids, MI

GLVC Week

On Saturday, the team trekked across town to compete in the UE Invitational.

The women ran very well behind Mary Ballinger's impressive frontrunning (1st, 17:18), finishing 2nd to Southern Illinois in a field of 22 teams. A tight chase pack continues to develop for the women, as Allie Shafer, Heather Beard, Adrienne Curtis, Sarah Whiteman and Holly Bartelt finished between 18:33-18:52.

The top 5 men ran a controlled effort for 4 miles before picking it up a bit over the final kilometer. Dustin Emerick, Bryan Phillips, David Goodman, Andrew Dixon, Brendan Devine, Brandon Campbell and Robert Roads split between 25:05 and 25:30 to lead the team to a strong 3rd place performance behind SIU and Belmont. Behind the front 7, Geb, Suarez, Lovekin and Z all finished under 26 minutes.

Congrats on a fine team effort, team!

The season starts Saturday...on to GLVC!

RoHo behind us....on to UE

Tuesday's benchmark session, the "Michigan" (RoHo, Frasier...or whatever you want to call it) went exceptionally well. The weather was a bit warm and humid (84), but it was quite evident that most everyone showed up fully prepared to handle the session.

Here is how it breaks down:

2-3 mile warmup

(Rest is 90 second walk between everything)

1600m on track

6 minute tempo @ pace 40 seconds slower per mile than first 1600.

1200m (1000m for women) on track

6 min. tempo

800 m on track

6 min. tempo (no tempo for women)

600m on track

Men Summary:

14 men between 4:35-4:44 on the first 1600, all 28 in by 5:03. Instructions were to run no more than 1 sec per lap faster as the reps shortened. No problem....the front group stayed clustered the entire workout. The 2007 squad only managed to put 3 men in on the first 1600 under 4:40 (11 this time), and just 5 under 4:44 (13 Tuesday). Well done, men!

Women Summary:

Mary rolled through the firt 1600 in 5:14, and continued at the same clip throughout (3:15 1k, 2:35 800, 1:53 600). A pack of 6 ran between 5:28-35/3:23-28/2:37-47/2:05 in a group. All 15 women averaged 5:50 pace or better for the track portions of the workout. Great job, ladies. We are right on target

Next up:

UE Invitational on Saturday, October 18th

Directions to the course: http://gopurpleaces.com/documents/2008/8/11/Map-To-UECC-Course.pdf?id=240

With 22 teams on the line and over 200 runners in each race, this will be nice "run through" prior the GLVC Championships on October 25th in Rolla, Missouri. Notable teams competing:

14 Division I teams represented. Southern Illinois, Belmont and Southern Indiana appear to be the top 3 men's teams in the men's field, with Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana and Murray State expected to be at the front of the women's race.

Objectives:

Split 1 second 1-5 for the men , 10 in 40 seconds

Average under 18 minutes for women's top 5, 7 under 18:25.

Louisville Classic

The Screaming Eagles enjoyed a succesful trip to the Louisville Cardinal Classsic on Saturday. The men were up first at 9:30am. The early start (that's 8:30am Evansville time) meant no early morning shakeout run, so the men opted for a 4.5 mile warmup. In a very strong and deep field, we managed to place 10th overall, averaging 25:16 for the top 5 (compared to 25:11 last year). The men hit the chute at 25:05 (Dixon), 25:07 (Z), 25:18 (Emerick), 25:18 (Grandpa Phillips), 25:34 (Roads), 25:37 (Devine), 25:40 (B), 25:53 (Badman), 26:01 (Hurricane Suarez), and 26:08 (McLovekin).

90 minutes later, our next 11 men (pictured, minus Andrew Duggan) put on a great display of the team's depth, as they finished 2nd out of 25 teams in the Blue Race, averaging 26:27 for the top 5. Geb and Menner did a great job at the front, running 25:54 and 26:01. The rest of the squad followed in 26:22 (Duggan), 26:52 (Kern), 27:06 (Nyboer), 27:14 (Kendrick), 27:26 (Latta), 27:31 (Delong), 27:38 (Camp), 28:24 (Clark) and 28:33 (Nona).

The women made a quantum jump from their performance at Louisville a year ago, when they averaged 19:14 for the top 5. This time around, the ladies went 17:27 (Mary - wow), 18:32 (Allie), 18:40 (Holly), 18:47 (Adrienne), 18:48 (Christy), 19:14 (Lacy), 19:37 (Marcia), 19:39 (Sarah B), 19:49 (Sarah W - if not for a side stitch likely would have finished in the 18:40's), and 20:08 (Jackie). 90 minutes later, the women would one-up the men as the 2nd squad finished 1st out of 22 teams in the Blue Race! Heather Beard (19:34), Lauren Crick (19:41), Allison Laird (19:56), Brittany Rutledge(19:56) packed nicely at the 1-4 spots, and Allie Baumer secured the win when she crossed in 20:49.

Next up for the Screaming Eagles: A long fartlek session and 7-10 x 800m this week, then RoHo and the UE Invite next week.

Thanks to all of you for running hard. A special thanks to Mary and Marcia for being so strong and courageous in the midst of difficult times. We are all proud of you.

Dogtown Tempo

Yesterday afternoon the team boarded vans and headed south to the Ohio River bottoms for a 4m-5m progressive threshold run. The men were divided into 2 groups - one starting @ 5:40 and the 2nd starting @ 5:30. The women started at 6:20 for the front group and 6:30 for the 2nd. We were blessed with a slight tailwind which was probably negated by the 83 degree day, but in all fairness....we did get a little push.

The men's front group hit the first half mile in a slowish 2:50, then quickly corrected the pace and rolled nicely from there. After a mile split of 5:33 and a 2 mile split of 10:47, the men finished in 25:58, 25:58, 26:03, 26:11, 26:22, 26:22, 26:30, 26:38, 26:39, 26:41, 26:43 for the first 11 in. The surprise of the day had to be John Latta, who ran a very solid 21:34 for 4 after a 5:40 opening mile.

The women looked very comfortable hitting their splits on their 3-4m tempo....the 3 group ran 19:02, 19:25, 19:25, 19:40, while the 4m group ran 24:12, 24:30, 24:46, 25:27, 25:27, 25:36, 25:43, 25:44, 25:51 and 26:02. Most of the women managed to close the last mile between 5:40-6:10.

Great job, Eagles. Another solid week of training under our belts.....next week: Mile Repeats and the Louisville Cardinal Classic.

Tuesday, September 9th:

Workout:

Women:

12 x 400m @ 77-82, reps 8, 11 @ 5-7 seconds faster.

Rest: 2:40 cycle

The women appear to be recovered well from Saturday's long session. They cruised through today's menu, hitting splits consistently and bouncing right back into their previous rhythm comfortably after each hammer rep. Congrats on a great session, ladies. Well done.

Men:

16 x 400m @ 67-69 for group A, 70-72 for group B w/ 8-11-15 @ 5-7 seconds faster.

Rest: 2:20 cycle for group A, 2:25 for group B.

The men looked very controlled throughout the session, as group 1 cruised through each rep around 68 seconds then dropped to 60-64 for reps 8-11-15. Group 2 looked just as strong, running 70-71's throughout with hammer intervals in the 64-68 range. Congrats an a well-executed session, men. We appear to be right on schedule!

Up Next: 3.5-4m tempo on Friday.

Tunnel Hill / Garden of the Gods

Our annual trip to Tunnel Hill and Garden of the Gods got off to a fantastic start when we awoke to cool, ideal conditions. Before a picnic lunch and sightseeing at Garden of the Gods, there was work to be done. The men's workout consisted of 2-3 x 3 miles @ threshold, while the women were to run 2 x 3 miles @ threshold. The men's front group managed to run their segments in 16:25-16:00-15:53 , while the women managed to run 2 x 3 miles at a much faster pace then they were able to manage 2 x 2 miles the previous year. Up next: 12-16 x 400m on Tuesday!

Stegemoller Classic

The season officially began with the Stegemoller Classic on August 30th. The women's squad made quick work of the field, finishing 1-3-5-6-7-10-11 for a winning score of 18 points. Mary Ballinger posted a 29 second win, covering the 4k layout in 14:20. Allie Shafer crossed next for the Screaming Eagles (3rd, 14:57), followed by Holly Bartelt, Lacy Williams, Adrienne Curtis, Jackie Henderson, and Marcia Weflen. The team's top 5 total time reflected a 48 second improvement over last year's performance.
The men were impressive in their season debut. The Screaming Eagles, behind impressive debut performances for Dustin Emerick, David Goodman and Bryan Phillips, posted marks of 18:53-18:56-18:58-19:00 (Matt Zielske), 19:06 (Rob Roads), 19:09 (Brandon Campbell), 19:19 (Andrew Dixon) to split 13 seconds (1-5) and 26 seconds (1-7). Both teams will compete in the Indiana Intercollegiates at Indiana University on September 19th.

Lincoln State Park Trip - First day of substance

The Screaming Eagles traveled to Lincoln State Park on Tuesday to log the first quality session of the fall campaign: 3.3-4m of fartlek for the women's squad and 4-7m of fartlek for the men.

The workout went extremely well, with both squads showing excellent early season form. The men managed to get through 5 miles of the session (when the freshmen were instructed to call it a day) with 12-15 men in the front group. As expected, Mary Ballinger and Allie Shafer ran in tandem at the front for the women, while the rest all finished as a group - pretty impressive when considering the quality of some of the upperclassmen in that group. Spirits are high as we head toward our season opener on Saturday. Team goals: 5 women under 14:50/ 10 under 15:20. Men: 20 second 1-7 split.

Block II Training

2008 Training Block II
University of Southern Indiana Cross Country
Terminology:
W=women M=men
m=mile K = kilometer
min=minute s = seconds RP = race pace
LR=long run F = Fartlek T=threshold PT=progressive threshold
h=hill H = Hammer R=rest RR=running recovery

Volume : The percentage of your peak volume. Example: If you are peaking at 100mpw, you will be @ 80 miles the week of 8-4. If you are peaking at 60, you will be @ 48 the week of 8-4.

Session I, II explained: Simply use the terminology above to translate. Threshold runs should be at a 85-90% effort. NOT A TIME TRIAL!

Long Run (LR): percentage of your total volume for the week. Example: someone who is at 80 miles would have a long run of 13-16 miles during week 1. If you are at 40 miles the week of 8-4, your long run would be 8 miles (None of the women should be below 8 miles on long runs for now – most of you are likely in the 10-12 range) Long runs should be at a moderate effort for now…the same effort as a typical training run.

Additional Training:

Core work: Crunches, core work 3 days per week.

Drills after Session II: Follow session II with this set AFTER your cooldown (Minimum 15 min up/down) http://www.kimbia.net/2008/06/10/slow-drills-fast-runners/

Drills after Session I and long run: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcH97Dx8VCk
I want everyone to start integrating drills NOW so that there is no setback when we begin them as a team in late August.

Fartlek, Doped Russians, Gender Confusion and Chocolate Milk

Training Update:
I hope that all of you are enjoying your "down" week. Everyone should receive their new training schedules via rmail tomorrow. There are two suggested workouts on tap for next week: a fartlek session (preferrably on rolling hills and a soft surface, i.e. golf course, xc course or trails) and a short threshold (3m women/4m men), preferably on flat to gently rolling terrain. The intensity is negotiable - just make sure you are cognizant of the fact that it's the first week of August - a full 15 weeks removed from the national championships.

Russians, Romanians fail drug test:
A week after a truckload of rediculous times were posted at the Russian Oly Trials, 7 athletes have apparrently failed drug testing. 6 were members of their Olympic team, and have been subsequently barred from the Olympic Games. http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/31072008/58/beijing-2008-top-russians-banned-games.html
2 female distance runners from Romania were recently booted from their team for EPO use (or at least suspicion thereof...their hematocrits were apparrently higher than what is humanly possible). Not to worry, team.... we are always one step ahead of testing here at the University of Southern Indiana...we haven't had a failed drug test yet! Of course I'm kidding, but it's always nice to be accused of cheating (you know you're doing something right then).

Gender Testing:
The Chinese will be conducting gender testing at the Olympics. Not sure if you're a man or a woman? Apparrently the Chinese now have the technology to uncover the truth. They think of everything, don't they? http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/30/olympicgames2008.gender

Chocolate Milk: The ultimate sports recovery drink
Our upperclassmen already know this little secret, and I am sure that some of our rookies know as well. Here is a link to story ona study that was conducted a few years ago @ IU. Low Fat Chocolate milk has the same 4:1 Carbohydrate to protein ratio found in Endurox R4 and other leading sports recovery drinks. It works, and it tastes great, and it's a LOT cheaper. If you want to recover from your long runs and workouts optimally, have a glass of low fat chocolate milk immiediately following your training session.
http://www.winforum.org/HeraldTimes_StagerResearch.htm

That's all for now. Keep up the great work, Eagles. Go run.

Summer Training: Block One winds down

Team,

We will hold our first team practice of the fall campaign on August 23rd @ 6pm at PAC Arena. Move-In is scheduled for August 22nd and 23rd. Housing will be informed that you will be moving in early, so you will not need to contact them regarding this.
Our first meet of the fall will be at home on August 30th (Stegemoller Classic: 4k women/6k men).
All freshmen/newcomers will need to have a physical prior to the start of practice on the 23rd. If your NCAA Clearinghouse paperwork is not complete (freshmen) prior to Aug 23, be aware that you will not be allowed to practice / participate.

I have been in touch with many of you this summer, and by most all accounts, we have had a very productive first block of summer training. We will all take a down week next week (week of July 28) Make sure you cut your volume by at least 40% this week, and keep everything easy. At a minimum, run 25-30 minutes a day every other day during this week. On August 4th, our primary training block will begin - a 16 week building process that will culminate with the NCAA II Championships in Slippery Rock, PA on November 22nd. Your training volume for this primary block should start at about 70-80% of your peak volume during block one. I will be in touch with each of you with more detailed training schemes.

Congrats on several fine performances at Night Flight this past weekend. Thanks to all of you who gave of your time and effort to assist with the event.

As your training continues, remember to always listen and pay attention to the feedback your body is giving you. If you know that you need an off day/light day, take it! Remember that training is a slow, tedious, evolutionary process. You can only push the envelope slightly from week to week / day to day. We need to be smart and train within our limitations. By the same token, we can't afford to waste training opportunities. Make the most of every day!
MH