Redhawks,
Here is our schedule for this upcoming week. We won't be practicing after school at all this week.
Monday - 40 minute run, easy
Tuesday - 6-8 x 300m slightly faster than race pace.
Wednesday 30-40 easy
Thursday - For non-footlocker goers - 20 minute tempo with 5 minutes before and after (in addition to the warm up; so a 30 minute run with a 20 minute tempo).
Friday - 40 minutes easy.
Thanks,
Coach
Redhawks,
Happy Thanksgiving week!
Monday will be a long/easy run: 40 minutes - mix in some hills.
Tuesday we will be doing some 5K pace 400s on the track, but only like 6-8 with 90-120s recovery.
Wednesday will be our alumni Turkey Bowl at the track at 9 AM (I encourage an easy run before or after). It will be flag-football, so bring soccer socks or other long socks to use as flags, so we won't have people shoving each other over in the name of "two-hand touch". My goal is for this to be no contact, nice and peaceful and fun.
Thursday the rec center is hosting their annual turkey trot 10K, 5K, or 1K. Overall winners are going to get some kind of Wasatch Running gift card, is what I'm told, so now I'm discouraging everyone who is faster than me from going. Kidding aside, I would love to see you all there (for those who are able), including parents and siblings! The discount code for the athletes is TRACK10.
I appreciate each of you and what you bring to our team to make the experience enjoyable.
Thanks,
Coach Jacobson
Redhawks,
This week we will practice after school on Tuesday and Thursday. Monday/Wednesday/Friday should be a run of 40 minutes, 30 minutes, and 50-60 minutes, respectively. Those who have the class will do those runs during class.
I have an email group for those going to footlocker, so be sure to check your email and let me know if you haven't received an email specific to the footlocker group.
Thanks,
Coach Jacobson
Redhawks,
We will resume practicing this week, but on a limited basis. We will be practicing on Tuesday and Thursday, with the other 3 days intended to be your distance run days which can be done on your own.
Monday you should do a 40 easy run. Wednesday should be 30 minutes easy. Friday should be 50.
Tuesday/Thursday we will meet during class/after school for a workout.
I'm finalizing plans for Footlocker, booking rooms, arranging rides, etc., so if you're interested and haven't told me, now is the time to do so.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Coach Jacobson
Footlocker itinerary
Here is the vision for Footlocker as of right now. We are currently planning on driving.
We are going to have to book tickets for Disneyland, and to make sure we can get it for the day we want we will need to move on it quickly. Right now the cost for Disneyland is $159 for 12/4 (which will amount to a half day). The tickets are non-refundable so we need to be sure the day before moving forward.
Cost is adding up to be around $500 per person for the trip, which will include hotels (3 nights), disneyland, and the race. The hotels will have breakfast but food will otherwise not be paid for beforehand.
If you previously said you'd like to go, but are no longer able to/interested, please let me know so I can update our reservations.
Here is the plan if we drive:
Thursday 12/2 -
7AM depart from Bountiful
7ish PM - Arrive in Walnut California - hotel, dinner, bed.
Friday 12/3
Breakfast
Course preview and gear pick up at Mt. SAC college.
Lunch
Day at Newport Beach
Dinner
Bed
Saturday 12/4
Check out of hotel
(7:15-10 AM) Race - divided by age
After the races we will head to Disneyland for the rest of the day.
Check in to hotel near Disneyland
Midnight - Bed
Sunday 12/5
Drive home
Redhawks,
I thank you all for your commitment and dedication this season. It was a very enjoyable season for me because of the type of people that we have on this team.
The boys won the region championship for the first time in 10 years, and finished in the top-10 at state for the 3rd consecutive year, and only 7th time in team history (prior to the last three years BHS teams only finished in the top 10 every 11-12 years, on average - now we are perennially in the top 10).
Our girls finished in a close second at region and finished 13th at state. While our goal was top 10, they left everything out on the course, which is all anyone can ask. This 5A classification is one of the biggest in state history, with over 30 teams (4A for perspective only has 13 teams...). This year the girls set a new record at BHS - this was the biggest girls team we've ever had. (I keep track of our numbers, and so did the previous coach, Coach Wiley.) Team growth is important to me, for a variety of reasons, but namely because it is a better experience for everyone as our team grows. I would love for our team to be a place where anyone can come and improve themselves and enjoy the team experience.
I'm grateful that this isn't the end of the line for our seniors, whom I'm really going to miss, since we still have footlocker (now called Eastbay, btw), indoor track, and then outdoor track. If you don't know how any of those seasons are going to work, please ask me. As of now for indoor it's a big question mark, but I believe Simplot is going to happen.
This coming week is when I'm going to be getting into the Eastbay (footlocker) planning. If you haven't yet told me that you'd like to come, now is the time to do so. Obviously if you change your mind and can't go, or can go, later on, we will still take you if we have the space.
We will NOT be holding after school practices this week, but we will be doing something during class, so come in your workout gear. I'm actually hoping to get into the weight room, in addition to potential light running, but nothing crazy. This week will be treated as an off week, and anyone with nagging injuries or general fatigue won't be running at all.
Thank you for a great season!
Coach Jacobson
Redhawks,
To see a recap of the race last week, scroll down to the post just before this one. In short, the boys are region champs for the first time in 10 years.
This week we will be competing in the divisional round, which is how teams and individuals qualify for the state championships. All 5A schools are placed into one of two divisions based on how they finished in their respective regions. Our girls will run in Division A at 12:30 PM, and the boys will be in Division B at 2 PM. Each division has either 16 or 17 teams. The top 12 teams from each division will advance to state, and the top 6 individuals who are not on qualifying teams will advance to state.
The races will take place at Lakeside Park in Orem on Tuesday. The 7 girls and 7 boys from the varsity races on Wednesday at region will be the ones racing on Tuesday. The bus will be leaving at 10 AM so you will be excused at 9:45. The forecast is rainy and cold, so bring warm clothing both for warming up and for racing. Ear warmers might be on the menu along with gloves, sleeves, extra socks (pro move), etc.
On Wednesday the 20th we will be doing a JV race for all those not racing at state with Woods Cross and Viewmont. The race will be called South Davis County (jv) Championships: the battle for Bountiful. The vision is that the winning team will get a trophy and will keep it until the next year, and will then pass it to whoever wins that year. It should be a lot of fun. This race will be held at Woods Cross High.
Lastly, I heard back from Footlocker that they will be holding their race on December 4th in Walnut California. Footlocker West Regional is the name of the race, and for those of you who are new, is a race open to all high school ages, and from this race you can qualify for the Footlocker National Championships held the week after in San Diego.
For our trip we would go down, spend an afternoon at the beach, spend a day at Disneyland, race, and make our return for home. Here's where it gets tricky: this isn't a school sponsored trip, so I won't be taking any money, technically a parent will need to make the payments for the hotels, so once we've decided where we want to stay, how we're getting there, and so forth, those interested will simply pay that parent to reserve the hotels. I'll help with the planning, but I can't take any money.
Here's what we need: I need someone willing to book the hotels (and then the kids will ultimately pay you). If you're interested in helping let me know. Travel is still TBD, and I know many would like to fly, but that makes things a bit tricky, and more expensive, especially with the price of rental cars now, but I'm open to ideas, as this isn't my trip, or even a school trip for that matter, even if that means getting a bus to take us down.
Many of you have told me that you're interested in going, parents included, and I thank you for that. If you haven't yet, but you are interested, please let me know as soon as you can. Once we have a parent who is willing to add this to their plate (I know you're busy, so I thank you for your help), and once we determine the other logistics we can give cost estimates.
If you have questions let me know. Looking forward to a great short week with fall break.
Coach Jacobson
I’m proud of this team. The one thing that was on display most during the races was that everyone was running for something bigger than themselves. It was evident that each of you was running for the team more than yourself, and that’s what makes our team so special. Wednesday’s race had it all, from nail biting finishes to inspirational effort, from a narrow 2nd place to a convincing, historic win. Disclaimer, I’m not going to be able to mention everyone in this recap, but I can assuredly say that each member of our team has made us better. The culture of hard work and consistency is what makes this team so fun. The bulk of this will be a recap of the boys historic win. (Side note, if you want to look back at the recaps of the girls’ wins in 2017/2018 you can look at past posts on the blog).
Congratulations
to the boys’ team for winning the region championship! The boys’ team hadn’t
won a region championship since 2011, 5 years before I began coaching here, and
the win is another step in the progression of our team.
Before the
race I had told the boys that the race was essentially going to be a toss up
between 4 teams: us, Woods Cross, Viewmont, and Northridge. There was no way to
project the race because of how close it was going to be. It was kind of like
projecting the winner of a game of rock-paper-scissors, as every team had
beaten one of the others previously. The only team that hadn’t beaten us was
Viewmont, but they had beaten the other two previously.
The path to
victory was simple, we needed our runners 3-5, to be ahead of the other teams’
runners of the same number (meaning our 3rd runner in front of the opponents’
3rd, etc., and if we can get our 6th and 7th
in front of a 5th then we’d have it made). The simplicity is easier
said than done, of course, because of the unpredictability of one’s performance
on any given day, and in part because Northridge and Viewmont have literally
the same uniforms: same Nike model, same maroon color, same white backs with
maroon words running down the middle on the back. It made it really challenging
to decipher in a pack.
The boys
executed their race plan perfectly: go out patiently then tighten the screws.
We knew Viewmont had a penchant for getting out aggressively, so we were
undeterred when they had 7 runners in the lead pack, and we had 4 runners in
the very back of the race, some 5-10s behind, through the first 800m, prompting
Cutler to ask, “Trevor, are we ever going to catch up?” To which Trevor
replied, “Just wait, don’t worry.” After the mile the race started to take
shape: Our top 3 were mixing it up in the lead pack while the Trevors, Bennett,
and Cutler started to make their way forward. Unbeknownst to the opponents we
had two aces in the hole in this race. We had a recovering Trevor and a
returning Bennett. Their return proved too much as the team overwhelmed the
field over the final two miles. Andrew, Adam, and Simon all placed in the top-10
doing more than we could have asked. Trevor Cummings… that kid… he went full
beast mode over the last 600 meters and snaked a Viewmont runner at the line,
giving us a two-point swing. Now, admittedly, I had made a mistake at this
point. I had miscounted the Viewmont runners (thanks to their imperceptibly
different uniforms), so I thought the kid I urged him to pass was their 5th,
but he was actually their 4th. Nevertheless, Trevor ran him down
from 20 meters behind and edged him in a photo finish, officially ahead of him
by .2 seconds. That kind of effort never ceases to amaze me, and it is one of
the truly remarkable things about Trevor and this team. I can guarantee you he
didn’t do it for his ego, rather he did it for the team. That finish didn’t determine
the team result, but the effort did. Without that culture of effort we would
have finished much lower. Trevor also dragged Cutler along over the last two
races, and his 5th place team finish was high enough to secure the
win. Cutler has a lot of heart too, and it was on full display on Wednesday. We
tasked him with staying with Trevor to give us our best chance of victory, and
that is no easy task. He basically suffered the entire last two miles but hung
on for dear life not wanting, or not willing, to not do his part. I’m pretty
sure at one point he apologized to me, or something like that, because he was 5
or 6 steps back. Well, it turns out that he was ahead of the Viewmont 5th,
and every other teams’ 5th runner so he was doing his part and more.
Bennett, meanwhile, running his first race back after being struck by a car
last month, was laying it all out there. He obviously would have loved to be
back where he was prior to the accident, but that didn’t keep him from giving
it his all. He too finished in front of the 5th runner of every.
single. team. Which gave us the security we needed to come away with a decisive
win. On a day where any team could have won it by a point or two, I actually had predicted that the team that
won would win in a not super close score, because the team that triumphed would
have to have a great team race, and that’s exactly what our boys had: a great
team race. If you break down the score no single individual decided the race
for them, rather it was a team effort.
Our boys JV
team was stacked. That’s pretty much all I can say about it. We had 4 top 10
finishes, and so did Viewmont, and we still won by 9 points, which shows how well our 5th place runner finished (Justin Tobin, 12th). Our 7th
runner (Sam Landon) finished in front of 13 (!) scoring runners from other
teams.
Our girls
JV team ran very well and came away with the top 2 spots and 3 of the top 10. It
was so fun to watch Kezia and Rylee run patiently as the lead pack took off in front
of them. I was very confident they would finish in a top spot before the race,
and that result really was never in doubt, because it was before the halfway
mark when they definitively moved into the top two spots. Brooklyn made a valiant
effort to move into 3rd, going into an all-out sprint with 200m to
go to get around 2 Viewmont girls, but they managed to just hold her off with a
final surge over the last 50m, but it was just another example of the effort
this team habitually gives. Does anyone else remember when Sarah and Saydee
began running track last spring? They are like completely new runners. They are
running 3 miles at a faster pace than they first ran the mile on the track in
March. That is an unbelievable accomplishment in just 7 months and a testament to their hard work.
The varsity
girls, I’m very proud of those kids. They have worked so hard and gave it their all. Collectively they didn’t have their best
race, and they narrowly finished second, by just 3 points. They each left it
all out there and gave Viewmont a formidable challenge, but Viewmont was too
much on the day. Their 5th runner ran a huge personal best which
sealed the race for them. As I’ve said many times, winning is not our purpose.
The enjoyment of the sport comes from the entire journey, which makes winning
just the cherry on top. Win or lose we can walk away proud that we gave our
best effort, but sometimes it isn’t our best day, and in this case, credit must
go to Viewmont for a tremendous race. The good news is we get another shot to
change the narrative when we see them again at state.
Allow me to
repeat, the greatness of our team comes from the prevalent culture of wanting
to consistently work hard, both for oneself and for the team. No matter where
you finish on our team, if you add to that culture, you make us better and you
are invaluable to us. The joy from the season comes from working together and
sharing these experiences. Whether you were a top 7 runner on Wednesday or not,
you’ve played a role in where our team is today.
Congratulations,
2021 Region 5 Champions!
Redhawks,
We've strung together several really great weeks, and it comes just in time for the region championships this Wednesday. At the beginning of the year we set a goal to win the region championships for both the boys and the girls, something never before done at Bountiful High. Because of the great effort of the TEAM as a whole this season, we have as strong of a JV team as we've ever had. I've said it before, but the mark of a great team is a great JV team, and we have a good one. Because of this, we've amended our goal to include the JV teams: we want to win the varsity team races and the JV team races. Now, with just a couple of days before the race, those goals are within reach. We have some strong individuals on this team, giving us some great matchups, and collectively we are even better. When we fly together we are a difficult team to beat, and on Wednesday afternoon, amidst the ducks of Layton City, we'll be flying together in pursuit of our common goal. The amount of time and miles each of you have put in this year, and in previous years, has made you prepared for a great day. You've earned it, now you get to go out and have some fun. All you can do is give your best effort, and I have no doubt you'll do that, I've seen you do it for months and years. Win or lose we'll have had a lot of fun in chasing down this goal, and you know what? I'm looking forward to it.
Sometimes the lead up to big races like region can leave people feeling a bit stressed or anxious. Let's keep ourselves focused on the things we can control like attitude and effort. When you think of the upcoming race just focus on the fact that you're going to run your hardest and that racing is fun - visualize yourself feeling strong and determined at different parts of the race, running fluidly and quickly; visualize yourself enjoying the race. Let's simply go out, run hard, and have fun.
Once again the race will be at Layton City Park. The bus will be leaving around that 1:45 mark again, but I will update that on Monday or Tuesday if there are any changes.
The schedule is as follows:
3:00 PM - Girls JV
3:40 PM - Boys JV
4:20 PM - Girls Varsity
4:50 PM - Boys Varsity
I am going to need a few parent volunteers to help at road crossings. A few of you have already told me you can help, and I appreciate that greatly. Ideally I'll have a few parents who can help during that their child isn't in so you can cheer during your kid's race.
We will be having another team dinner on Tuesday night at the Hooper's at 6:30 PM.
Monday and Tuesday will be tune up days for region, so make sure to be there with the team. Get sufficient sleep tonight and make sure you're eating enough, especially good things.
See you tomorrow.
Coach Jacobson
Redhawks,
There were some phenomenal races on Friday afternoon/evening - it was great to see the effort put out there. I say that about every week, but seriously the hard work is paying off. With now just over a week until region that is encouraging.
The results to the races can be found here
This week we head to Layton City Park (yes the same place we had pre-region and where region will be next week) on Wednesday for the Davis District Championships, with all the schools from Davis County. The vast majority of you will be racing hard, but some of you who have some nagging injuries or illnesses or are otherwise in need of a lightened load may not be racing full blast. We'll talk to you individually about these cases. Our main objective is to be at our best for the region championships, so what we do this week, including how you approach the race, will be designed to help you be at your best for that race. There is no time to waste, let's make the most of each day between now and then.
If you cannot attend the meet please reply today so we don't pay for wasted bibs. I have to have entries in tomorrow before practice.
The bus will be leaving at 2 PM. The schedule for the races can be found below. Apparently there is a fun run for any family or friends who would like to run after the races but before the awards (although it isn't built into the schedule, they did say it was going to happen - there are usually 10-20 people who do it).
I am in need of a few parents to help direct traffic during the races. Ideally we would have several parents who can work in shifts so that you don't have to help during your child's race. If you're available to help please let me know.
We will be having a team dinner on Tuesday night at 6 PM at the Stewarts (address given out Tuesday at practice). Please bring a side to share or $2 to help offset costs.
If you have any questions for me please let me know.
Coach Jacobson
3:10 – Coaches Mtg
3:25 pm - Fr/So Girls
3:55 pm - Fr/ So Boys
4:20 pm - Jr/Sr Girls
4:45 pm
- Jr/Sr Boys
5:10 pm
- Varsity Girls
5:35 pm - Varsity Boys
6:00 pm - Team Awards
Our meet next week will be on Friday at Sugarhouse park. The course map and schedule can be found at www.borderwarsxc.com and I’ve included the schedule below.
Our varsity teams will be racing in the varsity races, not the championship sections.
The bus will be leaving during lunch time.
The price for this meet is per athlete, and it is quite expensive. Therefore, I’m asking you to please respond to this email if you would like to go. And actually, will you do me a favor and reply to tell me if you can’t go so I don’t take time trying to track you down? I’m only going to enter those who reply in the affirmative, because, well, yesterday I had about 20 unused bibs (luckily, we paid by team not by individual for that race). Next week, however, I’d like to avoid wasting $200. I need to know by Monday so I can meet the registration deadline. The sooner you reply, the more appreciative I will be.
Let me know if you have any questions.
2:00pm – Senior Girls
2:20pm – Senior Boys
2:40pm – Junior Girls
3:00pm – Junior Boys
3:20pm – Varsity Girls
3:40pm – Varsity Boys
4:00pm – Championship Girls
4:20pm – Championship Boys
4:40pm – Varsity &
Championship Awards
(Presented
by Olympian Jared Ward & REP)
5:00pm – Sophomore Girls
5:20pm – Sophomore Boys
5:40pm – Freshman Girls
6:00pm – Freshman Boys
Redhawks,
Here are the results from the races on Friday afternoon. It was another day of excellent effort, with some hot races, and will serve as an excellent learning opportunity for us. We've got a lot of work to do in order to reach our full potential. Over the next 3 weeks it will be easy to let off the gas and get complacent - we cannot let that happen to us if we are going to reach our team and individual goals.
The meet this week is on Thursday morning at the Regional Athletic Complex in Rose Park (2280 Rose Park Ln, Salt Lake City, UT 84116). This meet is being held at the state course as a preview for the state meet.
There will not be a varsity and JV race, but rather a freshman/sophomore and junior/senior race. This is the states attempt to spread our the race field and not have a million JV runners in one race - which would happen with the amount of teams in attendance.
Here is the meet info - we will be Thursday morning section 1. Please read through the spectator information on the second page - due to the cost of the facility, they will be charging for spectators, and tickets must be purchased ahead of time using the link in the info page (this is also how it will work at state).
(1) 8:00am Freshmen/Sophomore Girls
(2) 8:30am Freshmen/Sophomore Boys
(3) 9:00am Junior/Senior Girls
(4) 9:30am Junior/Senior Boys
Transportation update: we will not be taking a bus to the meet. Athletes who drive themselves or other athletes won't have to pay to enter. Parents who are driving will still have to pay for themselves but not those competing. The meet director has our roster, and will check your names off as you enter - YOU WILL NEED YOUR STUDENT ID.
Lastly, you will be excused from periods 5 and 6, and the first half of 7.
Looking forward to a quality week.
Coach Jacobson
Redhawks,
We had a great couple of weeks leading up to this race, and it showed on the course on Friday when both teams came away with the win in the 5A race, and in the overall race we finished ahead of a bunch of 6A schools as well. The boys won by 20 and the girls won by 43. Moments like these are a lot of fun, and it is great to see improvements, but it won't mean a whole lot if we let our foot off the gas and show up to future practices lethargic or over confident. We have to find ways to improve every single day. This is won piece to the puzzle of the season, let's not get satisfied now - because the best is still ahead of us.
Last week I sent out the clothing order and asked you to have payments in by Monday, but I completely forgot about Labor Day, so you can have them in on Tuesday and I'll get them ordered. Once the order is submitted there won't be late orders, so if you want something don't forget. Here is the order form.
Tomorrow I recommend each of you get a run in. If anyone has a hankering for a trail run, we'll have an unofficial meet-up at the Mueller Park Canyon trail at 7 AM to run elephant rock if you're interested. For less experienced runners I don't recommend making it all the way to the rock, but rather just doing 40 minutes on the trail. We won't have coaches there monitoring your safety (I'll be on the trail but have to leave around 8:30). Parents and friends are welcome to come because it is unofficial. If you'd rather run later/on the roads, feel free, this is just an option if you're interested.
The meet this week will be at Murray Park on Friday. The bus is scheduled to leave a bit later than I'd like, so I'll update this with the time after I see if I can adjust it. Here is the schedule:
3:30pm Boys Varsity
3:50-4:00pm Girls Varsity
4:30-4:35pm Junior high/Elementary Race (2 Miles)
5:00-5:05pm JV Girls
5:25-5:30pm JV Boys
If you have a younger sibling who would like to do the Junior high/Elementary Race all they need to do is show up ready to run, and I'll have stickers I can give them to put their name on, and they can race.
Please look over the information listed here from the meet for spectator parking and course map information (pages 3-5). meet info
Looking forward to a quality week of work and another fun race.
Coach Jacobson
Redhawks,
Sorry I am so late in getting this out. It has been a very chaotic first week of school.
The meet this week is on FRIDAY (see our schedule at the top of this page) at the Weber County Fairgrounds. The bus will leave at 1:15, which means you will be excused from all of 4th period.
3:45 Varsity Boys
4:00 Varsity Girls
4:30 JV Girls
4:45 JV Boys
5:15 Awards
If you cannot attend the meet please let me know ASAP so I don't erroneously enter you and pay for your entry.
I wanted to highlight the practice last Thursday when we did 400s. That was one of the best effort and attitude practices of the year and it was a lot of fun to be a part of. Let's keep building off of that.
Some parents have expressed interest in hosting team dinners on the days before meets. Basically the host would provide an entree and each attendee would bring a side to share or $2 to help offset costs. The tune of the dinner would be up to the host. If you are interested in hosting one of the following days please let me know and I'll add you to the calendar. First come first serve on the dates. We have ~50 kids on the team, which is kind of a lot, so don't feel pressured to volunteer. Some have hosted at their homes, a park near their home, or even church buildings. Here are the dates:
|
Thursday 9/2 |
|
Thursday 9/9 |
|
Wednesday 9/15 |
|
Thursday 9/23 |
|
Tuesday 9/28 |
|
Tuesday 10/6 |
|
Tuesday 10/12 |
|
Tuesday 10/27 |
If you would like to order any redhawks gear, please view this order form, print it off, pay in the office, and then return it to me by Monday. All orders are optional. Order Form
Let me know if you have questions.
Coach Jacobson
Redhawks,
We had an excellent day at the meet on Friday. Well done to all of you. The results can be found here.
I was really proud of the effort on display, and as I said after the meet, I really enjoy watching you run. I love running, of course, but it is more about knowing how hard you have worked and watching that training pay off and seeing you push yourselves to the limit. If you've seen the film "Moneyball" with Brad Pitt, you'll recall Billy Bean, portrayed by Pitt, saying, "how can you not be romantic about baseball?" (if you don't know the scene, google it and you can find the clip on youtube). When I see the effort - when you reach the point where you feel have given everything you have and then somehow you reach down and give a little bit more, the sportsmanship, and the hard work required to improve I often find myself thinking the same, "how can you not be romantic about running?"
The team ran very well, and you all are doing quite well at ushering in the Redhawks-era, and there is more to do. The girls won the meet in a decisive manner, but they walked away more ready than ever to improve on their individual and team performance. The boys finished in a close second, not much ahead of 4th if WX had their whole team present, meaning there are 4 teams very close together on the boys' side who could reasonably win region in October.
Bountiful XC has never won a region trophy for the girls and boys in the same year - can it be done this year? Absolutely it can, but whether it will or not will depend on how hard we work over the next month and a half. And I don't mean just the 7 runners in the varsity race, I mean every single one of us. Our team is better together. When our number 13 runner, for instance, works harder, it is an example and creates a culture and energy that inspires every other person to work harder. We are better together. When we work hard together we all get better. Redhawks fly together! (Not the bird, mind you, but the runners do.)
Moving forward, we will not be racing this week, which will allow us to get a quality week of training in. School starts on Monday by the way. I realize some of you are just learning that (@ you know who you are), but Monday morning 7:30 AM the high school begins. Those of you who are in the class will meet at the track at 1 PM. Those of you not in the class will come on up and be ready to roll at 2:40. JH kids will come as soon as they can after school concludes and warm up together.
If we are going to reach our full potential we must be more consistent in training. I don't care if you finished first or last, each of you ask yourself how you can be more consistent in your training. Find a way to do it better, and then do it starting on Monday. A bit of self-reflection will go a long way in helping you as an individual and us as a team reach our potential.
Lastly, if you are looking for a film to watch this weekend, might I suggest the film Secretariat (not seabiscuit, terrible film, but amazing book, so if you are looking for a good read, I absolutely recommend Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand (the same author of the well-known book "Unbroken", the story of the incredible life of Louis Zamperini - who raced in the 1936 Olympic 5000m in Berlin, (the same Olympics chronicled in "the Boys in the Boat"), and then went on to serve in the US Air Force during World War II as a bombardier in the B-24 Liberators, another good read, but I digress...)). Secretariat can be found on Disney + and is rated PG. The story of hard work and triumph against all odds is remarkable and a fascinating piece of history (as are all 3 of the books mentioned).
If you have any questions please let me know.
Coach Jacobson
| Monday | August 16 | 6 AM at Elephant Rock OR 2:30 at the track | 6:00 AM |
| Tuesday | August 17 | Track | 6:00 AM |
| Wednesday | August 18 | Track | 2:30 PM |
| Thursday | August 19 | Track | TBD |
| Friday | August 20 | Race - bus at 7 AM |
Also, remember that you need register my athlete completed in order to compete. If you need a physical quickly, there are several places that allow walk-ins. Remember that the physical had to have been done after the conclusion of last school year (June) as they are only valid for the duration of each school year. I know this is a pain, but I don't make the rules.
Starting tomorrow practices will be M-F, but will all be in the AM.
I know the air quality is terrible, so if a parent deems in necessary that you not run outdoors then find yourself a treadmill and get the workout in that way ("but I don't have a treadmill!" do you know someone who does?)
If your child was in junior high and you'd like to no longer be included in these emails please let me know and I can take you off.
Our cross country class will be during 4th period. It is not mandatory to be in the class, but it does allow you to miss less class for races, and get done with practice much earlier on A days. I highly recommend being in the class, as it opens up the rest of your day for homework, jobs, or other important activities.
For 9th graders who want to participate, you can be in the class, but it isn't required. The high school kids will practice each B day at 2:40, and those not in the class will practice at 2:40 on A days as well. If you are in 9th grade your practices will begin at 3:15. Some 9th graders elect to join the class, but because of the schedule with the JHs they can only get there around 1:40 or so. That is totally fine and doable, it is just something that you need to see if it works for you.
In other words:
A day practices will have 4 start times: 1 PM
for those in the class; 1:something for 9th graders in the class
(depending on the JH); 2:40 for those not in the class; and 3:15 for 9th
graders not in the class.
B-Day practices will have 2 start times: 2:40
for high schoolers; 3:15 for 9th graders.
On Fridays the JH have early out so they will either wait until 2:40 (b days) or come up asap to join the high schoolers who are in the class (A days)
9th graders on race days will need to arrange to get out of class at the necessary hour and get down to the high school to catch the bus on time.
Lastly, here is the schedule for the week:
All practices will begin at 7 AM
| Monday | August 9 | Track |
| Tuesday | August 10 | MPJH |
| Wednesday | August 11 | Track |
| Thursday | August 12 | MPJH |
| Friday | August 13 | Lewis Park |
Redhawks,
We are down to our final week of summer training. Starting next week, on August 9, our official season begins. That means for all of you who are going into 8th grade or below will conclude this week. We will miss you, but look forward to you rejoining us next summer, and even potentially this winter during indoor track - details on that are forthcoming. All of you 9th graders and older are welcome to run with us, and we hope all of you do, even if you only came to a few practices, or are on the fence about continuing. Once we begin racing the season gets even more fun, and the hard work begins to pay off. We have a great group of kids and a strong team, and we will be stronger with you. If you are on the fence come talk to me or one of the other coaches and see if we can work through any of your concerns to make things easier/clearer for you and reduce any potential anxiety you are having about the upcoming season.
Next week: 8/9-8/14
Starting Monday 8/9 we will meet every day, still at 7 AM (the following week will be moved to the afternoon for some or most of the days - and we will be meeting at the track). We have our first race that Saturday on 8/14 in the morning at the cottonwood complex (you can see the schedule at the top of this page). Before you compete you must complete the registration process at https://www.registermyathlete.com/login/ This will require that you get a physical, so schedule one ASAP so that you don't miss out.
I also need to know who is planning on going to that meet, and who cannot, so please let me know via email bjacobson@dsdmail.net.
This week: 8/2-8/6
We will only be practicing Monday and Wednesday, with the latter being a workout day but will include some games and competitions as a farewell to summer training. It will be a lot of fun so be there.
I have the shirts for summer, so come to practice and get them. If you haven't paid for the summer, please do so this week, the office will be open during normal school hours every day.
Bring your cross country flats to practice every day starting this week, as they will help you strengthen up your legs, and get you used to going faster.
| Monday | August 2 | BHS Track | AT/LT | Mile Repeats @ race effort |
| Wednesday | August 4 | Lewis Park | AT/LT | Step down 800s |
Update: Given the current weather conditions practice might have to be cancelled. We will cancel if there is lightning in the area. If it is cancelled I will send out a text via remind (if you're not on there, here is the join code: @hed7kc ) However, assuming the lightning passes it looks like the footing on the hills of MPJH will be less that ideal - so we will be moving practice to the high school track.
In summary, if practice happens tomorrow, it will be at the track. If we have to cancel due to lightning I will send out a text via remind at 6:50 AM.
Looking forward to a great final few days.
Coach Jacobson
Redhawks,
In case you haven't noticed, July is winding down. This summer has is flying by - rather than looking back and wishing you had used your time more effectively, start now and use what we have left to get better. For context of how quickly the season is moving, our first meet is in 3 weeks....
The preliminary schedule can now be found on our website, but it is subject to change, and there certainly will be some additions and subtractions.
For all those who are going to be competing with us (and I hope that is all of you going into grade 9 and above), you will need to complete the registration process on registermyathlete.com - this will include getting a physical. The form you need filled out from the physical can be downloaded and printed off on the website. Registration must be completed before you can compete. Physicals are needed for everyone, as they are only valid for the school year during which they happened.
Here is the schedule for the week (practices begin at 7 AM):
| Monday | July 26 | MPJH | AT/LT | Pack running progression |
| Wednesday | July 28 | Lewis Park | LT/ANA | Tired 800s |
| Friday | July 30 | Lewis Park | LT | Tempo Run |
| Monday | July 19 | MPJH | AT/LT | Fartlek |
| Wednesday | July 21 | MPJH | LT | VO2 MAX intervals |
Redhawks,
I hope you have all enjoyed the moratorium and are ready to get back to our regularly scheduled practices. We are about a month away from our first meet (schedule to be released soon), so we have a lot of work to do between now and then. Be sure to keep eating enough, hydrating well, and getting sufficient/regular hours of sleep.
There are several road races in the coming weeks that I have been given promo codes for. If you're interested in one of these events feel free to check them out. They have everything from the 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon. I don't recommend just jumping into a half marathon or a marathon, because obviously we haven't been training for those events and the jump in mileage creates greater risk of injury, but a 5K or 10K wouldn't be an issue - however be aware that the deseret news races are run on a steep downhill.
On 7/23 there are races in Salt Lake for the days of 47 parade, called the deseret news marathon, but includes all 4 race distances. High school athletes and their families have been given a promo code to use there: use the promo code "DN_HS21" to receive 25% off of the race registration for the 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon. And Family members can use the promo code "Conquer" to receive 10% off of registration.
On 7/24 the handcart days races are here in Bountiful at the rec center. The promo code for $5 off of those events is TRACK5.
Keep in mind that practices begin at 7 AM - please be on time so we do not have to delay and so you don't miss time during the warm up.
On Tuesday/Thursday you should get in a easy or moderate run in for 40-50 minutes (30 for our new/young runners).
| Monday | July 12 | MPJH | AT/LT | Progression run - increase every 5 minutes (until tempo pace is found) for 40 minutes |
| Wednesday | July 14 | Lewis Park | LT/anaerobic | 1200s @ race pace |
| Friday | July 16 | Rec Center | Time Trial | Race Simulation |
Redhawks,
Welcome to the final week of June - and our last week before moratorium. We will not be practicing from 7/3 - 7/11. We will resume practice on 7/12. Don't expect an update next week (I'll be out of town) but there will be a new schedule for the following week.
We've had a lot of strong improvement over the past 3 weeks, and we are looking forward to much more. Now is when the cumulative fatigue of summer (not just from running) starts setting in - so make sure that you are sleeping enough, eating enough, eating quality foods, and checking in on your teammates to make sure that they are still doing those things and coming to practices.
I know some of you are in and out of town, and that is great; make sure you are running and using each day to get better. That may require you to get creative and/or make your parents or siblings join you for the run - that's one way to create lasting memories, especially on vacation.
On Friday 7/2 we will be meeting at Mills Park - 1850 S 1200 W, Woods Cross (East end of the park). After practice we will have a breakfast at the bowery there. We will make pancakes but if you want to bring anything to share feel free. If you need to leave before the breakfast that is totally fine.
I know several of you will be racing on Saturday morning at some local 5Ks, there is one in Centerville at 7 AM and one in North Salt Lake at 8 AM. Both are in that $20-30 range. If you are so inclined, I encourage you to get out with your friends and family and join in our country's oldest tradition*: racing to celebrate independence day.
*note: I just made that up, it's not the country's oldest tradition.
Finally, next week during moratorium is a chance for you to recover a bit by doing easier runs each day, rather than the same intensity we have been doing. I recommend getting one "long" type run in, and one threshold/tempo run in, but the rest be easy. Don't spend the off week squandering your gains or trashing your sleep schedule.
If you have any questions please let me know.
Coach Jacobson
All practices begin at 7 AM
| Monday | June 28 | MPJH | AT/LT | Tired 1Ks - 20-30 minute run followed by 3-4 x 1K with 3-4 minutes rest |
| Wednesday | June 30 | Lewis Park | Threshold Run | 30-35 minutes at 5K + 30 pace |
| Friday | July 2 | Mills Park - 1850 S 1200 W, Woods Cross (East end of the park) | AT | Easy Pack Running - 30 minutes; strides to follow |
| Monday | July 5 | No practice | Moratorium | |
| Wednesday | July7 | No Practice | Moratorium | |
| Friday | July 9 | No Practice | Moratorium |