ImInTheTruck

Sounds like it was a great day. I'm sorry I couldn't be there. Its hard to justify not being at work when you don't have a kid running. However, we are talking about being at the regional meet. It will remind me what it was like to drive to Dallas twice a week. Did coach set up a 5k for the girls and then convert the times so UIL thinks they ran 3200m? If not, there's always next year.

Catherine Loden in Marshall 3200m 10:50.8

I always wondered where the name Tortuga came from. I know Randy and highly respect him and his knowledge of distance running. I didn't know he used to have a training team. What happened to it? With the Internet, there are training options available but its not the same as having a team to train with. Terry Jessup, in the Dallas, area offers Internet/email workouts (800, 1600, 3200 and XC). The team is the Metroplex Striders, www.dallasmetroplexstriders.com His runners are consistantly top finishers at the state meets. His girls hold many of the of the state records in those events.

Buckeyefan, You must be talking about universities running more meets. There's no way a HS around here could make 4 - 7 indoor meets. Are you recommending reducing training so runners can be at peek performance for each of these meets? Or, incorporating the meets into their training? If they are training properly, there is a period during the season when they will actually turn in slower times. If they aren't fatigued by their workouts(tired legs), they aren't getting the full benefit of training. Taper before the meaningful meets so they will be fresh. Depending on the runner, for HS, this will be before the district, region or state meet or maybe a big one during the season like the Texas Relays.

It shouldn't be too hard to find runners for 1200, 400, 800 & 1600. Now, if it were 800,1600, 3200 & 5000 I'd agree with you. The 1200 is the only one you'd have to look for. With team points at stake, coaches would find runners for it.

Does anybody else think HS track meet relays are skewed toward sprinters? How about taking out the 4 x 200 and replacing it with a distance medley relay?

I saw a Fat-Man relay at a meet in Troup. I don't remember if it was 2007 or 2006. I missed several meets last spring.

High schools seem to attend a track meet every week during the season. Is this best for the ultimate success of the athletes? University coaches seem to think attending so many meets is disruptive to training cycles designed to prepare for the meets that count. Do high schools have too many meets on their schedules?

3 hours is more than enough rest time for a distance runner. Having Saturday meets with prelims would prepare runners for running prelims and finals in the same day. But, when does that happen? Not at district. Not at regionals. Not at state. The district and regional meets have prelims on day one and finals on day two. The state meet doesn't have prelims. Why subject athletes, coaches and meet workers to the long day just because that's the way it used to be done?

For the distance runners, Saturday meets make for a lo---------ng day. Especially in out of town meets. Running the 3200m at 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning and then waiting around for 8 to 12 hours to run the 1600m.

NCAA Division I Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches, Please be advised that by action of the Collegiate Commissioners Association, the early signing period in the sports of track and field/cross country has been eliminated, effective immediately. As such, prospective student-athletes in these sports will no longer be permitted to sign National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, established as November 14-21, 2007 for the current academic year. Instead, these prospects will only be permitted to sign an NLI from February 6, 2008, to August 1, 2008, which coincides with the signing opportunities currently available for field hockey, soccer and men's water polo. All other National Letter of Intent policies and provisions related to track and field/cross country remain unchanged. Furthermore, the National Letter of Intent, www.national-letter.org <https://exchange.asu.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.national-letter.org> and all other applicable NLI forms and documents will be updated accordingly. Please contact the National Letter of Intent office if you have any questions. ________________________ Torie A. Johnson Director of the National Letter of Intent 2201 Richard Arrington Blvd. N Birmingham, Alabama 35203-1103 [email protected] Office: (205) 458-3013 Fax: (205) 458-3031

Great meet and great course. Thanks to Coach Darby and all his helpers. Even the superintendent and his wife worked at the meet. When's the last time any of us saw a superintendent at a cross country meet. That's impressive! :notworthy:

White Oak - We don't know yet....

Kristie Krueger won both 3200m and 1600m. She set 3A state records in both and had the best times in those events for all divisions 1A - 5A. Go Metroplex Striders!

Track season's not too short. You're just limiting yourself to school track. Check this out: http://www.lukeslocker.com/files/training/...ochure_2007.pdf