Happy June, everyone!
It is a new month and our season is inching closer by the day. Thanks to all the runners and families who attended our running shoe clinic last week. Know that whether you attended our not you can still receive a 15% discount on running shoes with Milestone Running. Just stop by the store (North Park or Pacific Beach; not close but worth the drive), mention you are running at Escondido Charter and they will take care of the rest (including getting you in the best shoes for your running). Wherever you go, please get a new pair of running shoes as soon as possible to get the season started right and on the healthy side of things.
I sent much of this information out last week in an email but I wanted to post here to help get as many eyes on this as possible. Anyone already on board or who's thinking of running this season with us, please read on!
I sent an email to all past athletes/parents of athletes in the program as well as currently interested families and athletes who expressed interest in the past to introduce myself and tell you a bit about our exciting 2022 Tiger Cross Country program. My name is Ken Hallinan and I have had the honor to work as a head cross country coach, assistant cross country and track coach, and participant in competitive running over the course of my life. I truly believe in the transformational qualities of running and that it transcends school sport to become a lifelong, healthy way of life. As with any endeavor, a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. I have been busy planning for our journey together and the first steps are nearly upon us!
I'm excited to have met some of you already and even had the opportunity to watch some gutsy racing at CIF Prelims a few weeks back in the 1600 and 3200 respectively. Great job, girls! Those conditions were tough and you showed your courage and competitive drive. I hope to meet many more of you soon as we prepare for a fun and competitive season together (with Coach Linny as my assistant!)
So here we go!
First, if you have a friend or know anyone who might want to see what Tiger XC is all about, please have them visit this link so we can reach out and get them on our email list. Friends and fun are two of the top reasons students say they want to be on a team. Let's work hard and have a good time, both! Newcomers, please visit https://weareescondido.org/news/come-and-join-the-team and click the Cross Country link. This will give us important contact information, etc.
In order to practice with the team this summer (two days a week June 14 to July 14) you will need to fill out Offseason Student Waiver and Release https://form.jotform.com/201665415423046. Please take care of this asap and I will check the lists of those eligible before our first summer practice. You can see our summer training and meet schedule here: https://weareescondido.org/cross-country/varsity/schedule.
These summer runs are optional training days but important for getting a good training base and a healthy, solid start to the season. Meetings will be Tue/Thur mornings at Kit Carson Park from 8-10 am. Part of a mission is to to set running goals for all levels in the form of running "schedules" and introduce training logs, healthy training habits (hydration, sleep, general road safety, etc). Parents who may want to donate bagels, fruit, or other healthy post run refueling treats on these days are encouraged to do so (more info on that later). The official training season begins Aug. 8 at ECHS.
A couple other areas of note. Cross country is a no-cut sport and everyone gets the opportunity to participate to their full potential every time. Note that varsity and junior varsity have identical training/racing schedules (minus intensity/volume) and all levels compete at each meet up until CIFSD Finals in November. We have a number of exciting Saturday invitationals this season and all athletes are expected at each practice and contest. We will also look for team/social events (such as a season kick-off dinner, some pre-race night carbo load meals, etc) to help build team bonding and FUN. I've already been contacted by one family willing to host an event!
Finally, I will send team emails with important information as we move further into the season. Between that and https://weareescondido.org you should be able to stay completely informed on all things cross country. I'm very excited about the year ahead and look forward to working with you all very soon.
Best,
Ken Hallinan
Art Teacher & Head Cross Country Coach
Escondido Charter High School