I Feel Free

Wow. Last two days have been absolutely amazing. Actually this whole week has been a blast. Probably because I am on Blast. Yesterday Bailee and I were out in the rainstorm for about 2 hours. Playing fetch and retrieve in the Trenchtown River. It is finally returning to respectable levels, and is flowing fast again. It felt so good to be out there running in the ran. We were having so much fun. It was just a great day. Always makes me feel free when I run in the rain. Relieves any pain or stress I might be having. It recharges me.

Then today, I talked to some colleagues from a former job. They opened my eyes to some different things. The energy is high. I am on Blast for real. Plus there is an Off The Chain Night on Friday. Which has the potential to exceed any previous Off Chain Event. And that is saying a great deal. So much hype for the event, which means all sorts of people will be coming into town for it. It is exciting times in Trenchtown.

The Juggernauts are doing well. There training is progressing nicely. Big things. Big things. Only time will tell.

I wonder what tomorrow holds. I need to do some more cleaning and organizing. But should be another relaxing and productive day.

5-4

An excerpt from the CDT today:

"Voted 5-4 to approve the appointment of Keith Davis as assistant boys indoor track coach. A crowd of students, parents and friends turned out at the board's Nov. 14 meeting to support Jayson Jackson, who had been assistant coach. About 20 people spoke at that meeting, telling the board how important Jackson was to the team and asking for a reason why his contract was not renewed. A school administrator said after that meeting that the district cannot comment on personnel issues."

So it looks like we were close and raised awareness. Thanks for all the continued support and encouragement. We will all keep working to do what is best for the team. The indoor season is about to heat up.

At Play in the Fields of the Lord

What a great run yesterday. It was a run that saw Lawrence Quinn's return from injury. It is good to have him back and on the trails and roads again. Every time I go running on trails or through fields, always makes me feel so free and unbounded. It is such an amazing feeling. It is such a rush. It is like Billy Mumfrey's unbridled enthusiasm (Seinfeld reference). And I was tell myself, I am at play in the fields of the Lord. I know, I stole that from a movie title. Never saw the movie, but the title has been stuck in my head for sometime now.

I am excited to go the Day of Distance Clinic this Friday. My brother, Dan, will be attending with me as well. And we get an extra special twist. Brandon Eck will be running his first collegiate track meet at Haverford. I am going to go see that afterwards. That should be exciting. He thinks he will be running the 1000m.

The Border Brawl plans are still coming along nicely. Everything is progressing in its proper fashion.

Two good books I am about to start reading, Blink and The Tipping Point. I will let you know how those are.

And for the avid fan, Slumber Parties and Pillow Fights: The Story Behind the 2005 State College XC Season is coming along nicely. It will be completed some time next year I presume. It is an exciting story. I will keep everyone updated on its progress.

Well my vacation continues. I am getting some things straightened up around the house and in a few businesses. So all is well. Hopefully I will be all caught up by week's end. Exciting times in Trenchtown right now. Many new things going on, the creative energy is flowing at an all-time high.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well I hope that everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday. I know I did. Good food, good times. The Turkey Trot 6k went well. Roy and Cindy Love, and Cindy's father helped me out. Even with the snow, the race went off without a hitch. Well there was a minor hitch, but nothing major, just a funny story.

As usual Rebecca's t-shirt designs were a big hit. She does a fabulous job. Everyone's loves them and is so impressed with them. Soon Deep Six Racing will be selling their extra shirts online. I am sure that will go over, because of Rebecca's unique and creative designs.

Foot Locker Northeast Regional were yesterday. Three Pennsylvania athletes qualified, Liz Costello (Conestoga), Keith Capecci (Council Rock North), and Josh Hibbs (Hatboro-Horsham). A fine showing from PA. Complete results of the seeded races are here. Katherine Ward was 54th in 19:10. A very nice showing. I think she will have an excellent shot at qualifying next year, given her current progression. After the West Region is run, I will give my predictions on the race.

I have gotten some insight from Josh Rowe, one of the BorderClash organizers, so that will help with setting up a similar meet here. So the Border Brawl(tentative title) is progressing nicely. Things are starting to heat up. The creativity is starting to flow freely again. I no longer feel stifled. I feel refreshed.

Total Domination

Wisconsin was very impressive in winning their first cross country national championship under coach Jerry Schumacher. They scored 37 points to second place Arkansas 105. The Badgers place 3 runners in the top 10. Also of note, Dan Mazzocco of Penn State finished 43rd to become an All-American. Looking at the individual results, they placed 6 runners in the top 20. That feat is equally as astounding as their performance at Big Tens, where they took 8 of the first 9 spots.

At NCAAs, they had a 50 second spread, and while placing 6 in the top 20, including the winner, Simon Bairu. Anytime you do something like that, you will have a hard time getting beat for the team title. It was just a jaw-dropping performance. They definitely exorcised the demons from last year.

Footlocker High School Regionals are this weekend. Good Luck to all the PA people, especially State College's Katherine Ward. Run smart and hard. Trust in your abilities and training, and everything will take care of itself.

Turkey Trots

Thanksgiving is just right around the corner. That means a lot of turkey and stuffing, but also, turkey trots. Coach Groves always suggested that we do a race on Thanksgiving morning while we were home on break. Luckily for me there was a 5k about a mile from my house that I was able to do. The race has grown so much, I think the first year (1994) I did it, there were about 250 people, and the last time I did it (2002), there were over 1000. It is a great race, and it helped establish a fun Thanksgiving morning tradition. I always made my move in the same spot, making the right turn off of main street up that small hill. It broke many of people, and usually let me run clear for the rest of the race. Plus it allowed me to eat more later in the day. My dad and brother used to run with me too. And it allowed us to enter the family scoring which added the team aspect to it. Making it even more exciting.

That was one race I noticed State College was missing. So Deep Six Racing established the Turkey Trot 6k, which donates a portion of the proceeds to Centre County Women's Resource Center, last year. It went well last year, some cold rain right at the start, but other than that it was a great race, and the winners received turkeys for their performance. Rod Stahl continued his great year of Deep Six performances with another win and course record. Rebecca Gorby was the women's winner and set the course record. It will be interesting to see what will happen in this year's race. I wonder of the course records will hold up, or will there be new Turkey Day Kings and Queens.

Day of Distance Coaching Clinic

I am getting excited for the Day of Distance Coaching Clinic at Villanova University. The clinic is on December. I went there last year with a high school teammate of mine, Steve Petrosky, who is building his army at Potomac High School in Virginia. He coached one of his runners to All-American status last year. Steve ran at St. Francis University. Although I think he was born to be a miler. The 800 was his event of choice. He recommended the clinic last year, and it was well worth the time.

The clinic has another great set of speakers with Bob Kennedy, Matt Jones, Dr. Robert Portman, Marcus O'Sullivan, Shannon Grady, and Ringo Adamson (he knows more drills and plyometrics than anyone that I have ever seen). It is a star-studded lineup.

Running Works is a genius and simple idea. Great camp and clinic, and because of its location, it is able to serve a wide area. I will add this to my list of ideas. Yes I know it is a continually growing list, and I need to focus on a few of them, and make it happen. I will.

Without risk, faith is impossible.

There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but only one view.

New Client

Signed a new running client. Her name is Stefanie. She wants to improve her overall fitness and 5k time. She enjoys running and wants to be good, so part of the battle is over. Now we need to get her to log some miles. As she logs the miles, her confidence will grow, as the confidence grows, her times will drop. Only a matter of time. Her program gets unveiled tomorrow.

Thank You

I first would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support. It truly meant a great deal to me.

Just to give everyone an update. Last night's school board meeting went well. 65+ parents, athletes, and community members were there to express their concerns and show their support. 20+ people spoke. The school board seemed very receptive, and they smiled and took notes. And even though they said 3 minutes was the maximum time, they never once cut anyone off who exceeded that. And I respect them greatly for that, because I believe they realized it was an emotional situation.

The way everything happened is just odd. I asked Ryan on November 5th after the team's tenth place finish at states if practice started on Monday, November 14th. He agreed. At the banquet, I asked to confirm again, he ignored me question. I would later find out, he knew on Monday that I would be fired. On Wednesday/Thursday I would find out. Everyone asked why did they find out through a third party. Ryan said he was not in a position to tell anyone. He had to know, because they had already hired my replacement. My brother said three questions should be asked. I have them listed below.

1. If Ryan and the Athletic Director feel there is such a problem with this guy, why does every parent and athlete say differently?

2. If we were keeping coach Jackson and letting Ryan go, would we have the same rallying of support?

3. If there was an issue with coaches practice or competition wise, what meets or practices was the Athletic Director there to view this embattlement?

I will answer the last one. I can remember seeing Ron at 6 meets.
1. Spiked Shoe Invitational 2004 - Passed out awards
2. State College Invite 2004 - He acted as an official
3. PIAA State Championships XC - Congratulated and thanked me on the team's success, and said he hoped I planned on staying in town for a while, so we could become a state championship contender again.
4. Indian Valley Dual Meet for track 2005 - Talked with me for a while, as to what facility changes, meet schedules, and anything else I could think of, to help the program continue on its current path. And thanked me again for my effort and the results
5. Spiked Show Invitational 2005 - Passed out awards
6. State College Invite 20005 - Acted as an official

I do not remember seeing him at any practices during my tenure.

Thanks again.

It's Official

I was told by athletic director Ron Pavlechko they will not be renewing my contract as indoor and outdoor assistant track coach. Basically meaning they are firing me. My name will not be passed on to the school board meeting that meets on Monday night, November 14th.

When I asked for the reasons why, I was told, "Under district policy, they do not have to tell me why they are renewing my contract." But he did mention an incident with the head girl's coach, Jen Evans, which was incorrectly stated. He said she was the last to know about a relay change. And everything needs to be cleared by the head coach, I said I cleared it with Head boy's Coach Bob Baumbach. Since it was a boys relay. He said that is a technicality. And this had to do with a working relationship.

The basics are this I was told, "The philosophies and working styles between the girl's and boy's head coaches and mine do not fit well together. Their planning, acting, developing of their programs (Ryan Long and Jen Evans) has not been easy with me on the staff. It is not a knock against me or my coaching style, but it just doesn't fit well with the current head coaches." He went on to say when I asked how long has this been known, "It has been known for a while, but not a definitive decision." I was told yesterday, a few days before the season started. Pavlechko also said I it takes a certain type of person to be an assistant coach. My coaching style is more defined to be a head coach. He also said that the results of the last 2 years do not matter. And the fact I played a part in those is only a matter of my own opinion.

Basically Jen Evans and Ryan Long wanted me removed from the staff. And their reason was that our coaching styles and philosophies differed.

Another interesting point, is the more I wrote down, the less Ron Pavlechko was willing to offer.

Shocking!

There has been a very shocking change of events. I think we will learn the true meaning and the strength of the Juggernauts in the next few days. I will have more details tomorrow. All I will say now, is that I am speechless and in complete disbelief.

New meet idea

People are always complaining that the PA State meet is too early, and affects the athletes with preparation for Footlocker Nationals and other things, because there are no meets in between. Finally, someone did something about it. Don Rich, the webmaster of PennTrackXC.com, created a meet to help alleviate this problem, The LastGasp Classic. It is something. I know there is the Mid-East Regional Championships, but that is only for the top eight seniors from the participating states. I think we should move toward having something like the BorderClash that Washington and Oregon have. That meet has the top 40 boys and girls from each state. And instead of paying for entries, the athletes receive awards for their achievement of qualifying to the meet. It just seems like a great event. And with Pennsylvania, we could have a meet similar to that with several states. I think PA, NY, NJ, tri-state meet would be the best. We could do it the same way, top 40 boys and girls, and give them awards. Just a thought. I'll have to work on that. I wonder what steps one would have to go through to make it happen. I'm going to find out.

State College XC Banquet

Just got back from State College XC banquet. It was good. The guys were 10th at PIAA AAA Champonships (more on this later as I retroactively do some blogs). We were 18th last year, so we did improve greatly. But as they say hindsight is 20/20. If we run 16:50-17:05, we are 3rd or so. And if we get guys around 25th place overall, we walk away with the title. But those are what have you's and they don't count.

The guys had a 30 second spread at states. Led by Mike Williams(17:04) and Rick Koubek(17:12). Phenomenal races to get us rolling. They should explode in the Spring. Matt Kisenwether(17:28), Paul Kernfeld(17:33), and Josh Gainer(17:34) rounded out the top 5. Matt Lanagan(18:08) and Matt Groves (18:58) were sixth and seventh man. They all ran great and really stepped up. With six of seven back next year, and great freshman class. Look out.

My goal is to go undefeated all season, and make Nike Team Nationals. Lofty? Very. But with a great Spring and Summer, we will get there. I have faith. Always look to act upon the faith your display in your prayers.

As long as we stay focused, we should continue to improve. The kids have bought into the program, and they see the benefits and rewards of the hard work. So I guess the story is to be continued. Next volume: Indoor Track.

PIAA XC STATE MEET AAA BOYS 5K

Well the big day is finally here. And the Juggernauts were tenth. They ran great. I must admit I missed most of them, because some kid dropped out the race right at my feet, and was complaining about his heart, so I had to attend to him. But when I got to the finish chute and the guys were coming out, and I started asking them their times. I was very pleased. It was a validation of the workouts we did and the peaking process. More so than anything. It was justification to the importance of summer running. They all had great summers, and it paid off in the work they did during the season. We had 30 second spread and 17:22 average. A solid day. We will be back with vengeance next year. It will be a battle.

West Chester East won the team title. They had 104 points after the teams were re-ranked. Manheim Township was second with 105 points. Craig Miller won the individual title in course record time. His third title. Full Results

It also amazes me about the alumni support for State College Boys Corss Country. When I was at the 5th Quarter event at the Hintz Family Alumni Center, I was talking to Steve Gentry and Ken Frazier. Both State College XC and Track legends. And they were both very happy to see the rapid improvement the last two years in the program. And were pumped the guys were tenth this year, and to hear we have such a young team. They had many kinds things to say. And it was good to hear them. We are moving in the right direction. Indoor and Outdoor should be very exciting.