A Magical Ride

What a week! It's been a fun ride these past few days, a ride you all have taken me on. I was thinking all weekend about how great your performances were out at Hemet. There's really nothing magic about what we're doing to prepare, all the good distance programs do some variation of the kind of training we do. But this group seems at times, magical.

It showed on Thursday with inspired racing in a meet of little long-term significance. Kids were battling, do their best and notching PR's. It's the result of being in shape, of being talented, of having a "can do" spirit, and it seems we have a lot of that around camp.

I can remember in the not so distant past some pretty lean years in terms of those necessary ingrediants in making magic. I was thirsty as a coach, hungry too. There were many days I thought about giving it up. As I watch you guys push yourself, train well, race competitively, I'm so happy I didn't.

After such a great Thursday, Saturday had a bit of it's own magic as well. Five of you -- Charlie, Derek, Carissa, Kelsi and Rebecca Asplund -- put on their risk helmets and went for a ride with a bunch of college racers. Easy opportunity to freak out and curl up, but none of them did. Instead, they toed the line and went for it, to heck with their relative youth and experience. The guy with the gun shot it off and off they went for 12 1/2 laps of magical running. Magic in that they could have so easily bowed out and said "I'm not ready yet"; magic in that they held their own on a BIG stage; magic in that they eagerly took the risk and came through with shining colors.

Thanks kids for doing what you are doing. It's quite a ride so far. Let's keep it going!