Trabuco Dual & Meet of Champions Recap

Athletes,

Coach Eisele and I are so proud of the hard work this training group puts in each day, and it is rewarding for you to have excellent performances to show for all of that hard work!

On Thursday at the Trabuco Dual Meet, we had many wonderful story lines, but I have to begin with Amy S in the 1600. As you all know, Amy is one of our toughest runners. She regularly demonstrates what it means to be a super teammate and hard worker, and she was rewarded with a huge PR of 5:50! Way to go Amy!

Yareli is another integral part of our team, and she has now shattered her goal of breaking 6:00 twice in one week! New goals (sub 5:50) are on order for both of these ladies!

For the rest of the crew in the Varsity 1600, there was a lot going on! Belle and Nicole got back into the 5:30s after working well together throughout the race. Sub 5:30 by the end of the season? Amy V got down to 5:51 and will be gunning for sub 5:50 with Amy S and Yareli. Finally, Chandler's goal was to run within herself to save something for Saturday night, and she ran a controlled 5:14 for the win.

In the Frosh/Soph 1600, MaKenna and Renee gained more experience at pushing through the pain and racing hard in the four lap event. It doesn't hurt that they both scored PRs!

In the Varsity 800, Hana and Rylee went 1-2 with excellent racing tactics that resulted in PRs for both. Hana shaved about 1/2 a second off of hers, while Rylee lowered her best by close to a full 2 seconds.

I want to reserve special notice for the progress Rylee has made as an 800 runner. About four weeks ago, she struggled to run 2:22 pace for 600 meters, yet she is now doing a full 800 meters at that pace, and doing it strongly! Sub 2:20 in the future for both athletes?

In the 3200, most tempo'd the race for training purposes, but Belle (12:06 for 3rd) and Nicole (12:33 for 5th) ran excellent races after posting solid times earlier in the 1600. You guys are getting strong!

On Saturday night at the Azusa Meet of Champions, Hana and Chandler were honored with entries into the Invitational 1600 (Hana) and the Rated 3200 (Chandler). In the 1600, Hana was the only freshman running against much more experienced runners. It was a tough race, with a fast pace from the start, but she once again demonstrated her incredible toughness and ran 5:05 for the full mile (5:03 for 1600). This experience provides Hana with one more piece of the puzzle as she cements her place among the state's elite runners. In the 3200, Chandler's goal was to break 11:00 (this year's mark for elite status in California), and she was under, or on pace until one lap to go, when she fell a bit behind. With a great kick over the last lap, she gained back the time she needed and finished a strong 5th place at 10:58!

As I stated above, we are so proud and honored to work with such a wonderful group of student athletes. Each of you is truly an important member of this training group. You support each other, and make each other better athletes and human beings. None of you would be achieving the things you are without your sisters in speed!

What a great week and keep running!

Coach Horton

Training Plan
Monday Core 
Meet Schedule (Updated)

Training Plan (Triton recap to come)

Athletes,

Please see the training plan and Monday Core/Strength linked below.

Keep running,
Coach Horton

Training Plan
Revised Monday Core

South County Classic Recap. Aliso Practice Meet and the Triton Invite

Athletes,

We’ll I think it is safe to say that the South County Classic was a resounding success! The high level of competition brought out the best in the athletes that raced, and our team can be very proud of their efforts!

The 3200 got things started off with a bang. After coming through the first lap at 5:20 pace, and the mile at sub 6:00, it would have been very easy for Belle to “crater” over the last mile, but instead, she ran 6:14 for the second mile and a very impressive 12:13 for her very first 3200. I see sub 12:00 in the near future!

The 1600 was a “barn-burner” from the gun. Hana jumped right onto the shoulder of El Toro’s Hannah Tobin, one of the best distance runners in the state, while Chandler had a poor start, almost fell, and found herself in last place half way through the first lap. 100m into the race, Hana lost a shoe, yet never wavered in her position as the laps clicked by. Chandler worked her way back toward the front pack as she recovered from the troubled first lap. With 300m to go, Hana decided that it was time to move and quickly put a 10m gap on Tobin. The El Toro runner battled back and pulled even with 75m to go, and was able to eek out a 2 second win with Hana coming in 2nd at 5:01 (a state of California elite mark). Chandler soon followed in 5:10 (a 6-second pr). Gutsy running from both of our athletes, which bodes well for the future!

In the 800m, Rylee had a tough first lap, but as you have heard me say time and time again, mental toughness goes a long way in distance running. As she came through 400m, Rylee saw that the first lap was slow (75) and she was out of contention, which are two things that could crush the confidence of a lesser runner. In addition, she was being jostled and almost crashed to the track. Did she give up? No way! She battled for position and ran a 69 second last lap to score a 1-second pr and a 5th place. Gutsy running again! To top things off, Rylee came back and ran 60-flat as the anchor for the 4x400 team!

The night would not have been complete if it were not for the teammates that showed up to support their sisters. Giving up a Friday night to hang out at a track meet is a pretty big sacrifice, but that’s what teammates do! In addition to competing, being on a team is about creating memories, supporting each other, and developing friendships that can last a lifetime. Thank you to Brittany, Katelyn, Nicole, Renee, and Sara B. for helping make it a great night!

Please see the training schedule for info about this week's meets.

Keep running,

Coach Horton

Training Plan

Practice Meet Recap & Looking Forward

Athletes,

Let me begin by saying how impressed I am with the hard work and dedication you have invested in the season so far. It never ceases to amazing me that you guys show up day after day with smiles on your faces ready to train hard!

As with all meets, there were races to be celebrated, lessons to be learned and challenges to overcome. From Belle's solo win, to our group dominating the 800 and 1600, we had many successes. As we move forward, I challenge you all to find it within yourselves to push through the pain of racing. You are all fit right now, and with the proper mental approach, each of you can unlock the speed and endurance necessary to set PRs and attain goals. You must believe in yourself, your teammates, and your coaches!

I'm still waiting on the schedule for Friday night and Saturday. As soon as they are available, I'll post them here.

Below you'll find the link to Monday's CORE/STRENGTH workout. Please complete it before leaving on your run. at 2:40. I'll meet you on Pico by Pico Park.

Keep running,
Coach Horton


Training Plan
Monday's CORE