Three Captains lead the way...
They gather in the woods at midnight. A small fire illuminates their faces as they dance in strange circles about its circumference. An old iron cauldron is hanging from sticks leaning over the fire. A putrid odor rises from its gorge. Donned in their new black uniforms, they are chanting in some unintelligible language. If you don’t recognize them, allow me to introduce you. Sadie Miller, Elizabeth Phillipo, and Ava Lahmers, the three captains of the Fairbanks Women’s Cross Country Team. Tendrils of smoke rise and waft in the air. The fire crackles. Behind them, the woods are cloaked in darkness. At this undisclosed location, they begin the rites that will ensure them another strong season. Gone is Rachael Hoover, the legendary runner that drove the team to greatness for four straight years. The Regional Runner-Up trophy from 2023 is now a distant memory. New paths must be forged. They stop dancing. Sadie Miller pulls a black leather-bound book out of a threadbare backpack. It is the captain’s log, and it is full of advice and esoteric incantations from previous years. What is written in it is only for the captains. I can’t repeat its words here, but to give you an idea, there are stories, drawings of old courses, and little quips and nuggets of knowledge needed to rise to the top. Often, these are written in Latin. As Sadie begins reading in a low voice, Elizabeth and Ava fall to their knees in supplication to the wise words. The cauldron bubbles. Its contents are almost ready. Elizabeth adds some gnarled roots to the mixture while Ava stirs it with a large wooden spoon. It’s thickening. This is advantageous, for they have their first meet tomorrow, although it’s really more of an open run. The All-Comers invite at Westerville North High School. The ladies have run there before; they know the course well, so tonight it is really just a matter of preparing their souls for the quest they’re about to begin. The reading is finished, and the girls each grab a ceramic bowl. Ava ladles the mixture into the bowls, and they raise them to their lips. The taste is pungent, but drink it they must. Coach Van Winkle’s orders. They sense that he is nearby, somewhere in the woods, watching. Making sure that the ceremony is conducted to specifications. If they listen closely, they can just make out the faint strains of a Led Zeppelin song coming from a manure-spattered cellphone. Once their bowls are empty, the girls pour water on the fire and scatter leaves and branches over the site, so that there is no evidence of their having been there remaining. Then, they begin to run. Infused with a new energy from the potion, they don’t bother with pacing themselves. They just sprint. In a single file line they fly through the woods, whooping and shrieking, following no trail; only their instincts guide them. Soon, they will be back in their respective homes, exhausted, but prepared for race day.
Back at the site in the woods, Coach Van Winkle emerges from the shadows, his face is covered in mud and he is wearing full camouflage. He likes what he has seen tonight. His captains have learned well. He turns up the volume to the Led Zeppelin playlist he has been listening to, and starts to sing along.
To be Continued…….
By: Jeff Powell
2 races and the long run….
Just a couple general comments and some weekly goals. Most cross country season have a unique feel and pace to them. So far this season has a very tempo like feel to it. What I mean is a steady fast feel, every week has something going on, every week seems to lead into the next and the days, weeks and months seem to be moving steadily-fast. With one race in the books and 2 races this week I expect that steady fast feel to continue and by the time we get to our long run next week we will have covered quit a bit of distance. That will mark the end of our current training block and start our next training block that consists of our home meet and an out of state trip to Michigan. This week we will focus more on prepping for and recovery from races.
Weekly Goals
Work on Race Prep
Understanding Recovery Runs/Days
Focus on leadership
All-Comers Meet Recap
Girls
Mara Vicari - 13:28
Ava Lahmers - 13:46
Sadie Miller - 14:14
Hannah Niehaus - 15:41
Stephanie Headings - 16:02
Hadly Premuda - 16:02
Elizabeth Phillippo - 16:48
Prairie Bailey - 17:21
Corrine Seabourne - 17:43
Lanay Sommers - 19:16
Boys
Zeke Gingrich - 11:15
Bryce Nisly - 12:15
Brady Adams - 12:41
Elton Bailey - 12:43
Daniel Thomas - 12:47
Andrew Doll - 12:49
Noah Thorley - 12:58
JJ Meihls - 13:02
Wesly Goellner - 13:25
Triton Rhodes - 16:01