Dual Meet #3 Results vs. Waltham, 9/28/22

Both Wayland cross country teams had a successful visit to Waltham High School today, with both the girls and boys teams winning their repsective meets. The courses began and ended near the school with much of the rest of the course in the woods north of the Paine Estate, on grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. This is a layout that runs slow due to a combination of rugged footing and rolling terrain. 

The first race of the day was the boys JV on a course just under 2.4 miles in length. The Wayland boys were led by 9th grader Matthew Tan who was followed closely by 11th grader Ben Dugan. Edge Wheeler, Azan Salahuddin, and Jayden Newland also finished in a tight group soon after. 

In the girls race, Wayland was losing the meet at the half mile, mile, and 1.5 mile points of the race. This despite having control of the top two places throughout by Bella Thoen and Arya Samaratunga. In the final mile of the race the rest of the top five--Grace Marto, Sofia Ciciarelli, and Selena Liu--pulled ahead of enough Waltham runners to turn the score in Wayland's favor. 

The boys varsity race on a longer 5k course wasn't close with Wayland taking places 2-5 led by 10th grader Will Jackson. Daniel Narvaez and Thomas Creavin, both of whom passed Waltham runners in the second half of the race, rounded out the scoring five. 

Results for WHS athletes 

Dual Meet #3 @ Waltham, 9/28/22

Meet Site: Waltham High School, 99 Jacks Way. Waltham

Bus leaves at 2:45

Order of Races and Lineups

first race will start no earlier than 4:15

JV boys (3950m course) - Dugan, Goode, Grossman, Han, Jay, Markey, Newland, Salahuddin, Srivastava, Tan, Wheeler, Whitmore

Girls (3950m course) - Ciciarelli, Libenzon, Liu, Marto, Mente, Munford, Samaratunga, Thoen, Yee

Varsity boys (5k course) - Caddoo, Chisum, Creavin, Frank, Jackson, Morris, Mui, Narvaez, Wightman, Williams 

Course Map:

The course begins on Harding Field, the turf field just down the hill from the high school building. Upon exiting the field, runners climb the hill on Jacks Way before entering the woods on the left. The course then follows a loop in the woods (pay attention on the tour to which trail is the course and which trails are not). This loop is covered two times for the short course and three times for the longer course. The course then returns to Jacks Way and then Harding Field where the race finishes, all in the reverse direction of the early stages of the race.

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Mostly sunny, temperatures in the high 60s with W winds 5-10 mph. Bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform. You won't be allowed on the bus if you don't have clothes besides your uniform.
• The Waltham coach reports that the course is not suitable for spike elements in your racing shoes. If you have spiked racing shoes the spike elements should be replaced with blanks or 1/8" pyramids. If you wore longer spike elements in your racing shoes this past weekend at Wrentham, remove them Tuesday evening before going to bed. Do not wait until the bus ride Wednesday, after we arrive at Waltham, etc.
• You'll need to wear your assigned bib number which is the same number you wore in last week's meet. After your race and before you leave, please return this bib number to the ziploc bag that holds the bib numbers and safety pins. The ziploc bag is in turn kept inside the large red duffel bag.
• There will be a course tour sometime soon after we arrive. Pay attention to the loop in the woods as there are various side trails that are not used in the race course.

 What to Bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• plastic bag to store clothes and backpack/duffel bag
• water bottle - including a larger (24-32 oz.) bottle if you have one
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

for parents:

• Harding Field where the course starts and finishes is down the hill from the parking lot next to the school building.

 

Week 6 Training Plan, 9/26-10/2

Starting this week the number of training levels has been reduced from 4 to 3, henceforth known as Group A, B and C. Group A is the former Level 1 and 2 combined; Group B is the former Level 3; Group C is the former Level 4. Last week there was a long run and no timed repeat workout; this week is the opposite, with no long run scheduled and a timed repeat workout on either Friday or Saturday. Also note that there's an optional Saturday practice at Lincoln Station on Saturday morning for those that can make it.

Mon 9/26 - No official practice. If you're not observing the holiday, a short run on your own within the time ranges below:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Tue 9/27 - Warmup including BURPEES followed by a short run followed by run throughs, bounding over cones and running corners. The cones will be set up on the softball field. Total length of the run today is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Wed 9/28 - Dual Meet #3 @Waltham. More information on this meet will be forthcoming. Today is a medium length day in terms of training volume as follows:

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 44-48 minutes
Group C: 52-56 minutes

Thu 9/29 - Warmup including BURPEES followed by a short length recovery run at an easy to moderate intensity with hill drills. The length of the run today is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Fri 9/30 - Warmup followed by either 

Group A: 6-8 minute warmup jog, 2x7 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%) with a 4-5 minute break, 2 sets of (200,100) at race pace on top of the aqueduct, 6-8 minute cooldown
Group B - 6-8 minute warmup jog, 2x9 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%) with a 4-5 minute break, 3 sets of (200,100) at race pace on top of the aqueduct, 6-8 minute cooldown
 Group C - 10 minute warmup jog, 2x11 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%) with a 4-5 minute break, 4 sets of (200,100) at race pace on top of the aqueduct, 10 minute cooldown

The good effort portion of the workout (the pair of long repeats at 80-85% effort) can be done on the practice field loop of the home course or in the neighborhood just beyond the edge of the school fields that includes Charena, Cameron, Kelsey and Clarence Roads. The break between this and the short fast repeats is a jog/hike to the top of the aqueduct. There is a possibility we might do the short fast repeats on the track instead if it's available.

OR

a medium length run at mostly an easy effort level, picking up the pace a bit in the last 10 minutes of the run:

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 44-48 minutes
Group C: 52-56 minutes

Sat 10/1 -  For those attending the Lincoln practice, warmup to Mt. Misery field loop followed by 

Group A: 6-8 minute warmup jog, 2x7 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%) with a 4-5 minute break, 2 sets of (200,100) at race pace on top of the aqueduct, 6-8 minute cooldown

Group B - 6-8 minute warmup jog, 2x9 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%) with a 4-5 minute break, 3 sets of (200,100) at race pace on top of the aqueduct, 6-8 minute cooldown

Group C - 10 minute warmup jog, 2x11 minutes at a "good" effort (80-85%) with a 4-5 minute break, 4 sets of (200,100) at race pace on top of the aqueduct, 10 minute cooldown

OR

for those who did the timed repeat workouts yesterday, a medium length run at mostly an easy effort level, picking up the pace a bit in the last 10 minutes of the run:

Group A: 36-40 minutes
Group B: 44-48 minutes
Group C: 52-56 minutes

Sun 10/2 - Off. If you observed the holiday on Monday you can do a short length run mostly at an easy pace with a moderate increase in pace the last 5-10 minutes of the run.

Frank Kelley Invitational Results, 9/24/22

There were many impressive results on Saturday at the Frank Kelley Invitational. This was the first of two visits to the Wrentham Devleopmental Center course this season, which is typically a layout that runs quite fast. This was the case today despite gusty winds that persisted throughout the day. 

On the girls side there were two medal winners on the day. Arya Samaratunga (12th) in the 9th and 10th grade 3k and Bella Thoen (16th) in the 11th and 12th grade 3k race. Thoen joins Samaratunga in the top five times for girls on the 3k course at this site, which has been used since 2010.

On the boys side 7 athletes tackled the 3k course led by the closely packed trio of Jonathan Mui, Matthew Frank, and Ben Caddoo. In the championship 5k race, which was open to all schools, the Wayland group placed 10th of 33 teams, and the 3rd team from MIAA Division 2. With the multi loop course layout, the runners in the 5k race passed over the finish line timing mat at 3k as well. This allows for seeing how people fared in relation to their competitors. Each Wayland runner in the race picked off more than 10 runners in the final 2 km of the race, and the team moved up three places. In terms of the historical angle, four of the top fifteen times by WHS athletes on this course, including two of the top three, are from this race. 

Overall results 

Splits and times for WHS athletes

All time performance lists for Wrentham Developmental Center courses - WDC has been in use since 2010

Frank Kelley Invitational, 9/24/22

Meet Site: 

Wrentham Developmental Center. The address is 131 Emerald Street, however the race course is located a little further down the road, in the large field at the intersection of Emerald Street and Shear St. This is across the street from the William A. Rice Recreation Area.

Bus time 8:30 AM

Remember, no eating on the bus. Masks optional but encouraged.

Race Schedule and Entries (time cutoff in parentheses):

10:35 AM 9-10th grade girls 3k (19 minutes) - Ciciarelli, Libenzon, Samaratunga

10:55 AM 9-10th grade boys 3k (17 minutes) - Goode, Tan, Wheeler

11:15 AM 11-12th grade girls 3k (19 minutes) - Dale, Liu, Marto, Munford, Thoen

11:35 AM 11-12th grade boys 5k (17 minutes) - Caddoo, Dugan, Frank, Grossman, Mui, Salahuddin, Wyner

12:30 PM Boys 5k (25 minutes) - Chisum, Creavin, Jackson, Morris, Narvaez, Wightman, Williams

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Mostly sunny, temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s. ESE winds 10-15 mph. Bring warmup clothes, it will be cooler than the weather we've been experiencing up to this point.
• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back side which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked athletes who aren't racing NOT to wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number. 
• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before the start of your race; in past editions of this meet the officials have been known to start races a few minutes earlier than the posted schedule. 
• If you're wearing a stopwatch while racing, putting your arm up to hit the button on the watch while crossing the finish line can cause the RFID chip to be blocked by your arm, and your finish might not be recorded. In other words, don't press the button on your watch when crossing the finish line.
• The meet staff has asked that no one do their warmup or cool down among the buildings of the Wrentham Developmental Center, where patients are housed. Aside from the course itself, you can warmup and cool down on the ball fields across the street.
• Medals will be given to the top 25 finishers in each race.
• Time cutoff: the timing system will be turned off when the cutoff time for a given race is reached. 

Course Map:

• The course is fairly flat, with some roll in places. There are no long and/or steep hills. The course is almost entirely on grass. The 5k course is three loops. The 3k course ends after the second loop (yellow on this map). The 5k course repeats this second loop. Both the 3k and 5k share the same first loop, which is the circumference of the large field where the course is situated. The second loop has two incursions from the edge of the field into the middle. Typically there are large digital clocks at the mile and two mile marks. 

What to Bring:

• Uniform
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them; this is a course for spikes, 1/4" or 3/8" elements
• Warmup clothes including a shirt
• Water bottles - filled

• Sunscreen

• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• Food - food will be sold at the meet but it won't be particularly good or nutritious. I recommend bringing a lunch for after the race. 

For Parents:

• There's $10 parking fee for each car.

• Dogs aren't allowed except for service animals.
• No grilling, cooking, or fires are allowed at the meet site. 
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label. 
• We hope to return to WHS by 2:30 PM, possibly a bit earlier.

Dual Meet #2 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury and Westford Academy results 9/21/22

The second dual meet of the season was held today in Westford, with a "double dual" facing both Westford Academy and Lincoln-Sudbury. Per decree of the powers that be, teams in the DCL "Foley" division (small schools, including Wayland) are assigned a meet against two schools from the DCL "Thorpe" division (large schools). This meet was the Thorpe-Foley crossover for Wayland. The depth of the larger schools came to bear in the final scores but there were many noteworthy efforts nonetheless. The course on rolling trails and dirt roads that passed by the East Boston Camps offered sections of smoother footing along with more challenging terrain in places. 

The JV boys were the first race of the afternoon and the Wayland team was led once again by Ben Caddoo followed closely by Jonathan Mui. Senior captain Matthew Frank was next and he was followed by 9th grader Jayden Newland in his first ever high school race. 

The varsity girls race was next and after having beaten the Westford Academy team in last year's Thorpe-Foley matchup there was hope of a repeat. As it turned out the WA team completely reloaded up front, as their top runner from a year ago was their sixth runner today. The Wayland team raced well regardless, led this time by 10th grader Arya Samaratunga. There was a relatively narrow time spread between the 4th (Selena Liu) and 7th (Sasha Libenzon) Wayland runners. 

The varsity boys race followed, with all but one of the group running the course as a controlled effort ahead of this weekend's attempt at the 5k race distance at the Frank Kelley Invitational. The one member of the varsity boys contingent who won't be racing this weekend is Kyle Reece and he put on a clinic of pacing in the race today. 

The last race of the day was the girls JV, with Michelle Yee and Anna Munford racing together dodging the many large mosquitoes in the woods that were appearing in the gathering dusk. At the end Yee finished just ahead of her teammate. 

Results and times for WHS athletes 

If you happened to get your mile and/or 2 mile split times (these were posts on the side of the trail) please send them to me.

Dual Meet #2 vs. Lincoln Sudbury, Westford Academy at Stony Brook Middle School

Meet site:  

Stony Brook Middle School, 9 Farmer Way Westford. Parents, note the meet does NOT take place at Westford Academy.

Bus time: 

Hopefully 2:45, no later than 3 PM. Upon dismissal, change into your uniform and warmups, take care of any bathroom needs and head to the pickup area.

Race schedule and lineups:

• First race as close to 4:15 as possible depending on our arrival time; hopefully no later than 4:30

• Four races will be contested in the following order:

• JV boys: Caddoo, Frank, Goode, Grossman, Han, Jay, Markey, Mui, Newland, Rashid, Tan, Whitmore
• Varsity Girls: Ciciarelli, Libenzon, Liu, Marto, Mente, Samaratunga, Thoen

• Varsity boys: Chisum, Creavin, Jackson, Morris, Narvaez, Reece, Wightman, Williams
• JV Girls: Munford, Yee

Meet information:

• Weather forecast: Mostly cloudy, temperatures in the mid 70s with winds from the SSW 5-10 mph. Slight (20%) chance of rain. Bring clothes to wear at the meet besides your uniform. You won't be allowed on the bus if you don't have clothes besides your uniform!
• You're required to wear your DCL bib number during the race. This is a number in the 700-799 range that has been assigned to you by the coaching staff. A list of these numbers can be seen here. When the meet is over, remember to return this number to the ziploc bag where it will be stored until the next DCL meet which is next Wednesday. Leave the safety pins on your number.
• A map of Westford's course can be seen here:

 

the course is 2.9 miles long and most of it takes place on trails in woods to the SE of the track where the course begins and ends. Most of the course is a large loop with little overlap. There are red signs spaced every quarter mile along the course, and blue signs where the course makes a turn. The WA coaches tell me there will be "caution tape throughout" to mark the course. 

 

Unlike other meets, I won't be standing at either the 400 meter (quarter mile) or mile mark. Instead I'll be riding my bike over the further reaches of the course to help ensure people don't get lost. Please wear your watch and take a split at the mile and 2 mile marks of the course, and e-mail this information to me after the meet.

What to bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes
• water bottle
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

For parents:

• Don't forget the meet is NOT held at Westford Academy itself but at Stony Brook Middle School in Westford. 
• The one loop nature of the course doesn't lend itself to many opportunities to watch the runners pass by. You might be able to see a bit more of the race from the rail trail near the track but be careful not to block the course if you do this.
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label.