Cross Country

Overview

Cross Country

Welcome to Miwok Cross Country.  The Miwok Middle School XC program has a rich legacy of success and fostering a passion for running, as well as providing a positive environment for our student athletes to train, compete, and develop lifelong friendships with their peers.  Committing ourselves as teammates and student-athletes is paramount.  Nothing comes before that, including winning. 

Our positive team climate should serve to represent and permeate throughout the greater Miwok community, including our student body, staff, alumni, local businesses, and nearby community.  All athletes on the Cross Country roster are well aware of this honor and responsibility.  Team captains help to anchor the value of our influence every year.

2023 Cross Country Captains

  • Sydney Johnson
  • Camille Tamblyn
  • Liam Hiroshima-Chan
  • Enzo Martinez-Vaughan

“The real purpose of running isn’t to win the race, it’s to test the limits of the human heart.”  Bill Bowerman

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Cross Country Information

A SCUSD sports participation packet must be turned in prior to attending any practice session.  Click on the link below and print.  You can return these forms in person or via email to our Athletic Clearance Director, Natasha Brown, when complete. Click HERE to access the sports packet.

GEAR: Athletes should wear comfortable running shorts, t-shirt, running shoes, and bring a water bottle.

COST: Any fees associated with the season will be minimal.  Funds are used to pay for t-shirts and miscellaneous items that pop up.  Fees will be announced once practice begins on TBD.

FLEET FEET NIGHT: Our annual Fleet Feet night will be held in the end of August.  You DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!!!  After the close of normal business hours, Fleet Feet reserves a night solely for the purpose of serving the needs of our Miwok Middle XC student athletes.  Fleet Feet provides two unique features to find the shoe that is most appropriately built for the shape and function unique to each runner’s foot.  In other words, the runner is the patient, and Fleet Feet is the foot doctor.  Shoes are suggested for function, not style.  This is not a required event, and athletes are not mandated to purchase their running shoes at Fleet Feet.  All runners do receive a 10% discount during their team’s reserved night.

PRACTICE LOCATIONS: Practice sessions are held at Miwok Middle and McKinley Park, conveniently located one block adjacent to campus.

TRAINING: Training is the core of our sport.  Running is not a sport one can participate and compete in without proper training.  TIME and CONSISTENCY are the bookends of a healthy, successful runner.  Too much, too fast, too soon NEVER works and injuries become inevitable.  Here is a list a proper training fundamentals and key terms our runners will be exposed to throughout their careers here at Miwok Middle and in a quality high school program thereafter.

  • Every Run Has a Purpose
  • Easy Intensity
  • Threshold Intensity
  • Interval Intensity
  • Repetition Intensity
  • Stride Cadence
  • Stride Length
  • Foot Strike
  • Running Economy
  • Race Strategy

TRANSPORTATION: Parents are responsible for arranging rides to/from practice and events. It is extremely important that athletes are prepared with the appropriate gear for each practice and event.

RACE LOCATIONS:

  • Willow Hills Reservoir:  1655 Iron Point Rd., Folsom, CA 95630
  • William Pond Park:  5700 Arden Way, Carmichael, CA 95608
  • Gibson Ranch Regional Park:  8556 Gibson Ranch Rd., Elverta, CA 95626
  • Rosemont High School:  9594 Kiefer Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95827
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XC 2023 Season Information

Official practice will begin on Wednesday, August 16.  Due to scheduled vacations and other family commitments, many kiddos perhaps may be missing from practice in the three weeks leading up to the start of the school year.  That is expected, understood, and there is no need to worry about missed practice time during this period.  Once the school year begins, however, it is expected that every runner attends every practice.

  • August 16, 17, 18:  7:30 am – 9 am
  • August 21, 22, 23:  7:30 am – 9 am
  • August 28, 29, 30:  7:30 am – 9 am

Once School begins, practices will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, from 2:45 – 4 pm. 

Fleet Feet Night:  Monday, August 28; 5pm – 7:30

Fleet Feet is a longtime sponsor of our school XC and Track programs.  At the beginning of each season, Fleet Feet invites our team in for a private fitting, for our team runners only.  This occurs after the close of normal business hours, and all runners receive 10% off their training shoes.  For new customers, such as the vast majority of our incoming 7th graders, Fleet Feet performs a pressure plate reading and 3-D scan to accurately suggest the shoe most appropriately built for the runner’s foot.  The knowledgeable staff picks the shoe as if the runner were the patient.  Attendance is not required, however this is not something you want to miss.  Click this Link for more information.

Parent / Athlete XC Night:  August 29 (6 pm – 6:30)

This is an orientation to get acquainted with everything associated with the season and the team.  Meet the kiddos, message from the team captains, schedule updates, and more, will be shared at this time.  All athletes and one (1) parent / guardian should be in attendance.

XC 2023 SCHEDULE

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Summer Pre-Season Conditioning

All runners should begin the following training schedule ASAP, and as early as possible in the mornings.  Runners should not expose themselves to the hot air of the late mornings, afternoons, and / or early evenings during the warmer season in our region.  You too, PARENTS…  Heat stroke, heat exhaustion, dehydration, low sugar levels, etc. should be AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS, and these risks are elevated when running during the times of day just described.  Prior to beginning, please watch this video from America’s top running coach, Dr. Jack Daniels.  Don’t laugh parents, his name really is Dr. Jack Daniels, and the vast majority of the running guru’s in our country follow his work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veAQ73OJdwY

DAILY RUNS (Run easy enough that allows you to run tomorrow.)

Week 1:  (4 sets) Five-minute easy run, one minute walk, continuous repeat.  (24 Minutes total)

Week 2:  (5 sets) Five-minute easy run, one minute walk, continuous repeat.  (30 Minutes total)

Week 3:  (5 sets) Seven-minute easy run, one minute walk, continuous repeat. (40 Minutes total)

  • 60% Heart Rate:  Easy runs should be performed at a pace that allows the runner to hold a conversation during the activity.  If running alone, put some earbuds in and sing along while running.
  • Focus should be on:  “Time Spent Running!”  Not on Speed…
  • Too Much, Too Fast, Too Soon:  Avoid this at all costs.  When in doubt, run slower for a shorter distance and repeat when your body is ready.
  • Why do we start our own personal training prior to team workouts?:  Take ownership of your own training and on your own schedule; begin team practice with confidence knowing you have initiated training on your own terms.