No. 1 ranked SOU cross country team fires assistant coach

Seaside, OR - These posts were taken from the Oregonlive.com blog

Post Hood to Coast --
Thus concludes another year of Hood to Coast and this one proved to have everything--good competition, fantastic weather, and a new personal best time. We found ourselves in a see-saw battle with the Bucknell Alumni team that has won the event in years past. At the first exchange zone we held a 30 second lead and after the first full rotation we were up by approximately 2 minutes. There were swings in the lead by 2-3 minutes in either direction until the 26th leg, which is about 150 miles and 13 hours into the race when both teams handed off at the EXACT same time! It was more reminiscent of a 4X400m relay than a 197 mile race. With a man down for the final rotation we fell off the pace by a few minutes and settled for 3rd place behind Bucknell and the Gleukos Fast Fuelers who started 45 mins behind us. The members of the team shared their thoughts during and after the race (which are in the videos above), but the general consensus was that we gave it a great effort and will be back next year with a renewed sense of motivation to stand atop the relay racing zenith again. Hope everyone had a great time and we'll see you all next year!

Hood to Coast is off! -- Tight Race At First Exchange.
Posted August 25, 2006
After the first van exchange in Sandy Team XO holds a narrow lead over the Bucknell Alumni. Both teams started at 7pm along with the rest of the elite teams, except for the Gleukos Fast Fuelers who went off at 7:45. In a sea-saw battle through the first van both Bucknell and XO has held respective leads of approx 2:30 and at the final exchange Team XO clung to a 30 second lead. It looks like its going to be a tight run between the two teams, and should be interesting to see how the Gleukos team factors in as well.

Hood to Coast is Tomorrow! -- Some Final Motivation.
Posted August 24, 2006
Hood to Coast kicks off tomorrow morning, and either you are feeling ready...or you aren't. Either way, there isn't much you can do between now and then to improve your performance so your best bet at this point is to just get as excited about it as you can and give it your best shot. In an effort to help with that, here are some examples of motivating performances that should inspire you to your best Hood to Coast ever (or at least a good try)!

* Kenenisa Bekele wins the 3k at the Indoor World Championships.
* At the height of the British dominance in mid-distance running, Sebastian Coe wins the 1980 Olympic 1500 final. His World Record in the 800 stood for nearly 20 years.
* After being denied a Gold Medal in the event that he had dominated for a decade, Hicham El Guerrouj finds redemption in a stirring final lap of the 1500 in Athens.
* There is a reason why Steve Prefontaine has achieved cult-level status in the U.S, he ran with a flare and passion that captivated anyone that saw him compete.
* In one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history, virtual unknown Billy Mills of the USA outkicks the heavy favorites to win the 1964 Tokyo 10,000--a feat never accomplished before or since.

Blogging During The Race -- We will be blogging during race day/night as much as possible.
Posted August 22, 2006
We will be blogging during race day/night as much as possible. Obviously there will not be a connection through the coastal range, but we should be able to provide some updates around the first couple van exchanges and again after the race. Hope everyone is feeling ready for this weekend! Happy running.

Final Preparations. -- Take The Elevator.
Posted August 21, 2006
As we approach the last week before the Hood To Coast relay, lectures about training become insignificant. One fact remains: if you didn't follow that training routine, you are in trouble! Well, maybe not trouble - but you'll be hobbling around on the sands of Seaside in a little more pain than necessary- which is never fun, because you may spill your beer!

But what can a runner do during this last week to prepare for the grueling all-night-run-a-thon that we are about to undertake? One word: rest. This isn't the time to get in another one or two stringent workouts. This week should be devoted to easy slow runs, a little pace work, sleep, lots of stretching and a healthy diet. This is a week when you should take the elevator instead of the stairs.

Easy runs should dominate your workouts this week. Except for some pace work, you'll want to be running at 70-75% effort while dropping your daily mileage. That means that if you plan on running 8 minute pace during the race, your easy runs should be at 10 to 10:30 pace. The goal is to allow those muscles to rebuild and repair so you can thrash them in a few days.

You do, however, want to remember what race-pace is! It sure isn't fun to start a Hood To Coast leg 15% faster, or slower, than pace and realize you are way off pace halfway into your run. It doesn't make your teammates too happy, either. (It's also no fun to be unprepared at an exchange zone when your team comes in, but that's another story!) Depending upon your fitness level and the amount of training you have been doing, you'll want do some pace work on Monday and Wednesday or just on Tuesday. I typically like to do 5-8x400 meter and 3-4x800 meter laps at the track with 2-3 minutes of rest in between on Monday so I can make sure I'm getting those exact times. Be sure to focus on what your race pace feels like in your legs, in your breathing, in your arm swing. You want to focus on that fluid body motion and replicate it 3 times this Friday/Saturday. Then, on Wednesday, I like to do a couple 400 and 200 meter strides just to feel that pace, again with 2-3 minutes of rest in between. If you don't feel up to two workouts this week, just do one on Monday or Tuesday. And, obviously, tailor the workout to suit your pace and needs.

Lastly, overall rest in your daily life is extremely important! Make sure you get the maximum amount of sleep possible this week. Make sure you don't run around too much at work. Make sure you eat healthy so that your body isn't stressing to digest food. And make sure you stretch, primarily your legs, thoroughly each day. Race day is coming, people, let's prepare!

Who Are The Favorites? -- Quick Hits From The Rumor Mill.
Posted August 19, 2006
As the Hood to Coast chatter starts to pick up in the final weeks leading up to the event, conjecture runs rampant. Heading into the 25th running of the biggest relay in the world there are some teams looking to make a big impression and stake their claim in the sand at Seaside. How legit are their claims? That remains to be seen, but on paper there appear to be some impressive rosters.

Most notable are the Gleukos Fast Fuelers, a team from the Palo Alto area comprised of runners on the Farm Team. Coach by the legendary Frank Gagliano and featuring 2004 Olympian Jonathon Riley, this team is taking aim at the course record of 15:44 which is around a 4:48 mile pace. As we stated earlier in our first blog posting, the chance of this actually happening is slim to none, but if they come even remotely close the rest of the race will surely be for second place. The Bowerman International team returns this year after a runner up finish in 2005 and have beefed up their roster with Mike Donnelly, a full time Nike employee who placed 3rd in the 10k at the 2004 Olympic Trials. Another team to keep an eye on are the much-improved and ever-popular Synthesis of Beer and Insanity team captained by Chris Johnson of Siuslaw HS. Also, after a 4th place finish last year the Rabid Dogs of Marina, Ca have apparently put together a tough squad.

One Week Until Hood to Coast. -- Tips For Tapering Properly.
Posted August 17, 2006
With just a week to go until the Hood to Coast kicks off hopefully you are feeling confident about your training. If you have remained as consistent as possible up to this point then you are probably as prepared as you are going to be. The most important piece of your training in the final week is to be sure you are rested and ready to go at the starting line. This phase of training is called "tapering" and the goal is for the runner to be fully recovered from previous workouts while simultaneously being completely rested for the race ahead.

Doing the right kind of taper is an art unto itself since the final touches to any training program come during this phase. Here are some tips to getting the most out all the hard work you have done.

* Cut back on the distance and intensity of your training runs during prior to the race, eliminating intense efforts. You may want to take a couple days off to ensure that you are fully rested.
* Listen to your body. There are no workouts the week prior to HTC that will enhance your preparedness for the race. An important rule of thumb is that "less is best", particularly if you are feeling either physically or mentally tired or your legs are fatigued.
* Keep stretching as much as possible throughout the week. After you run, lay on your back and elevate your legs against a wall to flush the lactic acid from your muscles.
* Consider getting a leg massage a few days before the run.
* Clip long toenails and treat blisters ahead of time so that you don't encounter any issues during the event.

Footwear 101. -- Proper Shoes For The HTC.
Posted August 14, 2006
n an event as rigorous as this relay there are enough obstacles to overcome along the way, having an additional battle due to improper footwear makes it nearly impossible. With Hood to Coast less than two weeks away, you should already have your favorite pair of running shoes ready to go. If not, there may still hope. Here is some basic information to help find the right shoe for you.

To begin with, each person has there own specific needs--there is no single "best shoe" for everyone. The first step in finding a good shoe for you is to identify those needs based on the shape of your foot and the biomechanics of your gait. One way to do this is to conduct a "wet test" on your foot. This will give you an indication as to what type of arch you have and in turn which category of footwear would be best suited for you.

The first of these categories is a neutral foot strike. This means that you have a normal arch that causes your foott to land on the outside of the heel and roll inward to absorb shock. This is typically the trademark of a relatively efficient runner that does not need the benefits of a motion control shoe. A moderate stability or neutral shoe should suffice.

The next type of runner has a flat arch which is indicated by a gait that strikes on the outsole of the heel and pronates inward rapidly resulting in a toe off on the extreme inside of the foot. Over an extended period of time this can cause a variety of issues and injuries. When choosing a pair of shoes you will need to look for something with a firmer midsole and dual density material on the lateral side to reduce the degree of pronation.

Finally, if you have a high, rigid arch then you will need a cushioned shoe to assist with shock absorption. The shoe should be flexible and allow for natural motion of the foot to maintain optimal propulsion.

Once you narrow it down to the type of shoe that you need it is important to take a variety of other factors into consideration--past injuries, terrain, leg length differences, mileage, etc....if you are unsure about how any of these affect you another alternative to the wet test would be to go into a local running specialty shop and get custom fitted. Locally, Portland Running Company is a great option that has been providing this service for years. Their staff can analyze your gait and make a recommendation based upon a quick diagnostic run at their store. Remember though, at the end of the day it is you who has to run in the shoes--make sure they have a natural, comfortable fit on your foot.

Some final pieces of advice:
* Run in shoes that have approximately a thumb nails width between the end of your toe and the end of your shoe.
* Bring an extra pair of shoes to HTC as a backup.
* Try to avoid running in a new pair at the race, preferably have some with a few miles on them.
* If you feel that you need a new pair at this point, try taking the insoles out of your old shoes and placing them in the new ones to simulate a "broken in" feel. * Wear good socks and be sure to have body glide or some type of blister protection on hand.

Watch Those Exchange Zones! -- The Logistics of Hood to Coast.
Posted August 9, 2006
Each year as the Hood to Coast approaches, teams plan on having fun and giving it their all. If their efforts fall short of victory because another team was faster, then so be it--congratulations are in order. But the worst thing that can happen is to lose time due to logistics such as vehicle failure, getting slowed up in traffic, or missing an exchange between runners. The latter can occur because of lost van drivers, poor communication, lack of sleep, or tricky cell phone coverage.

Last year going into the third van exchange we had a slight lead over Nike's Bowerman team when disaster nearly struck: most of the people at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, the sleeping area at zone 18, were awoken with the screams of "Where's Destry???" As our "self proclaimed" captain had just raced to the finish of his second leg, he found no one to continue the trip to the next checkpoint. Due to a combination of trying to get some sleep, limited cell phone coverage, and a parking spot located a quarter mile away from the exchange zone, our next runner was changing into his racing shoes far out of earshot.

Here are a few tips for Hood to Coast teams to avoid confusion at the van exchange zones:

* Walkie Talkies can come in handy in places where there is no cell coverage
* Give a call to the other van to give ample warning as to when you will likely arrive
* Have someone with the runner who is running the first leg of your group (legs 7, 13, 19, etc) to grab their warm up clothes if your team arrives sooner than expected * Warm up with the exchange zone in sight
* If possible, make sure each van has someone who is familiar with the area. (Last year, our vans were split 6 Oregon runners and 6 Washington runners, and somehow all 6 Washington runners ended up in the same van. Of course, the Washington van then missed a key bridge going into Portland).
After a few tense minutes Destry eventually sprinted his way back to the exchange zone and we were able to recover . Once the dust settled we were able to laugh it off and chalk it up to a lesson learned. Hopefully you can do the same and avoid any costly mishaps on the roads!

Can You Imagine? -- A brief history of Team XO
Posted August 7, 2006
Founded in 2003, Team XO is a track club that was started by dreamers, specifically for dreamers. Much like the meager beginnings of the NCIC All-Stars, what began with a box of tee shirts and an inspired vision has evolved into a mission. The two teams have combined resources this year to make the best roster possible. With a 4th HTC title on the line, can you imagine?

Team XO was founded and created by former University of Oregon Track Athletes. We are based out of Eugene, Oregon, home of historic Hayward Field and Track Town USA. The team is comprised of primarily post collegiate athletes that train in the state of Oregon or graduated from the University of Oregon. Team XO has been created for elite post collegiate Track & Field / Cross Country athletes looking to continue their athletic career, while competing at the highest possible level. Although creation remains in the early stages, the vision is clear. We look to provide a home and unified team atmosphere where driven, elite athletes can work together to achieve success both individually and as a team. We are always looking to expand our team with even more talented athletes that share the same drive and passion that it takes to excel at the highest level. In doing this, we look to become the premier Track & Field Team in the Nation.

Off the track, field and trail, we try and extend our vision of the way we feel our sport should be. We host an elite team high school track meet at Hayward Field called the XO Invite, direct and coach a fun low cost athletic kid's camp called the XO Athletic Camp, and volunteer hundreds of hours a year in our community.

Team XO Highlights::
:: One of the most dominant post-collegiate track and field organization in the Nation.
:: Coordinates Over 60 Elite Athletes and Counting.
:: Brought 8 Olympic Trials Qualifiers to Sacramento (How many to Eugene?).
:: Partnered with the NCIC Allstars to help the team win its 3rd consecutive Hood to coast relay! :: Produced our first video - if you haven't seen it you should! - Its on the website-
:: Coached the Lane Distance Project Training group which propelled Lane Community College's Cross Country team to it's first National Championship in 17 years!
:: Received Over 300,000 hits on our five websites ( teamxo.com ).
:: Won over 20 road races while participating in 40 all over the Nation in 2005
:: Hosts a high school meet with over 1000 athletes and 4000+ in attendance (XO Invite at Hayward Field).
:: Directs a complete men's and women's cross country and track and field team.
:: Administers a high caliber, low cost youth athletic camp every summer (XO Athletic Camp).
:: Gives hundreds of volunteer hours a year to the athletic community.

Eating Properly For The Hood to Coast. -- Tips For Healthy Eating.
Posted August 5, 2006
Preparing for the Hood to Coast often involves exercising to a degree that your body may not be used to. Therefore, eating properly has more to do with your Hood to Coast training and performance than you might think. A correct balance of food will not only keep you from tiring as quickly, or "running out of gas", but also aid in recovery after the relay. Nutrition is only one piece of your preparation, but an important one that should not be overlooked.

One essential tip is to eat fresh foods. Fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits have the ingredients the body needs to perform at its best. In addition, due to the amount of calories the body is burning, protein bars are a great supplemental source of energy. A strategy the helps keep the body running at its best is to eat steadily throughout the day. This is especially important when you start upping your training for the Hood to Coast. Be sure to take in a solid breakfast, it does not have to be large, but get your body some fuel to burn. In addition have a mid morning snack of fresh fruit or vegetables. When you eat you should not be starving, feed your body consistently. I tend not to get too worked up on watching the number of calories as a set number, because it varies with every individual, but figure out for yourself what feels right. Meals should not make you feel heavy, but satisfied.

The idea of carbo-loading before the race is something that many people see as important. In all reality eating a large "high carbohydrate" meal such as spaghetti the night before does not really give you all the energy that you will need to make it through the race. Consistently eating properly as you train leading up to the event is will cause your body to store up energy naturally. When you begin to taper your training in final preparation for the race your body will build up a reserve due to less energy being used than your regular training regiment. If you are eating consistently and just back off the training a little you will have the needed energy naturally. Instead of overeating the night before the event, continue to eat a balanced meal that your body is used to. Also, if you happen to have a late start time on the day of the race be sure to eat a meal of substance around noon so that you will have some fuel that night.

A few simple tips to help you stay on track:
* Shop on the outside edge of the grocery store. This is where you will find fresh foods. Things that need to be refrigerated are good for you, because they are not as processed
* Eat a variety of foods and eat consistently, but in moderate quantities throughout the day.
* Drink plenty of water. Coffee, soda, and even sports drinks should be drank in moderation.
* Make sure and eat breakfast, it will start your day off right.
* Avoid over-eating at one time, only eat until you are content.

Sample daily menu:

Breakfast: 1-2 eggs either scrambled or hardboiled, a piece of whole grain toast or a bagel, some yogurt and fruit.

Mid morning snack: Fresh fruit or vegetable

Lunch: Tuna/ Chicken salad

Mid afternoon: Protein bar and Fruit

Dinner: Chicken or Beef fresh steamed vegetables, whole grain breads. A pasta dish with either a meat or vegetable sauce is another alternative.

Dessert: If you have followed your routine consistently throughout the day, feel free to indulge a little bit.

Reflections on DIII Athletics. -- A few added thoughts...
Posted August 1, 2006
On the heels of a week that announced the failed drug tests of Floyd Landis and Justin Gatlin I reflected on how fortunate we were to have competed collegiately at the DIII level. This may sound like a strange statement as most athletes dream of being stars at powerhouse DI schools, but I think in this era of athletics there is more truth to it than ever before. Sports are surrounded by so much controversy and distraction that it becomes easy to forget why we are out there in the first placee. This is prevalent on a daily basis as headlines are filled with stories about shady recruiting practices, legal issues, performance enhancing drugs, gambling violations, athlete kickbacks, team scandals and coverups. These issues threaten to taint the games and sports that we have grown to love.

But not at the DIII level. Sometimes we competed in front of 2000 fans, sometimes only 200, but the passion was always the same. We didn't practice everyday because our scholarship depended on it, we practiced everyday because we loved our sport and we took pride in what we did. We gave it our all on race day because our teammates and coaches were depending on us, not because our potential contract was depending on it. After college we didn't go on to sign endorsement deals, but we did go on to sign grad school applications and job acceptance letters. Looking back, we participated in something quite rare--one of the few truly pure forms of sports that is left, and personally I'm very proud of that. This spirit has always been at the heart of our team.

A brief history of the NCIC All-Stars.
Posted July 28, 2006
The NCIC All-Stars, running this year as the Team XO All-Stars (more on this later) first participated at the Hood to Coast back in 2000, but the history of our team extends beyond that. Comprised primarily of runners who ran collegiately in the NCIC (Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges) the members of this team competed with and against eachother at small DIII schools in Oregon and Washington (some of us even ran together in high school). Through the course of those years friendships were created and after graduating we decided that it would be fun to put a HTC team together.

Our first year was an eye-opening experience to say the least. Most of our roster was finalized in the final week before the event, and we ended up a man short which meant 3 guys had to run an extra leg. Our transportation consisted of a late-70's model Suburban and a borrowed mini-van, both of which looked like they were ready to give out at any moment. Our team attire consisted of a hodge-podge of old singlets, road race tees, and shoes with more miles on them then the vehicles we were riding in. Very few of us knew the course or how to approach the prospect of running 3 times in 24 hours. After the race we took in the evening festivities at the beach but had to pile back in the vans and drive back to Portland that night as we had nowhere to stay in Seaside. When it was all said and done, we had struggled to a modest 8th place finish. Most of us could barely walk the next day.

Still, we were hooked. It had become the highlight of the summer, group emails would start in June and the excitement would build until the weekend of the event. Everybody looked forward to it. However, not much changed over the next couple years--guys still had to run extra legs, we rode in horrendous vans, achieved mediocre results, and continued to make the late night trip back to Portland afterwards. Then, in 2003, a member of our team was purchasing shoes at a local running shop, PSA Wilsonville, and began talking with the owner about the team. The owner (Bill Carly, a local runner himself) took interest and offered to help us out with some uniforms, shoes, and supplies. It was only a couple months before the event, but he worked hard to secure whatever he could for us. For the first time, we actually looked like a team. And when the race started, for the first time since the group of rag-tag runners got together, we actually FELT like a team.

With most of Hood to Coast being run through the night it is easy to lose track of your competition and maintain a grasp on exactly what place your team is in, but we knew we were running better than we ever had. As we approached Seaside our estimation was that we near the top 5, and if we were lucky maybe somewhere around 3rd place. As we waited on the beach together for our final runner to come in the announcement was made that the first elite teams were about to finish. As we collectively leaned in to get a look at the winning team our guy rounded the final corner, and to our surprise, our name was called! Bewildered, we all stood there for a second and stared at eachother in dismay before joining the anchor leg and crossing the line together in jubilation. We had somehow won the Hood to Coast.

Admittedly, our time that year was one of the slower winning times in race history, but we have since bested it by over an hour and hope to continue improving. The competition has also improved though, with one team even flying in an Olympic Gold Medalist! However, we have been fortunate to win the past 3 years with solid team efforts that have involved all 12 individuals giving their all. Most of the members of the NCIC All-Stars joined Team XO after college, a track club based in Eugene, Or. This years team is comprised of primarily the same runners as years past, but with those close ties to Team XO (it was founded by a member of the 2003 team) and with the NCIC no longer being in existence (it is now the Northwest Conference), this year we have joined that club to create the Team XO All-Stars. Our goals continue to remain the same however; run hard and most importantly--have fun!

A brief history of the Hood to Coast Relay.
Posted July 26, 2006
Each year during the final weekend in August, runners from all over the globe travel to our fair city and pack themselves like sardines into a van that quite literally smells like the aforementioned marine life to embark on a 198 mile jaunt all through the night. Over hill and dale with little or no sleep, it is a journey that begins with friends, co-workers, co-cancer survivors, family members, or in some cases complete strangers--but over the course of 24 arduous hours lifetime bonds are forged. These bonds are shared on a level that each person who has participated in the event understands is very unique--12 people who may have had very little in common at the start, but share a tremendous sense of accomplishment at the finish line. In short, if The Breakfast Club were to meet Chariots of Fire, it would be the Hood to Coast.

Odds are that if you live in Oregon you have probably known someone in your social network that has participated in Hood to Coast. Or perhaps you have tried to drive through downtown Portland and wondered why streams of runners were plodding along Front Street with flashlights and reflective vests in tow. It is truly an event that captures peoples attention one way or another. Now in its 25th year, this is a quick look at some of the history and memorable performances involved with the race.

To understand the Hood to Coast relay, it is imperative to know a little about its founder--Bob Foote. An avid runner himself, Foote was a member of the fabled Oregon Track Club and participated in marathons and ultra-marathons for years. Needing a new challenge, Foote applied his detail-oriented nature (he was an architect by trade) with an impressive sense of vision to create the Hood to Coast, which on August 7th, 1982 made its maiden voyage from Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood to Pacific City on the Oregon Coast. There were 8 teams with 10 members, primarily composed of Foote's friends, and exchange zones were every 5 miles. The event grew from there and eventually the finish had to be moved to Seaside in 1989 to accommodate the increasing numbers, and ultimately a 1000 team cap was imposed in 1999. At 12 people per team, that is more participants than the Olympics and the World Cup combined, unleashed on the highways, byways, and backroads of NW Oregon.

An endeavor of this magnitude involves a great deal of support. The title sponsor for the past couple years has been Fred Meyer. Nationwide Insurance, which was formerly the title sponsor, is still involved on a gold sponsorship level, as well as McCormick and Schmicks, Henry Weinhards, Nike, The American Cancer Society, and Kink FM. Also, each team is responsible for providing 2 volunteers.

During the course of the 25 years there have been some memorable performances and impressive teams. The super-human course record of 15:44:55, set in 1995 by Nike Mambu Baddu, was organized by Alberto Salazar to cover the course (which has subsequently changed and is slightly longer now) in a blistering sub-5 minute per mile pace. You can liken this to the Wilt Chamberlain 100-point game of relay race records--it will very likely never be touched. Mambu Baddu won multiple HTC titles, as have other teams such as the Bucknell Alumni, the Killer Bees, the Atlanta Track Club, and most recently the NCIC All-Stars (the team writing this blog). Some of the other division winners last year were Baba Yaga in the Women's Open, Team Endorphiends and Tahoe Trail Babes in the Open Masters, Bowerman International and Nike Team Pixies in the Corporate Open, and Santini Popeyes and Olive Oils in the Mixed Corporate. It should also be noted that ultra-marathoner Cindie McKenna has routinely run the ENTIRE race SOLO, which is an impressive accomplishment by any standard.

This blog is designed to provide information on the race as well as any tips or advice that might help anyone that is participating. We hope to cover everything from the background of our team to training and diet tips or which shoes to wear. Feel free to make suggestions or ask questions if you have any topics of interest and we will gladly cover them. Until then, happy running!