The cross country team has been working all summer-and most mornings-in preparation for this season. Most days, the runners are out on the track by 6 a.m., ready to put in the miles. Their coaches are up even earlier.
Boys coach Andrew Higham wakes up at 4:30 a.m., showers and heads to work. He pulls in the parking lot by about 5:20 a.m.
The boys’ practices either consist of a regular workout or a recovery workout. Throughout the year, they start with a longer mileage and get shorter and faster as the season goes on.
“It is pretty early and dark, so we usually try to run either on concrete or on the track to where the footing is really stable,” Higham said.
The girls’ mornings are very similar, and this year they’ve had some of the best practices.
“We start with a brief meeting, we then get our paces to hit for that day, we warm up, do our main running workout, then do our strength and movement session or ‘SAM,’” said girls head coach Cody Cook, who has been with the program since 2017. “Then we do our strength training routine of the day, we do our cooldown routine of the day, then we stretch, and go in.”
Cook describes the team as “fast, talented, athletic and very hard working.”
Junior Sylvana Lopez agrees. Lopez, who has been running cross country since her freshman year, has adapted to the tough schedule.
“Most days we’re out by 6 a.m., and it’s usually on Thursdays that we have our hardest workouts,” Lopez said. “It’s called LPN, where we run really fast on grass with hills and rocks. It’s a continuous run, and we do four to five miles at an extremely fast pace.”
Early morning runs mean the runners have to take care of themselves and their bodies so they can keep developing and growing to get better.
“I use Biofreeze and I stretch as much as possible. And I make sure to drink as much electrolyte as I can,” Lopez said.
Looking forward, the team has big goals. The girls are working to become District Champions and to qualify for the State Championship meet. On the other side, the boys want to get out and compete so they are able to do their best at each meet.
“We are making sure when we get to the district meet, we put ourselves in an opportunity to compete for a district championship,” Higham said. “And then once we get to the regional meeting, we have put ourselves in position to compete, to get to the state meet.”
The last meet of the year will be Sept. 27 at Creekwood Middle School, which will be a home meet.
“I highly suggest everyone come out and watch,” Higham said. “It’s going to be a great deal.”
