When I met Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher at FLR XIII this past September, besides being there to inspire excellence, they were also promoting their book, Running the Edge. I was happy to accept a copy with the promise of doing this review. As this fall had its demands on my commitments, this report comes late for cross country, early for track, but just in time for Christmas. Keep that in mind, runners, coaches and parents, before finalizing your Christmas list.

For me, it was my first trip to the ‘Bourne-ies. So if you’re wondering why there are no photos of the Girls’ Varsity, you can blame it on my distance run. (184 miles, round trip; ouch! But at least gas had just gone down some, to $3.33 a gallon.)

Originally scheduled for Saturday, October 27^th, this meet was prudently moved to Monday, October 29^th. That first date, unfortunately, coincided with the passing of Hurricane Sandy on its deadly, northern trajectory.

By my calculations, the last time I rolled into town, it was 56 days and 23 degrees ago. Since that visit ended under unhappier circumstances, I decided to change my “out-luck” on a cross-state meet and did what the locals do when it is too hot to trot; I went to an ice hockey game. 

Caught between a Lake Mary Rams football practice and a “big-time” Pop Warner football game—thus relegating the SAC cross country championship to the status of their “between-games show”--meet officials were forced to move the start time of this meet up by half an hour. 

Although generally attributed to Horace Greeley, that irrepressible, mid-19^th Century editor of the New York Tribune, the phrase “Go West, Ralph,” apparently has not, definitively, been proven as his. I can, however, clarify that the phrase was used at least once—on a far more recent occasion—during a cell-phone conversation (circa) October 19, 2012.

On one of Central Florida’s fastest, yet most diversified course—that of West Orange High School--some “old,” and some “new” runners notched that all-important final invitational victory before their respective conference meets.

For the vast majority of runners who compete, any rewards of completing a footrace that they might enjoy basically boil down to just two things: an accurate course and post-race results. (As for the latter, one shouldn’t need to provide your own computer.) The rest is gravy. Recently, it seems to me, we’ve seen more and more gravy, and less and less meat. So where’s the beef?

Trotters Park: home to fearsome fire ants, people who hitch rides on horses, gazillions of grass-dwelling gnats, and members of various teams that spend way too much time chasing down their balls, only to throw them away again. Fortunately, once a year, a bunch of sane people do what this park was built for, and that is to run races.

Ralph Epifanio shares his experiences at the University of Central Florida Black and Gold Invitational in this installment of Ralph's Musings.

I love this meet. Here, in one tight, two-hour package, is running as it should be: athletic enthusiasm without ego; volunteers that show up without being compelled to do so;  seemingly more parents and spectators than competitors; and, with these kids, a bright future without a dark past.

Jason Byrne and Todd Grasley are usually stretched pretty thin, so I generally hear from them on such occasions when a story is afoot, or that one should be. In the days prior to this meet, however, I began to receive a few more communications from J&T than expected.

This year’s Asics was about as well-run a cross country meet as you can have. Doubtless that was because the staff at ERAU—Rosolino, Hopfe, et.al.—have, between them, accumulated a wealth of knowledge about running in general, and cross country in particular, and know how to apply that expertise to what has been an annual trip for its loyal followers.

Due to the recent completion of an extensive athletic complex reconfiguration,  the Asics-ERAU Classic took flight with yet another course change (designed through the partnership of Rosolino and Hopfe, Inc.), proving, once again, that variety is the spice of cross country. Featuring more trips up "the hill", sharper turns, and enough wood chips to light Orlando for a week, the course was--if anything--tougher than ever, as times will show.

The cream always rises is a term that has countless applications, but none truer than at Mary Baldwin College. Located on hillside of Staunton, in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, this small college for women offers an educational opportunity unique among American institutions of higher learning.   (via MileSplit)

The cream always rises is a term that has countless applications, but none truer than at Mary Baldwin College. Located on hillside of Staunton, in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, this small college for women offers an educational opportunity unique among American institutions of higher learning.  

Everyone knows that the University of Florida is in Gainesville, but how many people actually know who the home of the Gators is named after? I do. So as an experiment, I asked 100 random people who the town was named after. Most of them kept walking, but the ones who answered were pretty much right on target. “A guy named Gaines, I guess,” was the most common answer.  None, however--in a following question--could tell me why. Encouraged nonetheless, I continued.

By mid-afternoon, Ralph’s Honda-mometer had registered a high of 103. (I have no idea of the heat index, as that option was not offered on an’06 Ridgeline.) Suffice it to say that even by South Florida standards, it was a less than perfect day for an 8K. Sometimes, however, in very special cases, what makes sense most of the time is overruled for a very, very good reason, i.e., it was a preview for a more important meet to follow. That was deadly decision #1.

As host to the October 27^th,  2012 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, and with that its ten member teams, Florida Gulf Coast University proudly presented a season-opening preview of their new 8K course at the (satellite campus) Buckingham facility. This recently acquired, 500 acre former mental health facility offers a park-like atmosphere, scenic, and easily viewed course, and, of course immediately expanded training options for the up and coming Eagles.

A hypothetical analogy: On July 1, 2012, influenced by a lawsuit, and/or legislative action, the FHSAA Rules Committee proposes an addition to the operating bylaws of track and field: All athletes shall perform at minimum standards by March 1, 2015, or not achieve varsity status, and thus be unable to compete for their member school in the state qualifying competition that (current) season.

Not long ago, while at a college track meet, I looked around and realized that I just might be the closest thing to a press representative present…for a conference championship. (I honestly believe that I was the only one.) As someone who has read the sports section of newspapers for years, I long ago reached the conclusion that their editors treat the sport of track and field, at best, as a minor one.  The “why,” of this, on the other hand, had previously escaped me.

When Nicole Bonk began college three years ago, probably the last thing she might have expected to accomplish was to become a national class walker. A pilot, perhaps; that is, after all, her major at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. An increasingly accomplished distance runner, certainly; Peter Hopfe is her track and cross country coach. But earning an invitation to the 2012 Olympic Trials? Not even on her radar…even though, as a junior, she is already well-read on that subject. So the obvious question remaining is: how did one of this most cherished of athletic honors come about?

It was Memorial Day weekend, and once again, the gang was all there: the entire running family. We had Bible-thumping “uncle” Jim--from the (Kansas) Ryun side of the family--and his style conscious wife, Anne; brother “Bones” Albright and his sidekick Andy “Warbucks” Warden; cousin Tyreek “Coffee” Hill; jumpin’ “JP” Friday; distance cousins Andres “Señor Speed” Arroyo and Lily “Lupe” Williams, second cousin-in-law Erica “The Streak” Sergeant, and brother Chris “The Blackmeister” Hollis. And even though he couldn’t make it personally, Peter “Jersey Mike” Cancro “sent his best.”

To maintain a lead over the field in their industry, the officials at the Daytona International Speedway are ever-mindful of changes in the mood of their audience. For example, they are fully aware that in 2012, and beyond, no topic is hotter than--excuse the pun--Global Warming.  Day and night, their mental pistons have been working to come up with a solution to the question, “How do we fill the seats, while emitting zero carbon emissions?” The answer to that question may very well come at the conclusion of the next cross country season.

Ralph Epifanio takes a look back at 4A Region 1 perhaps one of the toughest regions in the state of Florida. See his account of the action through his photos and writing.

The 4A District schedule featured four meets, on three separate days (April 18-20), three of which occurred within (roughly) 40 miles of each other, hence this once-in-a-lifetime three-fer.

Ralph Epifanio recaps the Seminole Athletic Conference Championships in a piece only Ralph can write.

In a little over a week, Lake Brantley would play host to three days of SAC Championship competition. Little wonder that it would be in such demand. Its athletic complex is a modern, well-maintained, state of the art facility, with a small army of support staff, including highly responsive coaches and trainers

Ralph recaps the Five Star Conference Championships as only Ralph can.