This Week’s Challenge: January 21-27

Hi Team!!

Well, we had another great weekend of running! We had a good size group yesterday for the 5 mile run in Woodstock and today Audrey, Chelsey and Cannon and I had a great run at the dam in Thompson.  Great job to all! 

This week will run the same as last week as long as there are no weather concerns.

Tuesday  will be at the track in Woodstock from 3:30-4:30 for a track workout with Abby.

Friday will be at the track in Woodstock from 3:30-4:30 for a track workout with Liam.

Saturday’s practice will be in Putnam to run the O’Putnam course this week. I want to get everyone VERY familiar with the course for this year’s race. We will be doing it every other week until race day. Start time will be 9:30 and we will meet in front of the Courthouse Restaurant.  The O’Putnam is on March 10th, that’s only about 6 weeks away!!

Sunday  will be at the Ravenelle Rd entrance to the Thompson Dam at 9:30.

The days are getting longer!!!! Spring is around the corner!!!

This week’s challenge:

Most of you did great with last week’s challenge and earned some beads towards getting your team jacket, great job!!

As I said last week, core strength is vital to runners. It is what helps you to maintain good form when running and helps you to be more efficient.

If you continue to do these exercises ( or in some of your cases, begin to do them….) you will see a difference in your running by the time spring comes!

Here’s what I want you to do….

Continue doing 2 sets of 20-25 sit ups, 10 push ups, 5 burpees. But now, I would like you to add another minute of plank into your routine. Plank is probably one of the best exercises for runners. Hold it for a minute, rest and then try and hold it for another minute.

Also… If you have access to a treadmill, one day this week I would like you to do this workout. By doing this workout you will earn 2 extra beads.

Start off running a 1/2 mile at an 8-8:30 pace as a warm up. Then for the next half mile I want you to run at 7-7:30 pace. Then for 2 minutes I want you to recover by bringing the pace down to a comfortable recovery pace. Then I want you to pick the pace up again to a 7:00-7:15 min/mile pace for another 1/2 mile. Recover for 2 minutes at your comfortable recovery pace. Then pick it up again and run the last 1/2 mile all out, whatever you have left. Try to have it at least at 7:00 but if you can go faster, bring it lower. IF you need to adjust the workout to make it a bit easier then you can do that. For those of you who are just starting out getting fit, just make sure that you are pushing at an effort that is hard. What we are trying to do is make this like a real race situation. During a race there are times when you will pace yourself, push yourself to your max and take a couple minutes to recover before you start pushing again. That is what we are practicing here.

We will be ready for the O’Putnam, I promise you!!

I hope to see you all next weekend! Work hard this week, it will pay off!!

Coach Sue

This Week’s Workout & Challenge

Hi Team!!

Well, we had a good first week!! I can sense that many of us are getting back into shape now and that the weekend distance runs will be easier. Apologies to Chelsey, I did not realize that you were not on my QYRC email list….not sure why. Anyway, this week was a quiet week and not too many runners, I hope to see more people next weekend!

Track workouts are starting this week at the track in Woodstock. For those of you who aren’t sure where that is, it is at the Charles Bentley Athletic Complex, on Route 169 just past the town hall on the right hand side coming from Pomfret.

Practice starts at 3:30 and will end at 4:30. Abby and Liam will collect the $3 for each session at the session There is no charge for my weekend sessions.  If there is bad weather such as pouring rain, we will cancel by email. However, those who did my program last year know that the track is open land and it can get windy and cold so please DRESS WARM. You can always take off layers……. Make sure you have gloves and a hat always!!!!!! Running tights or pants and a couple of layers under your sweatshirt is always a good idea Ask any runner, if you dress well, you can run outside all winter!!!

We will NOT cancel for cold unless it is REALLY COLD It is very seldom cold enough for us to cancel.

Practices will be Tuesday and Friday each week. I am going to try to get to at least part of the practice on Friday if I can get home from work in time. Weekend runs will be Saturday and Sunday mornings at 9:30. Saturday we will meet at the American Legion Hall at the top of Roseland Park Rd where the Jog with Judy starts, and Sunday at the Ravenelle Rd entrance to the Thompson Dam. We will not always run the same routes but we will meet in the same places each week.

If you have any questions please contact me, I’m always willing to answer any concerns.

This Week’s Challenge:

Each week I am going to set a challenge that I will also post on our blog. If you haven’t already set yourself up as a follower of the blog make sure you do so you can keep up with what is happening!

As I said, each week I am going to set a little challenge to keep us on track and to provide a little inspiration and motivation!

This week the challenge is strength training!!!!

I would like each of my runners to do 25 sit ups, 10 push ups and 5 burpees x2 which means you do the 25 sit ups, 10 push ups and 5 burpees and then you take a 1 minute rest and do it again!

Everyone who does this every day will get a colored bead for each time they did it. You will receive beads each week for the challenges. The more you do, the more you earn. When you’ve earned 50 beads you will earn a team sweatshirt/ jacket!!!! So get going on the challenges!!!!! They will make us stronger and faster!!!

Have fun with Abby and Liam, I will be checking in with them I will see you all Saturday!!

Coach Sue:)

Winter Training Runs Announced

Dear Team,

As most of you know, I have recently started a new job at the Greater Hartford YMCA in downtown Hartford.  Although I absolutely LOVE the job (dream job really!), unfortunately I will not be able to run my winter program as I have done in the past.

However, I have been working hard to figure out a way to still keep our amazing little club going without me having to be there all the time.  I’ve worked out a plan that I think is going to be fantastic for the kids and still allows me to connect with the team on weekends.

Many of you know Abby Lamarre, who helped me with the triathlon training and came on quite a few runs at the Audubon with us last year. Abby is a fantastic young lady and runner. She is a junior at Woodstock Academy and is their top distance runner.  Abby has offered to run a practice on Tuesdays at the track in Woodstock from 3:30-4:30 every week.  Obviously, we will have to wait until the snow melts on the track (which will hopefully be this week with the higher temps coming) and we will continue to be dependent on there being no snow on the track to run these practices. Liam Adams, who helped me a lot last year with QYRC and is a senior at Marianapolis and also a very good runner, will run a similar practice at the track on Friday afternoons from 3:30-4:30.

I feel that at the track the kids will be very safe. I completely trust both of these young people to run a fantastic program for your children and would not have asked them if I had any hesitation at all. Heidi Randolph is a teacher at Woodstock Elementary School and will be available by cell phone if there is ever an emergency at the track and Abby or Liam needed assistance. Liam and Abby are both fabulous and any of the parents who had children in the program last year will agree I’m sure.

Last year I ran QYRC as a business because I was coaching six days a week at that point.  I always wished to coach QYRC as a free program to any runners who wished to take part. This year, as I am only coaching on weekends, the cost for the weekend runs will be free. However, as I always paid my helpers last year, I would ask that you pay $3 per session for Abby and Liam’s sessions, payable to them at the sessions.

The weekend runs will be the same each week. Saturdays we will meet at 9:30 at the VFW hall on Roseland Park Rd. in Woodstock.  Sundays we will meet at the Thompson Dam at 9:30, and it will either be a trail or road run depending on weather. Runs will usually last one hour. 

This weekend schedule will start on January 12th.  The track program will start hopefully on January 15th, if there is no snow on the track. I will let you know for sure the during-the-week training start date next week.

I am really excited to be back coaching QYRC!! We had so much fun and a lot of success last year that I would like to continue to build on.

Our first team race will be the O’Putnam in March, followed by the O’Harford , which starts right outside my office at the XL center in downtown Harford!!!!! Then I am hoping to go out to Boston again in April to run the Boston Marathon 5k that we did as a team last year. Lots of fun things to look forward to

I am looking for some faster times from my runners this year, so we need to get busy!!!!!!!

Looking forward to seeing you all next weekend!!!

Coach   Sue 

P.S. As always, if you have any questions please feel free to email or contact me on 860-576-5835.

Mitten Run & Winter’s Rest

Hi Team!

What a fun day we had!! Despite the crowds and cold we ran so well as a team today, I am so proud of you!!!!

To have three runners finish in the top 10 out of 142 in their age group and the other members of our team finish in the top 20′s, 30′s and 40′s, it was an amazing accomplishment by all!!  Well done team!!

These events are hard because of the slow start and just the sheer difficulty of getting through the crowds. They are what I like to refer to as events and not really races where we can test our true progress. However, we rocked just the same!!!

Moving forward…..

Over the next few weeks before Christmas we will bring our training down a bit, give your bodies a chance to recover and rest.  I will be doing some running at the dam with the Quiet Corner Runners and you are all welcome to join in on any of these runs if you would like.  Some of you joined us last year and it is a lot of fun I will keep you posted as to the times.

After Christmas I will be starting my winter program, details will follow shortly. I am working out the timing of practices.

Looking back over this past year, I can’t believe the progress we have made as a team and the strong friendships that have been made across the two towns of Woodstock and Pomfret, it really is very special. I am so happy to be part of such a positive group of friends. Our team has grown from just a group of runners to a group of special friends, and it is wonderful to see.  I think that is what keeps us all running even on those days when we are tired and may not want to work hard, we push each other and it makes all the difference.

Enjoy these next few weeks with friends and family and get ready to work hard when we meet back in the New Year!!

Happy holidays to you all!!!

Coach Sue xo

 

What’s Coming Up

Hello Team!!!

I am sending this to all my past and present QYRC runners, and to those of you who have expressed an interest in joining our team.

What an amazing cross-country season members of our team have had at their schools!! Every school that our runners ran for this season have had their best seasons in many years. Woodstock, Pomfret Community, Woodstock Academy and Pomfret School have all had their best placings in the leagues they compete in quite a few years and for some, ever. I cannot believe the progress that all of you have made over this past year–it is truly incredible. To have so many runners in this area running these super fast times is very exciting. I am so proud of all of you and I am looking forward to continuing to encourage you all to achieve your goals and hopefully have a blast while you are doing it

Over the next few weeks before I start my winter session, I would like for you all to give your bodies a bit of rest. In saying that , as we are planning to run the Mitten Run in Hartford on December 2nd, we must still keep conditioned in order for us to compete well. However, after that I would like to bring things down a bit, recover and come back strong after the holidays. I will be starting my winter program in January. This will be as it was last year, to get runners ready for track season. Schedule of sessions will be available in the next few weeks.

What’s happening now…….

Mitten Run 5k–Sunday, December 2nd, sponsored by the Hartford Marathon Foundation 5k in West Hartford.

If you are interested in running this 5k with several of us out in Hartford, please let me know. You can register on line at www.hartfordmarathon.com and the cost is $10. This will be a fun pre-holiday event.  I ran it last year and the course is great. They will be collecting mittens for needy children at the race

I will be running some practices over the next couple of weeks to keep runners conditioned for this race, all are welcome to attend.

We will be running tomorrow morning if anyone is interested at 9:00 at Woodstock Academy. We will be doing between 4-5 miles.

I will also be offering 2 runs this week on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning. Wednesday’s run will be at 3:30 at the Bentley Field track in Woodstock and Saturday will be at the Academy at 9:30. Even if you are not doing the Mitten Run you may attend these practices.

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me. We are slowly putting the Quiet Corner on the map with youth running, let’s do it team!!!!!

I hope to see many of you this week

Coach Sue

Exciting QYRC Team News!

Kiara coming out of the water

Coach Sue coming out of the water

Mrs. Randolph coming out of the water

Coach Sue finished bike portion of DKH Tri

Dear Team,
I wanted to take a minute to share with you some exciting team news!! A couple of our team members have been out representing QYRC like Rock Stars!!!!!!
Last weekend Audrey Corrigan ran a 5k race up in Old Orchard Beach ME and tied for first place in her age group with an incredible time of 23:09!!!! Fantastic job Audrey!!!!! Actually, her mom Lisa did pretty well too This is a great start to what I am sure will be an amazing cross country season for Audrey
Today……Kiara Monahan was our star!!!
Kiara competed in the Day Kimball Hospital Triathlon at Moosup Pond in Plainfield, CT along with her Dad. Kiara did the 1/2 mile swim and her Dad did the 12 mile bike ride and the 5K run. Their team finished FIRST in the mixed relay teams!!!! Not only that…Kiara was one of the first girls/ women out of the water in the swim!!! Her time of just over 14 minutes is an incredible time for anyone, especially someone as young as Kiara, she beat almost all the adults too!!! Maybe we have a future long distance swimmer on our team!!
It was great to have Mrs. Law, Eden, Leah, Sophie , Leah and Sophia’s grandma, Jessie and Mrs. Monahan to cheer us on, thanks for getting up so early guys!!!! Today was also special because it was Mrs. Randolph’s first triathlon and she ROCKED!!! We had so much fun and I came in second in my age group and Mrs. Randolph came in fourth!! Mrs. Semancik (Jessie’s mom) also did the tri for the second year and she did amazingly well too!! Now that Mrs. Randolph has one triathlon under her belt, watch out because she is going to fly next year!!!! Mrs. Law and Mrs. Monahan said that they will be joining us next year as well and I will be holding them to that!!!!!!
Today I was inspired, as I often am at races. I was inspired by the people that completed the race that didn’t think they could, watching them digging deep and wondering what made them want to do the race today. I was inspired by the community spirit that surrounded me today while I competed. I came home from the race and sat by the pool for a little while and was reading a running magazine and came across a quote by my favorite marathon runner, Kara Goucher. The quote said “Your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life is”. What this means to me is what I am always reminded of whenever I compete. It makes me realize how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and people in my life to share these experiences with. If I went to do that race today and I had won, it would have meant nothing without the friends I have to share that with. I am so glad to have been able to share this experience with Mrs. Randolph and Kiara and all of you who came to support us. It was so much more special having you all there to share it with
Best of luck to all of you at school this week!! I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone but we have so many things to look forward to this fall!
This week with QYRC….I will run two afterschool practices this week just to keep you ticking over until cross country starts. These practices will take place on Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday’s practice will be at 3:30 at the church on the green in Woodstock, next to the academy where we used to meet. Thursday will be at the Audubon at 3:30.
Saturday will be a long run day for those of you who are training for the 1/2 marathon. I am choosing Saturday so that you have Sunday to recover before you start your cross country week again. Run will be at either 7:00 or 7:30 , I will let you know later in the week.
Some other things to think about…
September 16th there is a 3.5 mile race at Alexander’s Lake that I am helping to organize for NOW, Northeast Opportunity for Wellness. The cost is $10 and the race starts at 9:30, there is also a kid’s fun run I am organizing at 9:00 a.m. which is 1/2 mile. I would love to have our team represented there. If you are interested, let me know and I will sign you up.
October 13th- Hartford Marathon – If you are interested in taking part in any aspect of the Hartford Marathon, 5k or relay please let me know. I will need to sign people up very soon.
Please confirm as to whether you will be coming to either practice this week so I don’t leave without you.
Love,
Coach Sue

Cross Country Training Camp–August 20-24

Hi Team!!,

I hope all of you that joined us for camp last week are enjoying a good rest this weekend, you earned it!! I was so impressed at how hard all of you worked and I was pleased to see the progress that those of you who did some running this summer have made.

Next week…..

I am going to keep the same schedule as last week to make it easier on parents. Please let me know if you have difficulty getting to camp or home, usually we can work out something either by me or another parent who lives near you.

Tuesday, Aug. 21- At the track in Woodstock. 10:00 start until 11:30. Speed, speed, speed!!!!!! We will be working on how to run a race today- start, middle and finishing. We will also do some conditioning exercises- sit ups, plank, push ups and burpees!!!!

Wednesday, Aug. 22- Witches’ Woods, 9:30-11:00. The Lake Loop and swimming after- 4 mile/2 + mile easy run. Focus on form.

Thursday, Aug. 23- 9:30-11:00 Long run at the Audubon- 5-6 miles of trails. Bring your water please

Friday, Aug. 24- 9:20-11:00 Circuit training at the track in Woodstock with new exercises to try!!  Running games and timed mile.

I hope you can all join us for this week of running fun!!

Next Saturday, August 25th, Mrs. Randolph and I will doing the Day Kimball Triathlon called Give it a TRi at Moosup Pond in Plainfield, Ct. This is Mrs. Randolph’s first (hopefully of many )triathlon. If you would like to come and cheer us on you are more than welcome!! The race starts at 8:00 am (kind of early), but if there is interest in going I will try to arrange transportation for kids who want to go watch. Let me know if you are interested

I am so proud of all of you and I can’t wait to get the cross country season started so I can see how much you’ve all grown as runners

See you this week,

Coach Sue

Greetings from London Olympics

Greetings from London!!!!,

I am writing to you while I am still on my  trip as I wanted to give you all a heads up on what I am planning for the coming week.

First of all, I have to tell all of you how fantastic my trip has been! Being at the Olympics has been one of the most exciting experiences of my life. Funny enough, the best event for me was the one that was actually free to go to, the Olympic Marathon. We got up really early that day and made our way up to what is called the Embankment, it is right on the River  Thames. We got a front row place right along the side of the route and we stood with another American guy and a few Irish people and we cheered our heads off as my favorite runners, Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan ran past us 6 times!! The course was set up to be very spectator friendly, it was a 3 loop course .We were so close to them you wouldn’t believe it!! At one point, I shouted to Kara “Come on Kara, you’ve got this ” and she looked at me!!! I was coaching Kara Goucher !!!!   It was amazing.  The whole trip was totally fabulous and I have many photos to share when I am back.   I am still in at the moment England at my in-laws house having a bit of a rest before I head back home on Sunday.

So….next week.

I arrive back on Sunday night so I am going to give myself Monday to recover from my jet lag and Tuesday I would like to start camp.

Tuesday-  We will meet at the track at 10:00 in Woodstock for a track workout, the session will last an hour and 1/2.  This session will include some conditioning exercises and an interval workout. Please bring a water bottle with you

Wednesday- Conditioning and Easy road run- Let’s meet at 9:30-11:00 for approximately 4 mile run. Let’s meet at the Lake Loop at Witches Woods in Woodstock. **Bring your bathing suits so that we may be able to go for a swim after our run. Witches Woods meeting point is on Crooked Trail off of Rt 171. If you are unsure please email me for further directions, I think most of you know where we meet.

Thursday- This will be our longer run day on the trails. We will meet at 9:30 at the Audubon.  This session will last until 11:00. Please be sure to bring water to carry with you if it is hot.

Friday- Friday will be an extra optional day for those who want to come and do an extra speed workout. We will meet at the track at 9:30-11:00. This session we will focus on speed, which is very important for the kick that you need at the end of your cross country races!!!

Cost for the Camp

If you would like to take part in three or more sessions during the week the cost will be $25.00 for the week. If you would like to participate by session the cost will be $9 per session.

I know this is still a busy time with people away so please confirm whether your child will be taking part in any or all of these sessions. If you have any questions as always please email me or give me a call on 860-576-5835.

I can’t wait to see all of you!!!!

Coach Sue

Our Team’s First Triathlon!!

Pre-race relaxing

We arrive at our hotel

Team checking out the course at Calf Pasture Beach

Checking the results

Aidan starting his run

Sophie at the mid-point of the run

Aidan charging to the finish line

We did it! Look at those medals!

And now the goofy pose!

Coach is so proud of the team

Katie tells Coach about her biking challenges–geese!

And now the goofy pose!

Dear Team,

Someone recently gave me a card that said, “There are two ways to journey through life, you can march or you can dance.” Today our team danced. All of you stepped out of your comfort zones and completed something that many of you weren’t sure you could do, and now you are triathletes!!!

As a coach there many reasons we are proud of our team. Sometimes it is because they get a great result and sometimes it is for other reasons even bigger than that. Today my daughter Erin witnessed our team for the first time. Erin is not very athletic, but she wanted to come to cheer her brother on in his first triathlon (he is so proud of himself, I told him he has to wear his medal all week!). When we got back in the car she asked me if I thought she could do a triathlon. I was so shocked by that because she never before ever wanted to do anything like this. I asked her why she asked that, what made her want to do one? Her response was that she loved the way the team cheered for each other and supported each other, it didn’t matter who won or did better than the others, they just had fun. I explained to her that this is what sport brings to our lives, this is what I have been trying to tell her and that I have hopefully shared with my team. Sport brings people together. Unless you are fortunate enough to be an elite athlete in your life, this is the most important thing you will gain from sport other than a healthy body–you will receive friendship and fun. I’m not sure if many of you would have tried to accomplish what you did today if it wasn’t for the fact that you did it together. One of the most amazing things about going to the Olympics in London in a few weeks is that I will be part of a sporting event that brings the entire world together. How amazing is that?????

Today you all represented your little corner of Connecticut in an awesome way and I couldn’t be prouder. What I noticed today is that there were no other teams there from what I could see, only individual athletes.  I think we are pioneers in the youth triathlon groups in CT!!!! A great representation of the spirit of our team is a story that happened today at the triathlon. Katie Boshka, a.ka. Baby Boshka, was riding her bike in the bike segment when her shoelace got stuck in the chain of her bike. She had to stop, and when she did she noticed that there wasn’t an adult around to help her. Instead of giving up and not finishing the race she laid down in the road and untied the lace, got it out of the chain and laced it back up and got on her bike and finished the race. That is what we are about! Katie didn’t care that her time wasn’t going to be as good, she just wanted to finish the race. Great job Katie!!!

If you would like to check out the results they should be posted on coolrunning.com tonight. I am so impressed with everyone’s performance, I don’t want to single anyone out, you all performed beyond my expectations. Now you must take the experience today and learn from it and you will know how to better prepare for the next triathlon or race you do. I look forward to continuing on that journey with you.

Enjoy a bit of relaxing time now. In the next day or so I am going to forward everyone a running schedule to follow to keep you conditioned until I am back from the Olympics when we will start our cross country prep camp on August 14th. Please try to follow it the best you can so that you are able to maintain your level of conditioning during my time away from you. Get together and train together, help each other to stay committed to it.

I never imagined back in November when I began this journey with all of you where it would take us or how much fun we would have. Thank you so much to all of you for making this such an amazing team of athletes and parents.

When I am doing my own triathlon next weekend in Nantucket, I will be thinking of all of you when I am doing the ocean swim (which I don’t like) and I will dig deep. Thank you for inspiring me!!!

Love to you all,

Coach Sue

Week of June 25-29 Training

Good Morning Team!

I am writing to you from the lovely island of Nantucket

Today is the day of my brother’s BIG race–The Nantucket Ironman! I thought it was yesterday but actually it is today!  I will be helping him to make it all go smoothly. This triathlon has 6 parts so there is a lot to organize.  There is a run through town-3.1 miles, then a 3/4-mile ocean swim, 1-mile beach run, 3/4-mile paddle board, 3.5-mile all terrain run, 17.5-mile bike ride then finally a 6.2-mile run. WOW, I’m tired just thinking about it!!! He’s going to do amazing!!!!!! I’ll let you know how it goes….

I wanted to give you all a heads up on training this week

I won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon, so I’m going to set up our first practice for Tuesday.

After hearing back from most of you, mornings seem to be best, except for Jordyn after next week when she starts camp. This week we have our practices in the morning, and then next week when Jordyn goes to camp I will offer both morning and evening times.

Tuesday our practice will be at 9:30 a.m. at Roseland Park. This will be a bike/run practice. Don’t forget your helmet.

Wednesday will be a run practice at the Thompson Dam fun run at 6:00 p.m.

Thursday will be a full swim/bike/run practice at the town beach in Woodstock on Pond Factory Rd. We will meet at 11:30 a.m.  Please bring all your gear.

Saturday will be another swim/bike/run practice . I’m not sure whether it will be at the town beach  or at Witches Woods, I will decide this week. I know many of you weren’t crazy about the bike part of the Witches  Woods loop…..we’ll see what the bike part of the Town Beach Loop is like before I make the decision.

This should be a fun week!  Please make sure that you have all your gear for the brick practices, especially your helmet!  Goggles are a must as well! If you have a swim cap bring that as well.

This week we will pay special attention to practicing our transitions, moving from one event to the next in the least amount of time.

If you have any questions please contact me. I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday!!

Coach Sue

Half Marathon Training–Some Clarifications

Dear Team,

I wanted to write to all of you to clarify what is happening with training for the Hartford Half Marathon in October.

As most of you know, I have run many half marathons and marathons over the past years. Recently, several of you have approached me about the possibility of some members of our team running the Half Marathon in October.  I wanted to make sure that everyone understands that this is not a race that I have put forward as a team race, only those children whose parents have approached me, are going to try to train for this race. Also, the runners who are planning to participate, are participating with their parents in the race.

After I was approached about this I did quite a bit of research regarding kids running half marathons. There is no evidence to suggest that this is a good or bad thing, it is all to do with the training.  I have been running for 30 years and I am happy to say that during that time I have never had an injury that has prevented me from running.  Being an injury free runner is all about smart running and training. Training for any type of distance event involves a very slow build up of mileage. It also involves only 3-4 days of running a week with rest days in between. Even in my own training, I take many rest days. The greatest factor in being a successful runner is commitment and consistency.  Training for any type of distance event involves both of these at a high level, which is hard when you have school and team commitments, which is why I have not put this idea out to the team as a whole. In fact, this idea is not right for the majority of the team and therefore, I would not support it.

I care very much about all my runners and would never do anything that may in any way ruin their chances of a successful season or hurt them in any way.  It’s a fine line that coaches walk to encourage dreams while preventing burn out.

My final thought on this is, this is a serious undertaking. As a coach I will help those who would like to accomplish this event, to train properly for it. As we get closer to the event, as their coach I will assess their ability, in consultation with their parents, to run the race.

If we feel the runner is not ready, they can still run the race as part of a relay team.

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns, I am always happy to discuss.

Best,

Coach Sue

Week of June 11-16 Training

Hi Team!

What a great session we had on Saturday at my friend’s pool! Thank you to all who could attend and those who could not, we will be having another swim practice this coming weekend.

This week our triathlon practices will be on Tuesday and Thursday at Roseland Park and Saturday at the Lake Loop in Woodstock.  The practices on Tuesday and Thursday will begin promptly at 4:00, this will allow us to get a good run in as well.  If you could arrive so that you are ready to go at 4:00 (3:45 would be good), it would be greatly appreciated. On each day we will be doing a 5-mile ride and a run (1-2 miles). We should finish by 5:00.

Wednesday night we will be at the fun run again at 6:00 at the Thompson Dam . There is a 5k course and a 1.6 mile course. Come and set yourself a goal that you want to break by the end of the summer!

Saturday will be our first open water swim training at Witches Woods in Woodstock.  This is a great place for us to practice. There is a small beach area that we can practice our transitions in and we can bike and run from there. Please bring your bikes this day as well as your running and swimming gear, we will be doing a “brick” training session. This means that we will be practicing putting the events together to see what it feels like to move from one to the next. This session will start at 9:30.

One of our main focuses for this session is for our team members to gain confidence in the swim portion of the triathlon. We will be trying to create a similar atmosphere to what you will experience on race morning. Please don’t worry, you are all going to be very well prepared! That is why we are practicing this so soon.

On another note…there is a race that I would like to put on people’s radar. It is called the “Red Dress Run” and it is put on by the Hartford Marathon Foundation at Elizabeth Park in Hartford on July 7th.  It is an absolutely beautiful race, gorgeous flowers fill the course through the park and at the finish in the past there has been strawberry shortcake! yum yum!  Sorry boys, this is women only this time.  Also, it is only $10 for kids under 17 to register. Please let me know if you are interested in doing this race. The race supports women’s heart health.

Another race that has been brought to my attention is the Will’s Way 5k on July 21st.  This is a very special 5k race held in memory of William Joesph Howard who lived in Plainfield and died in 2009 after tragically being hit by a car while riding his bike. The money raised from this race goes to support a scholarship in his name. If you are interested in doing this very special race please let me know. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend this race because I will be competing in the Nantucket Triathlon that day, however, I’m sure I could organize someone to take charge for me if members of the team would like to attend.

I look forward to an exciting week helping you to train for your first triathlon!! This is so much fun already!

Hope to see you all at practice!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact me at 860-576-5835 or by email.

Best,

Coach Sue

Week of June 4-9 Training

Hi Team!!

Congratulations to all those team members who competed in the state championship meet in Manchester on Saturday, you all did such a great job!!  It is always interesting to watch some of these really talented young runners we have in our state and what we can take away from watching them and try out ourselves!! I was in awe of how calm and relaxed some of these young runners looked standing at the line, that is my goal for all of you!!  Many of you ran personal bests or close to it, and under that pressure and conditions that is something to be very proud of. I am looking forward to seeing how much you all improve over the next year and watching you at next years’ meet.

This week at QYRC………

The weather is predicted to be a bit iffy all this week, so we may have to adjust our plans as we go along. I have decided to offer two biking sessions this week.  Tuesday and Thursday will be biking days starting and finishing at Roseland Park.  On Thursday we will add a short run onto our biking session by finishing with a run around the park.  This will give us the experience of going from the bike to the run, which is called a brick, and is very important to practice.  Wednesday night at 6:00  I will be at the fun run at Thompson Dam for any of you who would like to join me. There is a 3.1 mile course and a 1.6 mile course, you can choose to do one loop or two.  On Saturday, depending on the weather, I would like to do a swim and run practice. This will depend on whether the water will be warm enough for us to get in. I would like to start working with all of you on your strokes and skills to compete in the swim portion of the triathlon. I will keep you posted on where that will take place.  I am looking into a couple of safe options.

Biking practices will start at 4:00 at Roseland Park and Saturday’s practice will be at 9:30.

Please remember your helmets for the biking sessions and for the swim sessions you will need goggles.

If you have any questions please contact me

I am looking forward to seeing you all this week!

Coach Sue

Track Championships Letter to Team

Dear Team,

I can’t believe that track season is already over!! Boy, did it go fast or what?
As I watched many of you run Tuesday in the QVJC Championship meet I was filled with such pride. This sense of pride was only partly due to times and places that many of you achieved yesterday, they certainly were impressive!  However, my greatest sense of pride was in what WE have formed together in our little community.  The strong friendship and sportsmanship that you displayed was felt by everyone who watched you girls run. The way that you support each other and are genuinely happy for each other’s successes is very unique and is what makes us a strong team.
For some of you, Tuesday was a tough day. For many of you it was the first time that you had been in a competition like that, and it can be overwhelming.  Many of the girls that you raced against had been to the Championships several times before, they knew what to expect and they were prepared.  As I watched Jewelia, Brooklyn and Jordyn approach the line I looked at them and I noticed something about them.  They looked different from the rest of you, they were nervous for sure, but they knew what to expect and that gave them focus. That focus only comes with experience and not being afraid.  Do you remember when we went to Boston to run the 5k and how overwhelming it was with all the people and not being able to run your best times?  I bet if we were to go back there today and run that same race with the same number of people (and we will!) you would perform very differently.  Why? Because now you have the experience and you know what to expect and therefore you would know what to do differently.
I loved the way Brooklyn Saracina shared with some of you at the meet about how she wasn’t running the fast times that some of you girls are running now until she was older.  She is right.  As you get physically stronger, you also get mentally stronger as a runner.  Running is as much a mental game as it is a physical sport. Sometimes I think the mental part is even more important to running success. We train our bodies and our minds to overcome the discomfort that is part of running fast. When we are strong mentally and know what we need to do, we perform better. This comes with experience and age.
I can’t believe how much progress you have all made this year, it is truly amazing.   Be very proud of what you have accomplished and know that this is only the beginning for all of you–there are so many more good things to come. Enjoy all these experiences, even the scary ones, they will be the ones that make you stronger and faster as a runner.  Think about me in the marathon….if I hadn’t already run five other marathons I don’t think I could have finished this last one in the terrible heat.  I would have quit, but I had experience and because of that, I knew what to do so that I could finish safely.
Thank you for being such a great team and being so good to each other. I am extremely proud of each and every one of you!!

Coach Sue

Triathlon Training

Dear Future Triathlete!!!:
I hope you are all excited about starting our training for the Mini Mossman Triathlon!!!  This is going to be such a fun experience for all of you, I can’t wait to begin!!  We will have our first training session on Tuesday, May 29th (pending team members’ participation in the state track meet/training schedule). The full schedule will be posted on the blog this weekend.
I wanted to give you a list of equipment that you will need for your training…..
A road-worthy bike- This could be either a road bike or mountain bike. There is no need to have a fancy bike for this. This is your first experience of doing a triathlon and there will be kids there with all types of bikes. The main thing is that it is safe and road worthy.
Helmet-Every rider must wear a properly fitted helmet.
Swimwear/swim cap- This is where personal choice comes in. Some people choose to do the full triathlon in their swim suit, however, there are other choices. You will be going from your swim to your bike to your run.  Whatever you wear to swim in you will be wearing for the rest of the race. Sometimes I wear my swim suit and then I put on shorts for the bike and the run and if it’s not too hot I sometimes put on a t-shirt as well. The idea is to make your “transition” (time to go from swim to bike and bike to run) as quick as possible. All triathletes–both girls and boys–must wear a swim cap! This is part of being a triathlete! Usually each race gives these out at registration with the name of the race imprinted and they are color-coded by age group. More race swag!
Goggles-These can be purchased cheaply at Target or TJ MAXX.
Towel and water bottle of water for washing feet- When you run from the swim/beach up to your bike your feet may get sandy and you will want to wash and dry them before you put your socks on. This is important so you avoid getting blisters!:) You may also want to rinse yourself off because it is salt water.
Socks and Running shoes
Water bottle for drinking
How it all works…….
When we arrive the morning of the race everyone will get a spot to position their bike and gear.  What I usually do is set up a small towel near my bike and I put all the stuff I will need for the bike and the run on it. This includes my helmet, socks and running shoes.  I will also have my water bottle for drinking and my water bottle that I’m going to use to wash myself and my feet off.
Then….We will go down to the water to do the swim.  When you come out of the water you will run to your bike and put on your socks and shoes and whatever you want to put on over your swimsuit for the bike. You will then head out on your bike. When you come back from your bike you will come back to your towel and leave your bike and head out on your run.
Your total time is what counts, including the time you spend in the transition area getting your gear on and off. So…..the quicker you do your changes, the better your time will be!
We will work on all of this. We will do what they call a “brick”, which is practicing going from one event to the next. You will all be pros before race day!!!!
Here are a list of the people who I have definitely signed up to participate:
Eden
Sophie
Leah
Denali
Jordyn
Sawyer
Jewelia
Megan
Ryan-training only
Jack-training only
Ivy-training only ?
Jessie ?
Tessa
Caitlyn
Kiara
Please sign up to follow the blog so you get notifications when we post the training schedule which will be posted this weekend!
Remember we are starting on Tuesday, May 29th!!

Week of May 14-19

Hi Team!:

I hope you are all well and looking forward to your track meets and baseball/softball games this week!

I just wanted to give you all an update on what is happening with QYRC this week, because I know how busy the week gets !

Mini Mossman Triathlon- Last call for anyone who would like me to register them for the Mini Mossman Triathlon on July 14th.  This does not mean that if you don’t decide and register now that you can’t do the triathlon, it just means that I can’t guarantee that you will get in if you register later on.  A few of you have requested doing the training but not the actual event and that is also fine.  I chose this triathlon because I think it will give our team the best overall experience of doing a tri. It is a very well organized event.  I will be registering everyone who has said they want to do it on Wednesday. This is going to be so much fun!!!

Saturday Run-Our run this Saturday will be in Woodstock to run the 10k course in preparation for next week’s race. I will be giving them strategies and hints of how to best run this course. Even if you are not planning to run the race you may still come and do the training run with us. We will be meeting at 9:00 at the big Hill church on the hill near the cemetery on the Academy commons.

Memorial Day Race- Race begins at 9:00 a.m. We will meet at 8:30 a.m. at a place to be  decided for stretching and warm-up. *** If any team family members are available to help at a water station or shout out times on the day of the race please let me know, the recreation dept are looking for help. If any team members would like to take part in the race but not run the whole thing please let me know, I may be able to arrange for them to do it in a team relay.

For those of you that are going to be training for the triathlon that may need to buy or upgrade your bicycle, there is a great event happening this Sunday, May 20th that you may want to check out. It’s the Dudley Bicycle Show & Swap Meet happening rain or shine (they can move it indoors) from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Check out their website if you are interested at www.oldroads.com/dudley–it sounds like there will be a lot of selection at good prices. They also have accessories. 

Blog- Our Blog is up an running thanks to Mrs. Law for the organizing and putting it all together and Mrs. Monahan who did the great graphic work for us! Please check us out and opt to follow us at www.qyrc.wordpress.com. I will be posting upcoming events and information regarding anything that we are doing. Very exciting!! This week I will be posting our training schedule for the triathlon. Check it out!! Also, please let me know if there is anything you would like me to post on the blog, we are happy to do it!

Have a great week! I hope to see you all this weekend

Coach Sue

Week of May 7-12

Hi Team!

I hope you all are having a great week! Congratulations to all our track runners for their great performances at track this week, super job!  I’m sorry I missed the Woodstock meet this week, I have a friend visiting from London so it’s been a bit busy with entertaining her and coaching track, I really wanted to be there!

Anyway, this weekend we will run on Saturday at 9:00 at the Audubon trails where we usually meet. Please bring a water bottle with you for the run. I’m looking forward to hearing all about your race last weekend at the Jog with Judy!! I’m still in shock at how well everyone did We will not run on Sunday this week because it is Mother’s Day and I have to bring my friend to the airport as well.

I also wanted to mention a couple of things. Several of you are signed up to do the Woodstock Memorial Day 10k on May 28th at 9:00. If any other team members are interested in running you may still sign up on the day of the race. You have all trained for this distance so I am looking forward to seeing how great you will all do, I know you’ll be fantastic!!

Also, I really need to get our team signed up for the mini-mossman triathlon on July 14th. This is a popular race and it will sell out. I am happy to register runners and bill later. Please confirm by email whether your child will be taking part in the triathlon by Monday.

I am conscious that there are lots of other races that we could take part in during the next few months but I am also conscious of the fact that this is a very busy time of year and the kids are getting tired.  However, if there is a race that you are interested in your child doing please let me know, there may be other kids who may want to do it too and we can work something out. I am always happy to go to races with them.

If you could let me know who is running on Saturday and if your child will be taking part in the triathlon or even just the triathlon training(but they don’t want to compete) I would appreciate it.

At the moment I have Leah, Sophia, Eden, Denali, Jewelia, Katie and Jessie doing the triathlon. Ryan is definitley going to do the training but may have to miss the event. Jacob Lavitt is also thinking of doing it.

This will be a fun event for our team, I can’t wait to start training after track season ends!!

Email me with any  questions or give me a call.  Also, take a moment to look through the pages of the blog and check out the new Calendar for all our scheduled upcoming events.

Coach Sue