Christmas

Christmas time is family time. I suppose this makes sense, because Jesus' birth was accompanied by family in a story in which everyone had to return to their hometown, where they likely had family. So it comes as no surprise that even today people travel to visit family. I still wonder how Mary and Joseph completed the journey without Clif Bars or GU Energy Gels to keep them replenished, but I digress.

I just got back from a visit to my girlfriend's family in central Minnesota, and during it we made a slight excursion to Grand Rapids, MN to visit her brother. I had never been to this part of Minnesota before, and it really is a different world compared to most (if not all) of North Dakota. It was nice to see large evergreen branches hanging over the road with snow holding on to them as long as they could. Even cooler was seeing all the different trails and protected forest areas that were up there. It seemed like every few miles there was another public trail with access from the road, and while those would be amazing for cross-country skiing right now (something I literally have no experience with), I can imagine them in the summer being quiet dirt trails great for running. It opened my eyes to why those who come to UND from out-of-state complain that we have nothing to do- there were so many recreational opportunities there in northern Minnesota, even in the winter. 

Anyway, once in Grand Rapids we went for a short run together on some of the snow-covered trails around the area. Even though we were slipping and sliding around trying to find any traction, it was a simply beautiful sight. The recent snowfall rested on the trees still and the wind wasn't blowing because of all the protection. We had to take some time to soak it all in. In a world where it is so easy to see all the bad things around us (grab literally any newspaper or go on literally any news website if you live under a rock and don't believe me), we need to realize how beautiful this Earth is. I wonder to myself sometimes what Jesus thought of the natural beauty of the Earth when he physically walked here. If you allow it to, every hill, tree, rock, field, cloud, and mountain can be stunning and breath-taking. I'm well aware that considering the beauty of this Earth is not sufficient proof of the existence of a God, but I really do wonder how such a beautiful, perfectly-arranged planet could have simply 'happened'. I guess my main point is that the woods were beautiful!

The next day I found myself doing a workout on Highway 27 in central Minnesota. Now, to my surprise, this state highway had more traffic than interstates in North Dakota usually do. Cars, cars, cars, noise, noise, noise, haste, haste, haste- this is our world. We are always in a hurry; we are always trying to shove way too much into our already busy schedules; we are living in a world where noise is the norm and quiet is unusual, rather than the other way around; we live in a world where everything is lit because we are collectively afraid of the dark; we call ourselves more connected than ever before due to social media, but I lament at seeing folks staring at their phones and ignoring the world around them. I think this is why I try to seek out quiet places to run. On this workout I was listening to my iPod, because I can't stand the sound of constant traffic; if no cars were on the road, I wouldn't have my iPod. Am I a hypocrite? Probably, but so is any person reading this. We all are. 

I'm back home now. I've fought through the fiercest of battles, including not eating copious amounts of food and trying to fit in two runs a day with church, present-opening, eating, visiting family, and sleeping. The weather this year on Christmas day is about as good as it's going to get, with temperatures in the 20s, as opposed to the last few years when wind chills have been approaching -20. I've been able to go back to my home church and recollect with some of the kids I grew up with (3/8 of my confirmation class was at my service- that's a record!) We've been able to watch A Christmas Story and get the whole family together. Last night when we were singing 'Silent Night' at church, I couldn't help but get some goosebumps and think about the fact that even in our crazy, violent, fast, technological, and global world, it will be alright. The baby Jesus is born and He is here to be our blood sacrifice that we as sinful people need. As we gather together with family, we remember that salvation has come- everything will be ok. 

Merry Christmas!

Mandan High 1983: A Short Profile

Mandan Studs

It's time for some research posts again! Today I'll be looking (well, trying to anyway) at perhaps the best high school men's cross country team this state has ever had. I'll tell ya- this has been a fun article to write, because I've learned A LOT. For example, did you know that what we know now as Bismarck State College once had a JuCo (Junior College) cross country team? Me neither. Let's get started....

In 1981 Leon House assumed the reigns of Coach of the Mandan High School Cross Country program. [Mandan is located in central North Dakota on the west side of the Missouri River- the only thing separating them from neighboring Bismarck.] In 1981, 1982, and 1983, Mandan won the State Class A Boys XC meet, marking the only three state championships the school has had in the boys class A race in school history, even up to now. 1983 seemed to be the culmination of a growing program hitting its peak, with a dominating season, winning every race they competed in and finishing off the season with their 21st consecutive win at the state meet, and the next year they brought the total up to 31 before losing at state. (Down at the bottom of this article is a link to a milesplit page that has an EXCELLENT write up on this team). Perhaps the most dominating performance of the season came at the WDA Championship Meet, where they placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 17th, with 5k times of 15:03-15:10 (1-4) and 15:57 (5). That's absurd. Bismarck High has been tearing up the state XC scene up for years now, but even they have not had that much depth on their team. Consider at the state meet in 1983 Mandan's top three ran 16:13-16:14 after taking a wrong turn and actually going off course at one point. Afterwards Coach House, calling it one of the worst-run state meets ever, said that his athletes ran "about 20 steps the wrong way with an official right there asleep at the wheel." It still blows my mind that through the whole season they never scored more than 61 points as a team!

So who were the top three guys who ran on the team that season?

David Meuchel was the 1983 WDA Champion and State 4th place finisher (after taking a wrong turn recall). He was the school's the team's first-ever WDA individual champion. So, he was one of the leaders of the 1983 team. In the 1984 state track meet, he took 3rd in the 3200, with a time of 9:42 (the winner was the man who broke the state record at the time, Jeff Dick from Jamestown, who ran 9:10 and won by 30 seconds) and took 5th in the 1600 in 4:32 (J. Dick won 6 seconds with a 4:22). Fun fact: the guy who took second in the 800 that year, Mike Toy from Williston, would later go on to break the Minot State outdoor 800m record with a 1:51, at the same time Meuchel was later at Minot State. Last fun fact about state track that year, in the 110 hurdles, the 4th place runner, Greg Limke from Bishop Ryan, later coached basketball at West Fargo, my high school.

After high school, it seems as if he spent time at Bismarck Junior College and Minot State University. In 1984 at the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) National XC meet in Twin Falls, Idaho, David Meuchel from Bismarck Junior College placed 45th with a time of 28:11.27 in what must have been an 8km race, as the NJCAA mandated that distance for nationals starting in 1975. I wonder if the course was difficult and the altitude led to slower times. Additionally, the only teammate of Meuchel's to place ahead of him was Lars Smeenk. Now, in 1982, the year before Meuchel won the WDA title, a man named Lars Smeek from Bismarck won the WDA title, so I'm going to assume that the Lars Smeenk listed as the 39th place finisher overall for Bismarck Junior College is the same one that won the WDA title a few years before, and I'll admit I have no idea which spelling is correct. Anyway, a David Meuchal also appears on rosters for Minot State University in the late 80s ('87-'89 I believe). After that, I have no idea.

Darrin Boehm was the #2 runner for Mandan High School while they were tearing it up. He was a junior during the 1983 year, and as mentioned above, he finished 5th at State XC, less than a second behind teammate Meuchel. At the state track meet that spring of 1984, he placed 5th in both the 1600 and 3200, running times of 4:30 and 9:44, respectively. In 1984 XC season, he won the WDA individual title and placed second at the state meet. He also broke a few course records throughout the season.

After high school he went to VCSU (Valley City State University, NAIA at the time, now DII) and ran XC and track. He had a successful career, including being part of the school-record 4x800 relay that ran 7:57. He also is top 10 in school history in three other events: the 1500 (3:56.82), the 5k (15:47.40), and the 3k Steeple (9:35.30), even though I'm 99% sure some of those aren't his absolute fastest times, since he just told me this morning he ran 3:52 for the 1500. He was two-time conference champion and 4-time national qualifier in cross country,  Last year, 2014, he was inducted into the Valley City State Athletics Hall of Fame. He was also a two-time national qualifier in track, once in the steeple and once in the 1500. If I may, I would also add that he was a pretty darn good high school government teacher and track coach!

Boehm!!

Gary Schafer was the third runner for the Braves that 1983 season. He was also all-state in cross country in high school, placing 3rd at the WDA meet and 6th at the state meet in 1983, and supposedly ran 4:44 and 9:56 for the 1600 and 3200 his freshman year of high school. He was another one of the athletes that took a wrong turn at the state xc meet in 1983.

After high school he also went to VCSU and had a great career as well. In 2001 he was inducted into the VCSU athletics HOF, and has the distinction of being a national champion. Out of the all the different levels of college in the US, only the NAIA has the marathon as an event in which the collegiate athletes compete. Schafer, in 1989, won the NAIA marathon title, running 2:29. He also is ranked in the top ten in VCSU school history in the 5k (2nd, 15:12) and the 10K (5th, 31:33).

After college he worked in business as a manager and vice president at Great Plains Software in Fargo (which later was acquired by Microsoft for a good chunk of money), and then worked for LANAC company in Chicago.

So overall, this was an amazing high school team that sent runners off to relatively successful post-high school careers. It's not surprising that many of the state's best teams come from the Missouri River Valley region with how rugged the terrain can be out there. It's simply another example of people who were fast even though they trained exclusively in North Dakota.

As always with these posts, let me know if I messed up anywhere or seem to be missing facts!


Links that aided my research:
Milesplit Article About Mandan High
Mandan High Hall of Fame Article on Coach House
Cross Country Journal w/ College Nationals Results
Some WDA XC History
State XC History
'88-'89 Minot State Yearbook Thing
'87-'88 Minot State Yearbook Thing
1984 Class A Boys State Track Results
VCSU Track Records
Boehm Broke Course Records
VCSU Hall of Fame Announcement
Gary Schafer- ND Runner
NAIA Marathon Champions
Business Announcement About Schafer

Reflections on the Semester

I'm done with my ninth semester of college. I have learned that abstract mathematics is a little absurd and non-relevant, but in a 'this is actually kind of cool to learn, but impossible to take a test on' kind of way. Ok, maybe that's a little pessimistic, but I've learned that historians in universities don't exactly study the cutting-edge material that the average Joe cares about either. Oh well, I digress (can you digress in the first paragraph of a post?)

It's a relief! I brought a load of 6 books (monographs is the proper academic term) back to the library, and for good measure deposited my stress with them- hopefully the librarians can find a good place for that. I haven't shaved in weeks, and I even started wearing sweatpants to class because, well, putting on jeans is sometimes a little too hard. My work table, once scattered with assorted syllabi and necessary student teaching information, now simply hosts pens, pencils, an overused water bottle (courtesy of UND dining services), and my Ethernet cord-dependent computer where I watch ultra running documentaries while eating apples with peanut butter. You could say I'm living the dream.

I suppose I should mention something about running. I raced three times this semester. Back in September I raced unattached (unaffiliated with UND because I didn't have cross country eligibility) at the famed Roy Griak Invitational at the Univeristy of Minnesota, running at probably a 90% effort level and having a lot of fun! In October I raced at the UND home cross country meet, placing second and running a big pr of 24:37 for the 8km (5 mile) race; it was a super fun race where I got race side by side against a stud from the University of Manitoba. Then, a little more than a week ago I raced the mile at South Dakota State, this time in the UND jersey, and ran a 4:13 solo and felt pretty good.

My overall plan remains unchanged: I will be at UND for another semester to finish out my track eligibility (ahem, I mean my education) and chase some of my dreams. This next summer I will be out at Camp of the Cross Ministries near Garrison, ND again, coordinating fun trips on Lake Sakakawea and in the Badlands (along with numerous Vacation Bible Schools). Next fall I will be student teaching somewhere, hopefully away from Grand Forks and likely training as hard as ever, for what event I've yet to decide- that'll come later.

Moving to the meat and potatoes of the post, I've learned some more serious lessons this semester when it comes to running and training. Here they are:

1.) If you want to be a better runner, you have to run  more. It's literally that simple. People can overcomplicate all they want, but good writers practice writing; good researchers practice research; good shooters practice shooting; good cooks practice cooking- the list is endless. I've upped my weekly mileage to around 80 this semester, and it helps.

2.) Rest and nutrition are vital. I used to think I took care of myself, but I'm finally learning how to actually do it. Minimum of 8 hours of sleep every night, healthy eating, and not doing anything strenuous on recovery days have me feeling strong on workout days. My easy days rarely dip under 7:00 pace anymore, and that's perfectly fine. Never push an easy run.

3.) No single workout will make you fast. It seems that people are always looking for that one killer workout. They scour the logs of fast runners to find those workouts that leave people kissing the ground afterwards, dreaming of destroying their opponents because they made it through that one workout. This is immortalized in the famous "Once a Runner" book in which the main character completes an idiotic 3x(20x400m) workout and no longer gets tired when he runs afterwards. This is not true in the real world. Training is an accumulation of miles and workouts over time. The more consistent the training, the more fit the runner. The more fit the runner, the better the runner performs. Each workout is important, and no workout should be pointed to when success is achieved, but rather the weeks of workouts added up over time.

4.) Trust in team and coach is more important than than the individual. There are scores of running philosophies that can be found everywhere nowadays (it seems that Daniel's Running Formula is the current flavor of the month), and this can actually be harmful to a team. When reading a training book, it could be easy and tempting to ditch the philosophy of your coach and team and try to better yourself by training like the 'elites'. However, to go even further with the bullet point before this one, precise workouts are not that important. If a team has developed an atmosphere where everybody buys into the team philosophy and believe that the coach(es) can get them to achieve their goals, they probably will. If athletes turn their backs on the team or coaches in search of something 'better' to make them 'faster', the dynamic will fall apart and success will likely not appear. I'm fully transparent to my coach, we tailor my weekly workouts and schedules to what I need to try to be successful. I'm not going to sit down and say "I really think we need more I-paced interval this week", because my coach has more than 25 years of experience. If he says I'm running 400s today (full disclosure: I ran 400s today), I'm running 400s today. We can look at paces and recovery, but honestly it doesn't matter that much what the tiny details are. If I finish and I'm starting to run low on fumes, that means I worked my body hard, and that's all I need to get better. Like I said above, running can be complicated or it can be simple. You can make every run a certain exact pace with exact rest and plan out how much of your weekly mileage will be at certain paces, or you can just listen to your body and roll with the punches. I'll choose the latter.

5.) Some people are simply more naturally talented than others. However, talent is a little bit different than I originally thought. Talent isn't necessarily that a person can go run for the first time and beat everybody. In fact, many of the best runners started out mediocre or even unwilling to try out track or cross country. Talent is how people respond to training. If ten people who run races at the same exact paces are given the exact same training for the exact same amount of time, one person of the ten will be the fastest by the end, and one person will be the slowest. What this means is that every person needs training tailored to them. Just because a friend runs some ridiculous workout doesn't mean you should too. Believe it or not, people are in fact different.

6.) Watching passionate coaches that have the respect of their athletes is addicting.

7.) Watching passionate athletes that have the respect of their coaches is addicting.

8.) My blog posts are too long.

That's all for now! With winter break coming up, I'd like to throw up a couple of research posts like I did last winter break. We'll see what happens.

Peace