Nike team store is UP!

 There has been a lot of interest in (another) Marist track/cross country team store = well, you're in LUCK! Here is the link for it. This is a service to loyal alums, parents, etc. I know I texted some alums that Marist Alumni Racing Team singlets would be available. Unfortunately, that was not accurate information. However! There is some Marist Alumni Racing Team branded items in this store! Order things! Tell your friends! There are minimums for each item so the more the better. And? Please understand that our program does NOT make any money off these sales. The prices have not been marked up. This is a service to our loyal supporters. Neat! Order now here!

Hopkins wedding = what a CREW!

 

Thanks to several alums -- most recently Hicks -- for sending me this excellent photo of a fine group of alums from the 2000s era (do they caught this decade the Aughts?), who went for a "longish" run at Hopkins' wedding a few weeks ago. A little less hair (except for Hopkins!), a few more years and a lot of love. From left: Mike G, Schab, Decker, Prinz, Hicks, Camp, Kirk and Hopkins (congrats on his wedding). Yes, this is highly neat!

Minnewaska, circa 2023

 

Thanks to Coach Billy (on the bike) for taking this picture at the "top" of Minnewaska this morning. A fine tradition continues! 

First meet of the season

 We are a week into preseason with our large and energetic team. It's been a productive week of training and "team bonding" activities. Kudos and credit to senior captain Kaitlyn Hastings for organizing and orchestrating a "Field Day" at North Field, which featured fun activities for the entire team. Being an old(er), nervous coach, I always worry about someone getting injured doing something "stupid" in these "games," but all went well! In a little more than a week, our first meet of the 2023 season will be at Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve -- our only "home" meet that we call the Marist Season Opener. Men's 6km race is at 9a and women's 5km race is at 9:45a. We have a rather large meet, with the following teams planning to attend: UAlbany, Delaware Valley, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Sacred Heart, Siena. Hope to see you there.

Running at Half Price

 It's not common for me to promote "YouTube channels," but hey, there's a first time for everything, right? Senior XC runner Jeremy Mbogo (aka "Half Price") has started a YouTube channel called "Running at Half Price" (clever, huh?), and the videos so far are very good! Check it out. He started "filming" footage for what will be a Marist preseason XC video too. So, that will be neat. Jeremy needs subscribers. So, subscribe! It'll cost you nothing but the time it takes to watch these entertaining (if somewhat raw) videos. I'm sure he'll get better and better with each one. Hopefully, the same as his races during 2023-2024!

Same presets

 It's funny the things you notice. As I got into the Ford Transit van for the first day of preseason XC practice today, it just "felt" familiar. Alas, it was! It was one of the same Ford Transit vans we had last year (Marist leases the vans for 9 months each year, so the fleet changes from year to year). How did I know? The radio presets were the same! Radio Woodstock. NPR. AM talk radio. Those were my presets, anyway. So, that level of familiarity was neat. 

However! There's a whole lot that's new for 2023-2024. Starting with the ROSTER, nearly half of which are first-year students (freshmen). It's an exciting time for all of us. The men headed up to Mills for the usual hill workout. The women were at Vassar Farm for an easy run on the "home" course. Tomorrow, it's over to the rail trail in New Paltz. Minnewaska is next. And away we go!

Addition to the family

 In case you missed it? We have a new member of our Running Red Foxes family in the hiring of Billy Poole-Harris, who most recently was head coach at nearby Bard College. Billy will work with all aspects of the team in track and cross country and add much-needed support to our entire operation. This is a newly created, full-time position and does not "replace" anybody else as some had wondered/feared. We are grateful for Marist administration to see the need within our program and act accordingly to make this happen. It's highly neat. Read more about it here. 

Future (and Forever) Foxes

Thanks to Rolek for sending me these pictures of an ever-growing group of "Future Foxes" (offspring of Forever Foxes) from a recent shindig at Quinn's house, featuring Bryan Quinn, Mike Rolek and the Dixons (Tom and Bryan ... aka TDix and BDix). And now, count 'em, 10 kids! Wow! Hopefully, we'll be recruiting this next generation in the coming years? Get 'em running! Neat.

Peak experience(s)

Thanks to Czop ("Daniel Czop") and Jiggy ("John Ignacz") for texting me info on their great weekend of hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Here are the stats from Czop: 12 summits. 27+ miles. 10000+ feet climbed. 2 days. And some pictures too, of course!

Programming note: Now that it's August! Expect some more team-related posts. Cross-country preseason begins in 15 days. Neat.