What To Look For At The State Meet
Approximately 25% of athletes-teams-coaches-fans tend to go home happy after the State Meet; which of course then leaves 75% to go home unhappy!!! The veteran athletes and coaches know how to - prepare beginning days in advance of meet, have realistic expectations going into the meet, prepare prior to the races on the day of the meet, run the races strategically to perform well, and celebrate after the meet. Others will learn with experience.
The State meet is like no other during the HS season; greater hoopla from qualifying a week earlier all the way up to the State meet, and maximum competition in the races. Experienced athletes-teams-coaches maintain the same routine in every formal practice, the week of every meet, in every meet, and for the State Meet. Others alter their routines (e.g., train differently, have special team social events, different travel/housing arrangements, different pre-race preparation); resulting in the athletes being worn out mentally and physically even before the gun goes off.
“Veteran” athletes and coaches does not necessarily mean older. For example, probably the most veteran runner in the 2011 State meet is one of the youngest; Rebekah Topham, Griwold, who despite being just a freshman has more experience in higher level competition (through open out-of-state regional and national T&F and XC Championships) than any other in the field. Don’t expect her to be intimidated or run a dumb race strategically. Some younger coaches have experience as athletes and/or coaches in high level competitions as well, will consider the State meet just another of those, and will have his/her athletes and teams performing well as a result. Generally look for the athletes, coaches, and teams that have been there before to perform the best again this year. The old coach’s saying - when you step up in levels of competition, the first time you go to watch, subsequent times to compete.
Digging deeper in the why of this:
Preparing Days In Advance Of the State Meet - Assuming that athletes/teams live and train in some regular one or two week cycles, they’re physically and mentally used to that. Their living and training routine should be maintained right up to the day of the State Meet; altered only by decreasing daily volumes (including other social and school activities) to allow full recovery and adaptation going into State.
Realistic Expectations - Every team and runner in the State meet is good; and every other team and runner in the State meet should understand and respect that. Some good (and some even better) teams and individuals didn’t qualify. But because qualifying teams and runners did well all season often against inferior competition in their area of the state, they expect to do relatively as well at State. Good luck if you expect that!!! Before and during the race, don’t try to do more than you’re capable of, or you’ll do less than you’re capable of. After the race, consider that finishing 15th as a team in a respective division is good, 130th as an individual is good; anything higher is better. Athletes/teams/coaches/fans might enjoy their performances more if they take that approach.
Race-Day Preparation - Race-day preparation should be as much as possible like any other meet race-day preparation. Because there will be more family and friends there, and therefore more distractions, the team rendezvous location should be remote from the party atmosphere. Because coaches believe they need to do more coaching at higher level meets, and because they’re nervous too, they will tend to over-coach (e.g., change the routine, over warm-up, discuss race information & plans too far in advance of the race, and give way too much other information). Arrive at the meet the same interval of time prior to the race(s) as with other meets, warm-up at the same interval of time and do the same warm-up as usual, give race info/plan after warmup and just before the race, and don’t drive each other crazy by talking too much.
The Race - There will be approximately 130 athletes lined up at the start in each race, who will be more evenly matched than in any other meet this season. So athletes need to do the typical race-plan of the uninformed and inexperienced runner, sprint the first 100m to get position, jog the middle 3800m/4800m because they’re already tired, and sprint the last 100m because they can, RIGHT?; sacrificing minutes of time and many places. In contrast, the properly informed and experienced runner will run the fastest even-pace possible throughout the race, which does not mean even effort. Even pace means going out at pace, feeling gradual acceleration throughout the race to maintain pace, and then finish as best as possible (not expecting to be able to sprint in; but so far ahead of the late sprinters to not make a difference in placing).
Physiologically speaking - Anaerobic threshold (AT) pace is the fastest one can run without getting more tired (i.e., without using anaerobic stores); usually at approximately 6:00 mile pace for top HS boys, and 7:00 for top girls. To maximize performance, you want to run optimally faster than AT pace using up your anaerobic stores gradually throughout the race. If a runner sprints out the first 100m or throws in surges in the middle of the race, he/she will use up most of the anaerobic stores, requiring that they run AT pace thereafter, not running near their potential across the total race.
In a competitive field, the winners will generally be back in the pack early, work their way toward the front in the middle of the race, and win late. In a couple races, there will be individuals so superior to others (e.g., with AT paces faster than the maximum paces of most in the field) that it won’t make any difference their strategies; they’ll be able to dominate from the gun.
Celebrate After The Meet - Celebrate regardless of performance!! It’s a great tribute to all athletes, teams, coaches, and fans to just qualify and participate in the Iowa State HS XC Meet. And congratulations, in particular, to those who will achieve their expectations and beyond.
