South Middle School Cross Country

September 29-October 4: Last week of the Regular Season

September 29, Monday: Boys & Girls Practice

September 30, Tuesday: Boys & Girls Practice

October 1, Wednesday: Boys & Girls Practice (1 mile time trial)

October 2, Thursday:***OPTIONAL*** Practice @8:00am (at South)

October 3, Friday: Boys & Girls Practice

October 4, Saturday: Fox Trot Invite @Yorkville (last regular season meet)

• Bus Leaves South @7:00am
• JV Girls @ 9AM
• JV Boys @ 9:30AM
• Varsity Girls @ 10AM
• Varsity Boys @ 10:30AM
• Open Girls @ 11AM
• Open Boys @ 11:30AM

*All races are a 2 Mile Race
**JV & Varsity Races are each limited to 10 athletes per team
***Open races have unlimited Entries

Last week, our athletes focused on building endurance by increasing their weekly mileage and reinforcing proper running mechanics. The week began with a long run of 4–7 miles, capped off with controlled 400m repeats at CV pace to develop aerobic capacity. Tuesday offered an optional recovery run with strides to promote turnover, followed by a mid-week easy run. Thursday’s hill workout at Sunset Meadows Park emphasized running form under fatigue and aerobic strength, with 8–12 hill repeats at mile race pace. The week wrapped up with recovery runs and an easy day on Sunday to help athletes absorb the training. Total weekly mileage ranged from 18 to 35 miles, depending on the athlete's level and training progression.

Saturday’s race gave our athletes an excellent extra opportunity to compete. We were very lucky to get invited to the Wildcat Invite at the last minute, and we wanted to say great job to everyone who was able to attend! We saw strong efforts across the board, with several personal bests and promising signs of growth, even as it warmed up quickly throughout the morning and at the tail of a high-mileage week and hard workout week.

This will be the last week of our regular season. After this week, we will only have our Sectional teams at practice. Thank you to everyone who has shown up at practices, competed at meets, and made this season a great one!

We will send out the Sectional Roster next weekend by the end of the day Sunday.

We will also be doing a 1-mile time trial this week to help show the progress EVERYONE has made, and how everyone has improved from the beginning of the season up to now.

Here is the plan for the training plan for this week.

On Saturday, we will be at Yorkville High School in Yorkville for the 13th annual Fox Trot Invite. This is always a fun meet because it is a pretty big invite with lots of good teams, and it is also our last regular-season meet. After this week, only athletes on our Sectional Team will be practicing & competing.

Please see below for the meet schedule:

Bus Leaves South @7:00am

JV Girls @ 9AM

JV Boys @ 9:30AM

Varsity Girls @ 10AM

Varsity Boys @ 10:30AM

Open Girls @ 11AM

Open Boys @ 11:30AM

The JV & Varsity races are only allowed 10 runners per team, but we are allowed unlimited entries for the open races. IF your athlete WILL be attending the meet, please fill out the interest form linked below. We will only enter into the meet athletes who have this form filled out. But Everyone who fill out the form will be entered into the meet.

We will have bus transportation to this meet, and the bus will leave South at 7:00am. Please arrive at South no later than 6:55am. While athletes who take the bus to the meet are welcome to take the bus back to South after the meet, athletes ARE allowed to leave the meet after their race with a parent/guardian after they are signed out (we will have a sign-out sheet at our tent). If you would like your child to be able to leave the meet with someone else (like their friend's family), please email us who you would like your child to be able to leave with.

We follow all district and IESA safety guidelines in regards to inclement weather (SEE HERE).

All practice and meet cancellations will be posted on Schoology by 2:00pm at the LATEST. Until there is a post announcing that we are canceling practice or a meet, we are still having practice or meet. We do not cancel for light/moderate rain or snow, but may for moderate to heavy rain, extreme heat/cold, unhealthy air quality, and we will certainly delay and/or cancel due to lightning*.

While we do try to get meets in when possible, as they are difficult to reschedule and most meets/invites do not have rain dates, safety is our top priority. We monitor the radar and forecast continuously throughout the day, as the weather can change radically and rapidly, to make a determination on what the safest course of action is, based on the most up-to-date information and forecast.

*For lightning that appears during meets & practices, we abide by the 30-minute delay rule. We shelter and delay for 30 minutes after every strike within 10 miles. We can only start again 30 minutes after the last strike. For every strike, the 30 minute timer restarts.

The Cross Country uniform consists of our Team Shirt (provided at the beginning of the season and athletes get to keep) and solid black shorts (regular or spandex). Athletes should wear training flats or Cross Country Spikes to meets.

When a bus we take busses to meets, all athletes are expected to ride the bus to and from that meet or have a form signed saying who will be bring them to and from meets. There will be a few meets where athletes will need to arrange their own transportation to and from said meets. We will be communicating to athletes and parents during the week if a meet will have bus transportation or not.

Athletes represent our school and our community in all things we say and do. Good sportsmanship is expected on and off the Track. Explicit/disrespectful language and behavior is UNACCEPTABLE. It is not who we are as Cardinals, and can get individuals and/or the team disqualified from races and meets if overheard by an official.

Cardinals are expected to follow the Cardinal Way (Being Mindful, Safe and Ready) inside and OUTSIDE of the classroom. This means on the on the track at meets, talking to officials at meets, at practice, in the locker rooms, on the bus, and out in the community.

When we visit other schools for meets, it is expected that we leave our team camp area cleaner than when we got there.

When leaving campus for distance runs, it is expected that athletes are responsible, safe, and respectful, and mindful of our neighbors and their yards/property.

Athletes must use caution when communicating with others through social media—what they do and say online is also a reflection of themselves and the program.

Cardinals, lead by example and if you see something, say something; to a fellow teammate, a parent, or coach. Don't let your teammates bring you and the team down.

Athletes should remember that they are "Student-Athletes". The "Student" comes first. We follow the IESA, district, and school policy's on athlete academic eligibility.

Proper footwear (ask a coach if you have concerns about your footwear), good nutrition (no soda, energy drinks only after workouts, no junk food, etc.), multivitamins, calcium (milk), and Iron (either from foods or iron tablets), hydration (60oz or more of water per day), rest (at least 8-10 hours a night), and letting adults know about issues help prevent injuries and illness that can prevent us from competing in meets and attending practices. Please consult with your family doctor/pediatrician/orthopedic specialist about any persistent issues.

Website: https://www.sd25.org/domain/574
Location: South Middle School, South Highland Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL, USA
Phone: (847) 398-4250
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AHSD25
Twitter: @AHSD25South