Robert Radnoti Track Blog
9/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track
Thursday, February 25, 2010: I have been watching the weather forecast for 13 days now (accuweather.com provides 15 day forecasts) and it changed from little rain on Saturday morning (for our home track meet) to now heavy rain. What will it be?
But, we are all set now. The meet program is posted online. Loyola Marymount and San Diego have their personnel set and it is going to be a fun meet; however, the weather comes.
There will be a short rest afterwards as our bus to LAX will be picking us up at 4:45 a.m. for a 7:00 a.m. flight to Tampa, Florida for our Spring Break Project Serve. More to come on this wonderful week.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010: Our team t-shirts and new practice sweatsuits came in today and we were able to distribute them to the team. It's like Christmas and very fun to see the kids light up with the shirts. We had a little mini-competition for the t-shirt designs. One with a wave crashing into the word 'Pepperdine' was inspired by Hannah DeWalt. A running shoe formed by the word Pepperdine was a joint venture by LeeAndrea Morton and Seth Allison. And the third one was a design I found online.
Just as practice began we had a light drizzle which make the workout nice and cool. But did not stop the guys from taking off their shirts. I just hope we have bright sunshine for our home meet on Saturday.
Monday, February 22, 2010: Our recruits are here and went for a beach run in the morning before breakfast. During the day they attended between one and, for some, three classes to get a good feel for Pepperdine and the education they would be receiving. Much of the day is spent with the student hosts and I want to make sure all questions are answered. I think they were.
Sunday, February 21, 2010: It's time for recruits. We had 10 recruits begin arriving early in the morning at LAX as we shuttled them to Pepperdine. In this group we had one guy and nine women. So, for our evening teambuilding activity, I set up a game sort of like The Bachelor - not that I would have ever seen the show.
In our game, our male recruit was The Bachelor. Except that he was not trying to find a wife. He was deciding who "makes the team." We held nine separate tasks ranging from telling our Bachelor what they would do if they organized our next Project Serve, to serenading him up on the balcony to checking who had the best looking feet. At the end of each round, the bachelor would have a rose ceremony (we had orange roses) and would select one young woman to join the team. We did have nine roses so everyone eventually made the team. But, it was fun and we all learned a great deal about each other.
In addition, the recruits had an opportunity to meet with President Andy Benton and even attend his convocation. It was a good day!
Saturday, February 20, 2010: Our first track meet of the season! Yippee! We are off to Santa Barbara to race against UCSB and Westmont. This has become an annual tradition and a good way to begin our outdoor season. Yes, you right coasters, its outdoor season here in California. And, despite rain in the forecast, it turned out to be a sun filled day with some good races. I did learn that Westmont will be installing a new track next year. So, we will probably move the meet there as the UCSB facility is quite old and needing a facelift (hint, hint).
Erica Gove sprained her ankle earlier in the week and thus became our picture taker. She took lots of fun pictures which I have shared with our team, as some good action shots which appear on our Pepperdine web site.
The highlights of the meet were Chelsea Wishard running a PR in the 1500m in her first race of the year, Hannah DeWalt running a nice 2:22 in the 800m, Sean King doubling in the 800m/1500m in exciting fashion, and young Wesley Blundell finishing strong in the 3000m.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010: After weights Brittany Clark and I go out for her sprints workout this morning due to class conflicts this afternoon. Coach Melvin Jones has prepped me for this workout of 6x150m. As we come up to the track with the sun rising, the soccer team is already there preparing for their 1.5 mile run. It's fun to see the soccer players doing a sort of tempo run. A couple of them could be on our team.
I think Brittany got a little pumped as her 150m strides were much faster than Coach Jones wanted. I hope he will be pleased. It was nice to spend some time with a sprinter as I do not get much time; and learned my first year that it is better that the sprints coach be the focus and allow that relationship to develop.
Monday, February 15, 2010: It's hot here! With temperatures near 80 degrees we had a spirited track workout today. The beaches were crowded today with President's Day and lots of kids not in school. But, our team was working hard as we prepare for our first outdoor track meet of the season. We are racing on Saturday in Santa Barbara at the Gaucho Roundup.
Sunday, February 14, 2010: It's Valentine's Day. I heard the guys' team made a wonderful team dinner for the girls on the team. I am very proud of our guys and our team. Dinner was pasta with homemade meat sauce, salad, and bread, plus more. Good job guys!
Friday, February 12, 2010: I took Wesley Blundell to Zuma Beach this morning for his eight-mile tempo run. We wanted to do this along the ocean before his surfing class (yes, somehow he managed to get a surfing class much to my chagrin!). But, Wes has been running very tough and pounded out a good eight miler. The time in the ocean is probably very good after this workout and he is getting an upper body workout too. So ... we'll see next weekend how he races.
Thursday, February 11, 2010: Strength training is going well in the early mornings. We begin at 5:57 a.m. with a morning prayer and then led by Matt Young, our strength and conditioning coach. He's tough but our athletes are getting stronger and most of them love it.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010: It's back to the track for most of our athletes and we get good work done including mile repeats, 400m repeats, pyramids, short stuff for the sprinters, etc. Everyone has their own workout depending on their experience, health, and conditioning.
Monday, February 8, 2010: Over the weekend my office flooded and the office became almost unusable with a giant dehumidifier sucking the water out of the carpet and all my boxes of important stuff stacked high on the desks. I was out of town in Arizona with my mother as it was my dad's birthday. He died last September and this was the first birthday without him. The circle of life is tough sometimes.
Friday, February 5, 2010: ran her workout at 7 a.m. due to class in the afternoon. She did a five-mile tempo in the rain and ran very nicely. It is very satisfying to see her running well this whole year as she missed last track season with some nagging injuries. Now, she is ready to reclaim her 1500m school records that Lauren Lodge broke last spring. Lolo is in Florence, Italy along with five other women studying abroad right now. At Pepperdine, students typically go overseas during their sophomore year. Chelsea Wishard
Thursday, February 4, 2010: I am excited for today as I meet with our Director of Admissions to see who will likely be admitted into Pepperdine. We have 23 women XC/track recruits, 16 men, and 20 sprinters who have all completed their applications and most participated in our January 24-25, 2010 official visit. Our fall 2010 recruited class will be good!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010: Our shoes arrived today for distribution to our athletes. It's always fun doing this as I feel kind of like Santa Claus.
I'm excited about our middle distance racing spikes, which come in our school colors - blue and orange. I tell the athletes they are going to make you lightning fast!
Monday, February 1, 2010: It's February already and competitions are soon to start this month. We first travel to Santa Barbara for the Gaucho Roundup on the 20th and then host the West Coast Track Challenge on the 28th before travelling to Florida for our Project Serve at The Hope Children's Home and track meet at The University of South Florida. It will be an exciting month.
Today's excitement was meeting Samantha Clayton who will be joining us as a volunteer coach. "Sam" ran for Great Britain in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney in the 200m and 4x100m. She's also married to former baseball player Royce Clayton and has a set of 4 year old triplets. I found a mother's day card online featuring her family here. It's a pretty cute picture of the family. Our girls instantly bonded with her and her English accent.
Today's Superman workout went to Wesley Blundell. His workout consisted of 4x400m, 1600m, 8x400m, 1600m, 4x400m all with one minute rest. As Wes prepares for the 10K this spring, he is going to get two or three day's recovery for this brutal workout.
Friday, January 29, 2010: This morning I had two athletes complete their tempo runs with me at 7 a.m. Chelsea Wishard and Wesley Blundell had classes this afternoon and so we moved their workout to the morning. Both ran very well; Chelsea did five miles and Wes did six miles as the sun was coming up and getting nice and warm. It has been 70 degrees the last few days and I like that.
This afternoon we had our pictures taken at Heroes Garden. Pepperdine University's Heroes Garden is recognized in a one-of-a-kind exhibition of a Living Memorials Project titled, 'Land-markings: 12 Journeys Through 9/11 Living Memorials', which documents September 11, 2001.
The Heroes Garden, a 14,880-square-foot outdoor sanctuary that sits on one of the highest bluffs on Pepperdine's Malibu campus, serves as a public space to pause, reflect, and honor those who sacrificed their lives on that fateful day, including Tom Burnett, alumnus of the Graziadio School of Business and Management. The garden features a fountain that spills into a trough leading to an infinity pool that faces the Pacific Ocean. It also includes boulders inscribed with poignant quotes, a sycamore grove, and indigenous materials to complement its natural environment.
It was an honor to have our team picture taken there. Look for it on the web site soon.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010: The day started with a pretty stiff wind in the morning as Chelsea Wishard did her hill workout in the morning with me. She is feeling pretty good and running strong. I expect she will have an outstanding season.
In the afternoon, I took the distance runners down to Alumni Park where Chelsea ran this morning and we did hill circuits. The wind had died down and the sun was shining brightly. It was a summer like day. I like these days much better than the rains last week.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010: This morning we had our team strength training at the new weight center. Everything is going well with this aspect of our program. Sprinters and distance people are all getting stronger.
Then I took the final two recruits, who are headed back to the east coast, to LAX for their flights home. They told me about what a wonderful experience they had here in Malibu. I sent out a request for feedback regarding our official recruiting event and am now sharing the first one that came in already:
- Transportation: No problems because my parents drove me from San Diego.
- Dorms: It felt like home, very spacious, and the girls were friendly and helpful. I slept on the couch, which was comfortable.
- Meeting with President Benton: I was surprised how down to earth he was toward us. He treated us like family and encouraged us to do our best. He showed a lot of interest in making the school the best it could be.
- Dinner in Trophy Room: The food was really good. I enjoyed looking at the trophies of the past athletes. I liked sitting with the students, coaches and recruits. I felt like I was already part of the team.
- Sunday evening events: The game to rewrite a song was very creative and fun. It was a good idea because it gave me good thoughts about Pepperdine. The game helped us to become friends and united us together. It was fun to watch the other teams perform the songs, as well as perform the song with my team. I love desserts, so the game to win a piece of Tiramisu was motivating for me. I was determined to answer each question, even if I had the wrong answer.
- Breakfast/Lunch at Cafeteria: The food was good and I liked the selection. The seating had a wonderful view. Breathtaking!
- Attending classes: I attended the Italian class and liked that fact that the professor helped the students individually. I love the smaller class size because it allows the students and professor to have a close relationship. We, the recruits, were given a chance to help the students study for the upcoming test, by playing a game of Pictionary while the students guessed the word in Italian. That was fun and I felt like part of the class.
- Tour/Info session (if taken): I did not go on the tour because I had already taken the tour last spring.
- Alumni Park/Beach Run: I did not participate in the beach run because none of the sprinters went. Instead, I went to breakfast with sprinter girls and talked to them more about dorm life.
- Interactions with Coaches: I am glad to have had the chance to meet the coaches and learn more about the track team and requirements. I noticed that the coaches had a great relationship with the girls. The coaches motivated and encouraged the girls to do their best and girls were willing to give their all. I wish I could have had a chance to talk to the coaches one on one so that they could get to know me better. I tend to be quiet in a group, but my running is not shy at all.
- Interaction with Student Hosts: The student hosts were so nice and hospitable. I instantly felt like their friend and part of the team. They had kind words and gave me a lot of useful information about the school. They took time to show us around, answered all our questions, never made us uncomfortable, waited for us when necessary, and took the time to get to know us individually. They were the perfect hosts. I look forward to seeing them again.
- Interaction with fellow recruits: The girls were extremely nice and we quickly became friends. It was easy relating to each other because we had track in common and we all had a great interest in attending Pepperdine. It was sad to leave on Monday because we were not sure if we would see each other next fall. These two days, which flew by,gave us plenty of time to interact and become friends.
- Where does Pepperdine stand in your decision making process for college: Pepperdine has always been my first choice, but after this official visit, I feel like Pepperdine is the perfect university. I like the closeness of the track team, the Christian focus of the school, the intimate student relationship with each other and the professors, the availability of many activities, and the encouraging attitude of the coaches and staff. I was able to meet with a department head after the visit to discuss a possible major in psychology. She was very helpful and gave me information on their program. Lastly, I could definitely see myself on this track team and working out with girls. I learned of areas that I can improve my times. I have not used weights (our school does not have access because the wrestling team has the small weight room) and I look forward to seeing how using weights will improve my strength and time.
- Any other feedback regarding your experience: This was the best experience for me because it led me to conclude that I am ready to become an independent student. In fact, I can't wait until August.
Monday, January 25, 2010: Our recruits are with our students today. They have each created their own itinerary for the day consisting of attending classes, meeting with faculty or department heads, taking a campus tour, etc. I meet the recruits for breakfast and lunch at the Waves Cafe to pay for the meals. In addition, I stay at Pepperdine's town center on the hour to meet with recruits wanting some one on one time. Several take advantage of this and we have good talks.
In the afternoon, the recruits watch our workouts while the coaches explain what we are doing and why. At 4 p.m. it's time to take six athletes to LAX for their flights home. What a great day for recruiting.
Sunday, January 24, 2010: The day begins early with the first of 29 recruits arriving at about 8 a.m. at LAX. Five more arrive in the next few hours and I take them to In N' Out Burgers which is always a favorite for recruits. On the way back to Malibu we stop at Zuma Beach as we have a little time to kill. It is nice to see the recruits who did not know each other just a few hours ago, now acting like they have been best friends for life.
Once we arrive back at the track I am amazed at how many people are waiting for us. It seems like everyone's parents and perhaps others have shown up. Our team whisks the students away to check into the dorms, while Coach (Melvin) Jones and I spend a couple of hours talking with the parents. Time flies when you are talking about subjects with passion. I notice the time and have to say quick goodbyes as we head up to meet the recruits back at President Andy Benton's home. He is gracious enough to spend about a half hour with our recruits in his living room answering questions and sharing with the students. I love this part of the day.
Then we are head back down to the Trophy Room for dinner catered by Macaroni Grill. Our students leave after dinner to go back to study while Coach Jones and I spend the next three hours explaining our program, and organizing some teambuilding activities. Tonight's include groups asked to write songs and sing them. Each group is seven to eight recruits and the topic is, "What would you say to the incoming class of 2015 as you are graduating from Pepperdine?" I am amazed at how much energy goes into this competition (our team will judge when they return at 9 p.m.). Some of the teams incorporate moves into their song treating it as a music video. These are Pepperdine-material recruits.
After the recruits leave and we are left to clean-up and debrief, we are very pleased with the quality of people here this weekend. Our future looks bright.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010: Lots of rain again today. Fortunately, we got a good workout in yesterday and most of the team recovered today.
We did have a team meeting in the evening before the men's volleyball game to plan our Project Serve over spring break. We are going to Tampa, Florida for the fourth consecutive year to work at The Hope Children's Home, enjoy Clearwater Beach, and compete at the University of South Florida. It is a wonderful trip and the team is excited to be going again.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010: We started the day at 5:57 a.m. in the newly renovated Pepperdine weight training center for student-athletes. It was nice to see all the sprinters and distance runners all lifting together. Many on the team have commented how wonderful our Project Serve over spring break has been in bringing the team together. Lifting together will also help our team culture.
Though it rained much of the day, it stopped again (like yesterday) in time for track practice. Most of our distance runners did a Lasse Viren workout which I like quite a bit. We used this at Colorado back when I was running and it was fun and boring at the same time - but how can that be? Anyway, it does help build speed and endurance.
Monday, January 18, 2010: It's Martin Luther King Day and school is off for the day. I woke up to rain and it rained all the way until 2 p.m. just in time for track practice. But, the track was pretty flooded, so we decided to run in Alumni Park today and have fun in the rain. Runners love to run in the rain and get all muddy and look tougher than all other athletes (we are, right!). Then as I was looking at the weather forecast and seeing that we have 12 days of rain in the next 15 day forecast, the sun came out. We looked for the rainbow and found a beautiful one.
Friday, January 15, 2010: Applications for admissions to the fall class of 2010 are due today. We have a good group of applicants. It will be fun to meet them next weekend as they come for official visits.
The highlight of today's workout was the steeplechase athletes. We set up hurdles and one steeple in the middle of the field, creating a circuit to develop technique and stamina. I got this workout from a coach who specialized in steeplechase. I was very excited about our young runners' progress in picking up this event. We will continue to work and learn and be ready to race in March.
The weather forecast calls for lots of rain next week and beyond. I heard this might be an El Niño year. I hope not as I love the sunshine and warm weather. But, the weather will help prepare us for races - and that's what practices are all about.
Thursday, January 14, 2010: Not too strong Santa Ana winds came in this morning leading to another near summer-like day in Malibu. I had a nice meeting with our Athletic Director to review the status of our team; including competition schedule, roster, home meet, Spring Break trip to Florida, and upcoming recruiting official visits (we have 32 prospective student athletes scheduled to visit next weekend).
The highlight of this afternoon's practice was our 800-meter men Jordan Wozniak and Sean King running a nice early season workout of 2x (600, 400, 200) with accelerating 200m's. Each of them hit or exceeded our goal times as we focused on running fast and relaxed. I stressed the importance of practicing for future racing - not racing in practice (this can happen if we are not careful). The guys did a great job with the workout and I was very proud of them.
This evening I made recruiting calls and plan to contact everyone who completes their admissions applications. They are due tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010: As we woke this morning I heard something outside that was unfamiliar to me. It's raining! Not like rain in some places around the country. But, it is a soft drizzle. We have not had much rain in a long time. In fact, over the last week you would have thought it summer in Malibu. I know many people like the changing seasons. Not me. I love it near summer like everyday.
The rain was gone by 8 a.m. and it was another interesting day here at Pepperdine. My parking lot was closed for filming. This happens often and I wondered who was here today. It turned out they were filming an episode of The Biggest Loser in our pool area. I walk back and forth between my office and the administration building going right by the pool. So, I got to see the contestants waiting much of the day for filming. They were pretty cool and said hi each time I walked by.
In the afternoon one of our student-athletes, Seth Allison, did a workout I did at the beginning of track season while I was at Colorado. It was a continuous 16x200-meter with 100m jogs in between. I was watching for running mechanics with an assistant coach and talking with Seth about some improvements I would like him to make during this spring. It was fun.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010: What another perfect day here in Malibu. Today's workout included tempo runs, mile repeats, 200 meter repeats, and just runs in Alumni Park for some individuals. I try to customize as much as I can for our student athletes. Coming back from the Christmas holidays means that everyone is in a different place condition-wise. That's a challenge; but a fun one.
The team held what our leaders called a heart-to-heart meeting before practice to determine our action plan for our Project Serve trip over spring break to Florida. We work at The Hope Children's Home in Tampa each year, while also enjoying the Clearwater, Fla. beaches, and training/racing at the University of South Florida. It is the highlight of our track season and this year marks the fourth year for our team to compete there. I'm excited.
Monday, January 11, 2010: Today is our first day of our track season, and if this morning is any indication of the season, it's going to be an awesome spring. As I drove along Pacific Coast Highway toward Pepperdine, the sun was rising over the Pacific Ocean. I love that we see the sun rise and set over the Pacific due to our unique geographic setting here in Malibu. The sun was particularly beautiful today as the first sliver of light was a brilliant reddish color and seemingly the biggest sunrise I can remember seeing.
