2009 is upon us. Pre-season has begun and the team is coming together. We started our journey with a trip to Stowe, VT (first photo). I traveled to Stowe with my XC team in 1996 (second photo) and not much has changed. It was clean and fresh as ever. We ran along side the river and hiked Mt. Mansfield, the highest peak in Vermont. The heat was a factor but seemed to cool as the week went on.
We had 7 new runners with us in Stowe and any outsider would have thought we had been together all summer. The captains took charge by playing icebreakers and keeping everyone busy with crazy stories from the past seasons. The team seemed to bond with ease as they pulled each other up Mt. Mansfield and encouraged each other through some hot long runs. I could not have been happier.
We returned to campus and people were occupied with moving in to the new dorm rooms as others wait patiently to move into the popular new dorm on Wendell St (under construction until Sept. 10th). For the past week, the Lesley XC team has been running two-a-days and attending info sessions in the afternoon. They do not realize it, but this base building will be the cornerstone to their future success.
These past two weeks have been tough physically, but it has sparked a creative side in the team. Nicknames have always been a tradition on Lesley XC, but this year has gone to a whole new level. We have "EMay", "Bean", "D-Money", "JA" and "MC Collopy" to along with "Z-Money", "Dre", "Jazzy", "Chafe", and "Baxelrod". Some are used more than others. Running fast will come with time, but team-bonding can't happen soon enough. We are excited for the upcoming season, but we are focusing on our a dual meet this weekend with Lasell College at Fresh Pond in Cambridge, MA. Start time is at 11 am. Come cheer us on!
No comments:
Post a Comment