The acclimation process is complete and it is time to start buckling down in practice in order to perform at the level the men’s and women’s cross country teams want, head coach Zach Kindler said.
Kindler said a practice schedule has been developed so the team knows what to expect. He said it’s now up to the athletes to use the time they are given to accomplish some mileage.
Kindler said the teams have been running two-a-days, with the more intense workouts falling on Mondays and Wednesdays. He said Tuesdays and Thursdays are recovery days with less mileage.
“Mondays and Wednesdays we work hard,” he said. “We work on tempo on Thursdays.”
Kindler said the athletes work on tempo to hit certain times at certain distances in order to get a feel for their boundaries and their abilities to push harder. While this is a good exercise for the athletes to gain some insight toward what they are capable, Kindler said he is also able to observe and make note of what needs to be worked on with whom.
“With distance running, it’s more about science than a lot of other sports,” he said. “The body is a science.”
Kindler said the freshmen are learning college really is a higher level than high school, as well as the value of good nutrition.
“It’s a lot more intense. We’re running at a faster pace and we’re running more miles,” freshman Nick Wagoner said. “He works us really hard.”
The new class of men brings with it two transfers – AJ Jimenez, a junior from Arizona, and Arnold Sirorei, a sophomore from Kenya.
“The one thing I’ve seen different (from last year) is the recruiting process,” assistant coach Mackie Valentin said.
The men’s and women’s cross country teams open the season at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Baldwin City Golf Course for the Maple Leaf Invitational.