A right time to hold on and another to let go

The words of Lamentations as paraphrased by Eugene Peterson speak to my current life experiences. Earlier this week I finalized a decision that is very simply one of the most difficult choices I have ever made.

It is the time for me to hold on closely to my family and identity in Christ and to let go of a place and position that has been indescribably influential and formative in my life. I do not wish to speak any further about my personal situation as I am fine and this was a prayerful decision made by my family and I several months ago.

I only desire an attempt at the impossible task of thanking all the people who believed in me and supported me in my time at North Central University. I know some will be left out and I hope that does not imply that I love or appreciate you any less. To all current and former NCU athletics coaches, staff or student-athletes I am so very grateful for the times we shared together. To the athletes I’ve coached, I hope one day my son is blessed to be in a community of people as special and lovely as the ones you created on our teams. I can give you no greater compliment.

Finally, the text of my resignation letter:

November 26, 2018

After much prayer and seeking Godly counsel, and in consideration of recent changes to my position within the athletics department, I find it necessary and in the best interest of myself and family and the extended North Central University community that I submit my resignation from all professional responsibilities, upon completion of those duties in 2018.

Over the last 18 years it has been my great privilege to have been a part of the North Central Cross Country and Track & Field programs, as a student athlete, assistant and head coach. Outside of my wife and immediate family no group of people has been more influential in my life than my teammates, coaches and coworkers at North Central, many of whom are still of great impact in my daily life today.

It has been a beautiful experience working alongside athletes in the NCU cross country and track programs. These men and women of Christ-like spirit, great character, unparalleled work ethic and immense talent made it an honor to come to work each day. To have been trusted with the responsibility of guiding young people in stewardship of their athletic gifts while using those abilities to worship the Lord in spirit and truth is humbling beyond words. A debt of thankfulness is owed to each and every Ram I was fortunate to work with over the years. We accomplished so much together and, to me, you will always be far more than just a GPA number or one line on a results page.

I am forever grateful to my coach, mentor and friend, Greg Hayton along with former assistant athletic director Cedric Jones for launching my dream career in college athletics when they hired me as a student worker at NCU. Additional thanks to former Vice President of Student Development, Mike Nosser, who along with Coach Hayton, believed in me enough to make me the head coach at NCU in 2006. Thank you as well, to Greg Johnson for his support and leadership the last several years including the work that allowed us to host our first ever home meet, the 2015 UMAC Championships. I would also like to thank former supervisors, great friends and forever adopted family Michelle Sieh, Jon High and Jake Smith for their leadership and support along the way.

To the many other student-athletes across the rosters of different NCU sports teams I had the honor to support and cover as a sports information professional, I know the time and sacrifice you gave to our school. Aside from the many parents and family met over the years, I’ll always be your biggest fan.

A final thanks to Dr. Gordon Anderson and Scott Hagan for their support of athletics at North Central University.

God bless and GO RAMS!.

Trey Meadows

Additionally, Tim Austin, Dave Mowers, Tony Lehr, Bree Williamson, Kara Hurst, Catherine Winkelman, David Calhoun, Kelsey Daggett and Jimmy Hultengren, Brian & Sarah Lee, Matt Haskins and Jenny Hitchcock thank you for standing with me as we served student-athletes on the cross country and track teams.

Finally a huge thanks to several others I would like to thank who helped and encouraged me as I cared for the student-athletes at NCU. Fellow coaches and staff Kenny Flermoen, Steph Schmidt, Tim Beasley, Trent Emenecker, Megan Kaczmarek, George Carr, Andrew Cameron, Daved Lundeen, Lon Flippo, Paul Brunner, Justin Brown and Faith Ooms. And a very special thanks to the unique and important contributions of athletic trainers Amara Kelly Sing Pamperin, Karmen Voigt and Dr. Tom Smith, ATC.

Blessings to you all, and please consider the more excellent way this holiday season. Thanks for your time.

Lost thoughts from XC Season: Process Workouts

Coach: How did the workout go for you today?

Athlete: Well...I think it was...a process workout

In late August our team gathered for a week of preseason training camp. This was a quote from an athlete after an RPE based, fartlek-style workout late in the week. I've been simmering over that quote since that perfect summer morning on one of my favorite section of trails in the Twin Cities.

As a coach I am always interested in evaluating mental, physical and emotional preparation of cross country runners when we meet up in August. There are so many rabbit trails to chase with so many data points.

The bottom line remains: how ready are the troops for the final 12 weeks of very specific training that needs to be done head of championship race season in late October and early November.

The reality is: not every athlete is ready to do the types of things necessary for championship racing and there are more than simply physiological factors involved in that evaluation process.

So when that athlete offered that response to what was a very valuable assessment day for my evaluation process, I was struck by the simple and concise summary of our first true fast running workout of the year.

The workout was four days into our week and we'd had five running sessions, including a grossly disappointing 3k time trial (I literally discarded the results when I got back to the offfice) 48 hours prior.

It was a simple session:

• Standard dynamic stretching and form drills

• 10-15 minute progressively faster warm-up run

• sets of 300m on/off on a 600m loop

• On efforts at 1500m RPE, rep recovery at standard aerobic run pace, set recoveries at self-selected easy pace

• Goal ON distance at 3-4k

• No athlete watches, totally run by feel

• I ran a watch and pulled athletes based on any variance over 4 seconds or visual fatigue cues

• Ended with easy run to meet session total volume goal

As we begin track practices this winter the experience of this workout will inform how I guide the athletes through our workouts. But just as important will be allowing the work they do to inform them of the stage they are in within a process of personal development in every area as it relates to mental and physiological growth. 

In reality, every day is a process workout. The key will be coaching within that process and focusing on taking the right step each day to make that the most beneficial process possible.

Healthy Running and Racing Context, Part 2

All regular runners, competitive, recreational or fitness, have a go to running route. The four miles and change that compose my favorite circuit were actually the key ingredient in the training that produced the fastest times of my competitive college running career.

I could and have run this loop along the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis in the dark of morning or night. I've run the lollipop style route both forward and backward. I've run it as a segment of a longer run all the way up to 12 miles. It's flat stretches, bridges, light polls and hill segments have served for hours of repeats hitting every imaginable goal for physiological stress and adaptation possible. 

You'll find it known simply as the Hennepin Loop in my logs and journals and by the dozens of athletes that I coach who also attend the same university I did as a college athlete. Hennepin Loop + Nic Island means 5.2 miles. Hennepin Loop + Boom equals 6.5 miles. Hennepin/Stone Arch Fartlek means an RPE based fartlek run measured by light poles on two long bridges over Old Man River.

It seems to me many of us have these home turf areas that are the foundation to our successful running endeavors. But how does this tie into my previous post about creating a healthy context for serious athlete training and connect back to my perceived success at a local 10-mile racing event?

Back in February in the midst of an intense period of sleep depravity, work pressure and general winter doldrums common in Minnesota I needed to get out for a run. It also needed to be as seamless as possible. Shorts. Shirt. Socks. Shoes. Run.

Simple. No watch or GPS. No phone or fitness apps. No uploads, downloads, instagrams or tweets (Of course I'm ruining it by blogging about it now). Just a familiar, favorite route where the mind turns off, the CNS takes over and some unknown time later you are back home again. 

I will never know exactly which physiological systems were taxed or the extent to which they were pushed. The minutes per mile down to hundredths of a mile will remain an unknown in my log. Yet the time spent on my feet that day were just as much a training day as any prescribed workout with umpteen variables dialed in and programed into my Garmin 220.

There is more to say on this but I'm going to keep this post short and extend my thoughts on to another entry later this week. Thanks for staying with me on this topic and I hope to have you back when I wrap up things up next time.