MONDAY MORNING FINSH LINE

August 23, 2021

By Michael Newman [email protected]

This is normal. It feels normal. At least, I hope it does.

It was like a normal morning for me. The sun slowly peeked through my window. I rolled over in my bed to look at clock. I turned on my phone and looked at the weather forecast. These are things that I do to start my day. The exception is that it is the first day that Illinois High School Cross Country teams can hold a cross country meet.

I went through the same feelings a year ago. It was different then. Schedules were different. Courses were empty with only coaches and runners filling the venue. Parents were looking for places to watch their children run. There were some meets where spectators could not be on the school grounds or course. Parents would huddle together in spaces where they could see the race in progress. So much for social distancing.

How would this be normal for me today? I would get an e-mail from Chris Muth, the coach at Yorkville High School. I would get a message from him in the morning. Sorry-the meet is called off because of the heat or the course is flooded, we can’t run.

Yorkville is my starting point for the season. It has been. The school runs a classy meet. It is a good place to start. In the past, the meet was held at Hoover Forest Preserve. This season the meet is held on the grounds of Yorkville High School. They found a gem of a course last year when schools could not run meets in a public course. The fact that the meet is later in the afternoon makes it easier for me to stomach the warm temperatures.

What are my expectations today? One is simple. Just to see kids racing together. We did see that last fall, but the races were more, the races were smaller. I just want to see a glob of runners heading towards me. That would complete my day. That would signify the start of my season.

A new course on the horizon

I went to look at the Northwestern Medicine Cross Country Course at Settler’s Hill in Geneva for the first time in 2020. My thoughts when I left there that this was a great course. It was not ready to be raced on. Thank goodness that we had COVD-19 and no race were held at this venue.

I made the trip to Geneva to view the course. I was not surprised at what I saw. I was pleased that this course is ready to go. The venue organizers needed to make a few changes in that past year, and they have done that. The starting line had to be moved up so that they could have a longer starting line for bigger events. The three-mile course had to be shortened to 2.97 miles to accommodate that.

The actual course has grown up without a race being held on it. The 2020 version of the course had footing at some points that was uneven. There are a couple of points now that are a little patchy. I did not have the fear of falling like I did when I walked it a year ago. I was never at Lavern Gibson National Course in Terre Haute when it was first opened. I would imagine it was the same way.

This is a course where you need 3/8 inch implements in your spikes. 1/4-inch spikes will not give you that kind of footing that you need.

I like the course because of the venue. Look to the east at the top of the hill and in the distance some 30 miles away you can see the Chicago skyline. It is hard to tell if this will be a speed course that will give us fast times. We will find that out at the start of the season. The course stands out when you approach it. Remember, the main elevation of the course is 700 feet. You have to climb to get to the course. The course rolls. There are some points where you are going downhill. The first 400-meters you are gently going downhill. By the time you get to the half, you are making a slow climb. That is how this course goes. I was so happy when walking the course on Saturday to learn that a hill that was designed for the course was kept in. Alan Edgecombe, the chairman of the Chicago Area Track & Field Organizing Committee, mentioned to me when I met with him on Saturday is that we kept the hill. They were pondering leveling that area right after 1.25 miles in the race. I am glad they did not. The course rolls down from that point but that 150-meter rise tests you and puts question in your head why did I go out that fast?

I would have loved this course when I was running. I loved running hills. It is a thinking runner’s course where need to think out your strategy before you head to the starting line. I mean, really think out.

I look forward to…

I am looking forward to going to my first cross country meet and just sensing the excitement in the air.

I look forward to getting to Katherine Legge Memorial early and hearing the water trickle through the property before team arrive.

I look forward to watching the sun rise over the Illinois River at Detweiller Park and reacquaint myself with every blade of grass at that hallowed course.

I look forward to getting to Deer Grove East four hours before the first race just to get a parking space in the park grounds.

I look forward for the lights taking effect on the Naperville North cross-country course on a Wednesday evening in October. I also look forward to not falling on my butt on that course.

I look forward to those 10 second conversations I have going from going point to point on a cross-country course. I look forward to getting to courses early so that I have those moments just to chat with people that mean so much to me.

I look forward to the gun going off at 9 AM on a Saturday morning in Peoria in November.

I look forward of being this blessed of experiencing all these things, these moments in the next few months.

This season on ILXCTF.com

There are not a lot of changes that will be made this fall on how meets are covered. One big difference is like I announced last spring is that there will not be a “Monday Morning Video Show”. The idea lasted seven years ( or more I think) and needed to move away from that concept. There will be something new that will be announced at the end of the week on Twitter (@ilxctf).

Rankings are back. We could not do them last season because of smaller meets, regionalized meets that were taking place across the state in that COVID-19 season. The statistical and accuracy level was flawed when I looked at the first week of meets then. I look back at it and I have no regrets. I would rather give you an accurate level of ranking teams compared to worrying the clicks I would get on those rankings.

Each class will have 30 teams ranked. It made sense to go from 25 to 30 since the IHSA had increased the state teams from 25 to 28 in 2A and 3A, and 25 to 30 in 1A.

The first update for the rankings will be on September 7 and then every Tuesday after that.

The IHSA made changes with some teams in their classifications that was announced on August 17. Chicago (Marist), Oak Lawn (Richards), and Riverside-Brookfield were moved from 3A to 2A.

Riverside-Brookfield was ranked in 3A Boys. They are now ranked in 2A Boys. Marist just missed being ranked in 2A to start the season. 3A rankings have been adjusted as well as 2A. Ratings pages will be put up on ilxctf.com to reflect those changes.

Marist and Riverside-Brookfield were not ranked in 3A. They will be in the top 30 in Class 2A with that move.

Have a good week everyone. Enjoy those race moments beginning this week!