I feel like I am living someone else's life...never did I think that my family and I would be gathering for a memorial run in honor of my dad.  I flew out to Rhode Island today to be with my mom and my sisters to attend a High School Football game, on friday, which is having a dedication for my father who taught and coached for Middletown, RI.  And then on Sunday we will participate in a run that has been organized to help raise money for a Scholarship that we started up here.  It is very hard being here and not seeing my dad.  However, I do see a woman with such strength and courage...my mom.  I am so proud of the woman she has become within the past several years and I know my dad is amazed by her as we speak.  I am very thankful for her and my sisters, that we have each other for love and support.  

Thank you Steven, for your unselfish love and support...I love you.  

And thank you to everyone for your continued thoughts and prayers.

So, if you go for a run on sunday...think of my dad because I love him and miss him dearly.

 

This Emma having fun at her PreSchool.

I have a little time this Sunday morning to actually make an update as opposed to just cutting and pasting newspaper articles like I've been. I really have been very busy with teaching, coaching, family, training...One thing that is nice is that coaching and training sometimes get done at the same time. This last week we had our toughest week yet in CC. On Monday I met a runner for a morning 4 miles then a long one after school for another 8. On Tuesdays we always get a school suburban and drive out somewhere outside of Socorro and this week we went to the Quebradas mountains that are East of Socorro. The suburban only has room for Varsity runners and we did an out and back 5 mile negative split run. My assistant coach, Lindsey, took the reigns of the JV runners that day. She is always there to help and support the team and I know I couldn't do much of anything without her. Wednesday was a half day at school and we had a track workout planned. The goal was a long warm up then 3 X 1 mile repeats that got faster as we went along. These workouts are tough and always challenge the runners and push them past their preconceived limits. I didn't run this workout because I was busy with timing and recording splits. For different reasons I did have a significant number of kids miss that day so on Thursday I had those kids do the workout they missed and I decided to do it with them and help them with pacing. All this working out with the kids has really gotten me into great running shape and I found that I could pace them to a 6:20 mile, holding back and coaching as we ran. That really ups my own confidence for upcoming events.

Now Friday was really special as NM Tech was sponsoring a fun run called the Owl Bar run. They have this run twice a year, once in the fall and again in the spring. The run is free, participants get a free t shirt, there is water stations along the way, the Owl Bar gives you a free beverage for finishing, and Tech gives you a free ride back to town. What I didn't say was that the race starts on campus, runs down to the Bosque and along the Rio Grande to the Owl Bar and Cafe 13 miles South of Socorro. I wasn't sure about having the kids do this run as it is long (for any age) and we had a meet on Saturday. I finaly decided to let whoever wanted to do it run with me and Lindsey again stepped up and held practice for those that knew the distance was beyond them. I ended up having 7 kids run the distance with me and I know all of them challenged themselves, did something that they thought not possible before this season, gained confidence, and became more of a team. As we ran, the groups spread out a little and what made finishing even more special was that parents had joined at the Owl Bar and cheered, took pictures, and asked questions as the kids finished. Needless to say that I was very proud of each and every one of them.

Now jump to Saturday and the reality of racing 3 miles at a meet sets in after a week of high mileage and speed work. The outcome? Every single runner ran a personal record! For some it might have been by seconds but other dropped minutes from their previous PR. I don't think we could have asked for a better end to a tough week. One boy in particular, an 8th grader no less, finally ran confident and finished in 17:58.....an 8th grader! For the first time, I also had all five boys finish under 20 minutes. We are not going to win State or anything but these times are from a junior, 2 freshmen, and two 8th graders.

This meet was also the first time that our school has allowed us to take a bus. For all previous meets we have had to take a suburban and that had forced me to take only 8 kids with me. As my team has grown, that constraint had become something I hated, but I was able to take a full Varsity and a full JV boys to Las Cruces for the meet. The kids all had a great time and I think that word is getting out that CC is definitely a sport that is challenging, but also fun, motivating, and more of a team than most sports offered. This season is already a success far beyond what I had imagined in August and I wonder what next year will have in store for SHS CC.

As for today, I am relaxing a bit before I go out on a bike ride in the crisp, wet weather that has come to town this weekend. I also am happy for Danny Montoya, who completed his third Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, yesterday in a time of roughly 10 and half hours. Danny epitomizes hard work and dedication when it comes to training. Congratulations bro! Last but not least, Mike is racing a triathlon in Tucson this morning. Danny did the Ironman and Mike is actually doing the Tinfoilman! Needless to say it is a little shorter in distance but still a very tough field and without knowing, I bet Mike calls me and tells me he was top 5 overall. My brother is just fast and he always races good there. Well until next time when I have a little time on my hands, adios!

Socorro Runners Top Personal Bests Up North

by: Mike Sievers

For The Mountain Mail

Every member of the Socorro High cross country team set personal records at a 5-kilometer meet hosted by Santa Fe Indian School on Saturday.

Socorro cross country coach Steven Montoya said last week was the toughest week of practice yet and he doesn’t plan to make practice any easier during Socorro’s first year with a cross country team.

“None of these meets really matter. They’re really just for bragging rights,” Montoya said. “Everything happens at the district meet.”

Socorro doesn’t have enough girls for a team. Senior Ellen Aster and freshman Nikki Mortensen will try to qualify for the state meet as individuals.

By contrast, the Warriors were missing two boys at Saturday’s meet – one because he was sick and the other because he was hunting – but still had enough to enter as a team, which is five runners.

Socorro’s boys finished 15th out of 23 teams, many of those teams from the super-competitive northern part of the state. Los Alamos, which is nationally ranked in cross country, won the meet. Freshman Tim Abeyta led the Warriors with a time of 18:55, while junior Trey Thunborg finished in 19:04.

“That was the first time either of them had gone under 20 minutes,” Montoya said.

Eighth-grader Isaiah Vigil finished in 20:39, while freshman Jaron Martinez came in right behind Vigil at 20:51.

Aster finished in 20:36, about two minutes faster than her previous personal best.

“I think she’s still faster than that,” Montoya said.

The six-team district meet will be Oct. 31 in Dexter. The top three teams will qualify for state. Under a new rule, the top three runners from non-qualifying teams will qualify as individuals.

“I expect my boys to qualify as a team this year and I think that’s reasonable,” Montoya said.

The state meet is Nov. 8 at Rio Rancho, where Socorro will test out the terrain in a meet Oct. 18 that is expected to include more than 60 schools. This Saturday, the runners will head to Las Cruces for a meet hosted by Oñate.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Runners carve new personal bests

El Defensor Chieftain Reports

The Socorro High School cross country team ran at the Santa Fe Indian School Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 4. The meet featured more than 20 schools from northern New Mexico, a region known for its running programs.

Socorro placed 15th in the boys varsity division despite missing two varsity runners. The course and weather were perfect for running and every Socorro runner ran a personal best.

Leading the boys was Tim Abeyta, with a time of 18:55 over the 3.1 mile dirt course. Team captain Trey Thunborg, a junior, also dipped under 20 minutes with a time of 19:04. Isaiah Vigil and Jaron Martinez recorded times of 20:39 and 20:51 respectively.

On the girls side, only Ellen Aster made the trip, and she finished in a time of 20:36 and placed 16th out of 105 runners.

"I'm proud to have (everyone) run personal records despite a tough week of practice," coach Steven Montoya said in an e-mail to the Chieftain. "A couple of weeks ago, I remember when only two kids ran our 7-mile run. Last week we had more like 10 kids finishing it."

Socorro's core group of runners continue to work hard and push each other in practice and in the races, Montoya said.

"These kids are tough and will be around for a while," Montoya said. "I can't imagine what they'll be running as juniors and seniors; they should be scary fast and inspiration to the young runners that take their place."

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Socorro travels to Oñate High School. It will be the first trip that Socorro will have a bus available to them, which will allow them to field full varsity and junior varsity boys teams.

Warriors pick up the pace

El Defensor Chieftain Reports

The Socorro High School boys cross country team had its best finish to date, taking fifth place in Cloudcroft on Saturday, Sept. 27.

The Warriors placed in front of rival District 3-3A teams Dexter, Lovington and New Mexico Military Institute.

Warrior Tim Abeyta placed 10th overall in the boys varsity with a time of 21:13 on the course, at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Socorro's next five boys, Dylan Gallegos, Sierra Cahall, Jaron Martinez, Trey Thunborg and Isaiah Vigil all ran in the 23-minute range.

"When they can run in a pack like this it definitely helps our team placing," coach Steven Montoya said in an e-mail to the Chieftain. "We're getting better every race and are focusing on our district meet in Ruidoso on Halloween."

The team will need to be finish as one of the top three teams in the district meet to qualify for state. The top 10 individual finishers will also qualify to run at state.

"We are confident that state is a realistic goal and we have our sights set on it," Montoya said.

On the girls side, Socorro's Ellen Aster placed fourth overall in the girls varsity race with a time of 23:31. Aster beat all finishers from Class 3A or smaller schools.

"I thought the course suited Ellen's natural running ability," Montoya said. "The harder the course, the more successful Ellen will be. The district championships will take place in Ruidoso which will be similar to Cloudcroft, and Ellen just put a huge statement out there that she is the girl to beat come district."

Nikki Mortensen finished 15th in the girls varsity race and continues to improve and gain confidence, said Montoya.

The team travels to Santa Fe this Saturday, Oct. 4, for its next meet.

The team, which is currently using Sarracino Middle School track and field uniforms, will be holding a fundraiser at Socorro's football game against Hot Springs on Friday, Oct. 24, to help purchase new uniforms.

She's Coming Out of Her Shell....

If you know Emma, she has always been pretty shy until you have spent time with her. She usually does not talk to people that she does not know even if she has seen them before. Well, now that she goes to school twice a week, which she loves, it has really helped her gain confidence in herself. Tonight we went to dinner to a restaurant that we do not go to often. At the end of our meal, the waitress had asked if we wanted dessert to let her know and then continued to fill our glasses. Steven and Emma looked at each other and he said " we will get ice cream from Tastee Freeze". Well, I guess that is not what Emma wanted because she turned to the waitress and proceeded to say " Excuse me, Ma'am, I would like a box of pie please"....so the waitress asked what kind of pie and she said " Well, what kind do you have?" so in the end she got a piece of Apple Pie. However, the laughs did not stop there. She asked Nana, her grandma, for a quarter for the machines on the way out, but the machine took her quarter without giving her the ring, so she ran up to the waitress and said, " do you have a quarter, the machine took mine!" She is really speaking up for herself-a good quality to have! Steven and I just looked at each other and smiled. We are so proud of her. She is such a sweet little girl, with such good manners, yet loves to have fun and be silly.