Pacific City Training Camp: Days 3 - 6

Saturday – Day 3 – of camp has a long run on the schedule; normally we’d take an easy day between yesterday’s harder effort and our long run, but for various reasons we’ve decided to go late this afternoon. We’re making every attempt to stay off of the pavement so Coach Bergmann and John Morgan have scouted out a logging road outside of Neskowin that looks good for this run.

We’re planning to go between 10-16 miles, depending upon each individual athlete’s current fitness and prescribed long run. After a couple of rolling – mostly uphill – miles, the road began a loooooonnnnnnggggg descent, about five miles worth. Now, many would say, “A long downhill! How great is that!” Well, our savvy group figured pretty quickly that five downhill miles on the way out means five uphill miles on the way back. And they’d be right.

Given the quad-pounding of the downhill and the difficulty of yesterday’s effort, most of the top group went either 12 or 14 miles, generally at a relaxed pace. It was good to see Morgan up front, apparently recovered from his food reaction of the day before. Wotipka also looked good as did Bergmann, O’Malley, and Turkheimer.

Sunday – day 4 – consisted of two very easy runs of four miles each. The first was on the beach and was followed by corework and plyometrics. The second – in an effort to avoid the huge wind on the beach – snaked thru the thriving metropolis of Pacific City and, again, was supplemented with corework and flexibility exercises - and some posing for the camera - on the beach.




There were, of course, other highlights on that day. A few hearty souls were up early and went digging for clams – in preparation for Monday’s dinner.

We also had planned to attend noon mass at Saint Joseph’s in Cloverdale, but found that mass canceled. Our only other option was noon at Tillamook’s Sacred Heart en espanol. Despite our inability to speak Spanish, our church outing was a success.

Given that we were already in Tillamook, we took the requisite trip to the cheese factory for some Tillamook Ice Cream. Later that night the group put together a fine bonfire on the beach – perfectly legal here – and ate a few too many s’mores.

Monday we ran on the beach of Tierra del Mar, just north of Pacific City. The wind was calm in the morning, and the tide was low, making for a pretty nice, relaxed eight mile run; and just because it’s sort of fun to run fast once in a while – sort of like a basketball player showing off dunking on the playground – the group picked it up to about 6:10 for the last mile.


The group had the afternoon off as many went crabbing – and caught most of our dinner for the evening.

The other major highlight of the day was the arrival of Travis Floeck and the NIKE truck. Most recently at the Siuslaw Dunes Camp and two weeks at Steens before that, Travis arrived, and the house emptied to greet him. Well, maybe the guys simply wanted to see the truck – and see if any of their own faces might be noticeable. Alas, there were a few shots from last year’s NTN race, and Travis encouraged our boys to autograph the truck near their own faces.

Tuesday – day 6 – was another double day. For the morning run we returned to the beach at Tierra del Mar only to find that the wind from the north – which consistently has come up between 11am and noon each day – had already begun in earnest by 9:30am. Nevertheless the boys put in some fine work: a Kelly Sullivan-style “minutes” workout consisting of 15 easy minutes followed by 12 x 1 minute “on” and 1 minute “off”. Following the last “on” minute the group ran an easy 10 minutes before a brisk – with the wind – mile on the beach. Although our goal was simply to run 5:30 – 5:45, suffice it to say that the boys were ready to roll and ran considerably faster, led by Wiltshire, Morgan, Turina, and Marx. Travis jumped in this workout – and said he had experience with “minutes” in the past through Sullivan and Marnie Mason. We finished the workout with a short warmdown, hurdle mobility, static stretching, and the obligatory ten minutes in the natural icebath that is the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon Coast.

The afternoon run was a very leisurely three miles through town, followed, of course, by corework on the beach.

Wednesday we did a nice 35 minutes, part on the beach and part on the road. After a quick breakfast and house clean up, we said goodbye to Pacific City and headed home.

In addition to the large volume of running we did, this camp was a great success for many reasons. We made great inroads in terms of integrating our newcomers – two transfers and five incoming freshmen – with our returning athletes and inculcating these new students into the culture of the Central Catholic distance runner. A major part of our success over the years has been the ability of the older athletes to convey the techniques and philosophy of the program to the younger athletes; camp, in the last few years, has been a great springboard in this area.

It’s also been a chance for our athletes to relax together in a way that will, for the most part, be unavailable to them when school commences. We often overlook – or never see – the talents and interests of our teammates, and camp is a time where we can hear our peers play the guitar, share literary interests, teach each other how to find clams, find out who can cook, and other equally important items. Times like these help us to appreciate each other in ways that bring us closer together – and continue to evolve the team dynamic.

We also have time to discuss goals and expectations – and talk about the ways in which these ideas relate to our lives beyond running, for we all understand that this particular endeavor is simply a way – a really, really good way – to further ourselves in preparation for the greater responsibilities and opportunities that life will invariably offer. We realize that most things in our lives are our choice; in other words, we recognize that the majority of our lives are not simply thrust upon us but that ultimately we get to decide what we can or will do. How well we do in school, at our jobs, and, of course, at our running are ultimately decided by the choices we make and how we prioritize our different activities.

A great week for all and a great start to our season!

Pacific City Training Camp: Days 1 & 2

For our 6th annual summer training camp we’ve ventured to Pacific City after spending the last two years in Sunriver. While we’ll miss miniature golf, running with the South Eugene crew at Elk Lake, jumping off the bridge into the Deschutes River, and the beauty of Benham Falls, we expect to have a great week on the coast.

This is by far and away our biggest camp ever with over 20 boys (including Camas High’s Shane Geiger) and seven girls; the boys have a huge house close to the beach while the girls are staying in a smaller house about a half mile away. As we arrived on Thursday afternoon, the wind was howling from the north, scuttling our plans for an easy run on the beach. Instead we made an effort to run on some trails inland, but the soft sand there sent us to the roads for an easy hour. Some of the boys were limited to 45 minutes, but everyone emerged healthy – always a key to a good camp. We quickly adjourned to the beach for some core work – while our towels blew away.

On Friday we ran an “out and back”; this is a fairly difficult effort with the “out” portion at a slightly taxing pace and the “back” very brisk. We had a pretty large group (12) on the eight mile option, with another eight boys going six miles.
Luke Wiltshire had a great run, with his last four miles in 21:45; Joel Turkheimer and Musa Ahmed were about 20 seconds back, followed by Kevin O’Malley, Shane Geiger, and Taylor Bergmann. Taylor Morgan had a bad reaction to something he ate the night before, while Sam Wotipka had yet to arrive from his annual pilgrimage to Joe Fulton’s Timberhill Camp. Our younger athletes also ran well over six miles. All in all, it was a very fine effort – over a much longer distance than our tempo runs this summer.

Late in the afternoon we ran an easy two miles to THE dune, followed by more core, flexibility, and balance work. Of course, almost everyone climbed to the top of the dune and then raced down… as is required in Pacific City.

A great start to our week… more to come!

Central Catholic 2006 Boys XC Preview

Despite the graduation of two time state cross country champion Kenny Klotz and a record setting team performance at the State Meet, this year’s Ram squad has, amazingly, hopes for an even greater season in 2006. Returning nine of last year’s top ten runners – only Klotz graduated from that group – and adding a few more talented athletes, the CC harriers hope to defend their State Team Championship and make a return trip to the Nike Team Nationals; if invited to NTN they’ll be looking to improve upon their 11th place showing there. No doubt they’ll be led by their seven seniors, all of whom have aspirations to continue their running careers in college.

In addition to the team title in 2005, Klotz individual victory was the fourth consecutive for a Ram harrier. The Rams have every expectation of continuing this streak and have a plethora of runners angling for the top spot. Senior LUKE WILTSHIRE was 9th at last year’s state meet, after finishing 33rd and 24th as a frosh and soph. With the 6A/5A split (Oregon is moving to from a four to a six class system, and some of the traditionally strong 4A squads will be in 5A; Central Catholic will be in 6A.), Luke is the #1 returning runner in 6A, and there can be no questioning his desire to be the state champ in 2006. He had a strong track season and looks already to be in excellent shape for the long fall campaign; if anyone should be considered the favorite for the individual title, it’s Luke Wiltshire – particularly in light of the competitive streak he’s shown in the three previous state meets.

Right behind Luke in 10th place at last year’s state meet was TAYLOR MORGAN, in his first full xc season. Junior-to-be Morgan had a phenomenal spring, breaking the Oregon sophomore record in the 800m with his state runner-up 1:52.33. He also ran 4:00 for 1500m and capped his season with a 3rd place finish at the Nike Outdoor Nationals (NON) in the 2000m steeplechase. Like Luke, Taylor believes that the state title is rightfully in his future.

The 3rd best returner in 6A is senior NICK TURNER, entering his second year of xc. Last fall he began the season hoping to crack the top seven and ended it as a Second Team All-State runner, having finished 13th over the Lane Community College layout. How good might he be this year? No one knows that answer, but suffice to say he ought to be pretty competitive. The guess here is that, like his teammates above, he’d like to be the state champ.

Nipping at Nick’s heels a year ago was super-frosh SAMOT TURINA with a phenomenal 16th place effort at state. A month later he was 2nd at the Junior Olympic Nationals and continued on to have a fine track season with a 9:10 clocking for 3000m. A year older and stronger, Samot is the #5 returner in 6A, and he, too, has designs on the top spot of the podium.

Senior KEVIN O’MALLEY was 56th a year ago at the state meet. After a great winter of training he was the team’s most improved distance runner in the spring, clocking 4:12/1500m and 9:01/3000m on the oval. Despite a bout with mono at the end of the spring, he looks to be fully recovered and is currently training at a very high level. He could be as good as any of the guys mentioned above!

Struggling with a stress fracture at the close of last fall, senior SAM WOTIPKA has never looked better than he does this summer. Sam is one of the team’s clear leaders and possesses great talent. As a soph he ran 1:58, 4:04, and 9:13, and his summer training indicates that he can run with any one of the above athletes. He looks this fall to fulfill his great potential in cross country.

Another senior, TAYLOR BERGMANN, made the most of his opportunity during Wotipka’s absence late last fall, running as the seventh man at the Nike Team Nationals. That opportunity has strengthened Taylor’s resolve, and his training over the past eight months has been very strong and consistent. He ran 4:17/1500m in the spring, and has continued to make great improvement with a steady summer of training. He is a two time MHC JV XC Champion; one of his goals this year is to make sure that he’s not in the running for a 3rd JV crown.

Still another senior is DAVID BELTRAMO. In his sophomore year he ran 4:14 and 2:02 in the first week of the track season before being sidelined by a stress fracture; in cross country he saved his best race for last with an outstanding 38th place effort at the state meet. As a junior he struggled with a variety of ailments but gained great momentum with a PR 1:59.5 carry for the NON 3rd place 4 x 800m team. That single race has motivated him to re-dedicate himself, and he looks to return to the form of his sophomore year.

Our final senior is another incredibly dedicated athlete, DAVID LANEY. Laney came to CC as a fine age group runner, but struggled to find his niche until the middle of his junior year. He ran a fine 9:32 for 3000m in the spring, but a more indicative reflection of his form came in the manner of his training; for the first time he was able to train consistently with the top group, and, this summer, he has emerged as a leader in many workouts. He may well be the team’s most conscientious runner, and he appears poised to make a great leap this fall.

The aforementioned nine runners give the Rams great optimism for 2006, but the list does not end there. Two junior transfers could have an impact for CC this fall and certainly will be part of the Rams’ future. JOEL TURKHEIMER comes to Portland from Bainbridge Island, WA and could be a major contributor. As a soph he finished 23rd in the Washington State 3A Cross Country meet; this summer he has established himself in the top group and may be a very pleasant surprise for the Rams. ZACH MARX has moved to Portland from Southern California (Santiago HS, Corona) having run 4:24/1600m and 9:39/3200m as a sophomore. His few workouts with the team this summer show exceptional promise as well.

Incoming frosh MUSA AHMED arrives at Central with a fine pedigree: his brother Zuber was the 2005 Oregon State Champ at 1500m and 3000m. Musa has had great success as an age group runner (9:39/3000m in the 6th grade) and, despite some injury problems over the last couple of years, has already established himself as a runner of great ability during summer workouts.

Juniors AARON PECORA and AUSTIN JONES both have the ability to be solid varsity runners a year from now; Pecora has improved by leaps and bounds in his two years as a distance runner, and he seems to get better on a weekly basis. Jones ran track for the first time this past spring and will make his debut over hill and dale this season. He possesses both the physical and mental talents to be very successful in this endeavor.

Sophomores CONOR CAMPBELL and CONOR ROLAND both have found their niche as distance runners and had fine freshman track seasons. Campbell won the MHC Freshman 1500m while Roland was the 800m champ in the same meet. There is no doubt that each of the Conors will contribute before their days are done at Central Catholic.

Freshmen PETER SLAUSON and CURRAN CARLILE began running with the Ram men last winter and have easily adapted to the rigors of high school running. Both have high expectations and, along with fellow frosh EVERETT STILLEY and GABE LATHROP, have already begun training with the team this summer; all four appear to have some great gifts as distance men and could be part of an outstanding freshman class.

Despite the excitement these individuals bring, team goals are the focus of this group. The outstanding leadership of previous classes has created a team dynamic that is a pleasure to observe; only seven young men will be able to compete at the District, State, and (hopefully) NTN meets, but team members understand and appreciate their own opportunities to contribute – as well as the contributions of their teammates.

The #1 goal of this year’s group is to defend their 2005 State Title. Many believe that defending is more difficult than winning the first time, and that seems to be the case this year at the 6A level. On paper the Rams are likely the favorite, but, given that races are not run on paper, there can be no doubt that there will be a handful of squads looking to wrest the blue trophy from the men of Central. Leading the contenders is perennial power – and archrival - Jesuit. Last year’s predominantly sophomore group had a fine track season, led by Brian Manning (JR), Sam Larson (SR), and Peter Maag (JR) – all of whom ran below 9:00 for 3000m in the spring.. A year older and stronger – and coached by the legendary Tom Rothenberger – this group will certainly put up a great fight at the State Meet in November.

Another outstanding group is Lincoln HS of Portland. As a team they narrowly missed a state meet berth a year ago, but with everyone healthy they would appear to be a lock to qualify and a good bet to make the podium in 2006. They have a deep group with Aaron Anderson, Joe Carpenter, Matt Parker, Nathan Mathabane, and Adrian Unkeles – all of whom put up fine marks last spring – and are coached by the renowned Dave Bailey.

Other long time powers appear to have a few holes to fill, but if previous years are any indication, both Jeff Hess’ South Eugene squad and Tom Millbrooke’s Canby team will be tough. Both groups have some fine returning runners and typically rise to the occasion at the end of the year as well.

Major meets for the Rams this year will be the Bob Firman Invitational in Boise (Eagle Island State Park) on September 23rd and the Jim Danner Invitational (Blue Lake Park, Gresham) on October 7th. The team will open with the Mount Hood Conference Relays at Sandy HS this year (a 4 x one mile relay) on Sept 6th and then the whole squad will race at Wilsonville Memorial Park on Saturday the 9th. Our full schedule is below – and can be accessed at http://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/School.aspx?SchoolID=227 as well.

wed 6 September mhc relays
sat 9 September wilsonville invite
wed 20 September mhc meet @ barlow hs
sat 23 September bob firman invite (eagle island park – boise)
wed 27 September mhc meet @ lents park
sat 30 September bryant park invite (albany)
wed 4 October mhc/pil crossover @ grant hs
sat 7 October danner invite (blue lake park – gresham)
wed 11 October mhc meet @ fernhill (CC hosts)
sat 14 October concordia invite (fernhill park)
wed 18 October mhc meet @ reynold hs
wed 25 October mhc district meet (sandy high school)
sat 4 November osaa state meet (lane comm college – eugene)
sun 18 November nike border clash (nike campus – beaverton)
sat 2 December nike team nationals (portland meadows racetrack)
sat 9 December footlocker nationals (balboa park – san diego)

Please be aware that we may not run a full squad at all of these meets.

Hope to see you somewhere along the way!