H.O.P.E.

Hope: How many times don’t we use this word? As in, “I hope I do well on this exam.” Or, “I hope I have a good race.” What we’re really saying is that we need some luck because our preparation had been less than adequate. If we are to successfully meet our goals, we need to think of Hope as an acronym for Heed, Obedience, Patience, and Energy:

H – We are willing to HEED the words of wisdom from those who have gone before us. We need to listen to our teachers, coaches, parents, and older siblings. They have experienced what we’re going through and can lead us to…
O – It produces OBEDIENCE because we have the confidence that the outcome will be good. Confidence comes with proper preparation. It’s not easy, though, so we have to have…
P – It gives us PATIENCE as we persevere through the temporary hardship. Training can be hard and cause temporary discomfort. Studying properly takes mental toughness, too. But with the goal in mind and proper preparation, we will have…
E – It gives us renewed ENERGY to keep working hard toward achieving that goal.

Goal setting is the process of H.O.P.E. Hope alone is like playing the lottery. Choose the former.

Running in the "Cold"

COLD IS A RELATIVE THING

70 above zero:
Floridians put on a sweatshirt for a run
Runners in Wisconsin get out by 6:00 am to avoid the heat.

60 above zero:
Californians get out the spandex
Runners in Wisconsin run bare chested or with a sports bra.

50 above zero:
Georgians don 2 thermal layers, gloves, and wool hats.
Runners in Wisconsin may put on a short sleeve T-shirt.

40 above zero:
North Carolina schools postpone cross country meets because of the cold.
Wisconsin runners put on a long-sleeve shirt and go for an extra 5 in the ideal conditions

20 above zero:
People in Miami get frost bite.
Wisconsinites finally get out the gloves; sweat pant optional.

Zero:
All runners except those in the upper Midwest forget about a run and switch to video games.
Runners in Wisconsin put on a hat.

10 below zero:
Wisconsin runners may wear a skin layer to go under the sweatshirt.

20 below zero:
Runners in Wisconsin say that the air is refreshing.

30 below zero:
Wisconsinites wait until noon to get out for their run.

40 below zero:
Wisconsin runners have trouble seeing through the frost buildup around their eyes.

50 below zero:
Cross country races in Wisconsin may be delayed 2 hours.

Kayla Christ signs to be a Cougar

Kayla Christ, a senior from Elmwood High School, has signed a national letter of intent to run with the ICC Cougars this fall.

Kayla led her team to a second place finish in the Class A state meet at Detweiller Park last November by finishing in 16th place with a time of 18:40 for 3 miles. Her place earned her All-State honors.

Since cross country started at ICC 2002, the team has never failed to have at least one Elmwood alum on the roster. She joins former teammate Elizabeth Isbell on what should be an exceptionally strong team this fall.

Welcome Kayla!