September 24th, 2018 This weekend, as some of you may know, a runner passed away at McAlpine during the girls varsity race. It has impacted each one of us differently, some more than others. For me, it has changed my point of view and helped me to realize how good I have it, how good we have it as a team. More than anything, it has made me even more grateful for this sport and this team. We are so very lucky to have each other and be able to wake up everyday knowing that. We are so fortunate to be able to run, and walk and get to go to practice every day. We are blessed to have an amazing coach and amazing teammates. Remember those things the next time you want to stop, to quit or to give up; whether it be during a race or something else in your life. I try to always remind myself of these things, and I use it as motivation. I remember how badly I want to do well, for those people around me that mean so much. I remember how thankful I am to have this opportunity and how I want to make the most of it. These next few weeks are when all the pieces come together, and we have to make the most of it. Every practice, every race up until this point has been a piece. A piece to the puzzle of hopefully winning the county title. To make this a reality, there are two more pieces left. Hard work in the next 10 days is crucial, it is time to get serious if we want to win the county meet. Second, motivation and confidence are everything. It is what sets two talented teams apart. For me, I use one phrase to remind myself of all these things from this blog. "You want this more than they do." This phrase helps to remind me of everything I have talked about today in this blog, and motivates me to push a little harder, to run a little faster. So next Tuesday at the county meet, remember how badly you want to succeed and make it happen! -John Sokolowski
September 9th, 2018 “A Season Like No Other” Hey guys & gals its taycon coming at you for this weeks blog!! I wanted to get in to a little bit about how the season of cross country is like no other. A little backstory for ya… to start my journey as one of Ihme’s runners I was in 8th grade at Southeast and I just wanted to do cross country to quote “stay in shape for basketball and soccer”. That changed from the moment I got the workout sheet and began training. Running gives me an escape from all the stress and pressure that is placed upon me. Running makes me feel the best version of myself. This is why I LOVE TO RUN. I love being the best version of myself to everyone. Cross country really is the best sport that was ever created. Like, no, it seriously is… and yeah I might be a little biased, but it really is. What’s not to love about getting in shape, pushing yourself, setting goals, accomplishing goals, and getting to spend time with teammates that become family? There is no pressure of swishing a shot, kicking a field goal, hitting a home run, scoring a PK, etc. All you gotta do is try your hardest and put one foot in front of the other. Basically what I am saying to all of you is to cherish these moments. This is because cross country season is not very long and before you know it it will be over. You want to look back at your 2018 cross country season and smile… right? To do this you need to be putting your all into every warmup, every workout, every cool down, every time we stretch, and every meet. If you don’t give it your all you’re defeating the purpose of why we run cross country. (We run cross country because we want to be the best versions of ourselves.) Coach Ihme teaches us to do this when she tells us that all she can ask of us is to give our best. You’re not only cheating yourself when you don’t give 100%, but you’re cheating every one of us… your teammates. Who LOVE you and want to encourage you and push you to do your best. Because…. That is what FAMILY does. Cross country season is like no other season because I get to be with my family. Family sticks up for each other, which means we have to make our mark and show everyone how we can be the best versions of ourselves. The season has only just began, so lets push ourselves, push each other and give our all in every second, from the moment we put on our running shoes, because before you know it we won’t be putting them on every day. FAM(ILY) !!! <3
Taylor Conrad-Captain
Also known as Tay Con or the Bumblebee, Tay has ran for three years at Carson. Being named All County, All Conference, Scholar Athlete, and County/Conference Runner of the Year "Runner Up," and 2018 MVP, she is a pretty big deal!
John Sokolowski-Captain
John, also known as the Cockatoo, has been running pretty much his entire life. He loves all things that consist of putting one foot in front of the other, even running circles on a track!
Big Cats: TJ Jones-The goldfish or just puppy Tori LeMasters-AppleJack (My little pony) Lani Isley-The corgi Zac Barbee-The Poison Arrow Frog Jackson Price-The Tiger Beetle Megan Deal-The Emperor Penguin Kimberly Barrera-The Jaguarundi Carly Green-The Stilt Jaxon Evans-The Seal