California Indoor Meet A Game Changer?

[Joe Wiley]

I realize this is a distance-heavy message board, but would be interested to see how many coaches, parents, athletes are really wanting the CA Indoor Meet to grow.

Personally, I don't see how the CA Indoor Meet is going to be a game changer. Nothing has actually changed.

The Indoor State Meet is about 10 - 11 weeks after XC wraps up. To ask these kids to have a legitimate peak just 10 weeks later is not possible from a physiological, mental or emotional standpoint, which means the distance titles in the indoor meet are irrelevant and the times run prove that.

I'd rather see a 10 Mile or Half-Marathon Championship being held for the distance runners this time of season if anything, although certainly not indoors!

As for the fast-twitch events, how many of the best athletes are still competing in other sports like soccer, basketball, wrestling, etc. and weren't there?

Without the energy created by substantially more college scholarships, T&F at the high school level will never be able to have a legitimate Indoor State Meet. The fast-twitch events are largely dominated by kids who do not train and compete in the sport year round because they are chasing scholarships in other sports, meaning they can't be fit for top performances at this time of year, just like the slow-twitch dominant kids who ran XC.

Do we really want to encourage these kids to shoot for a peak in mid-February and then ask them to be ready to start the qualifying rounds for the State Outdoor Meet that begin again 10 - 11 weeks later in early May with league championships?

My opinion is the Indoor Meet erodes the overall level of competition.

[cush]

bah humbug joe!

while rich may be a little hyperbolic with his "game changer" claim (there are still a LOT of kinks to work out with this meet, such as maybe more diligent lap counting?), it is undoubtedly a fun meet, an increasingly competitive (and attended) meet, and a generally positive experience for california kids who do not have many opportunities to compete indoors.

i will also have to disagree with these kids being unable to have a "legitimate peak just 10 weeks later"--kids do this throughout the country, so why can't they do this in california? no one expects their lifetime prs to come indoors, but they can absolutely take indoors seriously (i think those boys at millrose were pretty focused and intent) AND use indoors as a springboard for outdoor track. you're a bit younger than me joe, but i remember the studs of yesteryear running indoors awfully fast at meets like the times indoors and fabled sunkist meet, yet somehow still have enough gas in the tank for arcadia and league and masters and state.

and, i can only assume you're joking about 10 mile/half-marathon races for these h.s. kids. talk about increasing chances to wreck kids physically for track (between the requisite training and the race itself)! besides, who wants to provide another opportunity for arcadia and great oak to crush everyone?

having been to this meet several times over the last 5 years, i have not seen it erode any competition--in fact, i've seen some of the indoor champs go on to phenomenal outdoor seasons. i'd even be willing to bet you good money that the kid who won the indoor state mile will have a successful outdoor season...

[Joe Wiley]

I had to take sides one way or the other, and apparently I took the other. Better than being wishy-washy, right?

The last I remember going to Fresno, it didn't feel like a very "positive experience" at all. I think I cried myself to sleep for the next...well, as of yesterday the streak is at 81 days straight. Maybe that would be different if the XC State Meet were indoors too?

The 3.5" of rain we got this past year makes Indoors for SoCal athletes seem strange, if nothing else.

Galen Rupp expects his liftime prs to come indoors, probably, or at least he should at this point.

Maybe indoors should be Time Trial season and outdoors can be where kids actually race each other for titles? Considering most of the events just had semi-finals and called the fastest time of the heats the winner, we ought to just save on gas and do time trials on treadmills at the local gym to see who the state champion is.

I'm actually 46, so really really old. I take my exfoliating very seriously, never go outside without my Dave Wottle Signature Cap on, and drink a liter of turtle blood every morning after my 20 mile shakeout.

I went to Sunkist several times, in 95, 96, 98, 99 if I remember correctly. Watching Lagat jog a 4:01 and Obea Moore run parallel to the horizon on the turns was a lot of fun, and much louder than expected. Me and the three other spectators that went in 96 were shocked they couldn't get the funding to hold the meet in 97.

I think a 10 mile champs would be excellent, honestly. That's roughly a 50 - 70 minute threshold effort. Perfect for this time of year and would gear their training towards more volume and tempo work before all the short and fast stuff coming up. It's not like I'm proposing we race from downtown Spokane to Mt. Spokane, although I hear that sort of effort leads to running some solid indoor 2 milers, so maybe 10 miles is a bit short eh?

GO would be a lot of trouble for the other girls' teams, yes, but I think Madera would give Arcadia a serious challenge.

If I took that bet I'd be no better than Pete Rose, but I agree, the kid who won the section 2 semi-final of the mile will probably have a decent season

[Doug Soles]

I love the indoor state meet. Here's why:

-It gives many of my younger developing athletes a chance to run in a big meet, that they earned, against great competition from around the state.

-The majority of my kids that run at the meet come back MORE motivated and MORE focused.

-Many of my kids use it to set GOALS that carry them into the spring season!

-I don't have to peak my kids for it, we just go run at the level our training leads us too. We do go a little lighter the week after to recover though.

-I polled my kids after the meet who actually had a good time at the meet. About 97% said they had fun and couldn't wait to go next year! 3% said they didn't like the track or that it hurt their legs.

-It is another opportunity for kids to show college coaches what they can do!

-Many athletes who feel like they don't get any recognition or opportunities for big meets can find a way to qualify to indoor state and feel that sense of accomplishment.

-The competition gets better each year. This year was very competitive!

-Many happy and excited parents in the stands (for all teams there was a lot of support there for the kids!).

-It is unique. Nowhere else can you run on a crazy track like that!

-It teaches the kids racing strategy, especially early position.

-Great announcers, timers (maybe not lap counters...), and people involved in making the meet happen for the kids!

-Rich Benoy cares about kids and shows this by making this happen each year!

I highly recommend the experience for any coach's kids. They will at the very least learn something.

Doug

[Joe Wiley]

Thanks for the input guys. Had I actually gone to the meet, maybe I would feel differently