Upcoming Practice Meet Friday October 2, 2009

On Monday and Tuesday we ran long on both days so if you feel a little sore today, that's ok because most of you are exercising muscles for a much longer time than you have ever done before. This is how you become stronger and fitter! If you want to run on your own Thursday, please go easy and not more than 15-20 minutes, tops. Be sure to have a friend or brother or sister go with you to be safe.

I would like everyone at Nashua North no later than 3:30 PM Friday so we can give you your numbers. We will meet at the same spot we met at the last meet, right near the bleachers near the finish line. Be sure to wear your new Ledge Street shirt!! Mrs. Duda has made the suggestion of wearing your shirt to school Friday which is a great idea! You will be receiving new #'s this week so you don't need to bring your number from the 9/18 race. Please be sure to bring a water bottle and a snack for after the race. I also suggest you try to avoid eating for 2-3 hours before the race if possible. I may be asking for 2-3 parent volunteers to serve as course observers.

Friday afternoon's weather is expected to be cooler than the last meet (high 50's low 60's) so be sure to bring a warm jacket for after the race. Some of you may want to put your shirt over a longer sleeved shirt during the race but I will leave that up to each family. You will warm up very quickly once the race starts so you do not want to overdress, but bring something warm just in case.

Last but not least, if you need a ride to Nashua North the PAL van will be leaving the school at 3:15 PM sharp. Please be at the front of the school to meet Mrs. Duda by 3:00 PM. Also, if you do not plan to go back on the PAL van YOU MUST CHECK IN WITH ME before you leave. Mrs. Duda has to leave right after the 3k race so I will be supervising runners going back to Ledge Street on the PAL van. Mrs. Duda's email is moniqueduda@msn.com

I will not have my camera with me Friday so any parent who takes pictures please feel free to email them to me after the race and I will try to get them up on our team blog. See you Friday!! Coach Mike

Upcoming Meet Friday October 2--Rides on the PAL Van

Can you believe we are ½ way through our season already? This is a reminder that we have another practice meet this Friday, October 2nd @ Nashua High School North. We are to arrive no later than 3:30pm for warm ups. The 2k race (2nd & 3rd graders) will begin at 4:00 P.M. and the 3k race (4th & 5th graders) at 4:45 P.M.

We will once again have the PAL van available for rides to and from Ledge Street School for those runners who do not have transportation. The van will depart promptly at 3:15pm and arrive by 6pm. I need to know by Tuesday who will be riding in the van.

There are over 500 runners plus onlookers at this event. It is imperative that you remind your child to check in and check out with Coach Mike before leaving the event. This is for the safety of our students.

As always we encourage you to join us to cheer on the team. We are so proud of our runners. They are all winners!

Reminder!
NO PRACTICE THIS THURSDAY BECAUSE OF MEET ON FRIDAY

Any questions please contact Monique Duda 557-7235 or moniqueduda@msn.com

Bake Sale to Support Ledge Street Cross Country Uniforms

Many thanks to our parents who contributed to and/or participated in the September 24, 2009 Bake Sale at the PTO Open House!! This event was organized by Monique Duda. The bake sale raised more than $100 to help defray the cost of our 2009 Nashua PAL cross country T-shirts. This will reduce the cost of each shirt for our runners by almost 40%:

Bake sale workers:
Dawn Santeufemio - Caleb's mom
Sugeiry Rohena-Juan's mom
Cathy Gilman- Connor's grandmother
Monique Duda - Madelaine and Owen's mom

XC parent bakers:
Michele Girouard - Alexis's mom
Tracy DeGenova - Jason's mom

Ledge Street parent bakers:
Theresa Sylvester
Robin Dupont
Sheila Sweeny
Jessica Cora
Sheri Siraco
Judi Taylor
Kaitlin Mathison

Ledge Street Cross Country Update

We had a great week of practice! On Monday we earned bonus points (cashed in today for candy treats) on the paved loop path around the baseball field. Every single runner on our team improved on their overall distance from the previous week with all of our runners going more than a mile and some more than two! More than half our runners more than doubled their long run distance! On Tuesday we headed over to Mine Falls and ran on the trail across the canal. Today we focused on speed work with a relay race and then candy sprints to end our week! I ended up miscalculating on our candy this week so each runner ended up with more than I planned, but it was all well deserved and I didn't have any complaints.

I am scheduled to pick up our T-shirts from the screen printer tomorrow which Mrs. Duda will hand out to the team Monday.

Next week we will practice Monday and Tuesday but will have no practice Thursday because we have another practice meet on Friday October 2 at Nashua North. The races will be at the same time as last week's meet. I will need everyone at Nashua North by 3:30 PM with the 2k race at 4:00 P.M. and the 3k race at 4:45 P.M.

Please try to run at least once over the weekend approximately 30 minutes at an easy comfortable pace. You should always have a parent, friend or brother or sister with you, perhaps on a bike when you run. By training a little extra you build leg strength that I guarantee will improve your performance at the City Championship Meet on October 17, 2009 All top 25 finishers in the 3k race at the City's race win a special award shirt.

Last but not least THANK YOU to the many parents who have come out and helped at practice. I could not successfully run our program without your help. If you have not yet been able to help but want to, please come to practice as I always need help.

Coach Mike

P.S. I've posted a few more pictures from last weeks meet above. Click onto the picture to get a better view!

More Pictures

A Few More Pictures From Friday's Race

Hi Team, Here are some more pictures from Friday's race. Click on the picture for the close up. I'll try to post a few more later today.

First Practice Race of the Season

Great job today Ledge Street!! This was our first practice race of the year and I am so proud of our entire Ledge Street team!! Every runner finished the entire race (2 k = 1.2 miles for the 2nd & 3rd graders and 3k = 1.8 miles for the 4th and 5th graders) despite only two weeks of practice.

Here is a link to the results: http://www.coolrunning.com/results/09/nh/Sep18_Nashua_set2.shtml

Here are our top three boy and girl finishers today:

Girls 2k

Haleigh Ashwell 13:14
Julianna Benoit 13:41
Megan Lamprey 13:41

Boys 2k

Cesar Mendoza 10:21
Owen Duda 11:07
Connor Woodward 13:36

Girls 3k

Rebecca Skahan 15:44
Alexis Desfosses 19:34
Lizemonica Mendoza 19:43

Boys 3k

Shane Puleo 14:41
Michael Hagen 14:47
Joshua Schelmetty 16:03

We’ll see everyone on Monday. If possible please try to run over the weekend at least once approximately 30 minutes, very easy. You should always have a parent, friend or brother or sister with you, perhaps on a bike when you run. Last but not least, thank you to all our parent volunteers especially Mrs. Duda who coordinated the transportation of many of our runners on the PAL team van.

Yesterday's Practice and No Practice Next Thursday 9/17/09

We had a great practice Thursday. Our goal was to run three times around the outside of the playing field. This is a distance of more than one mile. Almost half the team completed all three laps with the rest of the team running two laps. We then did candy sprints to finish out our first week.

A few notes. Over the weekend I will be emailing the shirt order forms along with the details (sizes etc.) The Ledge Street PTA has graciously donated money so that the per runner cost of the shirts will be only $5. I plan to submit the order on Wednesday 9/16/09 so all orders must be in to me by Tuesday’s practice. For those runners without emails I will be handing out forms Monday, to be returned by Tuesday’s practice.

Please note---because we have a practice meet at Nashua North next Friday 9/18/09—we will not have practice next Thursday 9/17/09. This week we will practice Monday and Tuesday only. I will be sending out details re: Friday’s meet before the end of the weekend as well as handing out information to families without e-mail next Monday.

Parents—please be sure your child brings a water bottle…many runners had nothing to drink on Thursday. Thank you Monique Duda for providing some extra water for our runners.
Thank you to all of our parent volunteers—your presence is important to our team safety. Please note on Monday we will be running a measured course in Mine Falls----I will really need your help! Remember…you do not need to be a runner…..I mostly need your eyes and ears standing at various points on the course. Have a great weekend and I’ll have the shirt order form emailed out by Saturday once I firm up all the details today with Phoenix Screen Printing.

Last but not least thank you to Dee for the pictures posted above!

First "Official" Ledge Street Practice

We had our first "official" Nashua PAL practice today at Ledge Street and I hope everyone enjoyed finally getting outside to begin our season! We started by learning gentle stretching drills and then we worked on running at a conversational pace for 10 minutes....meaning running at a steady but easy pace. If you couldn't talk to your friend while running, then you probably were going too fast! We then had a fun relay with cool down drills to finish. Our next practice is Thursday from 2:45 P.M.-4:00 P.M.

Thank you to the many parents who came to practice to help. I can't tell you how important it is to have as many parents at practice as possible primarily for safety reasons. We have a large team with many children in 2nd and 3rd grade and it is important for you to be my extra set of eyes and ears during practice. Even if you can only come once or twice each week, that is a big help. All volunteers must check in with Monique Duda who will provide you the necessary forms to allow you to serve as regular volunteers.

Last but not least, I expect to have information out regarding our official Ledge Street running shirts and other important info. before the end of the week after I meet with the screen printing company in Hudson.

Some Information on Running Shoes

Here are some recommendations of where you can buy running shoes in the Nashua area (please ask for “cross country trainers”…please do not buy racing shoes or spikes)

Alec Shoes (882-6811)
211 Main Street
Nashua, New Hampshire 03060

Sportshoe Center (882-6525)
Rt. 101A Pennichuck Square
Merrimack, NH 03054

Sports Authority (891-1174)

Royal Ridge Mall
213 Daniel Webster Highway
Nashua , NH 03062

Here are brands I like: Brooks (what I wear) Asics (pictured above), Saucony, Adidas, & Nike

Types of running shoes: Here are the three shoe types, each designed exclusively to support a specific arch type:

1. Stability: Designed to provide rear foot and forefoot stability for normal/neutral arches

2. Motion control: For those with flat feet

3. Cushioned: Highly flexible and are specifically made for those with high arches.

One of the most important considerations is your child's arch. There are three types:
1. Neutral: On landing, the foot rolls naturally and with ease.
2. Low: On landing, the foot rolls inward.
3. High: On landing, the foot rolls only slightly

Shoe Shopping tips
1) Get some expert advice. Take advantage of the knowledge that salespeople can offer. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Those working the shoe department (especially at Alecs and Sportshoe)are usually trained to help you choose the right type and size for your child's foot. Tell them you are looking for cross country training shoes.

2) Time it right. Shop at the end of the day, when your child’s feet have swollen slightly. Have him/her wear a pair of sports socks to the fitting.

3) Try them out. Ensure the laces are not tied too tightly, because this will cause discomfort. Ask your child to stand up and walk about the store. Look for enough space at the heel, toe and sides for ease of movement. See if your child is able to squeeze his/her finger down the back of the heel, which will help him/her get the shoes on and off easily.

4) Don’t expect your child to "break in" her new shoes. A decent design should be wearable right off the bat and cause no pain. Don't buy shoes that hurt him/her in the store.

Answers to a Few Early Season Questions

Here are a few questions I have been asked, so I thought I would share the question and answer with everyone.

How long is the season and what days will the team practice?

The season lasts for 6 weeks up to the Nashua City meet which will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009. We will be providing information about the City championships at a later date. Our normal practice schedule will be Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45 - 4:00 p.m. We also have practice meets on Friday, September 18, 2009 at 3:15 p.m. and October 2, 2009 at 3:15 p.m. so please mark your calendars. I will be emailing and posting a scheule for the season in the next day or two.

Our first official practice will be next Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at 2:45 - 4:00 p.m. (Monday is a holiday). If possible please try to run 2 or 3 times before that date, approximately 30 minutes, very easy. You should always have a parent, friend or brother or sister with you, perhaps on a bike when you run. This cross country program is open to everyone and there are no cuts.

What will a typical practice be like?

At 2:45 P.M. your school day will end and you will get changed and I will expect everyone in the gymnasium by 3:00 p.m. I will then have several announcements and then from about 3:05 - 3:15 P.M, we will work on stretching and warming up. Our actual "running" will go from 3:15 - 4:00 p.m. The first several practices will be held at Ledge Street and we will not go over to the Mines Falls cross country trails until I feel you are ready and I have enough volunteers. My biggest concern is safety and that all our team remains together at all times.

Do you need volunteers?

Absolutely yes! I would like at least 4 to 5 parents helping me this season at every practice. Please send me an e-mail if you are willing to volunteer. You do not need to be a runner. The most important jobs will be non-running jobs like taking attendance and being with us at practice as a second, third, fourth, and fifth set of eyes for me.

What kind of running shoes do you recommend?

This is a complicated question and I am going to send out a separate e-mail as well as post information online on what running shoes I recommend. The short answer to this question is that you should buy cross country trainers. I like Brooks, Adidas, Saucony and Asics. I will have shoe information circulated by Thursday.

Will there be a cost to the program this year?

Probably yes. I am still awaiting the details from Nashua PAL but I believe there will be a $10.00 fee for each runner. If anyone has a problem paying this fee, please let me know and I will be sure to work it out with you. We also will be ordering Ledge Street t-shirts. Details and costs to be provided.

How will you communicate with us and what if I don't have e-mail?

I will primarily communicate with everyone via e-mail. However, if you do not have an e-mail address, please call my office phone number at 603-886-5055, ext. 2 and leave me your name and number. I will call you and we will figure a way to make sure you get all of the teams communications but I need to know ASAP that you do not have access to e-mail. On this running blog, I will have much of the same information that I send out in e-mails but I will also include photographs of our practices, running tips, healthy eating ideas, etc.

Welcome to the Ledge Street Cross Country Program and I look forward to a great year!!

Sign Up Day!

Welcome to the Ledge Street Cross Country Program! My name is Mike Merra and I will be the coach for the 2009 season. We had a great sign up day today with 36 children registering for the program. Tonight we are assembling all of the email addresses and once we have all the forms from the front office we will be sending out an email to everyone and posting our season schedule as well as other important information. I will be at the school Thursday September 3, 2009 from 6:00 P.M.-6:30 P.M. for any parents who have questions and to discuss the upcoming season.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at m.merra@gmail.com or you may call my office at 886-5055.