All the race pictures to date to date have been updated to our Picasa Web Albums. A slideshow is also available on this blog (to the left of this post.) Be sure to download those you would like to keep as we may need to edit out some as the season continues. All photos are open to the public so feel free to email the link too relatives and friends.

Thanks so much for everyone who has signed up for snacks and brought them to the weekly meets. If you haven't signed up yet, there are still a few slots available. Visit volunteerspot.com to check openings. When I set up the system, I originally stated that snacks were needed for 35 runners. As it turns out, this number is low. We need a bit more water, probably enough for 50. The snacks seem to be fine as there is a selection of fruits and bars. When in doubt, more is better! Also, please be reminded that each family is responsible for bringing a snack item to Saturday events like invitationals, Regionals and State meets.

Lastly, several parents (and runners) have suggested the idea of a shoe bank. Since many runners wear their spikes or other running shoes only a few times before they are out-grown, I am willing to keep a list of shoes available for a swap. (Any helpful suggestions will be welcome.) This will be particularly helpful for those runners interested in Track in the Spring or for Cross Country next season.

Remember if you are in need of shoes that the Grady coaches recommend Phidipiddes at Ansley Mall, or WestStride at West Paces Ferry/I-75. They will give you a 15% discount if you tell them you are running for Grady High School. Several team members have mentioned that they have had good luck finding shoes at Eastbay.com.

Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement of the Grady Cross Country team!

Results of the Gunderson Invitational

Thanks to the 25 team members who competed this morning.  It was another early morning with the threat of music festival in the air. The course at the Olympic Horse Park was beautiful and the weather was very nearly perfect in every way.  Everyone ran well.  You can find your times and places at    http://ga.milesplit.com/meets/92891.

Notice that we ran the varsity team in the championship (white) race.  The teams did not crack the top three in either race, but if we had run in the A, AA, AAA (blue) race we would have finished second in both.  Good work all around.  We keep getting faster.  October 12th is our first real test -- can we repeat as APS City Champions?  If the girls continue to run as a pack and the boys begin to bunch even closer to the front we will win handily.  Wednesday's races at Grant Park were very encouraging.

Region will be October 29th at Mercer.  Keep that date open on your calendar.  The girls beat Druid Hills by over 30 points today. Neither of the schools were at full strength, but it bodes well for our Carrollton quest.  State is November 5th in Carrollton.  The top 4 teams from region will advance to the state meet.  Barring a major surprise, the teams to watch in our region are, St. Pius X, Riverwood, Woodward, Druid Hills, Grady.

How do we get to Carrollton?  Practice, Practice, Practice.  This month is the most important of the season.  We begin to fine tune and work on speed.  Every workout matters.  PLEASE arrange you schedule and state of mind so that you can be in the park daily to contribute to the team effort.  We are depending on each of you.

We will have the park back to ourselves on Monday.  See you there!

2011 Aubrae Gunderson Invitational Information

Read Aubrae's Story

This Saturday, September 24th, we will be running in the Aubrae Gunderson Invitational. We will meet on the 8th street side of the school, in front of the Grady cafeteria at 6:45am. (Tenth street will closed for the Midtown Music festival.) We must leave on time in order to make the girls' race start at 8:20am. We will return to Grady after the boys' JV race, probably around noon.

We have spots for 38 runners. We will assign varsity and JV runners as appropriate. Please remember to bring your  uniform, shoes, socks, team T-shirt, water bottle, towel, and a light snack.  Don’t eat a big breakfast, just enough to take the edge off  your appetite.

You will enjoy this course and the competition.  We have run good times here in the past. The course is a 5K on all-natural terrain, grass, dirt, and trails with rolling hills. We will use the “E” course. This is the same course we used in 2009 following the heavy rains and flooding. We are making this change in order complete all races before the temperatures start to rise.

Schedule:
8:00 AM Red Girls Varsity (10 runners) - AAAA/AAAAA
8:20 AM White Girls Varsity (10 runners) the most competitive races
8:40 AM Red Boys Varsity (10 runners) - AAAA/AAAA
9:00 AM White Boys Varsity (10 runners) the most competitive races
9:20 AM Blue Girls Varsity (10 runners) - A/AA/AAA
9:40 PM Girls JV (Unlimited)
10:00 AM Blue Boys Varsity (10 runners) - A/AA/AAA
10:20 AM Boys JV (Unlimited)

For family and friends wishing to watch the race, take I-20 to Exit 82 (Highway 138), go North 4 miles, right onto Centennial Olympic Parkway, then go 2 miles, and the course will be on the right hand side. (Click here for map). There will be a $5.00 parking fee for spectators. Please remember to bring a snack to share with the team.

Mr. Cramer will be at Piedmont Park at 8:00am tomorrow morning and will do a bike assisted run of about 5 miles in Ansley.  Hope to be finished by 9:15am.

Next week we will have the Midtown Music Festival to contend with.  My guess is that we will have access to some portion of the park every day, so practice will go on as normal.  Meet in the gym at 4:00pm, then move out doors.  If necessary we will designate routes in the  neighborhoods for training.  Parking at school will be open, but you will need a permit to get onto 10th street. Get to school early if you drive.  Bus transportation should not be a problem.

Next Saturday is the Aubrae Gunderson Invitational in Conyers.  We will leave the Grady 8th Street parking lot at 7:00am.  The music festival will be in full swing, so car pool or get a ride.  I will take anyone home after the meet who needs a ride.  ALL team members are invited to run in the meet.  We will have Varsity (10 runners) and JV (10 runners) races for both boy's and girl's races.  The course has given us fairly fast times in the past.  The weather is looking better.

Invitational Results and Looking Ahead

Thanks to the 17 runners who raced this morning.  It was a lovely day and you all ran well.  Zane won the championship division boys race with the best time of the day.  The other boys ran well also.  In the girls race, we ran without several of our key team mates, but everyone improved on their Grant Park times.  It is early in the season and it is looking as if we will be competitive in our region and a strong threat to qualify both teams for state again.

Click here for results of the Boy's Championship Race
Click here for results of the Girl's Championship Race

Remember.... We practice every day!!!  Each day has a purpose.  If you miss one element of the plan, then we are not going to be where we want to be for Regionals on October 29th.  If you MUST miss a practice let us know by speaking directly on one of the coaches.  No messages via friends or expecting to tell us the next day where you were.  Each person on the team has a role to play.  If you play your role well, everyone else will become better.

Mercer (Sept 17th) has been cancelled.  We are looking at the Aubrae Gunderson Invitational in Conyers on September 24th as a substitute.  We will discuss this on Monday at practice. Look at your calendars and plan ahead.

A light run Sunday would be good to stay loose over the weekend.  Good luck to Mr. Darden in his race this weekend!

Carrollton Orthopaedic Clinic Invitational

We will leave Grady on Saturday, September 10th at 6:15 am, stadium parking lot. Please be on time!! (as you always are.)

Boy's Championship race - 9:00 am 
Girl's Championship race - 9:30 am

Location: Carrollton Elementary School, 401 Ben Scott Blvd., Carrollton 
Directions: Take I-20 West (toward Alabama), Exit 24 (state rte 61, Carrollton/Villa Rica). Turn left (South) on Rte 61, travel about 10 miles. Left at 166 BYPASS (just past Ryan's. Do not take the first 166 left, it goes back to Atlanta). Travel about 4 miles, you will pass under US 27. The first right after the underpass is Ben Scott Blvd. Follow signs and the directions of volunteers.

There is a $3.00 parking fee.

Who: We will run 10 boys and 10 girls, and would like any others on the team to make the trip as alternates and cheerers. We have some conflicts with ACT and debate, so we will be creative about the team composition, putting the best group available on the field.

Expect about 15-20 schools in the race.

Bring: Uniform, Team t-shirt, shoes (spikes and training shoes), socks, long sleeved pull over or wind breaker (it may be chilly early), water bottle, snack.

Runners (or families) should bring a snack of their choosing (enough for the team) to the meets. After competition, the runners enjoy treats like bagels, muffins, cookies, fruit, etc.

The team will return to Atlanta after results have been announced, arriving at Grady at around 12:00pm. Parents may take athletes early if they have another activity to attend.


See you dark and early Saturday morning. Set your alarms!!!

KP Corporate Challenge Thanks

A HUGE thank you to our 25 stalwart runners who went to set up, serve and clean up at the KP Corporate Challenge tonight.  Once again Grady students have proven to be the hardest working, nicest, most dedicated kids in Atlanta, if not the world.  You were magnificent and I was very proud to be associated with your school.

Saturday we go to Carrollton Orthopaedic Clinic Invitational.  We will meet at the school at 6:15am.  I will have complete information sheets and list of starters tomorrow at practice.  Any one on the roster is welcome to join us for the trip. Only 10 will run, and we can use a couple of alternates, as well as managers and crowd support.

I just received news that the Altitude Invitational has been cancelled.  The plan is to enter the team in the Aubrae Gunderson Invitational at the Conyers horse park race on Saturday, September 24th.  If this is a conflict for anyone, please let me know by Saturday so we can evaluate the plan.  Races would be around 9:00am, with JV sessions at 10:00am.

Yesterday's times at Grant Park were very encouraging.  We are all getting faster.  Please keep coming to practice every day.  Friday workout will be light since we run on Saturday.

Recommended Reading

Mr. Darden recommends the following two articles for Cross Country Runners:

1. Sipping Points: The Latest Research On How To Prevent Dehydration - And Boost Your Running Performance
July 2010 issue of Runner's World
By Karen Asp

Runners know it's important to stay hydrated to run their best, especially in the summer. To really improve performance, you need to be more than a casual sipper. A number of recent studies offer runners smarter ways to stay hydrated while also giving their running a boost. Here's how you can apply some of these strategies to your own hydration plan and run your best all summer long:

• Pre-Hydrate To Run Fast
• Go Cold For Longer Runs
• Stay On Schedule
• Just Have A Sip

Read Full Article
________________________________________________________

2. Eat Your Water: Hydrating Foods Provide Plenty Of Fluid And Healthy Nutrients To Fuel Hot Summer Runs 
July 2011 issue of Runner's World
By Leslie Goldman

Here's some juicy news: Drinking water isn't the only way to stay hydrated. According to the Institute of Medicine, 20 percent of your water intake comes from food. Besides being water-rich, vegetables, fruits, and a few other key foods contain nutrients that can boost a runner's performance and health. In addition to filling your water bottle, add these foods to your diet for hydration, nutrients, and a tasty change of pace:

• H2O+ Electrolytes - Cantaloupe, Peaches, Strawberries
• H2O + Vitamin C - Watermelon, Kiwi, Citrus
• H2O + Cancer Defense - Tomatoes, Broccoli
• H2O + Recovery - Pineapple, Cherries
• H2O + Immunity - Yogurt, Kefir
• H2O + Digestion – Beans

Read Full Article

We ran Saturday and Monday mornings.  The weather was cool and we got in good workouts.  Wish everyone had been there.  More to come.

Tomorrow will be damp, but we WILL practice.  If it is raining we will leave bookbags in the gym (locked in the office, or under the watch of managers).  Running in the rain is as much preparation as a long run or a hard speed workout.  Everyone should be there.

Wednesday will be a regular meet at Grant Park.  Temperatures are predicted to be in the low 70's.  That means we can crank it up a notch and lower some times.

Thursday is the Corporate Challenge.  Meet for practice as usual.  We will run to the water stop.  Bookbags will go in my van.  Finished by 8:00pm.  If you are not able to go to GSU, come to practice anyway, you will have a workout in the park at 4:00.  Everyone who goes to Corporate Challenge will need to have a waiver signed by parents.

Saturday is the Carrollton Orthopaedic Clinic Invitational.  We will have the list of 10 plus alternates who will run in Carrollton by Wednesday.  Others may make the trip to cheer.  The bus will leave Grady at 6:15am.  We race is at 9:00am.  Weather should be GREAT!

Wednesday, September 14, 3rd regular season meet at Grant Park.

Saturday, September 17th is the Mercer Altitude Invitational.  Everyone is invited! Only 10 will run varsity, all others will run in the JV race.  The bus will leave Grady at 6:15 am.

Next Thursday, September 8th, is our traditional team service project at the water station for the KP Corporate Challenge road race in down town Atlanta.  We need 25-30 helpers to fill cups, pass out water to the runners, then clean up the street.  We finish by 7:45, and parents can pick you up at the GSU student center, Piedmont at Gilmer. You may want to remind them to bring a few towels!

We will run as a group from Grady to GSU, leaving after the team warm up and stretching.  I will have my van to take all book bags.  Bring a snack to tide you over until 8:00pm.  The clean up is the most fun part of the evening and the most appreciated by the race organizers.  Our goal is always to have the street clean and open for traffic in less than 15 minutes after the last runner/walker passes.  We always manage to do it.

You will need to have a signed waiver.  I'll have copies at practice Tuesday and Wednesday.  The race promotion group, Galloway Productions will donate $10 for each volunteer to our team.