This fall semester I am coaching Bethany Christian High School's cross country teams. Today starts our fourth week of the season. We're a small team which has its advantages and disadvantages. The guys team has just enough runners (5 full-time) for a team score at meets but our ladies are one shy. We have participated in 2 non-traditional meets thus far. Thursday's scrimmage, hosted by Goshen HS at Shanklin Park, provided a chance to see where we are to start the season. Many of the athletes who ran weren't sure how to feel about their times, but I've encouraged them to see it as a starting point on a slow course. Times should only get faster (if not, I'm doing something wrong!) and the races should start feeling easier. Saturday was a Kokum Karem at Elkhart Christian Academy's course. A Hokum Karem is a partner mile-relay. Partners rotate running a mile until each runner has run 3 miles. I was impressed with the mile times that were run as well as the hard work put in by the runners to run each mile close to the same time. That is something that we will be working on all season- pacing ourselves through each mile of the 3.1 mile race.

Of our nine athletes, I have 1 senior, 2 juniors, 3 sophomores, and 3 freshmen. I also have sophomore team manager.

At Friday's practice I challenged the athletes to think about people who have influenced them so far in their lives. Today at practice I will be asking each of them to share with the team to whom he/she will be dedicating the season. Our season motto will be to "Run Inspired" based on Hebrews 12:1.

NEXT: Tuesday, August 23 5:30pm at Bonneyville Mill Park in Bristol against Northridge, Lakeland, Westview

Feel free to follow the Bruins season and come out to cheer for us if/when possible.

Blessings,
~K-Love