What a weekend!

Well last weekend had to be the busiest one I have had in a while. I got to do a little recruiting at the Tennessee state XC meet in Nashville which was fun. I meet a great guy, Dave Milner, who coaches a high school team and also publishes a fantastic running mag, Tennessee Running. After the 3 hour drive from Memphis and the Saturday race day activities, I struggled home to Memphis. Then the next day we had some recruits in for official visits and show them around the campus/facilities. Long weekend!
This week is official the 'Early Signing Period' where athletes can sign the Letter of Intent to attend a certain institution on scholarship. The University of Memphis should get a few this week and I will post them on here once they come through. I think this is a first for our Uni, so that is exciting to see something positive starting to happen so early into the season and changes here.
I am running again about 3 times per week. I run with the girls at the moment, but that should change soon once I get my legs under me.

A little disappointing

Well the C-USA champs came and went. It was a draining weekend which ended the cross country season and a few of the athletes careers. I would have liked them to compete a little more, but I think a few factors contributed to their under-par performance. We now have an easy week before we get into a solid 2 months of training which prepare for the indoor track season. I am looking forward to getting the athletes on the track and giving them some good hearty workouts....they need it.
I am pretty tired after the meet and deserve an easy week myself but I will start a few days of training myself & hopefully get back into 3-4 days/week of running. As long as my heel doesn't play up it should be fun to get back into it a little more regularly.

Conference Champs

We leave for C-USA champs tomorrow. The team did their final workout today before flying out tomorrow morning. They are all looking alot better than the start of the season., but then again, I'd hope so. I have put alot of time into them to think like 'real' athletes and get their heads wrapped around competing when it was on the line. Lets see if they perform Saturday morning. I am quietly confident that I can have 1 girl in the Top 10 and another girl in Top 25, with our number 3 around 30th. So the team should come out with 6th or 7th. With the Men's Team it is a little different. We are looking to beat just one team....and they are hosting the event on their own turf. So a tough ask for the blokes, but see how they react.

Finally getting back to it

Ok, sorry to everyone for not keeping up on the blog. I have been very overwhelmed with moving, visas & work these past few months and it is time to catch everyone up on what has been happening.
As some people know I am now the Head cross country coach for men & women and the assistant track coach for indoor and outdoor at the University of Memphis.
Jen and I moved here in late July and we had to get a place quick. Somehow we were lucky enough to move into a nice little single storey unit & settled pretty quickly.
After I finally secured the coaching position, something I have been after for 2 years, I started to learn everyday how coaching at the Division 1 level is so different than racing at it. I love the learning process and having the chance to develop up-and-coming talent.
As my appointment to the coaching staff was so late in the year I had little time to get things going with the few runners that I was to look after. They didnt have a chance to work on their strength base and really had to go with what they had built up through the summer months of running. We have now run 4 races and the runners have improved through each week. The mens side range from 27 minutes to 30 minutes for the 8km distance and the womens range from 19-22mins for the 5km.
The thing that I do 90% of the day is recruiting. I am trying to develop this program into a strong distance program, something it was back in the late 70's.....and I will do it. I have no doubt about that and I am confident that all the work will pay off when our team starts winning cross country races even as early as next year. The building process can take 4-5 years, but I think that we should see a whole new Memphis Cross team next year.

We are now just about settled here in Memphis and learning our way around the streets near we live. Jen is just about finished with volleyball coaching and I know that will be a weight off her shoulders.
I will keep more up to date on this blog now. Hope everyone is well.

sorry for not updating

I have been very busy with everything these days after moving to Memphis. I have met many people and I am trying to remember all their names. Most people are not good with names and I am definately one of them. Anyway, sorry that I have not been updating this blog. I know some people read it....

Back In The USA

So now I am back in the USA I am finding it alot different than Spain and Australia. The culture seems very repetitive and busy in US. Everything runs very fast here in US from services to people. I like it, dont get me wrong, but I did like the slow pace of Spain, and even Australia to some extent.
My running is pretty much non-exsistant here in the US. I did run a few times in the weeks that I have been here, but with my left ankle still bothering me it leaves me without motivation and drive for some consistant work. I dont see myself getting back to the same level that I once was. I have been thinking about coaching and putting my knowledge into bringing others to achieve their own goals in athletics. With my Barcelona experience and some athletes here and there I think that my philosophy and style of coaching can be a benefit to alot of people. Well thats the idea anyway! email if interested.

Our Final Day in Barcelona

Hello All. Well this is our final day in Barcelona. We are all aboard a plane tomorrow morning to the US. It was a great time here in BCN that I will never forget. This is one of the best things that I have ever done and I will look at it as the time that my love for Jennifer grew more and more each day and also where we both became better people because of our stay. The running program was great and the people and places were even better. So much pluses and short on negatives. Adios a Barcelona. Tu eras gran! 

Back in Barcelona

After a great 3 months in Australia, Jen and I are finally back in Barcelona. We have enjoyed a good, but tiring, day at the beach today and look forward to relax in front of the TV for some World Cup football tonight. It is great to be back here for a few days before heading back to the US next week.

deciding on jobs.

Jen & I are still deciding on jobs. we are getting nervous about where we are going next and I think that a choice about where we go should eventuate this week. My heel is getting alot better to the point where I can hardly feel it in the morning....something I have felt for more than 2 years. I am really, really looking forward to getting back into the running....I have something to prove myself.

Nervous about the Jobs

Jen and I are getting nervous about landing our jobs in the US. Things are all hinging on a position that might come my way, but with the collegiate track season still going strong the coaching decisions are still in the back of the minds of the playmakers. So fingers crossed Jen & I get that email/call that we are hired and can head to the US with something to look forward to. Due to all this waiting and filing out of applications we have had to delay our Canberra-Sydney Touring trip. We are now looking at starting that on the 1st of June.  This could all change though.....

Great Ocean Road

The 12 Apostles
Jennifer and I went on a road trip down to Geelong which is on the other side of the Bay from where we stay at Frankston. These giant rock stacks soar from the swirling waters of the Southern Ocean. We had a nice drive down there after I had seen a soft tissue therepist, who was very good BTW. Yes we happened to get lost along the way, but the trip as fun and we got some nice photos and video (all of which I plan to get on a DVD sometime in 2006).
More trips are happening next week with another road trip to Sydney and Canberra. 

Chilling in Australia

AS 'up-to-date' people would know, I am back in Melbourne to see the family and have a good travel around to certain parts of Victoria and NSW. I have not been running too much due to my heel problem, but I have seen a few people and I am more optomistic than other times about getting rid of it by the end of July. I cant believe that I have been here for nearly 5 weeks. It seems like i have done nothing with my time...alot of lazing around and wasting time. A day goes so quickly! Jen and I are planning a road trip up the coast of Victoria and N.S.W hitting up such areas as Eden, Kangaroon Valley, Canberra, and Sydney before we head inland and back to Frankston via a route that will include many small Victorian towns. There is something about a small town that I like. I plan on getting some photos for the blog. I hope everyone who is reading this is going well and ready for what seems to be wet and cold winter (in Melbourne anyway!).

Not running at the moment

After some easy runs and alot of stopping due to my lower leg pain, I have decided not to push the body too hard and not compete for the Hunters this weekend. I wouldn't have done any justice to the team as I am simply not in shape to run 6km hard on the cross country. We'll see how they preform this weekend.
The family is going...well, you know...every family has their problems. But all in all, everyone is finding their own style of living.

Cruising at home in Frankston

OK, I have been home for a week now and it has been great to see everyone and all the little things that have changed over the past 2 years that I have been away. Jen and I are finally over out jetlag and are off to a day in Melbourne tomorrow. We are meeting up with some friends for a bite of Chinese and then some good laughs at the Comedy Festival watching 'Danny Bhoy'. Should be a fun night. Running is on hold as I have still taht bloody sore leg! :-(

Back on Spanish Territory

In Spain!
This is us on the border of Spain & France (Port Nou). We had a stop of 2hours and so had a walk along the beach to enjoy the view and a few Estrella Damms. Good to be back with the spanish language in the air!