Gladly Trading Training for Competition
Rams carry high expectations in shortened cross country season
Mike Brohard
Runners like to run. It is what they do. All year, no matter the weather.
And they don’t mind, really. There’s a serenity to the activity, but for the really competitive set, at some point, there needs to be a test. Colorado State’s cross country programs are really in need to push themselves to see where they stand.
“Getting out and running fast, see what your legs can do and trust your training,” Lauren Offerman said. “It will be a lot of fun to see what we can do.”
While some in the country went ahead and competed during the normal fall season, the Mountain West pushed the season into the spring semester, and it is shortened. The Rams will open with a dual meet against Wyoming on the road, then have one other invitational scheduled in Las Vegas before the Mountain West Championships (March 5) and NCAA National Championships (March 15) close the season – basically six weeks.
Which required long-term thinking and a rather specific plan for coach Art Siemers. He had to space out training and reconfigure timelines with the outdoor season factored in to have two teams he believes have plenty of reason for promise to be at peak performance when it counts.
Which is, honestly, immediately.
“What we did different was we started our break in the fall, and we did a time trial the second week of October, and we were really excited about what the team had done in that little bit of time we were together,” Siemers said. “We condensed what we would do in three and a half months to two and half months to get them an earlier break, because we knew we’d have to be on our game a little bit earlier than in the past.
“January to June, that’s a long stretch to be in a competitive training cycle. We take a mini break between indoor and outdoor season. This gave us an opportunity to have an earlier break and get a better, stronger base in the winter.”
The reason for promise differs on which gender Siemers is training. Both of them had strong results at the Mountain West Championships, the men taking second, the women fourth. At regionals, the women were 10th, the men 11th, which was a bit of a disappointment.
The women’s team returns intact. The men lost a couple of key pieces from what was an overall younger team, but it also gained some key transfer students.
For the men’s program, getting back to the national meet is the target, and they did open the season ranked 21st in one poll. It’s a number Jacob Brueckman insists must be viewed in the right light. Instead of expecting it to happen – like last year – they need to spend their time proving they are worthy.
“I think that’s something we need to capitalize on, because I think this is a very talented team and a team that I think can perform at a high level at the national championships,” he said. “I know that’s the expectation of myself and that my teammates have for what we’re expecting to do. The exciting thing is we have a lot of depth. There are seven people who get to run at the national championship. I can name confidently well over double that who could be in the top seven. That’s a great place to be going into a season.”
They know how to race at the conference level, and they’re confident against that competition. I’ll think they’ll be ready when the step to the line against bigger competition.Art Siemers, Cross Country Coach
But he also knows the competition on the team needs to be healthy, and those precious spots must be pursued by all with the team goal in mind. If not, it can break down a team, which the veteran of the national meet has seen in the past.
The women don’t enter the season with such a national pedigree, but it doesn’t mean they don’t seek a higher ground. They too believe they are better, especially because of the training results from back in October.
For one, Offerman, who struggled with her training at Texas Tech before joining the Rams, witnessed a 90-second drop in her personal record. She saw it for herself, and she’s seen improvement team wide. It has created a confident buzz on training runs, but finally having a schedule has produced a good type of anxiety.
“There’s a different sense of urgency with the women’s team this year,” she said. “We’re all that much more motivated and ready to show the winter cross country season who we are and put ourselves on the map.
“We’re so excited, but I think there are some nerves, just it being the first race in quite a long time. It will be good. We have a little rust-buster against Wyoming, then we’ll get right into it going to Las Vegas for an invite. I think a lot of people are going to be shocked with our women’s team this year. We have a solid pack, and lots of girls. I don’t even know who is going to be on the traveling team this year, because there’s so much potential there.”
Turning potential into potency is what the season is all about, even if there are only two meets before running for the real prizes. Siemers is happy there have been no fundamental changes to meets – ideas discussed at the beginning of the pandemic – and there is optimism for the season since the sport came through relatively clean for those who competed in the fall.
Those teams are waiting for the championships, and the Rams have a short time to prove they belong there. Siemers also has to balance some of his distance athletes are training for the indoor track season, which is happening at the same time, and there may come a day when a decision is made for a select few to stay outside or move indoors.
Those discussions will happen another day. Results from both sports will dictate who is needed where and who provides the Rams the best chance on a national stage.
For now, Siemers is like his runners. He’s anxious. He’s liked the training results, and that has reassured him the finish from a year ago is something they learned and have grown from in a way which has lit a fire.
“Especially the regional finishes. Both teams just did not perform well at regionals,” he said. “We went out a little bit too hard and faded pretty hard, but we had great conferences races, so we know that it’s in them. I think the experience they got, we feel they’ll be more composed this year. They know how to race at the conference level, and they’re confident against that competition. I’ll think they’ll be ready when the step to the line against bigger competition.”
The training has been fun. A release even during certain times of the pandemic. They were the one set of athletes who never really were shut down.
So they hit the roads, day after day, looking toward a future which is now here.
“We’re thrilled. Me personally, the reason I do this sport is for competing,” Brueckman said. “Training is fun, and it’s good part of what we do. It’s a great way to be social with my team, but going out and running 18 miles every Saturday is a lot to do if you can’t apply to, like a race. That’s a big commitment to make if you can’t go compete, because that’s why we do what we do. It gives a little more motivation to the training you put in.”
Now it’s finally go time, with the hope of seeing four meets and hearing those words they’ve longed to hear.
Runners, take your mark.