Training with the Buckeyes: Levi Fox’s Blog from North Carolina – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
The Ohio State men’s cross country team loaded up the van and headed down to Zap Fitness, a non-profit training center for post-collegiate, Olympic hopeful distance runners, in Blowing Rock, N.C. to train for the 2009 season. To keep us informed on their daily activities, Levi Fox, a senior from Troy, Ohio, agreed to keep a daily blog for OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Friday, 9/18/09
2:00 PM
I think I have time for a quick entry here before we leave for the first meet of the season. Yesterday was an easy day since it was sandwiched in between 3x4500m with 90 seconds rest on Tuesday, The Climb up Globe Road on Wednesday, and then a race today. We went to the bottom of Globe Road and just ran for five flat miles in the valley. And then came back in the afternoon and ran three easy miles on the half mile dirt loop around the Zap campus. That was followed by some strides in spikes to try and loosen up our legs for the race today.
This morning we got to sleep in some and I woke up around 9:30. Ate some breakfast and did a 1.5 mile shakeout on the loop around Zap. We had our last meal at Zap for lunch since we are eating out tonight and then leaving tomorrow as soon as we get our run in. This afternoon has been very relaxed has we try and save everything for the race that starts at 5:45. Today’s race is 4 miles, so it will be a nice start to the season not having to race 8,000m on heavy legs. Well that is all I have for now because writing doesn’t quite get me pumped up to run the way I would like to be before my last ever first cross country race of the season. LET’S GO!
Wednesday 9/16/09
8:30 PM
Oh how the days run together here at Zap. I cannot believe I didn’t get to write a blog yesterday. We were extremely busy.
This morning we got in the van and none of us knew where we were going to run today, last night coach drove to some unknown place to check it out. Well, we ended up at the hospital to drop of Skyler, he had been coughing a lot the last few days and not looking great. Then we headed down to this valley. It is a dirt road and on the way down Coach tells us how when we get to the bottom we will be eight miles from the top. As we are driving down it doesn’t seem like we are ever going to get to the bottom or that the road ever gets flat. So we finally make it down and do the drills and get ready to go. The first 20 minutes of the run are fairly flat with a few gentle rolls and then the run gets going. A steep hill, then another and then another. Fire Tower has nothing on this climb! We would make it up one part of the hill and then I would think that we would be able to recover on a flat section and then look ahead and see another hill. The worst was when we made it up one section and I looked up and the hill was even steeper than before and it would go up for about 100m and then it turned and went up again for another 100m and then did the same again. So I saw 300m of pure pain ahead of me and I had no other option but to run straight up it. It took about 62 minutes to make it to the top. That is a 7:40 pace per mile. This was one of the hardest runs that I have ever done in my life. Cooled down for about a mile, stretched and went back to the hospital to pick up Skyler. Once we got back to Zap we had another amazing lunch and I think everyone took naps until 4:00 when we head to leave to for Appalachian State to do Jesse Owens routine.
We ended up leaving at 4:30 because it was still pouring down rain like it had been for the past 90 minutes. Once we got to the course the rain let up a little, but it was still coming down. After doing the routine we decided to play some ultimate frisbee. The teams were 5-on-5, the same teams as our swimming races. So my team had some making up to do since we lost the races 3-1. Coach took Skyler’s place on my team along with Jeff, Chad and Donny. The other team was Adam, Cory, Christopher, Taylor and Julian. After the game was tied 3-3 we decided that we were going to play to 5. Coach scored his second goal and our team was up one. After getting the disc back Jeff threw it what I thought would be as hard as he could. I was in the area so I started to run after it but thought that there was no way it could be to me. Then I looked up and there was no one else remotely close so I thought I would just humor everyone and go after it. After running faster than I think I did in any of the suicide line drills, I was close enough to catch it. Now all I had to do was actually make the catch. Well, I showed off my Michael Irvin hands and reeled it in. We won the game and got some pride back from the swimming debacle.
We got back to Zap just in time for the best dinner that we have had this whole week: salomon, green bean casserole and some other dish that I forget what it was called. And chocolate chip cookies again! After dinner some of us went back into Blowing Rock for ice cream and for Donny to get a pair of Sperry’s. Well that’s all I have time for now as my battery is going dead again.
Monday 9/14/09
7:40 PM
So I am going to have to make this quick tonight because my computer charger or battery is broken and will only charge at a certain angle and I have to spend at least 10 minutes every time trying to find that angle.
Well, we just got done with dinner; shredded pork, baked beans, corn on the cob and salad. And the best surprise of the week: chocolate chip cookies! These were way better than the peanut butter and other ones we have had so far. I think we will just chill around here tonight.
This morning we ran 10 miles at Moses Cone Park and ran way up to the mansion. We started with a loop around Bass Lake and then started climbing, but this climb was different than the other days. Usually we just climb for 4-5 miles and then a have long decent. But today on the way up to the mansion we would climb for a mile and then descend for a half mile and then start going up again. It was nice to give the legs a break for a while and then get going again. Once we arrived at the mansion we took the normal way down and then did a flat loop around the lake. When we got back to Zap, I took a long, lonely creek ice bath before lunch. After lunch most people took a nap before we left at 4 p.m. to head to the local high school for Buckeyes. On the way to the high school I had my best round of golf against Jeff on his iPhone. The way home was a different story. He is still undefeated against me.
Sunday 9/13/09
At 8 a.m. we are in the vans heading back to Moses Cone Park. We went out a half hour earlier this morning to try and beat all the people who would be horse back riding this morning. We timed it perfect. As soon as we were loading up the van to leave seven trucks with horse trailers on the back pulled in. Now for the run. We would be going 14-16 miles today. We start out at Bass Lake and then head up a hill that I had not been up before. After 15 minutes we turn around and go back to the lake. I thought we would be looping around it and staying flat for a few minutes but I was wrong. As soon as we hit the bottom we are up another trail that I had never been on. This trail took us up to the mansion, but I think it was a little shorter than the one we had been taking. The van is waiting for us in the parking lot of the mansion and we get a quick drink of water and then we are heading down hill to Trout Lake. We took the water around 40 minutes into the run so we still have 50-65 minutes left. From Trout Lake it is four miles to the top of Rich Mountain and then four miles back down. We have not been to Rich Mountain yet either. I had no clue how steep this trail would be or anything else to expect. This passage is nothing like Fire Tower. Fire Tower is just steep switch back after steep switch back. This run is much more gradual with less switch backs (but don’t forget we are still running to the top of a mountain). Feeling like we have to be nearing the top soon we hit this open field and look around at all the cattle grazing around us and I suddenly realize why we had to open a gate a mile or so down. The fence was to keep the cows in and now we are fenced in with the cows. I see a sign ahead that is pointing to the top of the mountain and we still have .8 miles to go. For this last part there aren’t many switch backs and I realized why on the way down. We were just running circles and slowly climbing around the mountain. Eventually we are at the top and take a few seconds to look around and take in the view that we had just earned. It is beautiful and we can see for miles. It is a very clear day and we haven’t had many of them since being here. We see so many other mountain tops and I am wondering when we are going to conquer those. But all that is in less than 30 seconds and we are on our way back down. Four miles to go to Trout Lake and then we are done. Well, we get almost all the way to the bottom and Jeff suggests doing a loop around the lake so we don’t just end on four miles straight down hill, all agree and then we are finished. We ran for 107 minutes. When we get back we have eight strides to do on the flat just to keep our legs fresh. Adam, Cory and Skyler were only going to do about 90 minutes so they turned around just before we got to the top of the mountain. When we got back they asked if we had seen Skyler and all of us are confused since he turned around with them. Adam said he saw him about 100m from where we all finished and this was at least 15 minutes before we had arrived. Not knowing where to look we go do our strides, hoping he will be back at the can when we are done. Ten minutes later we are back and still no Skyler. So we stretch, still hoping he will show up. Another 10-plus minutes and now we are ready to leave and he still isn’t back. Now time for concern. Some guys get in the van to ride back to the mansion to look for him and others wait at Trout Lake where he was last spotted over 30 minutes ago. About 7-8 minutes later the van pulls back with Skyler in the front seat. After a huge sigh of relief, we realize that he was 100m away from the van and yet went 1.5 miles up hill to the mansion and waited for a long time until we found him. On the way back to Zap we decide to check out some of the views that we drive past everyday and take some pictures since we may not have another day as clear as today.
We spent about 15 minutes relaxing and looking at the view without the pressure of having to run again in a moment. Got some good pictures and got back just in time for lunch.
Now time to relax until dinner at 6:30.
Saturday 9/12/09
2:25 PM
I am finally getting back to updating this. I apologize if I left everyone in the dark yesterday. Saturday morning we got up at the normal time and left for the Appalachian State cross country course at 8:30. This is the same place we went to Thursday night to do our Jesse Owens routine and right at the base of the hill that Jeff, Chad and Cory challenged each other to make it up in less than 90 seconds. We went there for two reasons: the first being to check out the course for our race Friday night and the second was because it is most likely the flattest place to run around. After the Fire Tower workout that we had the day before, we needed to take it easy today. I think everyone ran for one hour easy. About half way into the run we spilt in two groups. My group was Christopher, Donny and myself. When we finished we met the group with everyone else and then were walking in the opposite direction of the van. So we immediately asked them what was going on and they said that Skyler was taking the “Hill Challenge.” Yes! I knew we were not going to be able to watch the other college football games today besides the Ohio State one at night so I was excited to have something to watch before then. Through the field that he has to run through to just get to the base of the hill he is about six seconds slower than what Jeff and Chad ran the other day. We are all thinking “this is going to be close.” Going up the hill, he keeps good footing and doesn’t slip at all. Half way up we still think it is going to be close because it gets steeper near the top. The next time I hear the time he is almost at the top and still has a good amount of time left. He gets over to the bush that he has to shake to finish and the clock reads 83 seconds! I am shocked and I think most of the other guys are as well. A good long stretch and we are on our way back to Zap.
At 4:00 we hopped back into the van and headed back to Boone to a track to do our Buckeyes core routine. ‘Buckeyes’ is a core-strengthening routine we do a few times a week with different exercises than Jesse Owens. The biggest difference between these two routines is that for Buckeyes we do not jog to a different corner of the field in between exercises. Buckeyes are also a little shorter than Jesse Owens, taking about 15 minutes worth of core and then hurdle drills after. I really like doing the hurdle drills, even though I struggle with them. After the workout is over it is time for yet another challenge. Chad says to Cory I don’t think you can run a quarter in under 58 seconds right now. Cory for some reason was not in the mood for a challenge right now, but I wanted to see it! So after a little encouragement from me he is lacing up his shoes. Adam and Taylor decide to take part in it as well for a little support for Cory. Well, he didn’t need it. He cranked out a 53-second trip around the track. For today the challengers are two for two. Now back to Zap for dinner and a quick shower before heading back to Boone for the game.
At 8:00 we pull into Beef O Brady’s. The place is packed and there are 11 of us. So for the first quarter we stand in a corner of the restaurant until two tables open up. We get some seats. Seven at one table and four at another. Every time the Buckeyes score I start the O-H chant and the other table comes back with I-O. It is pretty sweet and we don’t look obnoxious because there is also the South Carolina-Georgia game on and there are a few tables in the place getting really into that. And don’t forget that we are in the South and there is a night NASCAR race on. So needless to say us getting really excited fit right in. Other than that everyone knows how the game ended so that is the end of the story. I fall asleep as soon as I get in my bed.
Friday 9/11/09
1:15 PM
We left Zap at 8:30 AM and I am finally feeling up to writing now. I still have my sandwich from lunch sitting next to me that I haven’t touched yet. First off, I just want to say that I can not believe that it has been eight years since that tragic day when our whole country was shocked and yet brought together the way America should be. I was a freshman in high school and was in my geometry class when I heard the news. Being fifteen years old, I had no idea what to think, but I think the rest of the school felt the same way. Luckily this is the only event so far in my life where I can say that I will remember forever where I was when I heard the news. I will take a moment every year on this day to remember Sept. 11 and pray for the families who were affected. I will also thank God for the opportunity that he has given me to live in the greatest country on Earth. NEVER FORGET.
Now onto the workout — this is the workout that all of us who have never been to Zap before have been hearing about for the past half year. We went back to Moses Cone Park again today; however, it was not the same has the other two days. Warm-up drills and stretching were the same. We started to run and this time we had two flat loops around Bass Lake and a stop at the bottom of the hill. It took about three minutes for us to do some strides and make sure everyone knew what we were going to do. When the three minutes are up, we start Fire Tower. If you didn’t read Wednesday’s blog, the run is 5.5 miles up a mountain with a mansion serving has the half way point. I guess when we ran on Wednesday in front of the mansion; we took a wrong turn and ran on a steeper path that was about two minutes shorter. Today, we went the right way and it added a few more switch backs. Heading up to the mansion, you definitely know that you are going up hill and it is hard, but once you pass the white house and shed on your left it is a whole new run — all the hills are steep the second half of the run. A little over a mile and a half from the top of the mountain, we came out of the woods for about 600m and I did not remember the hill being as steep as it was. Our pack spilt up around this point. Skyler Schmitt was off the back already and I was trying to hang on. Adam Green and Julian Meyer were at the back of the back so they were the only two I was concentrating on. However, we had a switch back and I lost sight of them for a second until I got around the turn. After another switch back (and at this point I had no clue how far we are from the top) I see Cory Leslie behind Adam and Julian. I caught up to Cory and we ran together past a switch back or two. I could still see Adam and Julian in front of me and they are working together with one of them in front for a moment and then the other, while I was trying to close the gap that I wish I had never let open in the first place. The hills started to grow steeper and the switch backs began to come around a lot quicker; I saw Adam for a moment before once again losing sight. I glanced at my watch and saw 28:30. I had thought that it would take around 32:30 – 33:30 to the top, so I figured that I only had five minutes left, which helped give me a second. The order at the top was Taylor Williams, Jeff See, Christopher Olinger, Chad Balyo, Donny Roys, Julian, Adam, myself, Cory and Skyler. Taylor crossed in 32:10 and I finished in 33:10, so all 10 of us made it to the top with a 1:50 spread.
I was at the top for three minutes before we started the decent, everyone together the whole way. Even though running downhill may seem easy, five miles down hill the whole way at the grade we were running is hard on your legs. We got to the bottom in 33:11, one second slower than I ran up it! Even though we are down the mountain and right by the van we aren’t done yet — two flat 1500m loops around the lake at about a 5:40 mile pace. Hopefully, it will make our legs feel a little better tomorrow after that workout.
After stretching we made our way back to Zap. I took a short little nap and before lunch time (which I ate nothing at) and now I’m just chilling in the room with the winner of the polka dot jersey for King of the Mountains (Le Tour De France). At 4:00 we are heading to the pool for a little workout/refresher, and then it will be time for dinner at 6:00. No clue what we are doing after dinner; maybe another Skype session? And be sure to check out the photo gallery each day for new pics!
Here are a few comments about the workout from Christopher Olinger and Taylor Williams:
Taylor: “I think the workout was a great early season effort for the team. It’s exciting to have so many guys together and in really good shape. The toughness and togetherness that we are forming this week should translate well to cross country races this season. I think Jeff tired himself out yesterday evening racing up the hill at Appalachian State. I don’t often get the chance to beat Jeff, so I saw an opportunity and edged him out at the top.”
Christopher: “The workout today went really well. It was nice having all the guys within a small spread. The first set of switch-backs after the mansion is where we really got things moving. It seemed like we always had someone pressing and helping get the group of guys to move faster. When we hit the final set of switch backs, people began to separate. It seemed like more of a mental game, because I kept thinking the next turn was the last one until we were at the top (so about 25 times I thought I was done). I found myself running alongside Jeff See and Taylor Williams until the last few minutes. It was nice to have such a small spread amongst us. Our freshman gave us a good indicator of their fitness by hanging off the back end of Chad Balyo. It was a very good workout for the Buckeyes here in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.”
Thursday 9/10/09
12:00 PM
Taylor and I woke up at 7:30 this morning. We got some breakfast and Gatorade and got in the van at 8:30 to head back to Moses Cone Park again for our run. After stretching and drills like we do before every run, we ran a loop around Bass Lake and then headed up to the mansion. The mansion is the half-way point up to Fire Tower. Instead of going all the way up to the top of the mountain we made a left and went down the other side of the mountain. After heading down about a mile we were at Trout Lake. We did a loop around this lake and then were on our way back up to the mansion and then back down for another loop around Bass Lake. It was surprisingly chilly here today. But going up a mountain gets you warmed up pretty quick. When we got back to the Zap Campus a few of us went to the creek to ice bath.
They have it dammed up so we can just stand there with the water up to our knees and get a refreshing recovery. Since it was so cool outside and we just got out of the “ice bath” creek, the hot tub seemed like the perfect choice for Adam and me. Well, we just got called for lunch and I know how hungry Julian is so I better go get my share.
1:30 PM
Great lunch! We had cold meat turkey and ham on multigrain bread with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mustard. Another choice was tuna salad wraps and to go with it some cold pasta salad, healthy chips, yogurt, and bananas. I think Cory was in heaven. Going to upload some more pictures and then take a nap until we have to do Jesse Owens Circuit routine tonight.
8:10 PM
Back in the cabin after a few games of team long P-I-G. The games take a long time having 10 people in them. After tallying it up after three games it turns out Jeff is the worst PIG player.
Dinner was just has good and healthy as lunch. I am looking into bringing this chef back to Columbus with me. We had chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and fresh cookies for dessert. Julian was hungry once again.
At 4:00 we headed to Appalachian State to do our Jesse Owens circuit routine. Jesse Owens is on a soccer field bare foot. We warm up two laps around the field. Then we do a different exercise at each corner of the field then do a stride to the next one. The exercises are 20 push-ups, superman poses, one-legged butt kicks, leg toss with a partner, superman poses, bicycles, sprinter skips, jumping jacks, push-up holds, six-inch leg raises, backwards running and suicide line touches. Two more laps around the soccer field. And then start the routine over. Then cool down two more laps. All in all it took about 35 minutes.
The real action started after the circuit was over. Chad, Cory and Jeff had no respect for our workout tomorrow and wanted to race up a very, very steep 400m hill.
The challenge was to see if anyone could run up it in under 90 seconds. Chad went first and set the bar high at 77 seconds. Cory, feeling has though he didn’t work hard enough in the suicide line drills, sets his goal as 70 seconds. He was done in 40! He was also only half way up the hill. Jeff was last. And for everyone who knows Jeff he does not lose when it comes down to a sprint. He was at the base of the hill in the quickest time but ended up running 77 seconds. Only a tie! Now here are some quotes from Chad:
“Did I have doubt Jeff or Cory would run faster, absolutely NOT. You have to be confident in your fitness and that’s what I demonstrated today. I’m glad all the hard work this summer is paying off as this ranks near the top of my accomplishments for my collegiate career.”
Ok, now it is time for Christopher and I to do some work in euchre and listen to some Trailor Choir “Rockin’ the Beer Gut” and Miley Cyrus “Party in the USA”. OR WHAT!
Thoughts from head coach Robert Gary:
“I feel it is a real luxury to start school later than most and take advantage of this block where we can really focus on training and our team. We talked about creating a “Kenyan XC training camp” feel over the next 11 days and I am confident that the team will take advantage of this opportunity.
“To this end, I think this has the making of a very special team – goals remain as they always do for our program – position for Top 3 at conference and qualifying as a team for nationals – we won’t have a year like last year ever again in this program while I am head coach.”
