This is totally raw and so open, really makes me admire Smith more. Talks about developing character through loss among other things. Good watch.
This is totally raw and so open, really makes me admire Smith more. Talks about developing character through loss among other things. Good watch.
Mike is on another level as a coach.
He smoked a lot of weed before the meet.
Mike is obviously a very good coach but please don’t act like he’s the only coach that relates running and adversity to developing character as a person. I would say a pretty good number of coaches do but they are not the three time national champs just after a loss so people like you actually believe he’s in the minority.
Interesting to go back and see their initial workout wednesday from early in the season shortly before Wisconsin.
They had five guys at Buffalo Park running an 8 mile tempo at 7,147 ft plus at 5:17 per mile in warm conditions for their first sub-threshold workout. A bunch went 6M at 5:30 pace, I think. So, at nationals at sea level, they struggled to run low 5s in cold, hypothermic conditions for just 10k after doing 5:17 for 8 at altitude. Mike Smith wanted to point out that they were still #2 in the nation and that they had their best season ever prior to it. He wasn't sure why they weren't able to get up into the second pack early, but I think it's clear from the older video and the other season results that this team was better than they ran at nationals, a lot better, but they had a bad day for whatever reason, lack of an aggressive start or maybe too many hard efforts prior to this--they didn't seem like ultra hard efforts but they were fast races. Maybe they thought they could turn it on at any time and they couldn't do that in the cold after they fell back. Or maybe BYU just had more talent and the whole field was as talented as it has been in a long time so it was harder to get the top places with guys who had never run low 28 10k's on the track. I expect they'll get BYU next year but Clinger is going to help them a lot.
Smith is a very good coach and one thing that separates the top programs is not the talent (the altitude is a big factor), but how the coaches deal with the egos on the squad.
I am very impressed with Coach Smith. He does a great job. I'm sure he's disappointed they didn't win, but he seems almost glad they lost as it provides such a good learning and teaching experience, which in the end is the whole purpose of college cross country.
They are also a mix of young kids and guys who have been banged up in the passed and prob not running 100 + mile weeks like Baxter and Day. So perhaps the region 10K took more out of them then it would have in years passed plus throw in that slop and presto, Runnerup.
zxcvzvcx wrote:
Interesting to go back and see their initial workout wednesday from early in the season shortly before Wisconsin.
They had five guys at Buffalo Park running an 8 mile tempo at 7,147 ft plus at 5:17 per mile in warm conditions for their first sub-threshold workout. A bunch went 6M at 5:30 pace, I think. So, at nationals at sea level, they struggled to run low 5s in cold, hypothermic conditions for just 10k after doing 5:17 for 8 at altitude. Mike Smith wanted to point out that they were still #2 in the nation and that they had their best season ever prior to it. He wasn't sure why they weren't able to get up into the second pack early, but I think it's clear from the older video and the other season results that this team was better than they ran at nationals, a lot better, but they had a bad day for whatever reason, lack of an aggressive start or maybe too many hard efforts prior to this--they didn't seem like ultra hard efforts but they were fast races. Maybe they thought they could turn it on at any time and they couldn't do that in the cold after they fell back. Or maybe BYU just had more talent and the whole field was as talented as it has been in a long time so it was harder to get the top places with guys who had never run low 28 10k's on the track. I expect they'll get BYU next year but Clinger is going to help them a lot.
Interesting take BUT they hardly blew it.
They were 2nd and got beat by a VERY GOOD BYU team that had 6 in the NCAA 10k final last track season isn’t blowing it.
I was prepared not to like Coach Mike Smith, but after this interview I think he is a hell of a man. Those young men are lucky to have him as a coach. He teaches values, integrity, and great life lessons. You're not always going to be on top, but how you respond when you're down is where your character reveals itself. Good for him!
Mike Smith sounds like he is always trying to say something deep and profound, it gets annoying.
casual observer... wrote:
Mike Smith sounds like he is always trying to say something deep and profound, it gets annoying.
Have known him since he was 16. That’s just him. Unique dude.
Yeah I would chalk it up as an intentional NAU loss for the "learning experience"
This is an inspiration. Actually more of an inspiration than if they had won.
This is the kind of coach you run through a brick wall for. His athletes will be competing for podium finishes for a long time if he keeps this positive rapport.
Wish my college coach was as cool. If I had a bad race he acted like I didn’t exist. Great to see such a mature coach.
egbert1215 wrote:
They are also a mix of young kids and guys who have been banged up in the passed and prob not running 100 + mile weeks like Baxter and Day. So perhaps the region 10K took more out of them then it would have in years passed plus throw in that slop and presto, Runnerup.
I think they blew their nationals race at regionals. Colorado did too, to an extent. For NAU, no reason for them to go 1-2-3. Beamish is incredibly talented but he’s very low mileage due to injury history. Two 10ks back-to-back are rough on him. He was still All-American. Hasty is still quite young and the two 10ks likely hurt him as well. Same for NAU’s Nir.
Same for Kashon Harrison of Colorado. He’s only a freshman but he’s had a fantastic freshman cross country season. He’s been among Colorado’s top guys. He beat Klecker at regionals, finishing 7th. Big run for a freshman. He’s likely still lower mileage as well so two 10ks in 8 days doesn’t help him either. Colorado might have been 2nd or possibly won the meet (not positive about winning, I haven’t analyzed the results enough).
casual observer... wrote:
Mike Smith sounds like he is always trying to say something deep and profound, it gets annoying.
Sounds like he's on drugs.
casual observer... wrote:
Mike Smith sounds like he is always trying to say something deep and profound, it gets annoying.
Agreed. Nothing against him but relax dude, it's running.
I found Cade Burke strava for that workout and he only ran 5:30 pace. He was with the front pack the whole time. Dunno why flotrack said 5:17s. Also ran shorter than 8miles
Malemute wrote:
I am very impressed with Coach Smith. He does a great job. I'm sure he's disappointed they didn't win, but he seems almost glad they lost as it provides such a good learning and teaching experience, which in the end is the whole purpose of college cross country.
That makes no sense. That’s like saying the purpose of the suerbowl is a learning and teaching experience.
You learn and teach so you can apply in the big game, which is the ultimate goal. National championship XC is the ultimate goal, the purpose and reason for all of your training learning working and teaching. Not a teaching experience.
If you are trying to say that everything in life is a learning experience, I guess that’s fine.
are1277! wrote:
I was prepared not to like Coach Mike Smith, but after this interview I think he is a hell of a man. Those young men are lucky to have him as a coach. He teaches values, integrity, and great life lessons. You're not always going to be on top, but how you respond when you're down is where your character reveals itself. Good for him!
Every coach on earth teaches this to student athletes. Of course it’s right.