09-24-26: Interview with Robert Cast: IKM-Manning Cross Country

Coach, with the conditions the way they've been, I've, I've talked to a few coaches where a lot of kids slipping and falling and, and stuff like that, especially if there's much for, for downhills and stuff like that.

Um, how do you guys as coaches deal with that and, and prepare kids for, "Hey, the course might be a little wet.

There might be some areas where you gotta kinda change up that cadence of how you're running"? What are those discussions like?

Well, it depends on the course and when you walk the course and how bad it is.

Uh, you just have to be careful on the downhills, being careful, and just being aware as you walk the course before the race, being aware of those bad spots, uh, making a mental note of those, and then when you see those areas as you walk the course before the race, being aware of those things while you race and trying to set it up so that if you need to avoid a spot, you can.

Um, so, um, and just to make yourself aware of those bad spots if there are 'cause, like today at this race, there might be some spots.

You know, actually we've been pretty fortunate with all the rain 'cause even at Shenandoah, there really wasn't any really truly bad spot.

Um, but there are those times that you have courses that are a real mess.

We've had, over the years, we had pl- have had plenty of those too, so.

What do you feel like this course will do for the kids? How's it challenge the kids tonight?

Uh, there is a pretty good hill.

I'm assuming they're, they're gonna have that, and that's a good thing to experience.

You know, it, it's hilly for everybody-

Yep

...

in some spots, so there's one major hill.

There's some really nice downhills, like after that major long gradual hill which has quite an elevation climb, uh, then you go right down it.

So you get up the uphill, you got a nice downhill, and then the rest of this course is fairly flat, uh, other than that one major hill.

And then this, this course is kinda unique.

They finish on the track, which I kinda think is kinda fun.

Uh, you know, seems like, you know, kids get on the track and they all turn it loose, and it's just kinda fun to watch them finish on that track, so.