Courtesy of Rob Palardy, Assistant Athletic Director for
Sports Information
STOWE, Vt. - The Lesley University men's and women's cross country programs returned to campus last week to begin their quest for New England Collegiate Conference Championship glory. Head Coach Dan Flynn took a unique approach to the rigors of preseason workouts by taking his runners to Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, Vermont for four days.
During the four days, both teams participated in morning and afternoon runs as well as a core exercise routine to ready themselves for the trials of the long cross country season. Along with the physical aspect of the trip to Stowe, there is also a big component of team bonding and group dynamics activities that will help aid the team as they get to know the new recruits.
"We started a new tradition this year that began when I ran cross country in high school at Thayer Academy," said Flynn. "Stowe is a hotbed for long distance running in August. Watching our team bond and develop their aerobic base for the season was an exciting thing to witness. This is where we begin to defend our championship."
Mt. Mansfield gave the cross country teams a challenging obstacle before the competitive racing season even began. The highest mountain in Vermont, Mt. Mansfield towers at 4,395 feet above sea level and has four different hiking trails that range in difficulty.
"I found this week to be the cornerstone of our training. It allowed the team to get away and focus on the task at hand. Conquering Mt. Mansfield is a metaphor for the challenges they will face in the upcoming season. If they can climb a mountain, the NECC Championship should feel a lot easier."
It was not all hard work and no play for the Lynx as both teams visited the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory for a tour on their last day in Stowe.
With a strong start to preseason after focused workouts and important team bonding, the Lynx have hit the ground running for their fall 2009 campaign.
To learn more about the Lesley University men's and women's cross country programs, please visit their website.