Editor's Note: Beginning today, and running weekly thoughout the remainder of the high school cross country season, Summit OR seniors Fiona and Isabel Max are contributing a blog to DyeStat in order to give readers a sneak peek into the lives of the defending Nike Cross Nationals champions.

By Fiona and Isabel Max for DyeStat

So!

We are nothing short of honored to begin blogging for DyeStat (shoutout to Doug for making it possible). There are two kinds of people in this world: the bloggers and then everyone else. We aren’t normally the “blogger type,” but here we are blabbering on already!

As captains of a national championship team, we have no doubt experienced some unique ups and downs. In fact, our entire team has experienced unique ups and downs. Has this made us wiser? Maybe, maybe not. At the end of the day, we are still a bunch of random “schmos” trying to do our best. We do not run a jaw-dropping amount of miles. We have other hobbies outside of running. And most importantly, we LOVE a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Tonight Dough just as much as the next chick.

Of course, there are no secrets to running fast. There are only simple ideas you turn into habit. It would be foolish to direct you to one way of doing things. Our only goal through this blog is to offer you a new perspective, and a chance to realize the different ways you can become the best version of yourself. We are here to be transparent! We want to answer any and all questions concerning training, lifestyle and most importantly, pasta (if you don’t like pesto, you can stop reading right now).

But for the first post, I (Fiona) wanted to write a quick update on the team’s early season progress.  

Official team practices began in early August. Right from the start of the summer team camp, it was clear we had acquired new depth with incoming freshmen and rising sophomores. 

New energy, in the form of fresh faces and ideas, is healthy, if viewed the right way. Intrasquad competition is often viewed as a threat. It can be a dynamic that leads to pettiness, tension and ultimately, the fracturing of a team. Viewing the depth on our team as an opportunity will be key for us this season. It will keep us humble. Every spot on this team is earned and a result of the work you put in.

When it comes to racing season, our coaches favor a slow build up. For the sake of imagery, the first meet of the season is in the middle of a cow pasture against two other local teams. Casual meets allow the team to put in some good training and then finish the week with a hard effort and an excuse to eat post-race Safeway orange chicken. 

With a couple of our varsity girls recovering from injuries or visiting colleges, our rookies have had no choice but to step up at the early-season races. In fact, the rookies carried our team to a win at Northwest Classic two weeks ago in Eugene. 

Next up is Nike Portland XC, which is Saturday (tomorrow). As a race with a bit more weight, our coaches let up on the reins for this week’s training. The team could care less about current national rankings – all we want is a fun and fast race. Of course there are some nerves, but overall we feel excited to test out the wheels. 

Check the blog next week for an update.

Have a good one my doods!

Sincerely, the Max twins.

* Note: RunnerSpace on-demand videos from Nike Portland XC will be available after the meet. Sign up for +PLUS