Richmond Cross Country Preseason Camp (Day 4)

Our 4th day of preseason Cross Country Camp was filled from start to finish...

After a hard workout...Panther Falls was exactly what the team was looking for.

The day started with a hard workout for each team...and was followed with a trip to Panther Falls...then our 2nd workout of the day... with a celebration of two birthdays to top it off...Freshman, Molly Parsons (The Tatnall School, DE) birthday is today...while freshman, Amanda Lineberry (Lee Davis HS, VA) will celebrate hers this Friday.

Our women did their workout on the Chessie Trail, which is an old railway line turned into a nature trail several years ago. The trail is flat and meanders along following the scenic Maury River. It's a great place for a hard workout...

The men's team climbed today for their hard workout...Starting in the outskirts of Buena Vista, VA they warmed up in town and then connected to Robinson Gap Road which climbed over 1,400 vertical feet to the Blue Ridge Parkway over a 4.6 mile series of zig-zags up the mountain side. A tough climb for sure...

Below is a photo gallery of our day...

The Workout...

Active-Isolated Stretching before the workout...

The Chessie Trail is a 6.5 mile nature trail along the scenic Maury River...

The old railway line was turned into a nature trail but still holds many reminders of it's historic past...

(L-R) Jenn Ennis and 2010 NCAA National Championship Semi-Finalist 5K runner, Amy Van Alstine on the Chessie Trail.

(L-R) 2009 NCAA National 5K Championships qualifier and 5K school record holder (16:17) Nicol Traynor and Dana Guglielmo run together. Guglielmo is a 2010 NCAA National Championships Semi-Finalist in the 3K steeplechase. Traynor and Guglielmo were also high school teammates for Ridge High School, New Jersey.

(L-R) Freshmen, Jill Prentice (Montgomery HS, NJ) and Roxanne Henningson (Greenwich HS, NY) finishing the workout.

(L-R) Erin Lunny (green top...Red Bank Catholic HS, NJ), Katrina Jueng (Shadyside Academy, PA), Molly Parsons (The Tatnall School, DE), Alli Mannon (Warwick HS, PA) and Amanda Lineberry (Lee Davis HS, VA)...

(L-R) Stephanie Paradis (Stone Bridge HS, VA), Liz Schinski (Geneseo HS, NY) and Lydia Morton (Lebanon HS, NH)...

The men parked at "Grizzly Acres" in Buena Vista, VA before starting their 1,400+ vertical feet climb spread over 4.6 miles...Was the sign a foreshadow of the climb ahead?

The men on their warm-up...before heading up Robinson Gap...

( L-R) From the start 2010 NCAA 10K All-American, Matt Llano and Andrew Benford (12th place 2009 World Mountain Running Championships) pushed the pace...Behind them Tim Quinn leads the chase.

Tim Quinn (several time A-10 All-Conference performer) is followed by Spider Assistant Coach, Jon Molz...then Ryan Lee (green shorts...Archmere Academy, DE) and Chris York (2010 USA World Jr Mountain Running Team member) continue the climb to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Oooohhh...the sign...

The view from the top is always better...This view is from the top near Robinson's Gap.

Yes...the view from the top is always better...Have I said that before?

The Blue Ridge Parkway provides amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virgina...

Panther Falls...

After the workout and lunch we headed to Panther Falls...Listed as one of the top swimming holes in Virginia. This place impressed us all... It's known for the rocks you can jump off into the cool mountain water....All-Natural...

Ryan Lee jumping from ~20 feet into the water...

Roxanne Henningson...

Andrew Benford...

Adam Owens...

Steph Paradis jumps with Lydia Morton, Conor Phelan and Ryan Lee next...

Beth Kelly...

Conor Phelan...

Kyle Ragan...

Chris York...with Amanda Lineberry, Dana Guglielmo and Levi Grandt on deck...

Amanda Lineberry...

Dana Guglielmo...

Levi Grandt...

Jenn Ennis...

Erin Lunny...

Liz Schinski...

Katrina Jueng...

Jason Skipper...

Coach Molz...before...

Coach Molz...after...

Coach Lori Taylor...

Levi Grandt on the rock slide...

Amanda Lineberry on the rock slide...

Team members on the lower rock below the falls...

Lori and Luke at the bottom of the rock slide...

Panther Falls was good to us...

Celebrating Birthdays...

Molly Parsons' birthday cake...

Molly blowing out her candles on her 18th birthday...

Coach Lori Taylor helping cut the icecream cake...

Yes...we have 2 birthdays this week... Molly's is today and Amanda Lineberry's will be Friday.

Amanda ready to blow out the candles...

Chris York's thoughts...

Nicol Traynor...

Beth Kelly...

Ryan Lee...

Erin Lunny...

Alli Mannon...

Roxanne Heningson...

Luke likes all things chocolate...like his mom. He later admitted..."Ya know, I'm glad our racers have birthdays."