One of the papers we read last year in my University of Pennsylvania program studied how being part of a strong friend group makes people happier. This psychological study, originally a cardiac health project, followed a social network of 12,067…
Don’t miss the Watermelon Run! Everyone needs to be cleared before our first practice on August 10 in order to participate! All the information on how to get your athletic clearance is posted on the Matador Athletics site, linked…
Wait, what? Yes, I want you to fail. Or more accurately, I want you to try something where you will probably fail. In Angela Duckworth’s GritLab class at the University of Pennsylvania, students are assigned to try something that they…
Check out the map/diagram we created today, which shows different Jollyman Park run options! We took the Stelling Loop with a stop for drills (boring!) and created mix-and-match routes for a maintenance day from 3 miles to 5.7 miles…and of…
Olympics Highlight: Before you read any further, please take a look at this video of the 2024 USA Olympic Trials 1500m women’s final. Nikki Hiltz won the CCS 1600 a decade ago, and now they are heading to the Olympics!…
As most of you know, I recently completed a master’s degree in applied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Many people ask, what exactly is positive psychology? Chris Peterson, one of the foundational researchers in positive psychology, said the…
Have you been habit-stacking? The USA Olympic Trials begin today, Friday, June 21! There will be a lot of content on TV and streaming…maybe you want to watch some with your friends. Here are heat sheets for the weekend…
My friend Angela Duckworth and her pod partner Mike Maughan have made my morning toothbrushing routine a little more painful. Let me explain… First, What is a Habit? When you practice playing the piano, your brain strengthens the neural connections…
The first day of cross-country practice will be here sooner than you think! Here is your guide for how to be ready on Day One. Make an appointment to get your annual sports physical! Ask your parents, nicely, to…
Is 4,000 a big number or a small number? The right answer to whether 4,000 is a big or small number is…it depends. Donuts: That’s a lotta donuts. Pennies: That’s small; 4,000 pennies is only $40. Students: For a high…
Welcome to the first week of 2024 Monta Vista Cross Country summer running! MVXC summer running will meet on the Monta Vista track at 7am, Monday through Saturday, all summer long. Yes, 7am is early…but we will all beat the…
Hello All! It was great to see all of you at the cross-country pre-season meeting today. Below are copies of the slides used today. The consensus from everyone at the meeting was that 7am should be the start time for…