The Williams Johnson Cross Country Class was held at the Blue Hills Golf Range on October 14. Club Monica Athletics founder and coach Diane Woodside-Johnson, recently talked about the event, her athlete's participation and also what to expect from them in the future.

Woodside-Johnson was very pleased with the number of athletes participating in the 1, 2 and 3-mile races.  She was also impressed and pleased with the 35 club members who participated, which exceeded the anticipated numbers. Given that they are mainly a sprint and hurdles club, the fact that most finished did not go unnoticed.

When asked what this event does for the athletes at this stage of the season, coach Woodside-Johnson says it helps with their volume training in terms of their total mileage. Generally, the athletes run in spurts of 200, 300 and 400 meters, but running a mile or two is acceptable for this stage of the season.

With the increase in cross country events at this time of year, coach Woodside-Johnson was asked about her thoughts on the schedule. She is clearly pleased with this increase as it bodes well for the distance program at Club Monica.  It gives her a chance to observe the athletes closely to see which ones can handle the long distance. Those athletes are then harnessed and trained in the right direction.

Coach Diane Woodside-Johnson is well respected and one of the top track coaches. With her leadership and work ethics of the athletes, expect Club Monica Athletics to produce many solid long-distance runners for years to come.