What's your Ikigai?

The return flight home from Nashville, home of the AAU XC Junior Olympic Championships, was due to be a long one - five hours to Portland.  This pales in comparison to an international flight, but five hours from somewhere that doesn’t feel all that east coast sure takes a long time.  I have to remind myself that it’s a 2,000 mile trip, and the plane only goes so fast.  Regardless, I knew I’d have to keep myself busy for the sake of sanity.  

Insert nosiness.

I am always curious about what people do for a living.  From Ryan, the gentleman sitting beside me on the plane, to the parents involved with the team, or my fellow runners in the community.  I am not sure where the curiosity stems; maybe the lack of exploring careers as a youth is tapping on my shoulder.  Maybe I’ve been teaching so long, I can’t help but wonder what past students have made for themselves.  Regardless of the motive, learning what people do for a living is something…click here to continue reading.

Whisper 13-14 Boys, Back on Top!

The Whisper 13-14 boys stand atop the podium for the second time in four years.  After a 2024 season which saw an incomplete 13-14 boys team in the USATF Junior Olympic Region 13 meet, the 2025 team has been putting together a remarkable season, led by Gus VandenHeuvel and Sam Schwager, both of Hood River, Oregon.  

Gus’s record breaking season began with a victory at the Ultimook Race, followed by spectactular races at Stumptown, Halloween Dash, and Regions. Along the way, Gus became the first Whisper runner under 13-minutes in the 4k, running 12:55 at the Halloween Dash on October 25. Gus also broke the 3k record, which now stands at 9:19. The strength of the boys 13-14 is it’s depth. The top-5 boys now own five of the top fourteen 3k times in program history, and top-19 in the 4k. The boys team now turn their attention to USATF JO XC Nationals on Saturday, December 13, in Shelbyville, Indiana, where the team is looking to crack the top-10 in the national field.

On the girls side, Elias Nitschke makes her return trip to Nationals, a team record fourth appearance on the national stage, and she’s only 10! Elias placed 6th at Regions, cracking 12-minutes in the 3k, running 11:59.8!  Along with Elias are her pals, Savannah Bergeron, making her third national appearance in four years, and Annie Stopoulos, a newbie to the big stage!

Rounding out the team are Orin Byrd in the 8U 2k, a first-time national qualifier, Campbell Brumfield, 11-12, who is making his second trip in three years, and Claire Horton (Corbett MS) and Bella Pollard (Hood River), 13-14, both first time participants in the USATF XC Junior Olympic National Meet.

These kids are uber talented and will soon be heading east to Indiana, coincidentally to one of the coldest part of the nation at this time. It’s going to be awesome!

Whisper Team Corner

What’s going on at Whisper?

USATF JO XC Nationals event page (Calendar) is updated.  Please RSVP via email or text for Friday’s 4pm dinner by Tuesday night.  Thank you!

Christmas Gift Ideas? For the runners who show up to running practice without a watch, check out the Garmin Forerunner! Please! See Garmin and other options at Foot Traffic in Vancouver, which are often priced the same as online stores (plus you can ask questions and make an informed purchase).

Foster Gift Drive - Monday, December 15, 5:30-7:30pm at Clark College. See Calendar.

Body Reset - to ensure physical, mental, emotional, and hormonal resets, runners who have been training since June should take two weeks off from running before the start of Winter Training, January 19. Runners who have been training since September should take one week off from running before the start of Winter Training

Indoor Track Meet - High school and middle school runners are invited to join us February 20-22, for a weekend of racing in Spokane at the STCU West Coast Indoor Championships at The Podium indoor track facility. See more info at athletic.net, and connect with Coach Dave before December 15 to get on the team roster.

Build’em Up Program concludes Tuesday, December 9, and will resume in April 2026.

Winter Training begins Monday, January 19! Once facility contracts are signed, the website will be updated, and registration will open. Thank you for your patience!

Whisper Tid-Bits!

Best November Video!

See more video's at whisperrunning.com/videos