Mileset: Becoming an Elite Distance Runner
There are over 430,000 high school distance runners in America. Yet, only about 4% of those runners go on to compete in college. Fewer still become professional runners. What separates so many runners from truly becoming elite? In Kent Falting’s book, Mileset, he attempts to provide an answer. Falting describes the term “mileset” as the combination of physical and mental training as well as thought processes which create an elite distance runner. Applying decades of real-life experiences and advice from some of the premiere coaches in the country, Falting creates a step-by-step plan for you to start, train, race, and become a champion. This book is for both runners and coaches who are looking to move both their minds and their training to a new level. The one thing standing between you and greatness might simply be…your Mileset!
Cross the Finish Line: A Motivational to Help You Find Strength
On September 4, 2020, the Parkway Cross Country Team was struck by tragedy when former runner Steven Harville took his life. Dealing with grief and trying to process the event, the team came together to create book honoring Steven and his love of running while also providing people with advice on staying motivated and handling stress.
This book is called a Motivational, our version of a devotional. It’s a collection of stories about running cross country, dealing with stress, overcoming obstacles, and the life lessons learned while running. It’s also a place to share Steven’s story. Finally. it’s a journal for writing your own thoughts about what you just read.
Although it is a book about running, it is not just a book for runners. Our hope is this book will help change a life for the positive so no one else will have to deal with the loss we experienced.
This is a great book for coaches, runners, cross country teams and anyone looking for motivation. Everyone is running the race called life and we want to make sure you cross the finish line!
Motivated Runners Find a Way: A Parable about Running and Life
Praise for Motivated Runners Find a Way:
This book is a great reminder of what makes cross country so great for so many runners. I have all my college runners read this book to remind them what we are running for. -Adam Rabo, LSUS Cross Country Coach
I have been actively involved in the sport for over fifty years in many different aspects of running and coaching and I can say without a doubt that Coach Falting will and has prepared his teams with the knowledge and application to compete at the highest level . -Frank Trammel, 2014 High School National Cross Country Coach of the Year
I took a chance and married him, you can take a chance and buy this book! -Konni Falting, wife
Jack thinks he’s an incredible runner but consistently gets in his own way. When one bad decision costs him a place on the high school cross country team, Jack must learn the true principles for being successful runner. More importantly, he must learn how to be successful person. Luckily, Jack meets Miles. Miles might just have the answers Jack needs.
If I Only Knew…: Memories and Regrets from High School Distance Runners
Several years ago, I was looking for a way to inspire my cross country team. Up until that point, we had some success through hard work, belief, and an almost family-like atmosphere. With success comes complacency sometimes. This was definitely one of those times. Trying to motivate this group, I remembered a time when I heard Kevin Mawae speak at an FCA retreat. Kevin played football for LSU and the New York Jets. Kevin’s message was titled, “If I only knew…” where he proceeded to ask the question over and over again about choices he made in life: if he only knew what his coach sacrificed to coach him, if he only knew what his teammates really meant to him, if he only knew how short the time being an athlete truly was. Would he have done things differently?
I thought back to this message and decided I wanted this team to know what they might be missing. I emailed several former runners and coaches asking each of them to complete the phrase, “If I only knew,” as it pertained to running cross country in high school. What follows is a collection of their answers. Whether you are looking to motivate your athletes as a coach, searching for motivation as a runner, or wondering if your time in high school athletics is truly worth it, I hope this book gives you some answers.
I can’t guarantee success with this book, but I can tell you after reading these statements, two of my runners (Sara and Hayden) went on to win individual state championships in cross country at the end of that season. Each of them had to rally at the end of the race. Hayden had to hold off the state champion from the previous year while Sara had to pass the leader in the last 100 meters. Both wanted to end that race with no regrets and no if only’s. Together, they became the first male and female from the same school to win state titles in the largest classification in Louisiana in the same year.