This past August marked a new and exciting partnership for Nate Hausman and La Vida’s Adirondack Program. With the support of Gordon’s Athletic Department, Patrick Rich and his runners from Gordon’s Cross Country (XC) team spent five days of pre-season training at La Vida’s base camp in Lake Clear, New York. Patrick, Head Coach of both the men’s and women’s XC teams, had spent significant time with Nate out on the roads and trails surrounding Gordon’s campus last spring running together and through those many miles, the idea came about to have the team spend the first few days of their season together at the base camp. This new collaboration is even more special for Nate since he ran for Gordon as a student in the 1990’s.
In total, almost 25 runners and coaches attended the pre-season training and as a result, it has already become a topic of conversation for the 2014 season. The goals of the time in New York were multifaceted, focusing both on physical training and conditioning for the upcoming season, but also making sure the team had time to spend together, forming the friendships that would serve as the foundation for a successful season. And, of course, there was plenty of excursions to Donnelly’s ice cream stand and swims down in McCauley Pond.
Both Nate and Patrick are hoping this can become a yearly tradition and with time, will become one of many aspects of being a Gordon XC team member that students remember for years to come.
