Wildcats Head to Miller Woods
September 28, 2013

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. - With no race on the schedule, the Wildcats headed to Miller Woods for the now infamous “Hill 1981” workout followed by a brutal final climb to “The Bench.” A brief ten minute drive from Linfield, Miller Woods is a 130 acre property with 94 forested acres and 36 acres in pasture and hay land. You can find old growth trees, ponds and streams, great views of the Yamhill Valley, and of course, many miles of running trails.

“I don’t think there is any other location in the county with trails and scenery that rival Miller Woods,” stated Associate Head Coach Greg Mitchell. “It’s great to be hammering your way up the hills through a tunnel of branches with the morning sun just breaking through the trees and the only sound is the gasping breathing of you and your teammates. It’s a quintessential cross country training ground.”

Madison Trowbridge leads the varsity women up the final climb to "The Bench."

The workout involved running a hill circuit on a double-track access road that loops through a heavily forested area of the park. The athletes complete four to nine circuits – depending on gender and fitness – and then finish the workout off with a climb out of the wooded area and up to The Bench, which sits at the apex of a hill at the center of the park. The workout builds physical strength, but perhaps more importantly, tests the mental toughness of the athletes.

“It was a soul-searching kind of workout,” continued Mitchell. “The rain was falling. The wind was whipping through the trees. It was cold and muddy. Only each individual knows what kind of effort they put in. I hope at the end of the day, the athletes were able to answer the question: ‘What am I made of?'"

Tess Andresen takes some Miller Woods home with her after a muddy workout.