Wildcats Endure "Bench"-mark Workout at Miller Woods

September 27, 2014

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 mostly forested property. You can find old growth trees, ponds and streams, great views of the Yamhill Valley, and of course, many miles of running trails.

The Lady Cats attack the climb.

“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 fantastic 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 strained breathing of you and your teammates. It’s a quintessential cross country training ground.”

The Linfield men fly up the hill in a blur.

 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 five to seven circuits 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.

The men's team makes the final push to "The Bench."

“The workout was pretty tough, but running in Miller Woods is great,” stated freshman Lucas Hester. “I hope we get up there more often.”

The men's and women's teams cool down together after suffering together at Miller Woods.