For those of you who actually read my blog for something other than the cross country analysis, I am going to start with something other than cross country analysis.
This week was test week. My first test of the semester in three classes, none of which would I consider a cakewalk. I feel that I rose to the occasion, however. I know I managed an A- in Nutrition, and I'm thinking As are also going to be the result in Intro to Exercise Science and Fundamentals of Fitness. I'm thoroughly enjoying everything I'm learning in these classes, and I think it is fairly easy to say that I chose the right major. Occasionally, I wish the classes were a bit more in depth in the physiology area, less in the clinical fitness area.
Also, I decided to get adventurous with food today. I went to Noodles and Company, a restaurant I would recommend to just about anyone, and ordered some Pad Thai. Now, some of you, I'm sure, are looking at this and wondering what in the world Pad Thai is. Some of you are probably wrinkling your noses. Allow me to describe it. Think lo mein in a a sweet sauce, cooked up with red and white cabbage, carrots, peanuts, sprouts, and (here it comes) scrambled eggs. I assure you, it is delicious. It does smell pretty funky, however. I was almost disgusted by the smell, but as soon as I began eating it, I was satisfied with my order.
Also, I may have bitten off a bit more than I can chew this week. I contacted the WSU SGA with the topic of a potential smoking ban on campus. Now, while I usually take a fairly "hands off" type of attitude towards government, I feel like this is something that should be looked into. What I want is a compromise; a specific area on campus smokers can go to light up that won't bother the rest of us. However, with no one to enforce these rules, it is all or nothing- you can smoke just about anywhere, or nowhere. I would prefer nowhere. If I'm sitting on a bench birdwatching, reading, or doing nothing, I'm not bothering anyone. If I'm sitting on a bench smoking, I'm bothering people sitting around me or walking past me, especially if they have allergies. I am very tired of long walks across campus stuck behind someone smoking, choking on it the whole way from Ahlberg to Heskett. I respect their freedom, but I think my freedom to breathe trumps their freedom to smoke. I would like you guys to weigh in, as I will be writing a report and potentially garnering student body support for the issue when it could potentially appear before the student senate.
Now comes the cross country part!
This week, many teams will truly be tested for just what they're worth. The Rim Rock Classic goes on at Lawrence, and I expect to see some truly great battles across the board.
But first, let's review last weekend.
Baldwin Invitational
Holy cow... so much to say about this meet. I think the proper place to begin is with the most obvious: Alli Cash is something special. 13:16. Fastest time I have ever seen in Kansas for a girls' 4K. She led her team to a 2nd place finish behind the juggernaut that is St. Thomas Aquinas. All 7 runners under 16:00? I think I see the best team in 5A. Also worth mentioning is Baldwin. They seemed far stronger than they did at Wamego, and I see 4A getting very interesting, assuming Maize South (who performed very well at their meet this week as well) stays in 4A. On the Boys' side of things, Aquinas and Baldwin both looked stronger than they have in their other performances this season, but Baldwin doesn't have as much depth as I think they need to win 4A.
Bonner Springs Invitational
THIS is the meet I was really excited to blog about. Can you say DeSoto? Considering I was given confirmation that the course was meticulously measured, we can say that these times are at least somewhat reliable. These guys won't go that fast at State, which is what matters, but I think they have massive potential for stud power to work some miracles with Angel Vasquez and Luis Murillo up front. Keep in mind that Murillo is only a freshman... I don't know that I've ever seen a freshman in Kansas run 16:16 on a legit course. Also looking strong was 5A team Mill Valley. They've been gradually improving over the years, and I think they'll eventually be a strong contender. In the girls' race, I am almost entirely going to skip Mill Valley, despite the fact that they won by 4 over Hayden. Those girls looked very strong, and backed up their performance this week at Tonganoxie. Throw in St. James Academy and Paola... plus the Baker twins of Lansing... and you had one heck of a solid meet.
Southeast Invitational
In other news, I found that Wichita North FINALLY looked like the team everyone claims that they are. The course is a little easier than last week's, but not that much faster (if faster at all) than the RAFT. So, I see that they are improving, which is another key to success in 6A. I think they are close to something special here. I also want to add that Maize looked less than spectacular compared to their showing last week at Emporia. On the girls' side, I was disappointed that Maize was unable to run with Bishop Carroll. Not that I want Carroll to lose, I merely wanted an interesting race.
Now, on to some Rim Rock preview.
Boys' Blue Division
I look forward to seeing how Andale's Jacob Wallace fairs on this tougher-than-average course, and what kind of race he has against Drew Baum of Labette County. The battle between 3A contenders Wellsville and Wichita Independent is worth keeping tabs on, too.
Boys' Red Division
Mulvane, Wamego, Topeka Seaman, and upstart Mill Valley, plus individuals Brandon Lewis (Derby), Cory Donley (Sacred Heart), and Oscar Carmona (Dodge City) look to impress as well.
Boys' Gold Division
All the big dogs come out to play- Baldwin, Bishop Carroll, Aquinas, Wichita North, and DeSoto are the teams that particularly interest me. Although, I can't help but wonder why the heck Winfield is competing in that division...
Girls' Blue Division
Ellinwood, Norton, and individuals Elise Larson of Andover and Michaela Ozier of Labette County are really all I am watching in this division.
Girls' Red Division
Maize South, DeSoto, Mill Valley, Valley Center, and the Baker twins? Yes please!
Girls' Gold Division
Aquinas. Carroll. Baldwin. Shawnee Mission West. Clash of the Titans? Almost. I'm also interested in seeing how Garden City performs and just how fast Alli Cash will run. But again... how did Winfield make that field?
Well, that's all folks. I'll be waiting for the results to come in from the big meet this weekend, and I'll be looking for your opinions on the WSU smoking issue. Hit me up with comments, please!
Au revoir!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Here We Go Again
Before we get started today, I just want to say that there will only be one meme in today's post.
But lots of cross country! That's right, the season has begun again!!!
I'm not sure where to start... this week featured one of the great speedways of Kansas cross country, the Hesston Invitational, and this weekend was huge with the Wamego Invitational, Wichita Wild Wind Cross Country Festival, and the Emporia Invitational. All of these meets showcase teams that I think will make a big impact this year. I'll begin with the little guys.
2A
Ellinwood boys and girls looked very strong, although that Hesston course is very, very fast.
3A
Douglass girls looked strong yet again this year. Norton looked solid as well, competition-wise, but given the time performances, I don't think they will have a shot of matching up with the Bulldogs. I'll need to look at it a bit more this year, but I think Douglass rolls to a repeat.
Wichita Independent boys looked decent... 3A isn't usually very strong in boys XC, so it isn't easy to determine, especially this early in the season, just how good they are.
4A
Here's where I have my heyday. This is my area of expertise! Let's cut to the chase and talk State favorites. You've got to say Wamego is the favorite to repeat on the boys' side. They looked phenomenal at their home meet. They put six runners under 18 minutes, which is awesome for that course at this point in the season. While Jordan Routh is a worthy number one, he isn't of the same caliber as the number one of men many teams that have won state titles over the years. That makes the team Rick Patton has put together that much more impressive.
But, the question arises... who is the next best team in 4A? Well, based on the Wamego Invitational... it's a toss-up. Mulvane appears to have risen back into redemption form after not qualifying for State last year. Ren Bean contributed a time that would have won most years, but the 16:04 that individual favorite Angel Vasquez put down sets Mr. Bean in the runner-up position. DeSoto looks stronger than they have in a couple of years, and the stud effect will certainly help them. Hugoton, Baldwin, and Andale all three look very strong, but they lack depth, meaning no number five. This places them on a different tier than the other teams that I've mentioned.
On the female side of things... the enrollment figures will play as much of a roll in deciding the State champion as the actual performance. Maize South has to be the favorite this year, but the catch is that they were one of the largest 4A schools, and have a good chance to make 5A this year. That would make 5A a madhouse, of course, but we'll get to that later. Should the Mavericks join the 5A ranks, I think Baldwin becomes your favorite. Later in the season, Topeka Hayden and St. James Academy could make a case as well, but right now, they aren't deep. The Wildcats will hopefully not suffer the same epic choke that they endured at last year's Regional meet, and St. James tends to pull something out of their proverbial hat from time to time. So, we'll see what happens as more runners get into shape. Honestly, right there with these two teams is surprise team of the year, Wichita Trinity. The only issue with the Knights is that if there is a single injury or illness, they are done for. They only go 5 deep. Paola also looks like they could make the battle for top 3 very interesting, based on the way they raced Hayden in Week 1.
5A
Bishop Carroll looks good again, what else is new, but I don't think their ladies win this year. Saint Thomas Aquinas looks like your definite favorites on the women's side of things. The Golden Eagle men, on the other hand, probably will be repeat champions. Valley Center looks especially strong on the girls' side this season as well. Look for them to compete well down the stretch. Also, the amount of returning individual female medalists is noteworthy... 10 from the Wichita area alone.
6A
Wichita North boys looked better this week, but still don't impress me much. There is a lot of local media hype surrounding them, and they call themselves the "Fab Four..." that's all the deeper they go, in my opinion. Four good runners. That doesn't do much in 6A.
Manhattan girls looked strong at the Emporia Invitational, as did Maize. They both look to place highly at State this year. In fact, both boys' teams look very good as well.
Alli Cash's performance at the Greg Wilson Classic is also noteworthy... 13:46... that is a phenomenal performance, and I don't think the question is if she will win State, but rather how fast she will go in doing so.
All in all, that's my blog for the week. On my way out, I want to leave you with this lovely image.
But lots of cross country! That's right, the season has begun again!!!
I'm not sure where to start... this week featured one of the great speedways of Kansas cross country, the Hesston Invitational, and this weekend was huge with the Wamego Invitational, Wichita Wild Wind Cross Country Festival, and the Emporia Invitational. All of these meets showcase teams that I think will make a big impact this year. I'll begin with the little guys.
2A
Ellinwood boys and girls looked very strong, although that Hesston course is very, very fast.
3A
Douglass girls looked strong yet again this year. Norton looked solid as well, competition-wise, but given the time performances, I don't think they will have a shot of matching up with the Bulldogs. I'll need to look at it a bit more this year, but I think Douglass rolls to a repeat.
Wichita Independent boys looked decent... 3A isn't usually very strong in boys XC, so it isn't easy to determine, especially this early in the season, just how good they are.
4A
Here's where I have my heyday. This is my area of expertise! Let's cut to the chase and talk State favorites. You've got to say Wamego is the favorite to repeat on the boys' side. They looked phenomenal at their home meet. They put six runners under 18 minutes, which is awesome for that course at this point in the season. While Jordan Routh is a worthy number one, he isn't of the same caliber as the number one of men many teams that have won state titles over the years. That makes the team Rick Patton has put together that much more impressive.
But, the question arises... who is the next best team in 4A? Well, based on the Wamego Invitational... it's a toss-up. Mulvane appears to have risen back into redemption form after not qualifying for State last year. Ren Bean contributed a time that would have won most years, but the 16:04 that individual favorite Angel Vasquez put down sets Mr. Bean in the runner-up position. DeSoto looks stronger than they have in a couple of years, and the stud effect will certainly help them. Hugoton, Baldwin, and Andale all three look very strong, but they lack depth, meaning no number five. This places them on a different tier than the other teams that I've mentioned.
On the female side of things... the enrollment figures will play as much of a roll in deciding the State champion as the actual performance. Maize South has to be the favorite this year, but the catch is that they were one of the largest 4A schools, and have a good chance to make 5A this year. That would make 5A a madhouse, of course, but we'll get to that later. Should the Mavericks join the 5A ranks, I think Baldwin becomes your favorite. Later in the season, Topeka Hayden and St. James Academy could make a case as well, but right now, they aren't deep. The Wildcats will hopefully not suffer the same epic choke that they endured at last year's Regional meet, and St. James tends to pull something out of their proverbial hat from time to time. So, we'll see what happens as more runners get into shape. Honestly, right there with these two teams is surprise team of the year, Wichita Trinity. The only issue with the Knights is that if there is a single injury or illness, they are done for. They only go 5 deep. Paola also looks like they could make the battle for top 3 very interesting, based on the way they raced Hayden in Week 1.
5A
Bishop Carroll looks good again, what else is new, but I don't think their ladies win this year. Saint Thomas Aquinas looks like your definite favorites on the women's side of things. The Golden Eagle men, on the other hand, probably will be repeat champions. Valley Center looks especially strong on the girls' side this season as well. Look for them to compete well down the stretch. Also, the amount of returning individual female medalists is noteworthy... 10 from the Wichita area alone.
6A
Wichita North boys looked better this week, but still don't impress me much. There is a lot of local media hype surrounding them, and they call themselves the "Fab Four..." that's all the deeper they go, in my opinion. Four good runners. That doesn't do much in 6A.
Manhattan girls looked strong at the Emporia Invitational, as did Maize. They both look to place highly at State this year. In fact, both boys' teams look very good as well.
Alli Cash's performance at the Greg Wilson Classic is also noteworthy... 13:46... that is a phenomenal performance, and I don't think the question is if she will win State, but rather how fast she will go in doing so.
All in all, that's my blog for the week. On my way out, I want to leave you with this lovely image.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Otter Chaos
This edition of ALTF shall be
Why? Because I have very little to write about, but I feel like posting something. I guess I could talk about school, but it is so mundane... I enjoy WSU quite a bit, and I love my major, but the downside is that I haven't had homework very often, so when I have been assigned some, I haven't been very motivated to finish it. Ah well.
I think a better use of this blog would be posting memes... why? Because I can. I think I know what you're thinking.
To which I respond:
And by now, you're probably thinking:
Okay, okay. I'll get back on topic. Cross country season has begun!
I attended last weekend's JK Gold Classic at the RAFT near Augusta. The high school meet wasn't as competitive as it has been in past years, but I did see two things especially worth mentioning:
Maize South girls kicked some butt. I think they might be the 4A favorites this year, assuming they stay classified as such (5A isn't much of a stretch). It's really hard to tell how good the other teams in 4A are until Wamego (next weekend) and Rim Rock, but they ran as a very solid pack, and could easily improve throughout the season.
Wichita Trinity girls surprised me with their second place finish. I think that they could be a potential surprise team, possibly even (dare I say it?) a state qualifier. Again, it is early. It's hard to say how much they'll improve throughout the season, or what kind of injuries may occur, or what other teams in their region might be good.
Wichita North boys ran well, but I don't think they look quite as strong as they did last season. Although, like I said, it is very early in the season.
I want to give a shout-out to Wichita State University, who performed very well. I also want to thank Casey Nightengale, whose hairstyle and beard allowed me the opportunity to utilize this meme:
I'm hoping to watch a few more meets in person this year, so maybe there will be more substance to the ol' blog this year. I don't have a lot more to talk about, really, umm...
And on that note, I bid thee farewell.
Why? Because I have very little to write about, but I feel like posting something. I guess I could talk about school, but it is so mundane... I enjoy WSU quite a bit, and I love my major, but the downside is that I haven't had homework very often, so when I have been assigned some, I haven't been very motivated to finish it. Ah well.
I think a better use of this blog would be posting memes... why? Because I can. I think I know what you're thinking.
To which I respond:
And by now, you're probably thinking:
Okay, okay. I'll get back on topic. Cross country season has begun!
I attended last weekend's JK Gold Classic at the RAFT near Augusta. The high school meet wasn't as competitive as it has been in past years, but I did see two things especially worth mentioning:
Maize South girls kicked some butt. I think they might be the 4A favorites this year, assuming they stay classified as such (5A isn't much of a stretch). It's really hard to tell how good the other teams in 4A are until Wamego (next weekend) and Rim Rock, but they ran as a very solid pack, and could easily improve throughout the season.
Wichita Trinity girls surprised me with their second place finish. I think that they could be a potential surprise team, possibly even (dare I say it?) a state qualifier. Again, it is early. It's hard to say how much they'll improve throughout the season, or what kind of injuries may occur, or what other teams in their region might be good.
Wichita North boys ran well, but I don't think they look quite as strong as they did last season. Although, like I said, it is very early in the season.
I want to give a shout-out to Wichita State University, who performed very well. I also want to thank Casey Nightengale, whose hairstyle and beard allowed me the opportunity to utilize this meme:
I'm hoping to watch a few more meets in person this year, so maybe there will be more substance to the ol' blog this year. I don't have a lot more to talk about, really, umm...
And on that note, I bid thee farewell.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The End of the Trail and Other Stupid Decisions
I would like to begin by letting you all know that I am rather silly. I make many decisions using what at the time seems like impeccable logic. Problem is, my logic is rather... un-impeccable? I suppose... from time to time. And today's adventure highlights that fact. I began today by deciding I wanted an adventure. That was my first mistake. I figured the best way of doing so was hopping on my bicycle. Now, here is where my logic becomes an issue.
I began considering just how far I needed to ride today... I settled on 20 miles. I have done it before, and it really isn't that far on a bicycle. So, I set out on a 20 mile bike ride in the general direction of Augusta. The weather was absolutely glorious, more like late September or early October than mid-August. But, being as we live in Kansas, there was one element of the weather that I had overlooked, the ever-present Kansas gale. I had made it about a mile out before I noticed, but, frankly, I couldn't tell what direction it was blowing from. You see, Kansas is one of the few places in this world where the wind can blow against you in three different directions at once. If you don't believe me, try going on a 10 mile run in March. You will believe.
Being silly as I am, I did not think about the fact that the wind was at my back as I pedaled south. I actually thought it was coming crossways (which it was, in fact... remember, 3 directions). I just assumed I was booking it over flat ground because I am a stud, not because 6'1 cyclists collect wind like a parasail. And, I was now in the boonies. No houses, which meant no farm dogs, no cars kicking up dust, and, which mattered very little at that moment, no trees. So, life was grand as I motored down the road. Well, save for one thing. While a 20 mile bike ride makes you feel quite manly, washboard roads remind you (painfully) of your manhood. That was my only complaint at the time.
My first encounter with dogs proved that I needed glasses. Seeing three boxers running towards the road, I braked and prepared to defend myself. Had I been observant, I would have noticed that there was a fence between us, and I had nothing to fear. After a few seconds of posturing with slobbering, maniacal canines, I realized that all was peachy, and continued my adventure. I watched kites wheeling overhead (the bird variety, not the kind little kids fly into trees), beheld trumpet vine's bright orange flowers, and loved the weather. I was in my element. Until the last thing I wanted to see appeared out of the corner of my vision.
You see, every dog breed was bred for a specific purpose. These breeds may not necessarily serve that purpose anymore, but physically, these dogs still possess the qualities to achieve said purpose. Once purpose of dogs belonging to the hound group is hunting. More specifically, sighthounds are bred to chase down basically anything they see moving (hence the name). However, since sighthounds are built for speed, they are often reedy, sinewy creatures (think greyhounds, whippets, saluki, etc.). That doesn't work super well if you're hunting something bigger than rabbits. Say, wolves.
If you know anything about dogs, you see where this is going. What I saw coming after me was the tallest of all dog breeds, built for speed and raw power, the Irish Wolfhound. For those of you that don't know anything about dogs, they look somewhat like this:
Fine. Not like that, either. But that would have been cool. Really, more like this, shown with a handler so you get an idea of size.
So, needless to say, I was scared pissless. The only thing both fast enough to catch me and big enough to do me serious harm. Luckily, he just wanted to play. Much like my dog, Thunder, he ran up to the side of the road, and stood there, wagging his tail and whining. I didn't want to risk him getting under my tires, thus causing a wreck, so I took an alternate route home.
And... there is another decision that COULD have been bad, as highlighted to me by a bad decision that I had made a few nights prior to that. See, a few nights before, I had been unable to sleep and turned on my television. What I watched was about 10 minutes or so of "Final Destination." Yeah... that was a bad idea. And as I was riding down another road, what do I see? An old, worndown sign marking "The End of the Trail Ranch." Well... great. I was going to die in a freak accident in the middle or rural Butler County. Magnificent. I told myself I was being silly. But as I approached the stop sign, my breaks made an awful squealing sound, waking up the dogs in the yard of a rundown doublewide...
The term "speed born of desperation" had never rung truer. Despite moving uphill, into the wind, I put on quite the epic turn of speed. However, I had no reason to do so. They were the same incarcerated boxers I had seen earlier in another part of the yard. So, I wasted a lot of energy on an unnecessary sprint. Go figure. The next several miles were horrid, battling the wind without any sort of windblock (remember, I said no trees). I don't why I chose a windy day to ride 20 miles on a mountain bike. But I did. And I eventually made it home, without further incident.
I'm not really sure what the moral of this story is. But I think it might have been one worth telling.
I began considering just how far I needed to ride today... I settled on 20 miles. I have done it before, and it really isn't that far on a bicycle. So, I set out on a 20 mile bike ride in the general direction of Augusta. The weather was absolutely glorious, more like late September or early October than mid-August. But, being as we live in Kansas, there was one element of the weather that I had overlooked, the ever-present Kansas gale. I had made it about a mile out before I noticed, but, frankly, I couldn't tell what direction it was blowing from. You see, Kansas is one of the few places in this world where the wind can blow against you in three different directions at once. If you don't believe me, try going on a 10 mile run in March. You will believe.
Being silly as I am, I did not think about the fact that the wind was at my back as I pedaled south. I actually thought it was coming crossways (which it was, in fact... remember, 3 directions). I just assumed I was booking it over flat ground because I am a stud, not because 6'1 cyclists collect wind like a parasail. And, I was now in the boonies. No houses, which meant no farm dogs, no cars kicking up dust, and, which mattered very little at that moment, no trees. So, life was grand as I motored down the road. Well, save for one thing. While a 20 mile bike ride makes you feel quite manly, washboard roads remind you (painfully) of your manhood. That was my only complaint at the time.
My first encounter with dogs proved that I needed glasses. Seeing three boxers running towards the road, I braked and prepared to defend myself. Had I been observant, I would have noticed that there was a fence between us, and I had nothing to fear. After a few seconds of posturing with slobbering, maniacal canines, I realized that all was peachy, and continued my adventure. I watched kites wheeling overhead (the bird variety, not the kind little kids fly into trees), beheld trumpet vine's bright orange flowers, and loved the weather. I was in my element. Until the last thing I wanted to see appeared out of the corner of my vision.
You see, every dog breed was bred for a specific purpose. These breeds may not necessarily serve that purpose anymore, but physically, these dogs still possess the qualities to achieve said purpose. Once purpose of dogs belonging to the hound group is hunting. More specifically, sighthounds are bred to chase down basically anything they see moving (hence the name). However, since sighthounds are built for speed, they are often reedy, sinewy creatures (think greyhounds, whippets, saluki, etc.). That doesn't work super well if you're hunting something bigger than rabbits. Say, wolves.
If you know anything about dogs, you see where this is going. What I saw coming after me was the tallest of all dog breeds, built for speed and raw power, the Irish Wolfhound. For those of you that don't know anything about dogs, they look somewhat like this:
Okay, not really. More like this.
Fine. Not like that, either. But that would have been cool. Really, more like this, shown with a handler so you get an idea of size.
So, needless to say, I was scared pissless. The only thing both fast enough to catch me and big enough to do me serious harm. Luckily, he just wanted to play. Much like my dog, Thunder, he ran up to the side of the road, and stood there, wagging his tail and whining. I didn't want to risk him getting under my tires, thus causing a wreck, so I took an alternate route home.
And... there is another decision that COULD have been bad, as highlighted to me by a bad decision that I had made a few nights prior to that. See, a few nights before, I had been unable to sleep and turned on my television. What I watched was about 10 minutes or so of "Final Destination." Yeah... that was a bad idea. And as I was riding down another road, what do I see? An old, worndown sign marking "The End of the Trail Ranch." Well... great. I was going to die in a freak accident in the middle or rural Butler County. Magnificent. I told myself I was being silly. But as I approached the stop sign, my breaks made an awful squealing sound, waking up the dogs in the yard of a rundown doublewide...
The term "speed born of desperation" had never rung truer. Despite moving uphill, into the wind, I put on quite the epic turn of speed. However, I had no reason to do so. They were the same incarcerated boxers I had seen earlier in another part of the yard. So, I wasted a lot of energy on an unnecessary sprint. Go figure. The next several miles were horrid, battling the wind without any sort of windblock (remember, I said no trees). I don't why I chose a windy day to ride 20 miles on a mountain bike. But I did. And I eventually made it home, without further incident.
I'm not really sure what the moral of this story is. But I think it might have been one worth telling.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Running Adventures, the Best Sandwich EVER, and The Classic Crime!
It comes as no surprise to most of you, I'm sure, that I thoroughly enjoy running. For many reasons, to be honest with you. But the last three days have provided me with the perfect examples of why I love getting out and plugging away for a few miles.
Tuesday morning, I set out at 5:45 AM. It was still dark, and as I reached Main Street in Towanda, there was a brilliant green flash. I looked to the sky and watched a large object burning green descending towards the horizon. There was no bang, leading me to conclude this was no firework. Of course, as my Physics instructor led me to believe, it was most like a piece of space junk, but this is still a fairly rare sight.
Not much later, I saw a tree in a soybean field that looked suspsicious. I watched it as I passed. Suddenly, it came to me that it wasn't a tree. I grunted at it, and the largest 12+ point buck I have ever seen turned his head to look at me. I was in a near state of shock. This was bigger than many of the deer I have watched professionals take on television.
Mere meters down the road, something growled unhappily at me from the cover of a treeline. I had been growled at from that spot before, and I am growing more and more curious as to what is hiding in there.
Yesterday, while running in El Dorado, I was moving west on Sixth Street when I came to an intersection. There was a red sedan stopped at the stop sign, and a truck coming down the road. Figuring the car had to stay stopped until the coming truck passed, I proceeded to run across. Either the driver of the car did not see the truck or thought she could beat it, as she floored it.
Never having had the greatest athletic ability, I conclude that God must have instantaneously inspired me, as I not only reacted immediately, but managed to hurdle the hood of the coming car (not the best form, but I didn't make contact at all). I'm not sure the driver ever actually saw me, but I was somewhat impressed with my response.
This morning's events weren't quite as interesting, but were amusing to me, and truly a Kansas sight. I can hear a shrill siren in the distance. I have no idea what I'm hearing, and I'm beginning to get a little anxious. Even more so when I see several trucks parked at a corner up ahead. But it suddenly becomes clear what's going on when two men on horse gallup past. At the corner, I see a handful of men and an Australian shepherd driving about 20 head of cattle down the road. The siren, I would later learn, is a pretty common tactic for getting cattle to follow you or to come in for feed. One of the horsemen good-naturedly suggested I alter my route, as they would be driving the cattle for about 3 miles. I agreed that this was a good idea. He then asked if I would consider a race. Of course, he would win, I pointed out, to which he replied, "Well, with that attitude..."
Now. Changing gears altogether. I have discovered the best sandwich in Kansas. It lives in Towanda. That's right, Towanda has something worth bragging about. The little-known sandwich and coffee joint on Main Street, HeBrews, is home to the Santa Fe Chicken, an impossibly delicious little creation featuring bacon and smoked chicken. Need I say more? HeBrews also features phenomenal reubens, ice cream, teas, coffees, etc. IF ever in the sprawling metropolis of Towanda, KS, you MUST try it out. You won't be disappointed.
Now, my final order of business is one that most of you care even less about than the other tidbits. My favorite band, The Classic Crime, is releasing a new album in less than a month. I am highly excited about this. I have listened to the preview, and the sound is distinct from the other albums. That is something interesting about TCC; every successive album has a differing sound from the previous one, meaning that we can identify which album any given song is from simply by the sound. I think it's pretty cool. I look forward to Phoenix going on sale, because that is some money I am very willing a ready to spend.
Well, until next time folks. G'day.
Tuesday morning, I set out at 5:45 AM. It was still dark, and as I reached Main Street in Towanda, there was a brilliant green flash. I looked to the sky and watched a large object burning green descending towards the horizon. There was no bang, leading me to conclude this was no firework. Of course, as my Physics instructor led me to believe, it was most like a piece of space junk, but this is still a fairly rare sight.
Not much later, I saw a tree in a soybean field that looked suspsicious. I watched it as I passed. Suddenly, it came to me that it wasn't a tree. I grunted at it, and the largest 12+ point buck I have ever seen turned his head to look at me. I was in a near state of shock. This was bigger than many of the deer I have watched professionals take on television.
Mere meters down the road, something growled unhappily at me from the cover of a treeline. I had been growled at from that spot before, and I am growing more and more curious as to what is hiding in there.
Yesterday, while running in El Dorado, I was moving west on Sixth Street when I came to an intersection. There was a red sedan stopped at the stop sign, and a truck coming down the road. Figuring the car had to stay stopped until the coming truck passed, I proceeded to run across. Either the driver of the car did not see the truck or thought she could beat it, as she floored it.
Never having had the greatest athletic ability, I conclude that God must have instantaneously inspired me, as I not only reacted immediately, but managed to hurdle the hood of the coming car (not the best form, but I didn't make contact at all). I'm not sure the driver ever actually saw me, but I was somewhat impressed with my response.
This morning's events weren't quite as interesting, but were amusing to me, and truly a Kansas sight. I can hear a shrill siren in the distance. I have no idea what I'm hearing, and I'm beginning to get a little anxious. Even more so when I see several trucks parked at a corner up ahead. But it suddenly becomes clear what's going on when two men on horse gallup past. At the corner, I see a handful of men and an Australian shepherd driving about 20 head of cattle down the road. The siren, I would later learn, is a pretty common tactic for getting cattle to follow you or to come in for feed. One of the horsemen good-naturedly suggested I alter my route, as they would be driving the cattle for about 3 miles. I agreed that this was a good idea. He then asked if I would consider a race. Of course, he would win, I pointed out, to which he replied, "Well, with that attitude..."
Now. Changing gears altogether. I have discovered the best sandwich in Kansas. It lives in Towanda. That's right, Towanda has something worth bragging about. The little-known sandwich and coffee joint on Main Street, HeBrews, is home to the Santa Fe Chicken, an impossibly delicious little creation featuring bacon and smoked chicken. Need I say more? HeBrews also features phenomenal reubens, ice cream, teas, coffees, etc. IF ever in the sprawling metropolis of Towanda, KS, you MUST try it out. You won't be disappointed.
Now, my final order of business is one that most of you care even less about than the other tidbits. My favorite band, The Classic Crime, is releasing a new album in less than a month. I am highly excited about this. I have listened to the preview, and the sound is distinct from the other albums. That is something interesting about TCC; every successive album has a differing sound from the previous one, meaning that we can identify which album any given song is from simply by the sound. I think it's pretty cool. I look forward to Phoenix going on sale, because that is some money I am very willing a ready to spend.
Well, until next time folks. G'day.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Joplin
When I first learned that I would be traveling to Joplin, Missouri as part of my job as track coach at the El Dorado YMCA, I was very, very, excited for a variety of reasons. I love traveling to begin with, and this was my first solo road trip. I enjoy working with track athletes, as well. Last but not least, I was in Joplin about a year ago cleaning up after the catastrophic tornado. I wanted to see how things had developed since then.
I made careful preparations for the trip, my left-brain tendencies showing strongly as I utilized a list so as not to forget anything. I studied Google Maps, locating anyplace I thought I might want to go. Also, showcasing my maleness, I packed three days' worth of stuff into an overnight bag. Typical. After a nice, easy run and breakfast, I was on the road.
I am a fairly patient individual, and a three or three and a half hour drive is nothing to me, especially while singing at the top of my lungs to my iPod. Beyond that, I kept myself from boredom by counting the number of hybrid cars (especially Prius) that I passed on Highway 400, and throwing the occasional glance at the gorgeous scenery all around me. Southeast Kansas is truly a beautiful place, with hills, glens, and woodland, almost Ozark-like.
Upon arriving in Joplin, the first thing I noticed was the fact that gas prices are about 20-30 cents cheaper than they are here. The next thing I noticed was the neat downtown district. The next thing was the most prominent- angry, hectic traffic. I didn't do much looking around as I drove through Joplin, fearing the traffic around me as it moved about 10 mph above the speed limit. For a town of 50,000 or so, and a metro of 175,000 or so, the traffic was wild. Wichita doesn't even have that wild of traffic at rush hour on Rock Road.
My first stop was for lunch at McAllister's Deli, where I had a reuben and some of their famous sweet tea. I managed to grab the last table availible and enjoyed my meal. I would later learn that the environment in McAllister's was the way it would be in many restaurants in Joplin- crowded and loud. There seemed to be far more tables crammed into small spaces than anywhere I'd ever eaten before, and every restaurant in town seemed busier than anyplace in Wichita is on an average weekend.
After lunch, I checked into my hotel, the LaQuinta. It was a very large hotel, and very busy, being the official hotel of the AAU Region 16 championships. I had never had a room to myself, and looked forward to being able to set up how I wanted, watch what TV I wanted, and go to bed when I wanted. Overall, the hotel was pretty nice. The online reviews I had read said that it was very nice, except for less than satisfactory breakfast. This I found to be untrue. I had delicious eggs scrambled with green peppers and cheese, rye toast, and sausage, all of which more than met my lofty standards. The second day, I only had time to snag a chocolate oat muffin, which was also very good.
The first day, I only had two athletes competing, both long jumpers, and I was pleased when one young girl won her event with a big personal best- my first national qualifier. By the time the weekend was over, I had 6 of them altogether, a couple of them with multiple events. I was very pleased with everyone's performance, given the oppressive heat. Although, the meet served a little something-something to help manage the heat- Italian Ice. I had one both days- mango the first, pina colada the second. Both were terrific. Blue Raspberry seemed to be the most popular flavor, judging by the multitude of blue-lipped children running around. Overall, as far as the meet goes, I was very pleased with how it was run, and the way the parents of my athletes were so supportive. It was a terrific experience for me, and for the children. Something about being in charge, in addition to making the trip by myself, staying by myself, and being in charge of my own meal and shopping decisions made me feel like I had grown up about three years in a matter of three days.
And those meal decisions are worth mentioning. The first night, I walked the whole 50 yards down the street to a seafood buffet called Ocean Restaurant, uncertain of what to expect. A $10.99 all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, complete with crab, mussel, shrimp, oyster, and some traditional Asian dishes, was what greeted me. For seafood, that is good deal. And it was pretty good as well. The second night was the more interesting of my eating experiences. My director took me to discuss the events of the day over some pizza. The establishment was an Irish pub in the downtown district called Black Thorn. To be honest, I wasn't sure how good pizza from an Irish pub could be, but it was an Irish pub, so I wasn't going to complain. Now, when we walked in, there was plenty of Paddy Punk being blared over the speakers, and almost every guy inside had tattoos, gauged ears, a vest, and a handlebar mustache. All the women were also heavily tatted, and the locally brewed porter was strongly represented all around us. But what really drew people in was the pizza. And it was phenomenal. We had a Honey BBQ pizza, with real honey on it, with chicken and tomatoes, and it was phenomenal. The other one we ordered was called the Healthy Hippie, and it was covered with spinach, various varieties of olives, peppers, and chicken, along with feta cheese. It was truly amazing.
Back tracking a bit, I want to touch on the most powerful aspect of this whole trip- the fact that I was returning to a town that had been completely ravaged the last time I had been there. It certainly doesn't look as decimated as it did, but it is still eerie in a way. The trees still don't look right. Condemned buildings still stand abandoned, often between two newly built houses. Foundations of businesses can be seen in some places, and the remains of power poles are stacked in vacant lots.
I wanted to find the house that my friends from Hope and I had worked on, but we were unable to come up with the address. Well, God led me to it. I rose very early on Saturday morning to set out on a seven mile run. I jogged along easily in the humid dawn, and jogged past a road by a full 40 yards before deciding, for some reason, to turn back and run down that road. Finding this house was the furthest thing from my mind, as I was thinking about... well, my thoughts while running are my own. But I assure you that I wasn't trying to find this house. Anyway, I ended up coming into that neighborhood by the back way, and found the house sitting on the corner. When I saw it, the realization hit me like a load of bricks, and I immediately began to pray, thanking God for not only what I saw, but just for finding it for me. The house that had been reduced to a bathroom and two walls just a year ago was completely finished, and beautiful, and in fact, better than it had been prior to the storm. I was in awe that God could bring about a recovery so quickly. In fact, the two other houses on that cul-de-sac that had been destroyed were also now standing. Encouraged, I continued up Wisconsin and eventually came across the high school, or where it used to be. Sitting in front of the pile of rubble was the now famous sign. As corny as it sounds, it was extremely inspirational to see in person. For those of you who don't know, the sign originally read "Joplin" in large letter. The twister left only the "op." Somebody, using a can of blue spray paint, added a couple of letters, and the sign now reads "Hope." I think that there is a lot to that sign.
This had a big effect on my, showing how faithful God truly is. I hope to go back to Joplin several more times in the future, for the AAU meet, for the Southern Stampede, maybe for the tornado's memorial run, maybe merely passing through on my way to places like Branson. Who knows, perhaps I will live in the area someday? What I do know is that all of my most prominent Joplin memories will remind me of lessons God wanted me to learn. I was reflecting on this as I walked to my car after the track meet. I remembered that feeling, that spirit around my group as we worked together to help that family last summer, and felt a peace. That was when I noticed the young woman pushing her car. As I took over the pushing duties while she steered, I couldn't help but feel a connection to this town. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't home, but it will always hold a special place for me.
I made careful preparations for the trip, my left-brain tendencies showing strongly as I utilized a list so as not to forget anything. I studied Google Maps, locating anyplace I thought I might want to go. Also, showcasing my maleness, I packed three days' worth of stuff into an overnight bag. Typical. After a nice, easy run and breakfast, I was on the road.
I am a fairly patient individual, and a three or three and a half hour drive is nothing to me, especially while singing at the top of my lungs to my iPod. Beyond that, I kept myself from boredom by counting the number of hybrid cars (especially Prius) that I passed on Highway 400, and throwing the occasional glance at the gorgeous scenery all around me. Southeast Kansas is truly a beautiful place, with hills, glens, and woodland, almost Ozark-like.
Upon arriving in Joplin, the first thing I noticed was the fact that gas prices are about 20-30 cents cheaper than they are here. The next thing I noticed was the neat downtown district. The next thing was the most prominent- angry, hectic traffic. I didn't do much looking around as I drove through Joplin, fearing the traffic around me as it moved about 10 mph above the speed limit. For a town of 50,000 or so, and a metro of 175,000 or so, the traffic was wild. Wichita doesn't even have that wild of traffic at rush hour on Rock Road.
My first stop was for lunch at McAllister's Deli, where I had a reuben and some of their famous sweet tea. I managed to grab the last table availible and enjoyed my meal. I would later learn that the environment in McAllister's was the way it would be in many restaurants in Joplin- crowded and loud. There seemed to be far more tables crammed into small spaces than anywhere I'd ever eaten before, and every restaurant in town seemed busier than anyplace in Wichita is on an average weekend.
After lunch, I checked into my hotel, the LaQuinta. It was a very large hotel, and very busy, being the official hotel of the AAU Region 16 championships. I had never had a room to myself, and looked forward to being able to set up how I wanted, watch what TV I wanted, and go to bed when I wanted. Overall, the hotel was pretty nice. The online reviews I had read said that it was very nice, except for less than satisfactory breakfast. This I found to be untrue. I had delicious eggs scrambled with green peppers and cheese, rye toast, and sausage, all of which more than met my lofty standards. The second day, I only had time to snag a chocolate oat muffin, which was also very good.
The first day, I only had two athletes competing, both long jumpers, and I was pleased when one young girl won her event with a big personal best- my first national qualifier. By the time the weekend was over, I had 6 of them altogether, a couple of them with multiple events. I was very pleased with everyone's performance, given the oppressive heat. Although, the meet served a little something-something to help manage the heat- Italian Ice. I had one both days- mango the first, pina colada the second. Both were terrific. Blue Raspberry seemed to be the most popular flavor, judging by the multitude of blue-lipped children running around. Overall, as far as the meet goes, I was very pleased with how it was run, and the way the parents of my athletes were so supportive. It was a terrific experience for me, and for the children. Something about being in charge, in addition to making the trip by myself, staying by myself, and being in charge of my own meal and shopping decisions made me feel like I had grown up about three years in a matter of three days.
And those meal decisions are worth mentioning. The first night, I walked the whole 50 yards down the street to a seafood buffet called Ocean Restaurant, uncertain of what to expect. A $10.99 all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, complete with crab, mussel, shrimp, oyster, and some traditional Asian dishes, was what greeted me. For seafood, that is good deal. And it was pretty good as well. The second night was the more interesting of my eating experiences. My director took me to discuss the events of the day over some pizza. The establishment was an Irish pub in the downtown district called Black Thorn. To be honest, I wasn't sure how good pizza from an Irish pub could be, but it was an Irish pub, so I wasn't going to complain. Now, when we walked in, there was plenty of Paddy Punk being blared over the speakers, and almost every guy inside had tattoos, gauged ears, a vest, and a handlebar mustache. All the women were also heavily tatted, and the locally brewed porter was strongly represented all around us. But what really drew people in was the pizza. And it was phenomenal. We had a Honey BBQ pizza, with real honey on it, with chicken and tomatoes, and it was phenomenal. The other one we ordered was called the Healthy Hippie, and it was covered with spinach, various varieties of olives, peppers, and chicken, along with feta cheese. It was truly amazing.
Back tracking a bit, I want to touch on the most powerful aspect of this whole trip- the fact that I was returning to a town that had been completely ravaged the last time I had been there. It certainly doesn't look as decimated as it did, but it is still eerie in a way. The trees still don't look right. Condemned buildings still stand abandoned, often between two newly built houses. Foundations of businesses can be seen in some places, and the remains of power poles are stacked in vacant lots.
I wanted to find the house that my friends from Hope and I had worked on, but we were unable to come up with the address. Well, God led me to it. I rose very early on Saturday morning to set out on a seven mile run. I jogged along easily in the humid dawn, and jogged past a road by a full 40 yards before deciding, for some reason, to turn back and run down that road. Finding this house was the furthest thing from my mind, as I was thinking about... well, my thoughts while running are my own. But I assure you that I wasn't trying to find this house. Anyway, I ended up coming into that neighborhood by the back way, and found the house sitting on the corner. When I saw it, the realization hit me like a load of bricks, and I immediately began to pray, thanking God for not only what I saw, but just for finding it for me. The house that had been reduced to a bathroom and two walls just a year ago was completely finished, and beautiful, and in fact, better than it had been prior to the storm. I was in awe that God could bring about a recovery so quickly. In fact, the two other houses on that cul-de-sac that had been destroyed were also now standing. Encouraged, I continued up Wisconsin and eventually came across the high school, or where it used to be. Sitting in front of the pile of rubble was the now famous sign. As corny as it sounds, it was extremely inspirational to see in person. For those of you who don't know, the sign originally read "Joplin" in large letter. The twister left only the "op." Somebody, using a can of blue spray paint, added a couple of letters, and the sign now reads "Hope." I think that there is a lot to that sign.
This had a big effect on my, showing how faithful God truly is. I hope to go back to Joplin several more times in the future, for the AAU meet, for the Southern Stampede, maybe for the tornado's memorial run, maybe merely passing through on my way to places like Branson. Who knows, perhaps I will live in the area someday? What I do know is that all of my most prominent Joplin memories will remind me of lessons God wanted me to learn. I was reflecting on this as I walked to my car after the track meet. I remembered that feeling, that spirit around my group as we worked together to help that family last summer, and felt a peace. That was when I noticed the young woman pushing her car. As I took over the pushing duties while she steered, I couldn't help but feel a connection to this town. It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't home, but it will always hold a special place for me.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Thoughts on Men and Lifting Heavy Things...
For my new job, I was taking a course of safe lifting practices in the workplace, and it occurred to me that this course really doesn't do any good. For men, anyway. I can't say with women; I have no idea how their minds operate. But guys, on the other hand... I get them, what with being one and all.
Now, why wouldn't this training work, you ask? Somebody spent several thousands of dollars developing this software program to warn employees of the dangers of improper lifting. And there is no two ways about it, improper lifting is extremely dangerous. People don't realize how delicate the human back really is, and it isn't something to be taken lightly, if you'll pardon the pun.
However... back injuries are not what men think of when faced with an object that needs moved. The injury that concerns them most is their pride. That's right, that fabled muscle every man posesses. If you don't believe it is a muscle, consider the following:
Pride grows, is described as strong, has the power to make things happen, can be hurt, looks good if toned, and looks disgusting if it is too large. Just like a bicep. Bam.
So, anyway, any man faced with a heavy object is also faced with the decision of injuring his back or his pride. Most men go for the back. It's not a conscious decision to injure their back; and often times the back is unharmed, anyway. Men think in terms of objective and solution. "What is the task at hand, and how can I complete it?" Details, unless they are Sherlock Holmes, do not matter. Here is a scenario to illustrate.
Jackie, the supervisor, only has one man on duty at her retail establishment. She has a large, awkwardly shaped table that a customer needs loaded into her van. Jackie knows that none of the women in the store can do it, and it could take three of them to do it tandem. She needs as many people on the floor as possible, so she calls Will to the front. She asks Will not if he WOULD carry the table, but if he CAN. If not, she could drop what she is doing, go all the way to the back of the store, and get the hand cart to carry awkward megalith. What is going through Will's mind right now?
Challenge accepted.
Despite the fact that Will is violating every possible safety rule, he will heft the item. It will take him multiple tries to get ahold of it, and stand up, and get through the door, but dang it, he will succeed. The formula goes like this:
Heavy and/or awkward object+man=man will lift.
Some men (I can't deny being one) will seek out the most awkward items to carry/lift. It carries prestige. They brag about it. "Today at work, I lifted a 5-foot long, 57 lb table that was in our storeroom, while on a ladder, while reaching across a 3 foot gap. Meanwhile, the back door blew open and I was performing all of this in a hurricane-force wind. By myself."
Of course, no one is impressed by the actual feat of lifting. They're just amazed by the lengths we men go to to make ourselves look impressive, and the fact that we didn't die.
Now, why wouldn't this training work, you ask? Somebody spent several thousands of dollars developing this software program to warn employees of the dangers of improper lifting. And there is no two ways about it, improper lifting is extremely dangerous. People don't realize how delicate the human back really is, and it isn't something to be taken lightly, if you'll pardon the pun.
However... back injuries are not what men think of when faced with an object that needs moved. The injury that concerns them most is their pride. That's right, that fabled muscle every man posesses. If you don't believe it is a muscle, consider the following:
Pride grows, is described as strong, has the power to make things happen, can be hurt, looks good if toned, and looks disgusting if it is too large. Just like a bicep. Bam.
So, anyway, any man faced with a heavy object is also faced with the decision of injuring his back or his pride. Most men go for the back. It's not a conscious decision to injure their back; and often times the back is unharmed, anyway. Men think in terms of objective and solution. "What is the task at hand, and how can I complete it?" Details, unless they are Sherlock Holmes, do not matter. Here is a scenario to illustrate.
Jackie, the supervisor, only has one man on duty at her retail establishment. She has a large, awkwardly shaped table that a customer needs loaded into her van. Jackie knows that none of the women in the store can do it, and it could take three of them to do it tandem. She needs as many people on the floor as possible, so she calls Will to the front. She asks Will not if he WOULD carry the table, but if he CAN. If not, she could drop what she is doing, go all the way to the back of the store, and get the hand cart to carry awkward megalith. What is going through Will's mind right now?
Challenge accepted.
Despite the fact that Will is violating every possible safety rule, he will heft the item. It will take him multiple tries to get ahold of it, and stand up, and get through the door, but dang it, he will succeed. The formula goes like this:
Heavy and/or awkward object+man=man will lift.
Some men (I can't deny being one) will seek out the most awkward items to carry/lift. It carries prestige. They brag about it. "Today at work, I lifted a 5-foot long, 57 lb table that was in our storeroom, while on a ladder, while reaching across a 3 foot gap. Meanwhile, the back door blew open and I was performing all of this in a hurricane-force wind. By myself."
Of course, no one is impressed by the actual feat of lifting. They're just amazed by the lengths we men go to to make ourselves look impressive, and the fact that we didn't die.
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Sun Will Rise
This morning, I arrived in Towanda, KS at around 4:15 AM. I put a load of laundry in the wash and began unpacking my travel bag, which had served as my mobile bedroom for the past few days as the Butler Community College track team spent some time in Levelland, TX for the NJCAA National Track and Field Championships. As I began emptying out that old black Nike duffel bag, I began to feel very, very empty myself. I wasn't sure which was more pathetic: the old, deflated plastic excuse for luggage, or the tired, skinny kid staring at it. So, I decided one more run in the pitch morning blackness, as I had done countless times at Butler, could stave off the inescapable dull ache of realizing something is out of your reach.
I know I hadn't had sleep in 22 hours, and probably could have used it. I also knew it was pitch black. But I didn't care. I strapped on my headlamp and set out at 5:00 AM on a 3.5 mile run. No watch, No coaches. No expectations. Just me, my favorite pair of running shorts, favorite pair of training shoes, and the cutoff t-shirt from probably my most significant achievement in life, the Pelican Run. I took out nice and easy, and actually started to get nervous as I ran by the cemetery. Not only had I just watched Apollo 18 on the busride home, but I was also uncertain about the skunky odor permeating from the field across the street. But I decided to face my fears and keep moving forward. That was when something came over me that I will try my best to describe.
I began to pray, to thank God for the two years I have had at Butler. For the coaches that made the pain worth it. For the teammates that made me want to be a better runner and a better person. For the reminders that life isn't alway fair, and that we have to be thankful for what we're given. That life doesn't go the way you always think it ought to be, but when it does, we have someone to thank for it, someone to share it with. And when it doesn't go anywhere near the way we hope, we have someone there to pick us up and dust us off and make it worth it to at least have tried.
Suddenly, I was alone again, without my fears, without my doubts, beginning to leave the ache behind. Without the back pains that took my sophomore season away. Without the iron deficiencies that played head games with me in high school. Without any of my questions about whether or not I could handle a given pace. Without my own biological lack of talent and screwy biomechanics. And I took off. It was my last race. I was back in the moment, racing for the 5000m NJCAA Championship that had taken place 12 hours before. I cruised the first mile, completely devoid of thoughts, only images from the very race I had watched that afternoon. The second mile I remembered every failure, every race that didn't go how I wanted, every race where I took out like a bat out of hell to try to make up a gap I had no business working on, every practice I couldn't finish, every time a pretty little distance runner had jilted me, when I was sure a faster man would have had all the attention he could handle. Every time a teammate let me down, every time I let a teammate down, every time I let my coach down, every time I let myself down. I began to work it. And I didn't back down. Not from that point on. I didn't have any times to hit, any watch to provide a time, any runners physically there, pushing me. But as I turned to sprint down the final quarter mile stretch back to my house, and as the sun was rising over Towanda, I was leaving Kemoy Campbell in the wake of my own broken limitations, sprinting down my first, and last, championship.
I know I hadn't had sleep in 22 hours, and probably could have used it. I also knew it was pitch black. But I didn't care. I strapped on my headlamp and set out at 5:00 AM on a 3.5 mile run. No watch, No coaches. No expectations. Just me, my favorite pair of running shorts, favorite pair of training shoes, and the cutoff t-shirt from probably my most significant achievement in life, the Pelican Run. I took out nice and easy, and actually started to get nervous as I ran by the cemetery. Not only had I just watched Apollo 18 on the busride home, but I was also uncertain about the skunky odor permeating from the field across the street. But I decided to face my fears and keep moving forward. That was when something came over me that I will try my best to describe.
I began to pray, to thank God for the two years I have had at Butler. For the coaches that made the pain worth it. For the teammates that made me want to be a better runner and a better person. For the reminders that life isn't alway fair, and that we have to be thankful for what we're given. That life doesn't go the way you always think it ought to be, but when it does, we have someone to thank for it, someone to share it with. And when it doesn't go anywhere near the way we hope, we have someone there to pick us up and dust us off and make it worth it to at least have tried.
Suddenly, I was alone again, without my fears, without my doubts, beginning to leave the ache behind. Without the back pains that took my sophomore season away. Without the iron deficiencies that played head games with me in high school. Without any of my questions about whether or not I could handle a given pace. Without my own biological lack of talent and screwy biomechanics. And I took off. It was my last race. I was back in the moment, racing for the 5000m NJCAA Championship that had taken place 12 hours before. I cruised the first mile, completely devoid of thoughts, only images from the very race I had watched that afternoon. The second mile I remembered every failure, every race that didn't go how I wanted, every race where I took out like a bat out of hell to try to make up a gap I had no business working on, every practice I couldn't finish, every time a pretty little distance runner had jilted me, when I was sure a faster man would have had all the attention he could handle. Every time a teammate let me down, every time I let a teammate down, every time I let my coach down, every time I let myself down. I began to work it. And I didn't back down. Not from that point on. I didn't have any times to hit, any watch to provide a time, any runners physically there, pushing me. But as I turned to sprint down the final quarter mile stretch back to my house, and as the sun was rising over Towanda, I was leaving Kemoy Campbell in the wake of my own broken limitations, sprinting down my first, and last, championship.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Year's
Hey all! This is my first blog post of 2012. And feel like it is one that actually holds more importance for me than for you guys. You see, most people post notes on Facebook or blog about how horrible the last year has been and how they won't miss it and how the following year will be soooo much better. Well, let's be reallistic. People have a tendency to focus more on the negatives of anything than the positives. In prayer, we focus more on asking God to resolve the problems in life than we thank him for the good things that happen in life. When we're in high school (or junior college), we just want to get out, because we're "tired of all the crap" and can't wait for the next step. We ignore the good things in life. We seem to want to have the bad things, like it makes us look tough when we can "strive through the adversity" or something. Come on now. Our lives are far better than we make them out to be, and we'd realize that if we would just sit back and think about it. We have a sense of entitlement, it would seem, and we think everything should go our way, and when it doesn't, it sticks out in our memories, and we hate it for ruining our perfect existance.
Well, in honor of all the good things in life, instead of talking about how horrible 2011 was and how I am glad to leave it behind and how much better 2012 will be, I'm going to talk about all the great things that happened to me in 2011. I'm not ranking them, I'm just throwing them out as they come to mind.
Breaking 2:00 in the 800m. I ran 1:58.4 in crap conditions. It was a huge accomplishment, and went very well with the All-American medal my 4x800m relay team earned at indoor nationals.
Coming to Terms with Kansas. I realized that I actually love this place. As much as I had wanted to get away in the past, I actually do like it here. There is a wide variety of places to go, things to see, people to meet. It really is a great place. And I'll be perfectly happy here for the rest of my life if this is where God means for me to be.
Working at Kansas Sampler. Best job I've had so far. It's been great.
People- I've met some cool people this year. I'm not going to list them all, because I'll surely forget someone and hurt their feelings.
Growing Up- I've done quite a bit of growing up this year. I've learned a lot about people, places, responsibility... things are going well.
Learned How to Be a Distance Runner- Thanks to my injury (which we will not focus on), I didn't have the best XC season, but before that, I learned how to really be good at running long distances. That'll come in handy someday. It'll make road racing more fun in the future.
Became Cold-Resistant- The cold doesn't bother me much anymore. Thank God for that.
So, there you have it. Lots of good things came out of 2011. Lots more will come out of 2012. And I'll do my absolute best to focus on them so that next year's list will be even longer.
God bless you all, and Happy New Year's!
Well, in honor of all the good things in life, instead of talking about how horrible 2011 was and how I am glad to leave it behind and how much better 2012 will be, I'm going to talk about all the great things that happened to me in 2011. I'm not ranking them, I'm just throwing them out as they come to mind.
Breaking 2:00 in the 800m. I ran 1:58.4 in crap conditions. It was a huge accomplishment, and went very well with the All-American medal my 4x800m relay team earned at indoor nationals.
Coming to Terms with Kansas. I realized that I actually love this place. As much as I had wanted to get away in the past, I actually do like it here. There is a wide variety of places to go, things to see, people to meet. It really is a great place. And I'll be perfectly happy here for the rest of my life if this is where God means for me to be.
Working at Kansas Sampler. Best job I've had so far. It's been great.
People- I've met some cool people this year. I'm not going to list them all, because I'll surely forget someone and hurt their feelings.
Growing Up- I've done quite a bit of growing up this year. I've learned a lot about people, places, responsibility... things are going well.
Learned How to Be a Distance Runner- Thanks to my injury (which we will not focus on), I didn't have the best XC season, but before that, I learned how to really be good at running long distances. That'll come in handy someday. It'll make road racing more fun in the future.
Became Cold-Resistant- The cold doesn't bother me much anymore. Thank God for that.
So, there you have it. Lots of good things came out of 2011. Lots more will come out of 2012. And I'll do my absolute best to focus on them so that next year's list will be even longer.
God bless you all, and Happy New Year's!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)