Canyon County Track Meet - or not.

Today is an epic day, or maybe it won't be.  You see, I have been attending the Canyon County Classic, aka, Moke Strong Invitational at Caldwell High School and NNU Campus for many years.  The meet has changed venues and names over the years, but one thing has remained the same.  Canyon County Schools of all sizes are invited.  Owyhee, Payette, and Ada county schools are not.  The following significant events have occured during these meets.
Parma's Boys 4X200M Team set a school record.
A pipe broke and flooded the grass bleachers at the NNU facility.
Lightening hit the press box full of coaches and the meet was canceled.
Spencer's only fall happened on the last hurdle of the 300M.  Alas, what was going to be awesome resulted in a 7th place finish.

Today?  Anything could happen.  Brock and company could have an awesome medley relay or he could really rock his open 400M.  Or ... the storm brewing outside could cancel the meet. It's the Canyon County Classic.  One thing is for sure - it won't be boring!

And one more thing ... it's my last CCC as a mom.  My baby graduates this year!

Just Run, Write?

I have raised a family of runners. Now one might think that because I run and my offspring run they must have taken after me. Not so. In this case the egg really did come before the chicken. The truth is these Greens run because we are not good at sports requiring a lot of equipment, especially balls. Baseball, basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, and golf just have too many parts to coordinate. So we run … and we do math.

“But in order to run 400 meters in a minute I will have to run every 100 meters in 15 seconds...”

“If my opponent runs his/her best time then I will have to run this time to beat him/her...”

“There are 10 hurdles in the race and I have to clear every hurdle...”

“If you run a 6 minute mile pace you will be way under 19 minutes on a 5k ...”

And so on …

My advice to my mathematician runners was always this, “Just run!”

If they would just stop fretting about the obstacles and run, they might clear all those obstacles in the process. They often did.

I don't heed my own advise.

I write because I enjoy it. I am better at writing than I am at crafting, scrapbooking, record keeping. So I write .. and I make excuses.

“If I take time to write and nobody ever reads it, then I have wasted my time ...”

“I have other things I should be doing, like housework ...”

I have writer's block!”

And so on …

What advice might I heed?

“Just write!”

Surely Shod

I've been running now for close to four years.  In that time I have worn and worn out four pairs of what I thought were running shoes.  In that same time, my son with the large feet, has shredded twice as many as I.  He has recently been suffering from a foot injury - tendonitis.  It could be a stress fracture, but that is only determined by a bone scan or MRI. (That's kind of like saying, "The only diagnosis for Mad Cow Disease is a brain autopsy.")  We are treating for tendonitis.

The treatment includes an anti-inflammatory drug, cold therapy (soak it in a bucket of icewater), taping for support, rest (he can begin resting as track season is over), and most recently, new shoes.  For the first time in the history of Green Family Runners, we visited a bona fide running store.  Amazing!

Here is what we learned:

• He over-pronates.  This means he strikes the pavement with the outside of his foot and "snaps" it inward, thus straining supporting tendons.  Hence, the foot injury.
• High definition video is awesome for diagnosing over-pronation!
• Shoes make a difference.  In this case, stability shoes.
• Shoe shredding is a symptom of combined over-pronation and inferior shoes.
• All athletic shoe manufacturers price all performance shoes from $90 - $109!
• If the original price of a "running" shoe is under $90, expect shredding!
• Over $109?  Too much shoe.  You're gonna get ripped off!
• How much does it cost to find a good shoe?  FREE! 

The shop owner did not have the right shoe for us, but he directed us to a location that would, and guess what? We found them on sale!  Original price - $99.  Twenty dollars off?  SOLD! I expect to see less shredding and improved tendons.  I should also net a savings due to the decreased shredding!

Guess what else?  I've told all my friends to go see "the guy at Pulse Running & Fitness" in Meridian. He took time to help us and didn't get the sale, but he will get more in the future.  This guy knows how to pay it forward.

Happy running - or shredding!  You pick!

Excuses?

I'm feeling a bit dumpy - creatively speaking. It could be because I haven't recorded my thoughts in awhile. I usually blame not recording my thoughts on a creative slump. Which comes first?

These are my excuses ...
It's track season.
It's tax season.
Cutting down on carbs means I have to spend more time in the kitchen - and the grocery store.
I am training for a race and that means more time in my running clothes.
Someone needs to work the crossword puzzle.
Laundry.
I have to register for college (for my son who is currently out of the country) and I haven't jumped through those hoops in over two decades!
Discouragement. I got another rejection for my novel today.
Distractions. What are my friends doing on facebook? What are they blogging about? What can I find to eat?
... and so forth.

I Heart Track!

That's right. I LOVE track season. Either you get it or you don't. For those who don't, I'll try to explain why.
* I get to hang out with friends that I haven't seen in awhile. They are fellow parents of tracksters who are busy cheering their offspring on in various other sports throughout the year.
* Although ski season is coming to an end, I get to don my ski gear just a bit longer as I weather the weather!
* Gatorade, granola bars, and string cheese.
* There is something for everyone. Fast, strong, or just persistent, track offers an event for everyone's strong suit.
* PR's (Personal Records) Every athlete can have a great day even if he does nothing more than improve upon his best performance.
* Excitement. Winners are determined in seconds, minutes, and by fractions of inches.
* Camaraderie. Track athletes cheer for the success of their fellow teammates, even when that success might cost them a spot on a relay team.
* The Unexpected. On any given day, the favored to win might false start, fall on a hurdle, miss his mark, or drop a baton, leaving the door wide open for an upset and ensuing elation for the surprise victor.
* Inspiration. I seldom cry at other sporting events. However, tears are routine at track meets and I don't even have to know the participants. When the 110 Meter Hurdler catches a toe and leaves skin on the track, I cry. When the last runner crosses the finish line of the 3200 Meter Run having been lapped twice by faster athletes, I cry. When my own child turns in a stellar performance, I cry. When that same child competes in his or her last high school track event, you can bet I cry! And when it snows, sometimes I want to cry!
I heart track!