Rats!

Raging rains wreak ruin as rapidly rising rivers run rampant o'er rocks resting risking rafters' recreation rudely wrecking our reunion!

Just a little cerebral exercise when writer's block threatens.

I Remember Now ...

I have this little job that I do and sometimes I wonder why.  I am referring to my responsibility as school board trustee.  There are times when it seems tedious (policy revisions) and times when it seems hopeless (student expulsions) ... and then there is May!

Here is what happens in May:

• State Championships

 To borrow a quote from The Wide World of Sports, "The thrill of victory.  The agony of defeat."

• Music Concerts

Whether choir or band, one has to appreciate the number of students involved in music programs in our little district.  

• Academic Awards

That is what we are all about - academic achievement.

• Scholarships

Got a B average?  You can go to college, thanks to the philanthropists in our little town.

• Graduation

This is "Pay Day" for school board trustees.  It is why we put up with the tedium, the frustrations, and the disciplinary hearings.  It is why, when someone asks, "Are you still on the school board?" I answer, "Yes.  Yes, I am!"  Occasionally, a trustee gets a "Bonus" on "Pay Day."  Occasionally, a trustee has the opportunity to present a diploma to his or her own offspring!

I am grateful for May!

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!

I Cried for Angel

The first time I ran a 5K race I cried - for myself.  It was cold and wet.  I was exhausted.  I was stunned at my sense of accomplishment.  Today as I ran another 5K race and I cried again.  This time, not for myself, but for Angel and for all of the people supporting him.

Angel has cancer.  The Angel Walk was organized in his behalf.  His second grade teacher emceed the event.  His classmates sang "The Star Spangled Banner."  His elementary principal gave some thoughts.  Friends of the family organized the event.  Many in his community turned out to support him - runners, walkers, and kids on bicycles; young and old alike.  Local law enforcement stopped traffic to ensure the safety of those participating.

When Angel accompanied his parents to the stage, he grinned - and I cried.  When asked, repeatedly, if he would like to say anything, he shook his head, stunned and maybe a bit embarrassed over the attention.

Then we ran, because we could.  Others walked, because they could.  Many of his young friends rode their bikes for three miles to support Angel, because they could.

It wasn't a huge event with chip timers and free chocolate milk at the end.  Nor can I view my stats online.  It wasn't even a true 5K (Much to my disappointment.  My time was really fast!) but it was a wonderful way to celebrate life and to support a young man who is fighting for his.

Hats off to Homedale and all the friends of Angel Rios-Salas!

A Change of Course

Sometimes the best path to follow is a change of course.  Road construction is an obvious reason to divert ones path, however, there are a number of other circumstances which might give cause for correction ...

• The path became dangerous.  
• Obstacles.
• The initial goal was good, but a better one presented itself.
• The path was not good to begin with. 

So it was that my running buddy and I changed our plans to run a 10K race on May 14.  We had a training schedule and were doing our best to follow it, but the path became dangerous when the spring weather refused to cooperate.  The day we ran four miles in heavy wind was the beginning of the course change.  How would we ever train for six miles in this weather?

Obstacles?  She fought an ankle injury.  I caught a cold.  We kept training, however, less enthusiastically than we would have liked.

Our original plan to pay the $40 registration fee and run a six mile race with hundreds of other runners was a good one, but we found a better one.  This race might not have a famous name, but the logistics are better.  The registration fee is only $15, the race will be small, it is closer to home, and best of all it will benefit a young man fighting a serious illness.

So we've corrected our course.  We are well prepared as the original path conditioned us for the one we will actually follow.  Sometimes those little detours are the very things we need to prepare us for the journey ahead.