Big day tomorrow

I can't believe it's time for the BC Highschool Cross Country Championships already. I feel like I just started working with the kids - well, I sort of did since it's only been two months. Why is it in North America we run cross country during the fall and everywhere else goes right into the spring?

Anyways, tomorrow will show just what my kids are made of.

I got a couple of hints on facebook yesterday that one of my girls hurt her foot. We ALWAYS know that when one of them gets hurt, they've done it during basketball. Sounds like it's just a strain, but still. The timing, people! If my whole girls side wasn't from the basketball team then I might be a little more pissed, but what can ya do?

Last year, one of the girls went down right at the start line. Dehydration was cited as the cause, but we all know that she's just a drama queen. Gotta love 13 year old girls, huh? We've strategically planned where she will be lining up this year so it can't happen again - big sister right behind her to kick her ass if she tries anything stupid.

I told my #1 guy to lock himself down until tomorrow morning and not do anything stupid. I got the usual, "will do". Perfect. We can always count on him NOT to play basketball!

I think I'm already a bit nervous for them.

That’s MY team!

Yesterday was the last hurrah for the highschool cross country team. Well, the last hurrah if they didn’t finish well…

The top 20 individuals and top 3 teams qualify to go to the BC Cross Country Championships. I think this picture gives you a pretty good indication of how my girls did.

The team counters finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th & 13th for a points total of 29 and a new zone record! I couldn’t be more stoked for these girls. The best part? My top two girls are only in grade 9!

The boys, on the other hand… In the last two weeks, three of them were kicked off the team. Two of the three were definite top-20 finishers and team point getters (the other? completely useless). Unfortunately, our boys missed out on the top 3. They finished 4th by a small margin of 3 points. Had we had just one of the two we booted, they would have been through.

Fortunately, the ONE boy on the team that we really cared about making it through won the race! This kid works harder and cares more than any athlete I’ve coached or raced with. He lacks the natural talent to make him the athlete he deserves to be, but that doesn’t stop him. This is his senior year so I’m so happy he got that result.

After a celebratory cupcake or two (you didn’t think I’d let them finish one of the biggest races of the year and NOT have cake, did you?), this is what happens:

The bus ride home was loud. :)

Oh fuck.

Important Event Updates

• HALF MARATHON IS SOLDOUT - updated Monday, October 26.

U-G-L-Y

So the first race of next year has officially been put in pen. It’s going to be ugly, but it’s a starting point and will only go up from there. I’ve been told if I don’t break 2hours (and yes, I AM concerned about this sadly) that there’ll be consequences.

My original plan was to do the Lake Samish Half (the same one I trained for through all that crappy weather last fall/winter that got cancelled in the end by the Sherriff’s due to snow) and then take a little trip after: from Bellingham down to Seattle for the night, then off to CALIFORNIA the next day for a week. Sounds like a great idea, huh?

Then Marit had to go ruin it with, “why don’t you come a couple weeks later and run Carlsbad?”. Why not? I’ll tell you why not: because I will look like a fool on that uber fast course (not to mention it starts at 7:30am grrrr)! She added, “I’ll run it too”. Super. So not only will I already look like a chump, but now Marit’s gonna go out and beat me too?

I made the stupid mistake of telling Tawnee about these plans and she thought it sounded like a great race to jump in on with me. I am officially the slow friend that everyone will be waiting for at the finish line.

I did come up with a good idea though: winner buys drinks. Oh yes. That will ALWAYS fare well for me ;)

So the last week of January sees me run a half marathon, spend a week in Cali (or less… possible diversion for a couple days?…), and hang out with some good friends that I missed in Kona. Despite the race ;), I’m looking forward to the new year!

When the body & mind won’t play nice

In the last couple of months my mind has been spinning with ideas and planning. There’s this race and that race, and this goal and that goal. So much stuff I want to accomplish!

The body has it’s own plan though.

I’ve got so many ongoing physical issues that I don’t even want to bore you with the list, nevermind those issues that tend to pop up when you’re training long & hard.

Dealing with all these issues (a few of which have no treatment, they just are) makes it REALLY hard to set specific goals, beyond finish.

Finishing something for the sake of finishing doesn’t interest me. I think it’s great that some people can set out into races with only that goal and, frankly, I sort of envy them, but that’s just not me.

So how do I move forward? That’s what I’m trying to figure out right now. I’ll tell you this much: I might find myself off track sometimes, but I will NOT give up!

October babies rock!

Now it's Erin's turn! Happy Birthday!!!

(ok, the post sucks. I know, I know. )

What time is it?

CAKE TIME! That's right. It's the annual celebration of me. Me, me, me, me, ME!!!!!!

The thing is... my current persona is a sham. Ever since I had the swine, I haven't wanted cake. Not only have I not wanted it, but the thought of it makes my stomach turn. I actually bought a piece on Sunday, just because, and it's been sitting on my kitchen counter ever since. It's going to get thrown away any minute now.

So who am I if I'm not the chick who loves chocolate cake? I guess today is as good a day as it gets to start figuring this out. I don't want to be known as chicken noodle soup girl, I'll tell ya that much.