Spicing things up...

Ahhh... it's midweek already. Sorry I haven't blogged much this week...
Mom let me know that my lack of blogging has made her online surfing a little boring, so I figured I would blog tonight to spice things up... also... I had Thai food for dinner, so spicing it up seems appropriate. I am still trying to get into my routine with coaching... which has included not sleeping well at night...being a little stiff from standing at practice and lengthening my day...so blogging has not been a priority... sorry! Things are going well though.

My knee is feeling good... though we have had some messy weather that has made me very nervous. The last thing I want to do is slip and fall on my BFA...(BFA is a term created by my friend Meg...to refer to an ample hind end...big...fat...well you figure it out.) I am not sure if I fear the falling more or the having to get up part.

I am still excited about my victory over the elliptical machine... however I did pay for it... but not in my left knee. My right knee bothered me for a few days after... so while I have been so focused on the left knee, I have forgotten that my right knee has been working pretty hard for a long time... and putting more activity on my right knee has to be done smartly too. So While I know I can beat the elliptical... I am not yet going to incorporate it into my regular routine. I will get it in again soon, but one thing at a time. I have not done great at going to the gym...partly because of the not sleeping well and partly because of the coaching...and partly because I have been LAZY... so I need to kick myself in the BFA and get myself going! Coaching is GREAT... there is a kid that just signed up... a kid that I worked with about 4 years ago when he did track as an 8th grader... and he was a sweet sweet kid... he has changed sooo much! I did not recognize him and had to ask another kid who he was. He was one of those kids who...in 8th grade....had...well grown up. I never knew the details of his life, and I am ok with that. But I think he is a person who has taken life pretty seriously. He was one of those kids when he laughed... a strong laugh... it made me happy... because he was enjoying something... not stressing out about something. He is excited to be back...and I hope to regain the trust I think he had with me in middle school... and also hope to hear that laugh...

Track is such a cool sport... to coach... and to participate in... a lot of people assume that I would coach basketball...which maybe someday I will... but track... it's a different kind of kid that does track... who sticks with track. There are cliques within any team...and there are some with track...but... they are less in track... track is a team sport, but is also very very much an independent sport... athletes try to beat their own times or distances... and there is comradery between kids on the team...between events...and between kids from other schools. There are rivals in track...during the events... but in between throws or between heats/events kids from opposing teams encourage each other and mean it.

It's pretty nice to have a group of kids that I have been coaching since they started track in 7th grade. Not just to know the kids, but to know their parents. Not all of the parents have always agreed with my persoectives on things and there have been some ... clashes... but I think for the most part he amount of respect is pretty high. Kids are very different between 7th grade and seniors... There are some parents with whim I have had a great rapport every year and it's great to see them each season.

There is a meet this weekend... kind of a pre-season thing... teams can go to participate in specific events... and only a few kids from the team compete. (because we haven't had enough practice for all the kids to be at a level to compete.) We have 4 boys going and 8 girls. I can go or not... so I will have to decide if I go.... we'll see.

Anyway... I hope you are all having a great week... stay warm... the temps are supposed to drop.... at least around here!