6 Months have come and gone...since the last update...and boy has it been a good yet werid one...
So since Early July the "same old shit" can be applied to almost about every single concept.
I worked my summer job, trained and raced all summer long...got my Mile PR down to near 5-flat so I was EXTREMELY happy. Mid-late august was the beginning of Summer practice for ASHS XC. My first paid job of coaching and things started off on the right foot (no pun intended). The very first day a freshman by the name of John Martin tied Brian King in the number of 400m Laps completed in 12 Minutes. He and King practically had 12 laps or 2 full miles in in the given time....everyone else ranged from 2-10. But being a freshman in the CHSAA, John could be on Varsity if the numbers required him to do so. However, with Senior Brian King, Juniors Manny, Arod, Orly, and Sophomores Brian Ray, Connor Rush, among others, John sat on the Frosh Squad and trained with the Frosh Team....
I was officially given the title of Assistant Coach of the Varsity XC and Track Teams AND made Freshmen Team Coach.
The returning kids all basically ran what they did years prior, which could have meant the same old results and nothing major or exciting...but one day at practice we marked off a 4K loop behind the school...the fact that the team could practice on a course the length of their races (CHSAA runs 2.5 Miles for Soph through Seniors and 1.5 Miles for Frosh as opposed to Public who run 3.1 miles for almost everyone) and the fact something clicked in their minds made the veterans step up their game. Martin was able to push the squad as a whole, and with that a new attitude and ethic was born.
By the end of the season King, Martin, Arod, Manny, Crush, Bray, Orly, all pr'd and ran great. Senior Dylan came along and pushed the squad even further to improve. As a whole the squad took off about 4-5 mins of team average and jumped in the results to actually beat a good amount of teams in the CHSAA Champs Meet. Everyone's mile average also dropped down. Among the reasons was creditied to me and the approach I gave the kids, but with out martin I wouldn't have gotten shit done. That kid waited until the FINAL race of the year, even ran his Frosh 1.5 for the last time a week prior, ran the 2.5 mile course and finished SECOND on the TEAM....amazing isn't it?
In the process of Winter Track...the high of XC has rubbed off as the kids are mixed; some improving in Track and Field, some aren't...is it springtime yet???
The theory of "Deaths in 3's" was well discussed as I started the year as "just graduating". Freshman year in High School my grandfather passed away, in College it was Dianne. I knew sooner or later something or someone might fall victim and be the third as I would have technically started my first year of grad school or post grad. In response to that, every four years, I actually hope that "third" happened already, yet I'm deeply saddened it did...for the fact I lost perhaps my best friend, as well as my first car...
My car was shot, Late September it finally passed away. The engine was shot and would have cost over 5 grand easily to fix parts and labor on it (it would have been like 10 years old anyway so the fact I had it for 6-7 years served me well). My new car is amazing, though I miss the sporty car. This truck has room and is capable of getting me to work and coaching and running and the gym whenever i need it.
My best friend, in my honest opinion, was RJ. Being blind in one eye for the past 6 or 7 months made him stronger as he taught himself to use just one eye in being able to see, eat, etc. However early november I got the call that he went blind in both eyes-for a horse that's the worst thing possible. He cant eat, walk, move, can get injured or even killed, perhaps injure something/someone else....
3 weeks of medicine and care and nothing changed, it got much worse...he was an old timer too, about 30 years old...I remember the day we bought him and when i first started riding him...I was in 8th grade...9 years....all of high school and college...I was there the day he was euthanized. It was closure and the chance for a proper goodbye...something I couldn't do back in the day for Dancer...
It's just eerie how things are different now a days...working two jobs...considering grad school...not having the same old problems, and the changes in life itself....
i can't even discuss anything else for its literally the same old shit that goes on everyday. Work, practice, working out, doing some races, dating...oh that's something..
2009 was a great year and a bad one...for having to say goodbye to certain aspects and having other things go well can say it was the most eventful...
quite a few dates, among other things....things I can't even begin to talk about here haha....wow...
OH Atlantic City was amazing for the Coaching Clinic...got to gamble, win money, attend seminars, have fun...overall great weekend!!!
So Work has been OK, things are somewhat normal...
I guess I'll update soon...
I worked my summer job, trained and raced all summer long...got my Mile PR down to near 5-flat so I was EXTREMELY happy. Mid-late august was the beginning of Summer practice for ASHS XC. My first paid job of coaching and things started off on the right foot (no pun intended). The very first day a freshman by the name of John Martin tied Brian King in the number of 400m Laps completed in 12 Minutes. He and King practically had 12 laps or 2 full miles in in the given time....everyone else ranged from 2-10. But being a freshman in the CHSAA, John could be on Varsity if the numbers required him to do so. However, with Senior Brian King, Juniors Manny, Arod, Orly, and Sophomores Brian Ray, Connor Rush, among others, John sat on the Frosh Squad and trained with the Frosh Team....
I was officially given the title of Assistant Coach of the Varsity XC and Track Teams AND made Freshmen Team Coach.
The returning kids all basically ran what they did years prior, which could have meant the same old results and nothing major or exciting...but one day at practice we marked off a 4K loop behind the school...the fact that the team could practice on a course the length of their races (CHSAA runs 2.5 Miles for Soph through Seniors and 1.5 Miles for Frosh as opposed to Public who run 3.1 miles for almost everyone) and the fact something clicked in their minds made the veterans step up their game. Martin was able to push the squad as a whole, and with that a new attitude and ethic was born.
By the end of the season King, Martin, Arod, Manny, Crush, Bray, Orly, all pr'd and ran great. Senior Dylan came along and pushed the squad even further to improve. As a whole the squad took off about 4-5 mins of team average and jumped in the results to actually beat a good amount of teams in the CHSAA Champs Meet. Everyone's mile average also dropped down. Among the reasons was creditied to me and the approach I gave the kids, but with out martin I wouldn't have gotten shit done. That kid waited until the FINAL race of the year, even ran his Frosh 1.5 for the last time a week prior, ran the 2.5 mile course and finished SECOND on the TEAM....amazing isn't it?
In the process of Winter Track...the high of XC has rubbed off as the kids are mixed; some improving in Track and Field, some aren't...is it springtime yet???
The theory of "Deaths in 3's" was well discussed as I started the year as "just graduating". Freshman year in High School my grandfather passed away, in College it was Dianne. I knew sooner or later something or someone might fall victim and be the third as I would have technically started my first year of grad school or post grad. In response to that, every four years, I actually hope that "third" happened already, yet I'm deeply saddened it did...for the fact I lost perhaps my best friend, as well as my first car...
My car was shot, Late September it finally passed away. The engine was shot and would have cost over 5 grand easily to fix parts and labor on it (it would have been like 10 years old anyway so the fact I had it for 6-7 years served me well). My new car is amazing, though I miss the sporty car. This truck has room and is capable of getting me to work and coaching and running and the gym whenever i need it.
My best friend, in my honest opinion, was RJ. Being blind in one eye for the past 6 or 7 months made him stronger as he taught himself to use just one eye in being able to see, eat, etc. However early november I got the call that he went blind in both eyes-for a horse that's the worst thing possible. He cant eat, walk, move, can get injured or even killed, perhaps injure something/someone else....
3 weeks of medicine and care and nothing changed, it got much worse...he was an old timer too, about 30 years old...I remember the day we bought him and when i first started riding him...I was in 8th grade...9 years....all of high school and college...I was there the day he was euthanized. It was closure and the chance for a proper goodbye...something I couldn't do back in the day for Dancer...
It's just eerie how things are different now a days...working two jobs...considering grad school...not having the same old problems, and the changes in life itself....
i can't even discuss anything else for its literally the same old shit that goes on everyday. Work, practice, working out, doing some races, dating...oh that's something..
2009 was a great year and a bad one...for having to say goodbye to certain aspects and having other things go well can say it was the most eventful...
quite a few dates, among other things....things I can't even begin to talk about here haha....wow...
OH Atlantic City was amazing for the Coaching Clinic...got to gamble, win money, attend seminars, have fun...overall great weekend!!!
So Work has been OK, things are somewhat normal...
I guess I'll update soon...