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About
My Infrequently Updated Blog. The web-based journal of M. Forde, computer nerd, endurance athlete, and DeLorean owner
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It's been a while...
I haven't updated this blog in quite some time. A lot has happened since
the last post.
First and foremost, I spent about two months volunteering as the Cross
Country team's coach for the local Middle School. Due to budget cuts,
all athletics programs were cut. The local Police Athletic League
stepped up and volunteered to take over the programs. Many of the
teachers who have coached in previous years did not want to do so now,
so the PAL went looking for volunteers within the community.
A friend of mine with whom I train put me in contact with the PAL and
after an application and vetting process, I became a Rutgers
Certified coach and began my duties.
The team was relatively small, seventeen boys and six girls. Having
never really worked with kids before, I was glad that this year's team
was half the size of last year's; however I was still apprehensive about
working twenty-three middle-schoolers. Thankfully, several parents
helped me throughout the season. One in particular was there with me for
almost every practice and every meet.
I tried to emulate the aspects of my middle and high school coaches that
I thought worked, and tried different approaches in an attempt to avoid
the aspects I had never liked. I wanted to motivate and inspire these
kids.
I told them about my history as a runner: my experience in 8th, 9th, and
10th grade, my first 53-minute 5K on the treadmill in March of 2008, my
marathons, my personal records, and my improvements over the last two
years. I told them I would never make them do any thing I wouldn't do
myself in training. And I ran with them. Whether the day's training was
100 and 200 meter repeats, running the course, "time on feet" running,
or fartlek's, I ran along side them.
During one session I was catching up to the lead group, the fastest of
the 7th and 8th graders, and asked, "Are you really going to let an old
man with bruised ribs keep up with you?" One of them turned and said,
without breaking pace, "You're not that old and you run marathons."
During the Cross Country season, in the last six weeks or so I've run a
few races and set a few PRs. On September 19, I ran the Marathon Tune-Up
18 mile in Central Park. I set a new 18-mile PR at 2:27:34, taking 18:56
off my time from last year. Also of note, I didn't end up in medical
being treated for hypothermia this year.
The following week I ran the 5th Ave Mile. I shaved 9 seconds off from
last year's race and 3 seconds off my previous best in training. My new
mile PR is 5:25.
About 2 weeks later I ran the Hartford Marathon. My friend and I got
there very late the night before the race. Because we were stuck in
traffic for about four and a half hours, my friend missed the on-site
registration. He debated what to do while we went to dinner at a local
tavern. I promptly felt sick after eating.
The next morning we got and got ready to run. I still felt sick from the
night before and threw up the previous night's meal shortly before we
went to the registration packet pickup. I got my bib and timing chip and
my friend failed to convince the race officials to let him enter. When
he asked, "can I run unsanctioned?" the response of the somewhat
sympathetic official was, "I can't tell you that you can." So my friend
decided to run unsanctioned. After all, no one said he couldn't.
We lined up in the corral. Despite the way I felt, I knew I had to go
out there and run my best marathon. I had told the Cross Country team
what Prefontaine had said, "To give anything less than your best is to
sacrifice the gift." I had to go out there and try to PR. But as Yoda
said, "Do or do not; there is no try."
I started the race keeping the 3:45 pace group in my sights. My friend
kept along side me for the first three miles then fell back a bit. I had
some conversations with two runners in the pace group, Gavasker, the
pacer, and Jen, a woman who was looking to BQ. I kept with them the
whole way and finished in 3:43:32.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, my friend dropped out at mile 8 and made
his way back to the start/finish area. He was there at the finish line,
waiting for me as I crossed the line just ahead of Jen who BQ'd with 2
minutes to spare.
The next morning I went out with some other friends and ended up running
another 24 miles putting me at 50 miles for the weekend. Monday evening
I ran in a charity 5K with another friend, and then took a few days off.
Since then, the Cross Country season has ended. They had their last
meet, a few more days of practice, and then this past Wednesday they had
team photos followed by an end-of-season pizza party.
At the party the kids presented me with a plaque to say "thank you." I
damn near cried when I unwrapped it and saw the photo taken at one of
our practices. But if anyone asks, I'll deny that part.
The 6th and 7th graders also asked me to come back and coach next year.
During and since the season, I've run across some of the kids in town.
Every time, they come up to me and say, "Hey coach!" And that means the
world to me. It makes me think I've succeeded, that there's a
possibility I've inspired them to keep running. Hopefully they'll love
running as much as I do, if not more.
I've encouraged the kids to enter our town's annual 5K next weekend and
several of them have signed up. I'm looking forward to running with them
again.
[/running]
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