A Run to Remember or Forget

   

  Well, everyone knows how I feel about running long distances....It sucks. Unless I am running on a ball diamond or on some type of court its not for me. I have never been able to understand the joy that people get when they just run for the sake of running. Trust me, this blog is not about how I miraculously learned to love running. I still can't see the joy in it.

     For the last few months some of the staff have been getting ready for the Legacy half-marathon here in Cardston. Somehow I was talked into running this. Nathan Smith must of had the words of a shady salesman to have talked me into it. Against my better judgement, I thought the money was for a good cause and I said that I would. My wife who has ran 2 half-marathons now, was more than willing to run with me, and show me how things are done. Now we were supposed to be training for over a month to get ready for this race. BUT, of course me loving running as much as I do, did not train at all for the upcoming race. Wait.....I did train.....one time during the month and a half training schedule I asked Kristi to drive me out 3 miles and let me run back to the house. So I ran 3 miles once to get ready for a 13.1 mile race. Whats another 10 miles when I can run 3? Right? 

     So race day finally arrived, and I was not looking forward to running for that long. I had 2 goals going into the race 1. Finish 2. Don't get last. So, with those lofty goals I was set to start the race. Music was a must, I don't know how anybody could run a long distance and not have music playing. It was good to have Kristi with me because she had a watch on that helped pace our time. I probably would have started to run way to fast to early, and would have died sooner in the the race. We had a good time, we talked and laughed almost the entire race. It would have been boring not having Kristi with me for most of the race......yes, I said most of the race (I will get to that part in a second).

     The first six miles were easy, and we only walked while we were getting drinks at the stations they had set up every mile or so on the road. So I was half done and feeling pretty good about being able to finish this race strong. THEN the "no training" aspect of the race started to kick my butt, or should I say my knees. My problem was not my lungs or my muscles, but my knees were not to happy with me. By mile 10 I told Kristi to go on and not wait for me because I was going to need to walk for awhile. Kristi, being the good wife that she is took this chance and did not hesitate to leave me in her dust.....Jokes.....she said she would stay, but I insisted that she go, and try to get the best time that she could. She was wearing a bright pink jacket, so I could always see how far ahead she was. I am proud of her for all the training that she has done to run these races. She loves to run, and gets a better time every time she races.

    

      The last 3 or 4 miles were pretty tough on me and my knees. I found myself just picking spots on the road and telling myself "just run to that spot then walk a little". I did this over and over again until I could see the home stretch. I did not want to walk into the finish line, so I took any energy that I had and ignored the pain in my knees and ran the last stretch of the race into the finish line. Done!!!!! I did something that I never thought I would do. I knew I would finish, and I knew I would push myself to do the best that I could. I am too much of a competitor not to do something I said I would.

     I finished the race in 2 hours and 30minutes, which was just 2 minutes behind Kristi's time. Now I do not know anything about race times or what is good and what is bad, but I think that is pretty good for only running 3 miles one time to train for this race. SO, did I finally get a love for running.....NO...I will never do this again. Its just not my "cup of tea", so I will leave the running to the runners.

     

Its the most wonderful time of the Year!!!!

     Well Summer is almost upon us, and a few of my favorite things come with this time of year. Even though I Eat Spitz all year long, there is something about summer time and Spitz that just feel right at home with me. This is probably because it means the opening of the softball season, which is my favorite time of the year. I really don't know why I live in a place where I can only play ball for 4...maybe 5 months of the year. So I will make the most of these 4-5 months and play as much as I can (well depending on the Southern Alberta unpredictable weather).

     The Softball season in Lethbridge opened last friday. We have won our division for the last 2 years, and everyone is gunning to take us down this year (Because in my head we are playing in the World Series and scouts are in the stands....hahaha). WE, on the other hand hope to win our division for the 3rd year in a row. The team we have is great. Everyone gets along and we all want to win and we have a ton of fun together playing a game that we love. It is great to have a sport that I can play with Kristi and enjoy our time together playing ball.......Well, unless I call for a ball on shortstop and she keeps coming towards me from second, and then I let her catch it and she lets me catch it at the same time and the ball falls right in the middle of us....right Kris? I was grumpy for a second....well maybe the rest of the inning, but I got over it.....eventually. RIGHT NOW AS I AM TYPING IT IS SNOWING AGAIN ON MAY 10....GOOD OLD SOUTHERN ALBERTA WEATHER.

First game and first Home Run of the year. You
can see the ball in the top right.

     The season will run from the first of May till the Middle of August. So there will be a lot of ball in the summer. Plus we usually hit a few tournaments here and there through out the summer. I am sure I will have updates on here as the season progresses.

     The summer also brings in a new Sport.......is Golf a sport? Maybe I should say that the summer brings in a new hobby that I picked up last year. Haydn loves Golf and wants to play all the time. I figured if I am a school teacher, I have the best job to take up golf. It is a great hobby to spend time with Haydn and Brody....and I am sure eventually Tyson. Golf is a very frustrating game, that really tests a man's patience....well it does mine, because I am no good. I am positive that Haydn will be beating me in a few short years. Tough to be good at golf when you 3 or 4 put every hole. I think that it will be good to have my son's interested in a wide variety of activities.....maybe, the more they have to do, the less likely it is for them to get into trouble. Well, I am crossing my fingers!!!!
   

Acting like I know what I am doing

     Brody started Soccer last saturday.................................I am not sure what else to say about that......JOKES........ I am happy that he  is having fun playing outside, rather than being inside playing video games or watching movies. If he loves soccer thats great, but baseball will always come first (Woo ooh ahahahaha - maniacal laugh).

Brody Rocking at Soccer

 

#4 Haydn Wynder

#7 Brody Wynder

Spring has Sprung

     Well the nice weather is upon us, well as far as southern Alberta weather is concerned. We still have to deal with the crazy wind and the fact that the weather can change from sunny and hot to rainy and cold in the matter of minutes. I have always said that is what makes us some of the best outfielders around, because we have to deal with catching a fly ball in 200 km/hr wind. Well hopefully we are on the path to nice weather, and temperatures will just continue to rise.

     Haydn is in Minors this year and I am coaching his team. This will be the first year that he will have other kids pitching the entire game. He was so nervous about his first game, it was funny to see how excited he was to play. He will be a good little baseball player. He is the teams back catcher, and seems to have a pretty good grasp on what is going on in the game and what he has to do. The last game he pitched, and he said his heart was pounding when I asked him to take the mound. He pitched good and had a little excited "Hop" when he got his very first strike out. We lost our first game 14-8, but then turned it around the next game and beat one of the Raymond teams 21-6. The boys acted like we had won the World Series. I guess no matter what, these little kids love to win.

Haydn Back Catching in his very
first Minors game.

     Brody started Coach Pitch this week and I am coaching his team as well. It is great to see these younger kids learn the game and have fun doing it. He was able to get a few of his friends on his team this year, so he should have a really fun season this year. The kids get a chance to play all of the positions and the whole team bats every inning so the kids get a great chance to learn all of the different parts of a baseball game.

     So every week from now until the end of June will be very busy for my family. Monday and Wednesday is Coach Pitch, Tuesday and Thursday is minors, Wednesday night is Haydn's drum night, Friday night is softball for me and Kristi, and Kristi has to have a couple of nights during the week to work. So I  am already counting down the days until  the end of June.

Spring Time Fun

Tyson having a drink by the park

     With the weather getting nicer we decided to have a picnic at the park. We seem to have a little tradition of doing this each year when the weather starts to get a little nicer. This tradition always seems to include KFC. So we pig out on KFC and play at the park----Just have a great time together as a family. I hope that we continue to have family activities like this that bring us closer together.

Pigging out on KFC

Just coming in for a quick bite, then its back to
playing at the park.