Wow!

Tis kind of a miracle: after seven years of off and on trying I finally recovered my access to this blog. It's a long story worthy of a blog post in and of itself. So much has happened since I was last able to post. Many updates to come in the future. As long as I don't forget how to access this account...

The Watches

The other day my son called and asked if I had a digital watch he could use. He is off at college and started running again. And like most people his age he doesn't use a watch on a regular basis, he uses his cell phone. Which can be a bit difficult on a run. I told him that I "think I may have one he could borrow." So I went to my bedroom and looked and found not one, not two, not three but four digital watches. And a dress watch. And an analog watch. I think I have my son covered. So who needs six watches? Who even needs two watches? Well, I do. Most of the time when I ref soccer I go out with two watches. One is set to count down and the other is set to count up. And there have been several times when a watch has died on me in the middle of a match. Usually when I only have one watch... And there is also when I go for a speed workout. I have one watch that records 27 laps and another that records 30. So between the two I can do 20 or so quarters with rest intervals. Someone might look at that and ask the question: "Why not get one watch that records more laps?" What! Then I would have five digital watches...

Nothing Good Happens After Midnight

So the other day I decided to enter a race at midnight. No, I didn't decide at midnight to enter the race, I decided to enter a race that started at midnight. The race was in support of Special Olympics and took place on Tomahawk Creek Parkway. One of the sponsors was the Leawood Police Department. I got there early and registered for the race. Had a nice talk with the guys from KLJC, the local Christian radio station that I was listening to on the drive over. Did a nice mile and a half warm up. There were about 200 or so people that started the race. Nice flat course. It was a fun race with areas of dark and light. I ran negative splits the whole way. Passed a bunch of people. Set a PR for the 5K, running a 21:36 (6:58 per mile) Finished 2nd in my age group and 11th over all. Got a nice silver medal. Headed out for home about 1AM. I was driving south on one of the main drags when I noticed a police car behind me. I turned off and the car stayed behind me. Then I turned off again and the police car lit me up. I pulled over and waited for the officer to come and talk to me. First time stopped in over twenty years. Turns out my brake lights were flickering. There is a short in the system. The officer was really nice. I got a complimentary warning to get my lights fixed. She also thanked me for running the race. Then she asked if I was my daughter's father. I remember telling my kids often that nothing good happens after midnight. I'll have to remember that the next time I go on a midnight run...

Soccer Integrity

The other day I was refereeing a couple of high level youth soccer matches. The league requires that referees be paid in cash before the match. This is kind of neat as opposed to waiting for a check. I was working with another adult and a younger referee after being paid for the second match. I made the comment that I like being paid on site like this and the other adult said that he didn't, he felt: "it looks bad." I said that I understand that, I meant getting the cash on site is nice. He agreed with that because he: "doesn't want Uncle Sam knowing about the cash." I responded that I report everything since it is easier that way. I have found that this attitude is prevalent among the people charged with have integrity on the soccer pitch. If they get cash they don't have to report it. This bothers me. Why not just pay what you owe? Not any more and not any less. it's just a lot easier that way...

Topeka to Auburn Half Marathon Results

Good run.

I was reminded of Dean Karnses statement that he never feels so alive as when he is uncomfortable and striving to do his beast. This race was a challenge and I was glad I did it.

Got to Topeka around 945 and picked up the race packet. Nice pair of commemorative socks. Bathroom facilities were sparse so we went to the McDonalds down the street. I met a guy wearing a jersey from one of the prior races.

He said that he had run the race several times and the course was S#$%@@. Hills and gravel. He also passed on that this was the first race he could remember that there was no snow. The other thing he said is that he has a better year when he runs this.

We hung out in the car until five minutes before the race. About 500 started. The race went off at the crack of 11, right on time.

We headed straight south right into the wind. Cold and grey, 19 degrees with a S wind at 9. It felt cold. I listened to the guys around me who were wearing GPS to find out the pace.

Big hills at three and six fight before the half way point. Significant ups the rest of the way. Flew down hill, ran steady uphill and cruised through the flats. Kept pace right around 8:10 for most of the way except on a couple of hills.

One young guy told me: "If the race was all uphill he would be beating me." I told him: "See you on the next up."

Ran negative splits (second half faster than the first half). Felt really strong all through the race.

Finished at 1:48:24 or and 8:16 pace. 142 out of 500 finishers. 16 out of 37 in my age group.

Temp was 23 at the finish.

Good hoodie for finishing. Skipped the breakfast and headed home.

The course wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I almost fell on the transition to gravel. It was kind of a shock. This is a good small race. Didn't do as well as I hoped but OK for the conditions and course.

Already plan on this one for next year...

Topeka to Auburn Half Marathon Race Stategy

So tomorrow I will race my first half marathon.

13.1 miles from Topeka to Auburn, KS. Starts at 11AM. Temp is supposed to be around 28 with an ESE wind at 10 or so. Cold. The course is very hilly with some on gravel country roads.

Goal is to break 1:44 or around 8 minutes a mile.

I will be happy with under 2 hours and ecstatic with under 1:44. I have put the miles in and should be ready.

The plan is to start out about 100 people back from the front of the pack, start slow and keep the pace around 8 minutes a mile. According to the McMillan pacing calculator, I should be able to run around 7:50 miles. That may be pushing it a bit.

More tomorrow after the race...

Doomed

It was supposed to be a normal early season tournament game.

As normal as an Under 19 Boys game usually is with all the testosterone flowing and the competitiveness.

The game was played on a really crummy field, one of the worst in the area. The goal areas were swamps as was the center of the field. The field slopes from northwest to southeast in an awkward way and there was the usual 20 mph wind blowing steadily from the South down hill. And the two teams were from the eastern side of Missouri and had played each other several times before over the years.

I should have known this was going to be a rough one when the captains came out for the coin toss. The two white team captains were jerks. They didn't really say anything specific, but their body attitude was one of "we don't respect you and we won't." I haven't really had that before.

By the way, one team wore white and the other wore red.

Game got underway and it was obvious from the start that it was going to be a rough one to keep under control. Both teams were physical and aggressive. Red scored on white about midway through the first half.

A red player fell to the ground in the box and kicked the ball to another player who scored. There was no problem with the play. No white players were around him. It is perfectly legal to play the ball on the ground as long as there is no danger to another player.

So according to the white team, I had somehow scored on them. And downhill it went.

Before the game was over I had cautioned the head coach of the white team, dismissed the assistant coach for calling me something that I can't repeat here, cautioned both white captains for dissent, cautioned two other white players for reckless play and cautioned two of the red players for reckless play.

First coach I have tossed in over five years.

According to the white team, I had somehow scored three goals against them and they had lost 3 to 2 because of me.

Normally after a game, good or bad, I reflect on how I did and what I can change to improve. I really like the verse in Romans 12:3 "For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." I try to apply sober judgment to my refereeing.

I run across a lot of referees that seem to think they are perfect. I don't like working with those guys. I realize that I make mistakes in every game. Could be as simple as missing the direction on a throw in. My next perfect game will be my first one. And I have been looking for a perfect game for over 1072 games.

As I reflected on this game, I came to the realization that about the only thing I could have done differently was to card both white captains at the coin toss for dissent.

This game was doomed from the start...