The Great Race

Today I ran 13.1 miles with my best friend in the Country Music Half Marathon. In spite of the pain, I'd have to say it was a very good experience. We left home about 5:20 a.m., parked near the finish line about 6 a.m., caught a shuttle to the start line, stopped at an indoor facility, found some free coffee (about 1/4 cup) and cookies, made our way to the start line, waited only five minutes, and got started a little after 7 a.m.
The weather was perfect for a run: low 60's and overcast. It was raining when we left home and as the race began, but it was light and sporadic. There was some mud and a few puddles in the streets. I had a Clif bar on the way and no caffeine until the coffee sample. At mile 6 I ate one Gu and another one at mile 9. I ran slowly with my buddy the first 4 1/2 miles, then jogged and walked the rest of the course. I'd intended to walk the whole thing, and thought I'd be lucky to finish in less than four hours. With him egging me on, we both finished in three hours, eleven minutes! If I'd started where the race planners had put me, I'd have started an hour after the first runners started. However, my "running coach" had permission to stand in the 2nd corral, so I stood up there with him, thus getting almost an hour head start.
I got a whole different perspective of the race than I've had in the past. I got to see the front runners and a lot more spectators than I saw in 2004 and 2007. My legs are hurting now because I'm out of practice running, but the actual run was not that hard -- except for when my knee hurt or quads were aching. I think a couple of days of rest will help a lot. I'm really pretty excited that I was able to finish that quickly. It was inspirational to be with the runners rather than the walkers. I saw more young, energetic folks actually moving on. Although I was one of the slowest ones, I put forth more effort because I was surrounded by them.
When we finished, they gave us a medal and lots of food. I limped to the car and had to do some stretches, but I will always remember the day that my finely tuned athlete could not run and decided to walk with me. You see, the only reason he was beside me is because the doctor told him that he has some torn cartilage in his knee and he should run slowly today. It was his first time to do the Half instead of the whole Marathon. He was seeing different scenery than he usually sees at this race, too, because he's usually finished in half that time and usually goes twice that far. He barely broke a sweat. Because he naturally goes a lot faster than me, this is probably the only time that I'll ever get to do a race with him by my side. I tried extra hard to go as fast as possible, and I'm really inspired to know that my body can do that without training. It makes me want to train some and do it right next time.

Test-Weary

Three of four days of standardized testing are completed. One more to go on Monday. The stress level is tremendous, and the relaxation afterward will be quite welcome. Day One, on Tuesday, was an ordeal of two parts of the Reading section, 1 hour and 45 minutes each. We didn't have lunch until nearly 2 p.m. I forgot to drink any water from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., so I was truly exhausted by then! It took a while to catch up. I don't remember being this worn out by the test before, but then the stakes have risen each year.
The dreaded nclb monster, otherwise known as No Teacher Left Standing, latches onto your leg and pulls you sideways until you feel helplessly dragged from reality. Reality is a room full of hopeful faces, newly arrived from more than twenty countries. Reality is people who work extra hard and study hours on end to make it in this confusing country. Reality is knowing that they can read material at a first or second grade level and comprehend things that they have studied before. Then, you're standing over them with a thick booklet of questions in a strange language and demanding 1) that they be quiet while they search page after page of text for meaning, 2) that they make circles on a page, clear and dark, without any stray marks, to indicate their understanding of that text, and 3) that they finish quickly. You who have been their supportive, welcoming, smiling counselor through times of adjustment to this land of contrasts, are now a fire-breathing dragon who snaps and growls, continually presenting that crazy booklet and the corresponding circle-covered answer sheet. To what end? To help that child? To further his or her education? Not really. To keep your school from being taken over by the state. To prevent the retired teachers, otherwise known in this state as exemplary educators, from appearing daily on your hallway. To maintain funding. To satisfy some lawmaker somewhere.
And so, in a "catch-22", surreal way you give the test to people who don't understand the test so that those who interpret the test can be sure that you've given the test, the whole test, and nothing but the test, to anyone within range. You measure what they know by asking them questions in a language they don't know and then those who've measured tell the state that this teacher hasn't taught these students anything. What a concept!
It's enough to make a person want to laugh uncontrollably, just to keep from crying. What's really hilarious this year is that I get to "explain" the process to my co-worker, a new teacher whose never been through this lunacy before! We just roll our eyes and keep on going. Just another day spending your tax dollars! Ha! Ha! Ha!
And pretty soon these test takers will be out there, fixing your food, mowing your grass, driving cars and trucks around you, doing all kinds of things. They are very capable and bright, and THEY are the reason I keep going to the school building every day, NOT those funny people up in those offices who create the test, legislate who takes it, read the results, and then decide what kind of teacher I am (or my colleagues are) based on the results.
What's really amazing is that sometimes these kids DO make really good scores. In spite of the odds. And, in the long run, I'm glad they get the opportunity to show what they know. It's just tiring and seems to be pointless. Maybe it serves some purpose. It's hard to tell from here.

Stayin' Alive

Yes, I AM still here. Sorry to be silent for so long.
I still share this humble abode with a wonderful, finely-tuned athlete and a sneaky, gray striped cat who must be about 18 years old.
We ride in to work together every day, the athlete and I, and listen to talk radio about whatever sport is going on that week. We watch the seasons change and observe the traffic patterns to learn about these strange creatures who spend their lives going back and forth to make enough money to live in these big houses that they rarely see in the daylight.
Sometimes, I get to spend a few delightful moments with my aging parents in their mansion over on Hilltop. They keep on eating right and laughing about the things they can't remember and having fun with the "Reaching the Top" gang. It's great to have them nearby.
And our offspring never cease to amaze us. One will be living here again soon; the other calls occasionally and comes through when he can. They are both amazing men in their own right, living out their individual American dreams.
Just this week we've learned that we will have another great-niece or -nephew by Christmas! One on his side in October, on my side in December! Each of those by our eldest nephew. What will this mean for the future of our generations?!? When we first met, it was one week after the birth of his nephew. My first nephew was only a few months old at the time. It seems to have some sort of "ripple effect"! Within a few months we were married, and within another year and a half we had the next grandchild on both sides.
Maybe history will repeat itself...
For now, we are thrilled with the simple pleasures of a blossoming spring as our lawn awakens, our peach trees bloom, the daffodils unfurl, and we move closer to new beginnings in certain phases of our lives.
Hope all is well with you and yours. (Hope no one needs CPR when they see that I've finally updated this blog!!)
Happy Spring! Happy New Beginnings to All!