What's Going On?

Yes, it's been a little quiet around here as I've done a lot of updating this week, while here in Pasadena, on the RunHouston Chronicle blog.

If you aren't a subscriber of Runner Triathlete News, I'd encourage you to pick up a copy of the October edition either in your running specialty store or at Barnes & Noble. It's worth the $5, I promise. :) If you don't enjoy my "Talking The Talk" column this month, I'll personally refund you your $5. How's that for a bargain?

I was banged up on Sunday and there is absolutely no way that I could have run the United Space Alliance 10-Miler. Congratulations to Karen and Ron Berglund of Kingwood - approved readers of this blog - who did both the Huntsville Half and the Space City 10-Miler.

I also ended up picking up my first cold of the season and am still battling it. Monday, I was completely wiped out, and last night, I just didn't feel like doing much.

However, this evening, I made it to Bally's - after a mile-plus walk to and from dinner (well, breakfast at IHOP) - and got 45 minutes on the stationery bike. I would have made it to an hour ... but I couldn't contend with the running nose. Plus about 30 minutes into the workout, I shifted myself on the bike and thought that I was going to really pull the left calf muscle ... so I took it a bit easy until I was sure that I wouldn't mess that one up to go with the right calf muscle that really cramped up on me on Saturday in Huntsville.

So I may try to do something in the morning, as I have the red-eye flight home Friday morning from LAX. Waverly has a volleyball game Thursday evening (which I'll miss) and then two on Friday.

She's playing with the "A" team on Friday in a tournament. They'll only have six (6) girls so she'll get to play two (2) entire games. She's been out of action for the last two weeks with an injury to her tendon in her right leg and she's been easing back into it this week.

I'm excited that I'll get to see her play two games - and if they win, at least another one on Saturday.

This blog is becoming more about Waverly than it is about me, but she made straight A's the first six (6) weeks and she's been selected to take either the SAT or ACT - as a 7th grader - as part of the Duke Talent Identification Program.

Actually, she'll take the ACT on December 8th. I signed her up online Wednesday evening (after I had a chance to speak with the counselor in charge of the program for the school earlier today). It is an opportunity that she is being given based on her performance on the TAKS test last year in the math section.

We've agreed that this isn't something that she is either 1.) going to attempt to study for or 2.) stress over. I just never want to put pressure on her to perform. I figure that she'll rise to the occasion and she has in so many ways - and has done so with grace and class.

I was moved up from Kindergarten to first grade - and actually school officials wanted to move me all the way to second grade (however, my parents - rightfully so - said no); however, I had a lot of pressure from my Dad to meet certain expectations. And he failed to realize that my buttons weren't pushed in the same way that he thought that they should have been.

I vowed a long time ago that I wouldn't put that kind of pressure on her. We have an agreement and that is if she can look me in the eye and tell me - and her Mom - that she did her best, I'll accept whatever grade she comes home with. I congratulate her, love her and tell her that she did a good job and to keep up the good work; however, that is one area (and she doesn't have access to this right now) that I really don't brag openly to other people about. Because I don't want her to feel any undue pressure.

That gets me caught up to ... talking about the Space City 10-Miler on Sunday and the Huntsville Half on Saturday.