What's Your Favorite Food?

In order to learn 540 names, I come up with strategies. Today, I asked them to tell me about their favorite food. The top responses were pizza, enchiladas, tacos, and corn dogs. But, not surprisingly, and, as amazing as young people are, many of them love salad, fruit, chicken, broccoli (o.k. only one student so far), fish, lobster, squid, and a variety of other awesome healthy foods.

And the student whose name I will most certainly remember: Jack.

Jack's favorite food is nails. Yup. Plain nails.

He was very matter of fact about it.

Cooperative Games

O.k. this week, it's a game called The River. They have to get all of their teammates across the river without anyone touching the 'water'. Even a shoelace, in the 'drink', forces the whole team back for a do-over. It's sort of like a bike race, you want everyone to cross the finish line in one piece. So, they put their heads together, to figure out how they will use their sticks, their rope, and their scooter to try to get each person on their team across the River (which is actually only about 8 feet across). It's sort of like a video game, they have to get across the river AND BACK in order to progress from Level 1 to Level 2. Level 2, they don't get to use their sticks anymore to 'paddle' with. Level 3, no rope. Level 4, 2 people at a time on the scooter, with the rope. Level 5, 2 people at a time on the scooter, no rope. Most students make it past Level 5, then Level 6 is 3 people at a time, with the sticks and the rope. This Level has the most laughs and people piles involved, but some teams figure out how to pass it. Children are Amazing, Amazing, Amazing.

This week vs Last Week

Last week, I explained to the 4th and 5th graders in my Physical Education classes, that I simply don't support the concept of throwing an object at someone IN ORDER TO HIT THEM, such as you might find in the game of Dodgeball. ...and that such a concept doesn't foster valuing lifelong physical fitness ideas....blah, blah.... So, we play other super sonic fun dodging games that help them forget that Dodgeball even exists...

Then, this week, students were a little unruly in one class, and the steam was starting to seep out of my ears. Being in tune, as many 4th and 5th graders are, I had one come up to me, and say:

"Ms. Green, this class really just needs some Dodgeball."

I chuckled, and somehow everything was better after that.

4th Graders Putting Things Together......

Today as I was sitting in my office working, a student poked his head in the door:

Student: "Ms. Green, do you have husband?"
Me: "Uhhh, no, why do you ask?"
Student: "Well, because my friend, who used to go to Mary Hill School had a P.E. Teacher there named Mr. Green."
Me: "Really? hmmm, well, I guess he could be my husband....good question!"

And off he went, having put it all together.....and his friend hasn't....so, he'll be on the upside of the Ms. Green/Mr. Green sleuthing effort.

Carrera De San Rafael-Finally a 1 hour Crit in Nor Cal!

There were about 40 women on the line. Some big local guns like Shelley Olds, and Sarah Bamberger. The course, a breakaway course. Gradual hill all the way up the start/finish stretch, down, down, down gradually, on the backside of the course, to the technical last corner. Excellent course. It was strung out single file for awhile, attack, attack, attack, until the winning break separated with none other than my super star teammate, Starla! I worked on blocking for her with the other teammates of riders represented in the break. Pro Man squeezed a couple more riders out of the field to bridge across to the break...Grrr...but, nice work Helene Drumm. Starla ended up 7th and I was 18th. Way to go Starla!! I was very happy with our efforts!

Onward ho!!

Frank-ly, here's what I think:

I wrote this as I was sitting in Carbondale, Colorado on my aunt's cattle ranch, in awe of the land, the wilderness, the 6000 feet of altitude, the lightning storms, and most of all, the amazing life I am so grateful for. What has come of the last few weeks of racing? Some missed marks, some lessons, some near misses, and some so-so results. Overall, some victories that may go un-articulated, but I will take a risk here, and share some of my thoughts, because now's as good a time as any, to do it. To those of you who read this. Thank you.

I am on my way to my potential as a bike racer. Only I will know when that day, year, month, race, comes. I imagine it will be in the next few years.

A bit about my big picture: Why do I do what I do? Why press on? In a sport so brutally competitive, and full of suffering, where the chances of winning are slim for most of the competitiors?

"Never more than 30% of the peleton is a major factor in a bike race. As a matter of fact, there are never more than 5 or 6 riders in a field of 100 who are strong contenders for any race, including the Tour de France." (Carl Cantrell)

So why settle for being pack fill? What's the point? Is it settling, or is it being a true competitor?

I do it, because I respect myself and my competitors more every time I race.

If I wasn't doing it, and the rest of the 70% of the peleton wasn't doing it, we wouldn't have bike races.

I have a dream that all women can look one another in the eyes and recognize how powerful each other are. Can we all just stop talking smack for a minute? Why do we love Elis Bradshaw, Karla Kingsley, Kim Anderson, Carrie Cash, Starla Teddergreen, Morgan Kapp, Dawn Neisser, Sabine Dukes, so much? They are models of women in sport, of mutual respect between female competitors, that we all can look to. Kudos to all of you!

I have a dream that all adults will reclaim their sense of play, and remember that playing is the way to learn more about themselves. Michael Hernandez is a great example of this. He has brought a sense of play and fun to the sport that no one else ever has. Thank you Michael.

I have a dream that all young people are treated with complete respect. I will continue to hold out that young people are models of wonderful human beings, and that their brilliance and power is our present, not just our future...(as if the future even existed).

I have a dream that all athletes discover along their path, that real competition means to have our competitors at their best, and that winning isn't just winning, no matter what. Crossing the finish line first, too often reinforces an ego that fosters the inability to look across to those you have "beaten". If it weren't for those of us who come to the starting line, to play, to race, to compete, the "winners" would be riding by themselves.

A true victory is one that combines the crossing of the finish line with a genuine advancement in the inner world of the athlete.

Lance said: ...."winning only measures how hard you've worked and how physically talented you are; it doesn't particularly define you beyond those characteristics....If you're willing to examine failure, and to look not just at your outward physical performance, but your internal workings, too, losing can be valuable."

Do I want to WIN an actual bike race? Of course!

I want to win, now, more than ever.

As I chase my dreams, I invite you to re-examine your own dreams, and walk the path that leads you in the direction of those dreams, no matter how small your steps.



Thanks for reading.

Back to Cali from Colorado!

If it weren't for Auntie Emma, lots of things would be different in my world. She is a friend, a mentor, and runs me more than I run my kids in P.E. Class! The first day of my visit to one of my family homes, Ty Bar Ranch, in Carbondale, Colorado I was making 120 breakfast burritos for a Tour of the Mississippi Cattlemen's Association coming through. Tables were set up in the barn, and we served 55 retired ranchers and their wives breakfast in the barn...That was cool. They were so smittin' with the whole thing, they wanted to take Aunt Emma home with them, but I would not let them!!

The next day we were off to the Rodeo, where I got to see something I never would do in P.E. class, called Mutton Bustin'! Imagine a big 'ol wooly sheep, running around in a pen with a 5 year old person attached to its back! Yup, you have to be only 5 or 6 years old. After that, you must retire from Mutton Bustin', 'cuz then, you're just too darn big. They do have helmets on, thank goodness, but geesh, it looks really hard to do!! Those sheep just run and look like they are super bumpy to ride! Please do not try this at home...and just because I write about it here, does not mean I think it's a cool idea. It was simply the first time I saw it, and was a little taken aback!!! Folks will do what they do, and sometimes we all are witness to it. How we respond, is up to us!