Pennsboro Coaching....

The usual “training update”

Friday:  We were en- route to Ritchie County this evening, and we didn’t get a head start early enough for me to be able to run once we got to the farm.  I think I carried things up and down the steps thinking it was my “fix” for the day

Saturday:  I snuck out of the house before I was given a “to do” activity so I could know I got my run in for the day because they were working on some projects getting ready for Brock’s Family Reunion event.  We were teasing when I got back about dodging projects.  I did truly enjoy the tiny bit of traffic and most of the time having the country roads all to myself.  (Minus the 2 snakes I passed…don’t worry I threw rocks till they slithered a safe distance away)  I ran about 5 ½ miles on a this rather sunny warm morning.  I tried to claim my sweat was from doing projects when I returned.  Too bad I couldn’t count the 4-wheeler miles we had for the day or I would have been able to claim a marathon for the day J

Sunday:  Rise and Shine…Alison laced up her running shoes and went on a run with me.  People use to think we were cousins in high school running days (which I hope the story is straight now given her and Brock being cousins)…it was fun to have a running partner for the day.  We ran around 3-4 miles maybe.  We had to hurry back to get ready for the family reunion. 

Monday:  We left the farm and stopped by to see mom and dad.  Mom had a project for us so I can at least claim some lifting as my work out for the day.  We didn’t get home prior to daylight….I think I’m going to have to start rising a little early on these busier days and run in the morning before the schedules get out of wack.

Tuesday:  I think a turtle could have beat my pace this evening.  It took at least 2 miles before I even felt like I was moving.  My legs wanted nothing to regarding movement for some reason.  I almost didn’t run the hill part of the run, but that little voice inside my head talked me back into it.  I did enjoy running back down the hill a little more after debating not to do it at all.  I ran a total of 5 miles.  

I found myself last week discussing and telling stories about Pennsboro High School’s famous “Cow Patty Bingo” Event.  Ok…maybe it isn’t “famous” but I sure think it was one of the highlighted events of the summer.  I can remember as a kid thinking it was such a go to event.  For those of you wandering what in the world is a Cow Patty Bingo….. Well you see in the country a Cow’s “Poop” is called a Patty…. Soooo to further explain….  You would square off (mark off) a large football field into individual squares…people would buy chances (which would be the squares) for spots on the field; all of the spots were labeled so people knew where their square was.  We would bring in a cow and load him onto the football field…. You could be at the event for hours upon hours…and I even remember one year it was as quick as can be.  The winner would be….wherever the cow laid his “Patty” the owner of that square wins the pot of money.  If the “Patty” landed in several of the squares depending on placement, the pot of money would be split among the square owners.  You can imagine people cheering on the cow to walk towards their purchased square on the field.

I suppose we enter into this humorous highlight of dad again….How could you not find an event like this funny?  It was a way for the community to come together, raise money, and share some laughs, and honestly speaking I didn’t know of any other way when I was growing up.

Speaking of Fund Raising....here is dad doing his part in a Dunking Booth 

        I love the movie Remember the Titans, not just because it’s a great inspirational sports movie, but because that little girl that was the coach’s daughter in the movie was me when I was little.  I didn’t know of any other place to be rather then the sidelines of the football field after school while dad coached.  Whatever dad yelled, I probably echoed it just so I could be like him.  I had a whole team full of big brothers growing up because dad coached them and if dad was there, I was probably 2 steps behind him.  Some of my best childhood memories were at the old Miles Stadium and the field house…the locker rooms were in the bottom of the building and the coaches office was at the top.  Before and after practices when I’d go to the field and up to the coach’s office to see dad, I’d have to yell “I’m coming through” right before I’d jet through the doors and up the steps so the boys would know to be “decent” for a second. 

Tommy, Jim, Dad, and "Little" Tommy
Pennsboro Cardinal Days

 So many of these memories were reflected this weekend too when I saw Bryan Ireland.  I think Bryan was always on dad’s team but then maybe it’s just he always came back to visit even when he was out of school J  Dad always loved Bryan’s work ethic and they could talk football literally as long as you’d allow them.  I remember coming back from college once visiting and Bryan stopped by to visist with dad…a few hours later his wife Rhonda called and was kinda laughing saying Bryan went out for milk and she was backtracking where he could have gotten side tracked to stop and visit along the way and just wanted to check if it was to see dad.  Sadly, I have to call out dad on this; I’m almost 100% certain mom’s had to do that same thing on several occasions. 

                Growing up in a small community was one of the best things my parents could have given us.  At times you’ll find yourself aggravated at some of the things that come along with the saying “The Best Thing about Living in a Small town, is when I don’t know what I’m doing someone else does”.  However, when dad started to get progressively worse with Parkinson’s Disease there were numerous people that have stepped in to make so many great things possible, offer to help with abundant things, and not hesitate to send an encouraging word/message/card.  When I come home to Ritchie County (and even many miles outside of Ritchie County) I get asked everywhere I go, “How’s your dad doing?”  It is a bit reassuring at that moment of the support that makes dealing with something of this sort just a tiny bit easier. 

**Thanks Tara for posting these pictures today to help be able to incorporate in today :)