~:[CH15 - Day 274]:~ It's Leg Day

 

~:[CH15 - Day 274]:~ It's Leg Day

"It's leg day," I joked with a few people as I pushed my cart around Costco. Sometimes I have a helper with me, but this year, it was just me, pushing around about 900 drinks and snacks on a cart around Costco. Yes, it's conference time. As I do this, I am reminded of the Costco runs I had with cross country. I miss going to Mammoth Nowadays these runs are for conference as I get everything we need ready for the conference, doing this and that. I love do the leg work to make a conference or meet happen. There is satisfaction in checking things off a list and getting things done. Sure, it's exhausting doing this and that, but at the same time, it also makes you feel like you've accomplished something when you get things done. My body definitely felt the exhaustion as I purchased everything, loaded it and unloaded it into my classroom, but that soreness will be a badge of satisfaction at day's end knowing that I worked out and completed another leg day.

~:[CH15 - Day 273]:~ The Rush

 

~:[CH15 - Day 273]:~ The Rush

I wake up pretty early in the morning to do work. I get focused in so much that I lose track of time sometimes and have to hurry to work. As I did today, I didn't realize that our meeting was non-existent. I guess the upside of it was that I had time to do work at school, but of course, it would have be nice to take my time in the morning, albeit, it would have only been about twenty minutes more. These days, rushing from place to place is fairly common. My schedule has been quite jam packed and so I am V-lining from one thing to another. In some ways it's good as time passes by quickly, but it's also quite stressful thinking about the next move. It ended up being a nice break after our run to have the athletes have a small bonding game together. They gathered together and just spend some time playing some silly games. It was different than the rush of the morning and it felt nice to sit back and feel a little bit of the breeze, despite the heat creeping in. The rush of life is common to us all, but remember to also take the time to enjoy the cool breeze and hit that slow-mo button to catch a glimpse of the great things happening around you.

~:[CH15 - Day 272]:~ Life at Home

~:[CH15 - Day 272]:~ Life at Home

Being away for work so often has allowed me to appreciate being home a lot more. The simple fact of having a comfortable place to come back to is quite the gem, but to be amongst those you love sharing some good food is the best part of all. I always talk about how we yearn to get away, but I guess we also have that feeling of relief when we return home. It's great to be away for a bit, but it also helps us appreciate what we were missing. Sure, the bill can be high at times and work can be exhausting, but there are some things at home that can't be replaced. As I enjoyed a meal with my parents, I was appreciative of the fact that I could share this moment with them and as much as I missed the clean air of Portland, I was happy to be back home together. 

~:[CH15 - Day 271]:~ A Little Wild

 
~:[CH15 - Day 271]:~ A Little Wild

It was our last day in Portland as we ventured out to the Oregon Zoo. It was nice because the group stuck together for the most part until the very end. We were able to get a few shots before they went their own way for a bit. The weather was nice as I was already fearing the weather we would get upon our return. It's hard to say what each person's favorite animal was as they ventured from spot to spot, but still yet, it was nice that they explored together. We did our last go around in Portland before heading to the airport. We survived a wonderful weekend together and I think the group came back more unified. It was a small group, but I think that is part of the reason why it ended up being quite successful. It will be a busy week upcoming with our conference, so I soaked in these final moments of peace and headed home at the stroke of midnight. Good night world. 

~:[CH15 - Day 270]:~ Unforgettable Sights

 
~:[CH15 - Day 270]:~ Unforgettable Sights

We ventured out to Multnomah Falls in the morning and got to see the beautiful signs of the falls. We were debating whether or not to head to the top and ultimately ended up trekking all the way up there. The view up there was somewhat unimpressive, but there were some good views along the way. Still yet, the view around (including the drive) was gorgeous. We wrapped up and headed to the Skibowl where we took the lift to the top of the mountain and sledded down the alpine slide. The athletes truly enjoyed it and I was glad it was something that they discovered on their own. The view heading down the mountain was gorgeous as you could see Mt. Hood in the background. Both moments were filled with sights that you'll never be able to forget. They will forever be engrained in my mind and I hope that the athletes all will have a lifelong memory. It was nice to have this extra day to experience the world around us and I only hope that tomorrow will bring a final stamp that will make this trip a success. For now, I'll look back and soak in the beautiful memories we created in these incredible sights. 

~:[CH15 - Day 269]:~ In Its Truest Form

 
~:[CH15 - Day 269]:~ In Its Truest Form

I think when we experience things in life, we don't always get the truest form of it. Do we get to try the foods we eat in its truest form or has it been adapted to fit the local cuisine? Do we celebrate a certain event the way it was intended? The list goes on and on and one these experiences in cross country. When talking to the Redondo Union coach about the race, he talked about how the course itself is the best parts of this experience. In Southern California, we race on grass and sidewalks, but at this race, we run through fields and forests. The mud and challenging terrain is part of what makes cross country, cross country. The athletes all finish with their jerseys a mess, but that is part of the memories they'll carry with them as they move forward. It's always an experience running this race and while their times are much slower than usual as they course is just that much more difficult, they often leave with smiles on their face after facing cross country in its truest form. We headed around Seaside this time before heading back to Portland, taking the long trek through the mountains and roads to get to Tillamook, before heading back to the city. It was a great experience living on base, but I know we all are looking forward to heading back to headquarters (as the sophomores refer to it), as there is one thing they won't miss, living on a military training camp in its truest form, as I know that we all will appreciate the comforts of the hotel tonight.

~:[CH15 - Day 268]:~ Unexpected

 

~:[CH15 - Day 268]:~ Unexpected

It was the day I was most worried about on this trip as we transitioned from the comforts of Portland to the barracks of Warrenton at Camp Rilea. The athletes are not used to this camp lifestyle, so adjusting to it is not always easy. Did we bring everything we needed? Would they have enough food? With a van, we decided to pick up chicken on the way since one of our athletes loves Jollibee and has been asking for it since we arrived. It was the best decision as after the early dinner, in the middle of the night, they were eating chicken in the parking lot. It seemed like all was good as we got to the camp safely. When going to the pasta feed, I imagined their old school and wondered why the map was taking me a different direction. Little did I know that their campus moved and now sat on the side of the mountain overlooking the harbor from Goonies. It was such a beautiful sight being there at sunset as we took some photos before heading into camp. It's great to have these unexpected moments when you can truly soak it all up. It's even better when it's unexpected as it WOWs you and leaves you breathless. The kids were laughing and smiling as they came back from the ice cream social. They had some funny stories to tell as they adjusted to the realities of being places outside of LA, but ultimately there were good spirits all around and that's all that mattered.

~:[CH15 - Day 267]:~ Changing Season

 

~:[CH15 - Day 267]:~ Changing Season

In places like LA, you barely notice the changing seasons. The color of the leaves don't change much and the temperature stays relatively the same. However, when arriving to Portland, the change was already evident, even though the fall has just begun as the yellows, oranges and reds were all around.  Much is like life as some are consistent while others are constantly changing and adapting. Neither can clearly be classified as the "best" way, however, it truly is amazing to watch, when someone changes, contrasting what they used to be. The Japanese Garden was a beautiful way to kick off this trip, although they were exhausted from the walk. While the leaves hadn't quite turned yet for most trees in the garden, it was still a good reminder that change is inevitable when the seasons of life change.

~:[CH15 - Day 266]:~ Floodgates

 

~:[CH15 - Day 266]:~ Floodgates

We flooded in to Tapioca Express as we had a good run. It was our final team run for the week as we'ee headed to Oregon tomorrow. it was a special food run as we had our adoptions which connect to our family tree which has existed for over 15 years. While I need to update the tree, it's still cool to see all the connections that have been made over time. By night's end, I had the mass amount of work roll in, but I managed it well by controlling the flow just like they handled our crowd today. It feels a little weird that we'll be leaving tomorrow, but with all the work I've had lately, it will be nice to get away to save myself by drowning in all of this work. Close the floodgates ... for now.

~:[CH15 - Day 265]:~ Welcomed

 
~:[CH15 - Day 265]:~ Welcomed

It's nice to see the new athletes bond together and connect, especially when they're freshmen. This group has been exceptionally spirited as they painted themselves up at the meet. Each group tends to create their own story, which allows them to continue the story, but write it in their own way. It's not a forced carbon copy, rather a natural transformation that begins by simply being welcomed. We're never going to be 100% success, but we try our best to be as successful as we can. So many obstacles have come our way, but we do our best to adapt and survive.