Team Transplant, UWMC

Wow…that was blustery day out at Kirkland on Saturday!   I’m sure many of you heard the wind and rain and opted to stay at home under the covers….an understandable decision.  Yet we had a crew of about 20 who chose to show up.  Unbelievably, one of them was Mark Scott, who drove alll the way from Magnolia to join us and who hasn’t been as visible this season because of his son’s soccer season. Crazy that he picked Saturday to ramp up his training!   As he got out his car to greet me, he said, “Soccer season is over.  The  team went 7-1…My son had a happy season.”

Mmmm…the Happy Season!  Who doesn’t love a happy season!? In my more competitive days, the happy season meant running fast times; winning races;competing for state and league championships; qualifying for big races; placing at nationals; eating pre-race dinners at Valentino’s all-you-can-eat Italian buffet and celebrating with lunch at the Sirloin Stockade after important meets.   But now that I’m older,  I’m hoping that a happy season doesn’t have to depend on a win-loss record or a stopwatch.  I want happy to have a deeper meaning…but how then do you measure one season against another?  Mark’s comment made me wonder…When I look back on this past season, what are the things that are going to make it happy for me?
•    Patrick Green‘s neon orange shoelaces (how can you not smile when you see his feet??)
•    Rachel Lyon‘s and Jeff Edelman‘s marathon PR’s
•    Jason Stahl‘s 6 minute PR in the 5k and the anticipation of his debut half marathon
•    Terry Way’s son, Jefferson,  joining our team!
•    Jennifer Herlihy and Bridget O’Connor taking an interest in interval running
•    Seeing Allen Vary running along Juanita Way as I drove to practice on Saturday…and realizing later that he had NOT just run from Ballard!
•    TT Homeland Security‘s incredible commitment…Would you believe they went searching for our lost cone in last Saturday’s blustery weather?
•    Thursday night hill workouts with Seth Hennessey, Sam Patterson, Micah Gwinn, Jonathon Baird, and the Millers
•    Random encounters with Mark Rosinbum…recently seen walking across the Fremont Bridge on Thursday afternoon.
•    Mari Jo Fraser‘s butterfly balloon at Issaquah
•    Watching our rookies, Dan Tenant and Shirley Schultz, mix it up with our veterans
•    Lenard Yen‘s incredible web design talent!
•   Sam Niles loving her water station duties on race day!
•    Having James Boeckstiegel be able to participate in practices and getting to cheer him on in the 5k on Nov. 28th!
I hope that you too can look back upon the past few months and find things that will make this a happy season for you!