Life is a Gift

(Photo taken by Joshua Ricardi on the Sahale Peak trip)

           A lot has happened since my last blog. A lot and also nothing at the same time. I don't really know how to give an update on what happened without sounding insensitive but I will give it a go.

            The week before the Montana Mile my brother John and his (now) fiancé Jane were in a climbing accident while hiking Sahale Peak in the North Cascades. I know I wrote a blog after this incident but I wanted some time to pass to make sure they were o.k. and not be overwhelmed with too many questions about what happened. Both were extremely lucky to be alive and though they suffered injuries they will make a 100% recovery. John is already back training and even racing and Jane is doing quite well considering her injuries were more severe. She suffered a broken scapula, clavicle, four broken ribs and a broken ankle. She was in a wheel chair for eight weeks but has now moved to crutches and can put 30% weight on her foot. You can read a write up on what happened in the August issue of The Northwest Runner or at the July team report for Club Northwest. John and Jane's incident had a happy ending but not all accidents do.

(Jane getting flown off the mountain. Photo courtesy Joshua Ricardi)

         On August 30th my college coach passed away in a tragic accident. Jackie Poulson was a young woman full of life and passionate about her friends, athletes, and those around her. I remember her energy on track trips. She knew how to make people laugh. Sometimes I didn't quite know how to take her, especially when I was a young wide-eyed naive freshman, but you could tell she loved to make people smile and she was very confident in being herself.

          When I heard the news it seemed unreal. She was killed while out looking for her missing dog. She was electrocuted in a canal of water as one of the farming pumps shorted out. She had no warning that the moment she touched the water would be her last. Her soon-to-be father-in-law and his friend were unaware that the moment they tried to rescue her would be their last.

            Jackie was robbed of many firsts, like getting the chance to walk down the aisle and marry her love. It seems so unfair but she also had a wonderful life. If you didn't know Jackie you could tell this by the many wonderful posts, people at her funeral with such love to share about her, and all the photos and stories about her life. Jackie touched many people's lives over the years and she will be missed.

            As you go through life there will be tragedies, hardships, and sometimes things won't make any sense and as you get older my Dad tells me you can expect to experience more of this. If you are one of the lucky ones to live to a ripe old age you will probably experience a great deal of loss as those you love pass on. And that is the trade off. You will mourn the loss of many people but each tear you shed can help serve as a reminder of the wonderful gift that is your life.

            Shortly after Jackie's passing we (the Idaho State Alumni) lost another one of our young members. Keegan Burnett died the Monday after Jackie was buried. The dirt was still soft the day another mother had to wake up to the terrible reality that she had out lived her child. Earlier in Keegan's pole vaulting career at ISU he had survived a near death accident while warming up for a vaulting competition only to suffer a life altering skiing accident a few years later. The skiing accident left him paralyzed. Keegan had undergone major surgeries and had recently been released to go home where he would continue his healing. He was trying to adapt to his new life but it proved too much for him to bear and I was left shocked at the news of his suicide.

            Life will be filled with times of sadness and mourning but also of joyous occasions and celebration. After the sadness of losing two more young lives I was able to be a part of the joining of two lives in a celebration of marriage. My good friends Rose and Tim were married on September 8th and it was a most joyous occasion. It was a celebration, a time to dance and laugh and feel happy just to be alive. A week after that, I was celebrating the joyous news of my younger brother John and his girlfriend and my good friend Jane's engagement. There is always balance and true joy can be found each day if you chose to see it. It is easy to focus on all the sadness and question God's purpose but you cannot stay stuck in the grief forever or it will consume you and another life will be lost.

(Enjoying the wedding with Levi)

(Wedding silliness)

            The times of loss and sadness really make me appreciate the gift I have been given when I wake up each day. It makes me realize how precious life truly is and how numbered our days are. Lately I have been dealing with a knee pain that does not seem to heal no matter how much time I take off. This knee pain is annoying but it is a minor inconvenience and nothing to be that upset about as there are much worse things that I could have to deal with. Which brings me to my "nothing" part of my blog.

            After my last race of the season on July 20th I rested, and rested, and rested. My cross training was almost non-existent because everything seemed to aggravate my knee. Well unless you call wake boarding and trapeze cross training!  Even being in the water swimming or trying to aqua jog caused discomfort so it made even wanting to cross train hard. One thing that helps keep me feeling positive is in coaching my high school cross country team. I had my first season of high school coaching this past track season with The Northwest School and I loved it. This fall I was asked to be an assistant cross country coach and I gladly accepted. I love working with the kids and getting to know them. Each kid is so unique and has their own distinct set of talents. I hope my work schedule stays flexible enough so I can continue to play the role of coach. 

(Coaching The Northwest School Cross Country Team. At Portland with the Varsity girls.)

(Wasp sting!)

            I started running, well walking first, a few weeks ago. I have only done slow easy running of less than 6 miles and no workouts. On one of my easy runs I was stung by a wasp and had a mile allergic reaction. As if getting back in shape wasn't hard enough! My knee is feeling better than it has been but it is still not 100% so I am scheduled to see a sports doctor in about a week. My right Achilles has be starting to get a little tender again so I may have a couple things to talk about during my appointment. The Achilles baffles me because it seems to cause pain. With all my time off for my knee I had my Achilles feeling 100% but the moment I start any form of running it comes back. I will be playing around with ways to help fix this problem in the coming months and any advice any of my readers may have I would love to hear it.

           That in a nutshell is what has been happening over the last couple of months. I celebrated my 28th birthday and ran a cross country race recently but I will save that for another post as this one is already too long.

(Spending time with my nephew.)

            Until then, keep living your life to the fullest and always be sure to tell those you love how much they mean to you because our days are numbered and God is the only one with the count.