Pudgy, Pasty, Chafing Thighs

Today, I ran a 5K for which I was totally unprepared. My son, who's almost 9 had been training. He posted a 26:07. I posted a 28:35. It was the first time he's beaten me. As I said to some people today, there's a lesson in it for both of us; for him, preparation pays; for me; lack of preparation makes you pay. I got what I deserved. He got what he deserved.
I am 20 pounds over my racing weight. I have done virtually no running. My fat thighs rubbed against each other. They're now sensitive...fortunately, it was only a 5K. I could really be paying.

On Conditions and Cameraderie

Last night's practice for my youth track program was held in steady, heavy rain. Some of the workouts are unsafe in the rain, so I felt that interval work would keep them warm and make some progress on fitness. I think there was a special feeling of toughness and friendship that last night's workout created. I will say that the kids who are willing to run in conditions that are less than ideal are my stars. Track and field is competed in all kinds of conditions, so my feeling is that practices should never be cancelled (except for lightning...not really my feeling, I generally regard lightning as so minimal a threat as to be ignorable, but I am dicatated to by policies of both our host and our sponsor.)

How's This For A Helmet Endorsement?

Biker's head run over by truck. He's OK, helmet needs replacement. Link

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

New Jersey is a great state, and it cares about kids, but I have an issue, and it's with the police. Not that they don't generally do a great jobs, but there are laws they don't enforce. The one that bugs me most is our bicycle/skateboard helmet law.
My issue that that the law, which I think is a good one (though I don't think it goes far enough, requiring helmets only up to age 17), my issue is that the police make no effort to enforce the law. I understand that when a robbery needs investigating or a speeding ticket needs issuance, the cops will focus on those things, rather than kids not wearing helmets.
The flip side of this is that cops ignoring little violations like this results in these kids getting their driver's licenses and having less respect for the law than they should. I believe (and I'll readily acknowledge it's without studies to back it up) that some young drivers flout more serious laws because they have flouted minor laws like these as they were growing up.
Very simply, I am calling for the police to enforce these laws.