I still can't get to sleep on the night before a race.  But now the races are run by my son.  Nathanael's only race this month was on January 29th at the UW Invitational.  Nathanael was entered in the 800m race as the final entry, giving him lane 10 in the first heat of this big indoor event.

I was stationed at the finish line at the crowded Dempsey Indoor Track facility at the UW.  I was taking pictures for Mark Moschetti, the SPU Assistant Sports Information Director for the www.spufalcons.com web site.  Nobody questioned my "press" status this year.

Nathanael started in the outside group in a waterfall start and was leading his group when they rounded the first turn.  On this long indoor track they had 2.5 laps to run instead of the normal 2 laps on an outdoor track.  So he ran past me twice before finishing right in front of me.  (The press photographers get the only unobstructed view of the finish line at this facility.)

Nate looked smooth and fast but I was anxious about his time because he made the race look easy.  He finished fourth in his heat and made sure he shook the hands of all of his opponents. The GNAC Provisional time to beat this season was set at 2:00.46.  His 1:58.96 time was adjusted to 1:59.06 on the GNAC standings web site. Nick Abraham, a junior at Western Washington finished 2nd with a 1:57.88 and he and Nathanael will both race in the GNAC Championships in Nampa Idaho on February 18-19. Nate's time placed him a solid 6th on the leader board with only a few more weeks of qualifying to go. 

He had been suffering some tendonitis the week before the race but it did not slow him down.  He may have one more chance to better his qualifying mark, and perhaps beat the GNAC automatic qualifying time of 1:57.86 at the UW Husky Classic on February 12th.  But it's sure nice to not have to wait to the last chance race to earn a qualifying time.

World Turmoil at the Start of 2011

Lebanon, Tunisia (left), Egypt (right), Yemen, Albania, Jordan, Syria, Algeria.  This month all of these countries experienced social/political unrest.  Never in my lifetime have I witnessed such simultaneous turmoil.  These words from the British press speak to the crisis in an important way.

“Events have moved briskly since a Tunisian fruit vendor with a handcart set fire to himself six weeks ago, and in doing so lit the fuse that has detonated Egypt and threatens to topple the political order of the Maghreb, Yemen, and beyond.

. . .

The surge in global food prices since the summer – since Ben Bernanke signalled a fresh dollar blitz, as it happens – is not the underlying cause of Arab revolt, any more than bad harvests in 1788 were the cause of the French Revolution.

Yet they are the trigger, and have set off a vicious circle. Vulnerable governments are scrambling to lock up world supplies of grain while they can. Algeria bought 800,000 tonnes of wheat last week, and Indonesia has ordered 800,000 tonnes of rice, both greatly exceeding their normal pace of purchases. Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Bangladesh, are trying to secure extra grain supplies.

. . .

The immediate cause of this food spike was the worst drought in Russia and the Black Sea region for 130 years, lasting long enough to damage winter planting as well as the summer harvest. Russia imposed an export ban on grains. This was compounded by late rains in Canada, Nina disruptions in Argentina, and a series of acreage downgrades in the US. The world’s stocks-to-use ratio for corn is nearing a 30-year low of 12.8pc, according to Rabobank.

The deeper causes are well-known: an annual rise in global population by 73m; the “exhaustion” of the Green Revolution as the gains in crop yields fade, to cite the World Bank; diet shifts in Asia as the rising middle class switch to animal-protein diets, requiring 3-5 kilos of grain feed for every kilo of meat produced; the biofuel mandates that have diverted a third of the US corn crop into ethanol for cars."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Jan 30, 2011

Just Keep Walking, Walking, Walking

On January 17th, SPU began a walking program where faculty and staff are rewarded for walking at least 30,000 steps each week.  That's just 15 miles or a little over two miles per day.  I bought myself a pedometer and joined the program with over 150 others.  My mileage was 18.6 and 21.7 the first two weeks. 

Now if I could only control my intake.  My weight is up over the last month and my self-control has suffered.  But I see Dr. Robert Kelley again in February on the 8th so that should motivate me some.

Bits and Pieces

  Jeannie Beth and Annie are taking a Japanese class at Bellevue College this quarter on Wednesday nights.

  Doctor Dogbody’s Leg, by James Norman Hall (1937), one of the authors of Mutiny on the Bounty, has proven to be the most enjoyable book I've read in years!  And I'm only three chapters into it.  The plot: the one-legged British Naval Surgeon F. Dogbody never tells the same tale twice as to how he lost his leg.  The war with Napoleon has recently ended, so our good doctor has plenty of shore time to spin these yarns. My love for the genre is restored.  “If ever a man lost his leg in some strange way and survived the loss miracle-fashion, as ye might say, that man is Surgeon F. Dogbody.  There’s nothing humdrum about him.  If he no more than spits to leeward he does it with an air of his own.”

January 4, 2011:  I thought there was nothing I really wanted or needed for Christmas/Birthday.  But I have today purchased an art print from military-art.com.  It is a signed print by noted British artist Geoff Hunt who also painted all the covers for the Aubrey/Maturin series and the Kydd series by Julian Stockwin.  I would like to have this framed (by Don) with a cut-out for the oak piece of the Victory with which Annie gifted me last Christmas.  I believe it will be well worth the purchase price of 142£ (or about $220) in motivation.  And once framed with a true piece of the Victory, it will be worth significantly more than that.

Victory Breaks the Enemy Line by Geoff Hunt
Signed limited edition of 850 prints 
Image size 17 inches x 23 inches

Nelson's long-considered plan for dealing with a numerically superior force involved breaking their line in two places with two squadrons, the spearheads of each squadron being his biggest ships. The two squadrons were to attack the enemy line at right-angles, relying on breaking through quickly and then turning to overwhelm separated sections of their fleet before the remainder could turn back to intervene. The situation at Trafalgar did indeed produce a superior enemy force, 33 French and Spanish battleships to Nelsons 27, and the stage was set for his plan to be implemented. One of the two British squadrons was to be spearheaded by the Royal Sovereign, the other by Victory herself, although he had other heavy ships which could have led the way. But Nelson had not foreseen the very light wind and the consequent agonizingly slow approach, slower than walking pace, on the actual day. Victory took an awful pounding before she ever arrived at the Franco-Spanish line. The mizzen topmast was shot away, as was the ships wheel, which meant that she had to be steered by tiller in the gunroom, with instructions shouted down from on deck. Her crew already had casualties of twenty officers and men dead, thirty wounded, before she could fire a shot in reply. Nevertheless the pivotal moment finally arrived, as seen in this painting. Victory, her guns silent until now, is just about to pass under the stern of the French flagship, Admiral Villeneuve's Bucentaure. The ships are so close that Victory’s yardarm brushes the French Ships rigging. As Victory passes she fires her port broadside of fifty cannons and one carronade through Bucentaures transom and stern windows, the most vulnerable part of any sailing warship, sweeping the decks from end to end. This shattering blow which is thought to have dismounted twenty guns and killed or injured four hundred men, virtually knocked the French flagship out of the fight. Entering from the left is the 74-gun Redoutable, commanded by the formidable Captain Lucas, who had trained his crew to the highest pitch in fighting at close quarters. Victory will very shortly find herself alongside Redoutable, from which the shot is fired that kills Nelson.

The moment the idea is admitted into society, that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If "Thou shalt not covet," and "Thou shalt not steal," were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society, before it can be civilized or made free.

― John Adams

Congratulations! Coach Larry Royce

Washington State Track & Field Coaches

HALL OF FAME

On Saturday, January 15th, I was privileged to serve as the official event photographer for the WSTFCA Hall of Fame induction of Larry Royce, BCS Track & Field Coach and my friend, at the Everett Holiday Inn.  BCS paid for my lunch and I did my photography thing.

[ THE BCS ANNOUNCEMENT ]   Larry Royce's track coaching career began in 1970 when he was offered the opportunity to work with the throwers at South Kitsap High School.  Lloyd Pugh was the coach at the time and he recognized something special in the young coach.  That offer initiated a 39 year love affair with high school track and field.  In that time, Larry has been recognized nine times with Coach of the Year awards, including the 1992 and 2010 "Girls Coach of the Year for Washington State" (all classifications) and the 1993 "Washington State Class 'A' Coach of the Year" as well as the 2009 "WIAA 'A' State Track Sportsmanship Award." He has coached five girls teams to State Championship titles.  He has coached a state champion in every event except the javelin and has coached athletes that have broken or currently hold five state records.  More telling than any of these achievements is the fact that many of his former athletes have gone on to become track and field coaches themselves, a true testament to his mentorship.

After his initiation at South Kitsap, Larry moved to Pilchuck High School.  While his primary responsibility was initiating an aquatics program and coaching swimming, Larry volunteered to work with the throwers on the track team.  In 1973, Larry accepted a job as county recreation director in Pt. Townsend.  That spring, he was approached by a group of girls about the possibility of him coaching the girls track team.  He accepted and led a team of three girls to the State 'A' Meet in Goldendale where they placed 3^rd.  In 1976, Larry took that core group, plus several other girls, back to the State 'A' Meet in Yakima where they won the State Championship.

In the fall of 1976, Larry began teaching and coaching at Bellevue Christian School, inheriting a quality track and field team from Mike Strong.  The BCS girls track and field team is the 2^nd leading all-time points scoring team for class 'A' state meets.  Four of those teams won State Championships.  His girls teams have had a scoring relay team at the state level for 31 of the 33 years he has served as head coach.  He has coached numerous individual state champions as well as district and league champions. Two of the individual athletes that stand out as part of his long career are Kim (Seelye) Jones and Irene Griffith, both from Pt. Townsend.  Kim went on to become a world class distance runner who has more high level placings in world class marathons than any other U.S. female marathoner in history.  Irene's best event her freshman year in 1975 was the 3200m, but since the state did not offer that event for girls, she had to frequently run it with the boys.  She went on to dominate that event and in 1976, while competing at the AAU National Championships, she won the high school age 3200m and set the national record with a 10:24.4.  Several of his BCS athletes who continued with track and field at the university level achieved All-American status.

Larry is one of the key coaches who helped in the reorganization of the Washington State Track and Field Coaches Association and he was an instrumental part of the group of volunteer coaches who started the Annual WSTFCA Convention.  He has been heavily involved in promoting the sport and advocating for increased opportunities in coaching education.  It is with great honor that we recognize his achievement and welcome him into the Washington State Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.  His induction is a testament to his numerous contributions to the sport in Washington State.

SPECIFIC POINTS OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE HISTORY OF LARRY ROYCE'S TRACK TEAMS/ATHLETES (From Coach Ed Sloan)

1.     Kim Seelye who won multiple state titles at Port Townsend went on to become a world class distance runner.  Kim Jones (Seelye)  has more high level placings in world class marathons than any other US female marathoner in history.

2.     Irene Griffith began running for Port Townsend as a freshman in 1975.  Her best event was the 2 mile but because it was not offered as a girls event by the WIAA Irene frequently ran the event with the boys at dual meets.  When the WIAA added the event for the girls in 1977 Irene won the state title and repeated as state champion in 1978.  In the summer of 1976 Irene traveled to the AAU National Championships where she won the high school age 3200 and set the national record of 10:25.4

3.     The Bellevue Christian girls track team is the 2nd leading all time points scoring team for "A" state meets.

4.     The 1976 Port Townsend "A" girls track team might have laid claim to the "Best Team in the State" title as they won the Issaquah Invitational while competing against both "AAAA" Federal Way and Issaquah who respectively placed 1st and 2nd at their state meet.

5.     Matt Isbell, the current "A" state record holder in both the 100M and the LJ won every event he competed in at the state meet.  In 1997 as a sophomore he qualified only in the long jump and won.  In 1998 he qualified in the LJ,TJ,4x100 and 4x400 and placed first in each.  In 1999 he captured state titles in the 100,LJ,TJ and the 4x100.  Beginning in his junior year Matt never lost an event.  In his senior season he competed at the Shoreline Invitational where he outperformed the eventual "AAAA" champion.

6.       The Bellevue Christian girls have scored a relay team at the state meet in 31 of the 33 years that Larry has been the head coach.

7.       Larry was chosen Girls Track "Coach of the Year" in 1993 by the Track and Field Coaches Association.

8.       Larry's girls track teams have captured 5 state titles.  One in Port Townsend and four at Bellevue Christian.

9.       Larry has coached a state champion in every event with the exception of the javelin.

10.   Many of Larry's former athletes have gone on to become track and field coaches.

11.   Larry's athletes have broken or hold 5 state records.