Sumner F Period discussion

This reading really focused on with holding impulses. Running is all about using impulse so it is always hard when your impulse needs to be controlled. “Everything in him wanted to run flagstaff that day, but he knew not running today could save his chances for nationals this season.” Oscar ponce, a runner at Colorado University is one of the top runners at his school. He knows not running and letting is calf heal is in his best interest but also the last thing he wants is to fall behind and be left in the dust. I can relate to this from when I have been injured in sports. The last tthing you want to do is stop playing the sport you love but it is in your best interest to let yourself heal. This also applies to everyday life for me and Ponce. Author Chris lear claims “Ponce is distraught about the rumble” after Oscar ponce gets in a fight at a local diner. This very fight almost costs him his spot on the team. Both he and I need to learn that following your impulses only leads to trouble. Thinking before acting is a necessary tool in ones adulthood.

My next reading in Running with the Buffaloes focuses on a theme of handwork perseverance, and drive paying off in the long run. Ponce grew up a poor child on the streets of Mexico. He would wash car windows and sell gum for pocket change. "Some days ponce would eat, others he would not" claims author Chris Lear. Being a middle class American it is hard for me to relate to this. I have always had food to eat and been able to live in a stable environment.
Ponce turned out to be an American citizen so at age 14 he moved to the states. In the states life was still hard for him but it wasn’t like survival anymore ponce claimed “My mother always taught me to fight for what I want so when I moved to the US nothing changed.” Ponce worked vigorously to master the English language, and shown as a star on the track. His hard work paid off as he got a scholarship to run in college. This shows to me that work ethic is everything. Ponce started with nothing and rose to being one of the best runners in the nation and attending a college. This reading actually has inspired me to work harder in school and in life in general because a lot of the time I take what I have for granted.

nice!!!!!

This reading of Running with the Buffaloes mainly focused on a theme of the translation of hard work to success. All season the runners have endured hard workouts, long runs, and grueling time trials. Finally however they are starting to see their hard work payoff. Even though one of their star runners (Batliner) is hurt the rest of the team is stepping up to the challenge. Each of them are running at the fastest paces they’ve ever run for long runs they normally wouldn’t go on. Their hard work is finally translating to success and people are noticing. The runners also realize the advice and instruction their coach has given them is one of the main reasons they are seeing so much success." the first time Wetmore told me to run a 100= mile week i rolled my eyes and groaned" claims Stevenson. When Coach Wetmore told them to run 100+ mile weeks they grumbled but are now climbing to be some of the best, if not the best runners in the country. When coach Wetmore told them to drop weight they grumbled, but now they are even more successful. Finally the runners are reaping the fruits of their crop and have realized that Coach Wetmore has had their back the entire time. It is often easy to doubt authority but the buffaloes learned here that trusting your leader pays off.

This reading focused primarily on leadership and it succeess's failures, and hardships. THese chapters focused on two people in parrticular, goucher and coach wetmore. Coach wetmore if a arrgresive leader and coach. he pushes his runners to do things and beleive things that in any other circumstance they wouldnt do or believe. He makes them run 80-100+ miles a week. Why he is a good leader however is beacause he beleieves in his runners and shows them he does by his actions and words. Now he must teach his top runner how to lead. Goucher, the best runner on the team, has only this year accelerated in his running abilities. he is on track to win a NCAA cross country nationnal championship. However in order for his team and himself to win he needs his teamates to rally behind him. This is why wetmore has beagn to teach goucher leadership skills. slowly throughout these chapters we begin seeing goucher grow in to the leader he needs to be. He inspires his teamates before runs and races, keeps everyone accountable, and most of all does his part to keep the team one of the best in the country. Goucher is ever so slowly becoming a leader. "you are our best hope at the title goucher, you just need to make everyone around raise to your level" said wetmore.

In this thirty page reading off Running With The buffaloes we as readers learn the importance of perseverance. Often it is hard for someone to keep going when everything around them is crumbling, there life seems to be falling apart, and there life goal is seemingly unattainable. This is the case for runner Blondeau at colorodo University's 1998 Men's cross country team. Blondeau over the years has been one of CU's top runners as well as hardest workers. He always listens to his coach, runs every mile with vigor and determination, and races with a passion like no one else. However this season he has innjured is calf and will most likely miss out on CU's chance to win the NCAA championship. Blondeau has worked harder than anyone elsee on the team and is now about to miss out on the one thing he has beeen working for for years on ed, a NCAA title. It would be easy for Blondeau to simply give up. "everyday blondeau envisioned the title and he told himself he would do whatever it took to be there winning it with his boys." and this is exactly what he did. He went to therapy and did a lot of hard stuff and is now running again.

This final reading juxtaposes success with failure. These pages lead up to CU's big home meet. This race is important to Coach Wetmore and he makes it known to his runners. This meet will decide if the make it into NCAA championships or not. The race turns out to be a great success. 6 runners run faster than the 2nd place runner ran last year and Goucher sets a new course record. Overall, Coach wetmore is jubilant and very pleased in the performance. All the runners are excited too. However one runner, Wes bombs the race. He runs much slower than he has been training and loses his spot as one of the nine who go to nationals. This is devastating for him. The team wants to do something to help but "he is inconsolable; it was the wrong time to be off.". It was weird seeing the great happiness and great sorrow put side by side. It made me have very mixed emotions. I wanted ro be happy for the team however it was hard to read about someone;s dreams being crushed. All his hard work was for nothing. This just shows that in life sometimes failures happen and there is nothing one can do about it.