Win or lose

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Fattima and Mude before the race

This past weekend we made our way over to Pocatello Idaho which is about 9-10 hours away. This is where the state tournament was to be held and also where the elevation is quite different than it is on the North end of the state. Pocatello has an elevation of 4,462 and our area is about 2,579. I had no idea this could have such an impact on runners, the teams from the North were at a huge disadvantage.

I watched other races and saw our top runners struggling and coming in at times that were not a reflection of their usual runs but still I had no idea what this meant.

When Mude’s race came I expected to see him towards the front of the pack  based on his time at districts . I stood waiting and worrying and he finally came jogging past, red faced, sweat drenched and moving very slowly.

By the end of the race he was gasping for air and had trouble breathing. I was worried he would collapse on the way in and felt a bit panicked. Foof and I ran over trails, wet grass and dirt to locate him.

He made it to the end where he dropped to his knees, his teammates ran over to check on him and called for help. The coach came, grabbed him and walked him to the medical tent where he was taken care of and eventually his breathing regulated to normal.

I was so happy that we made the trip and that we were there for him! I also witnessed teammates, family and friends all waiting near the tent for him to breathe easily and finally walk away. His coaches held him up, stood in the tent, monitored him and in general were his support and have been for the past four years!

When he was stable and doing well Foof and I made our way back to Boise and the next day, back home. I left him in their hands and felt totally confident that he was being taken care of as if I were there on the bus with him.

I was relieved when he was able to breathe easily, but he was disappointed that this race was not what he had expected. I reminded him that he was ok and that he made it across the finish line! He came in second at districts and based on his season I felt he would be one of the top runners and would have a great PR.  He barely made it through the race and I am surprised that he crossed the finish line.

Life is full of so many lessons and this was just one small one! I could not be more proud of him!! He is taking the week off and informed me that he will then be back in training for the coming track season!

It really is true, it is how you play the game and not whether you win or lose!!

 

113 thoughts on “Win or lose”

  4. A very good friend of mine told me about Idaho and its elevation on respiratory-not good. You have very low humidity there-but the atmospheric conditions differ from so many places. Mude is young and strong and was able to recover-I know you were scared for your son! xxoo b-2

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  5. Altitude makes an enormous difference and it is rather sad that the teams from the North were so handicapped. But the real triumph is that he finished when he felt like lead weights were tied to all his limbs and is chest was crushed by an iron brace. He finished. You must be so proud of him as I hope he is of himself xx

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  7. Mude did his best Lynn and that is terrific 🙂 No one can demand more.
    When we leave our usual level of high and go more high, there will be less oxygen in the air, which make everything more difficult for us. Then same for people, who are climbing mountains, they also need to take it step by step to be able to breath at all.
    Very well done Mude 🙂

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  9. Glad Mude was okay. There’s a movie on cable that Mude might like it’s called McFarland. It’s about a team of day laborers in a poor part of California that became state champions. They had some obstacles to over come. One was they didn’t train for the track that would have to run for one of the meets. Good movie touching.

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  10. He has such a strong will. That’s why he is a sportsman. I can only imagine how worried you were about his condition but it is also such a good feeling to witness that he is in such good care. Glad it all went well!

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  12. Glad to hear he’s ok. This will be a great LEARNING lesson for him. There are many factors in life that can influence an individual’s performance (athletics and career.) Learning how to acclimate to external social and environmental factors determines in life which people achieve the goals they set. This “loss” should be viewed as a “win.” He completed in a race under conditions he was not aware he was physically unconditioned to compete in. His DETERMINATION helped him ACHIEVE a finishing position in the race. This character trait will take him far in life.

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  16. Oh boy they were at a disadvantage not getting there a day or two early and get accumulated to the higher elevation! I get elevation sickness often when hiking. Getting there a day ahead, and snacking throughout the hike helps me a lot.

    I’m so happy to hear Mude is fine, and amazed he finished! Well done!!!
    The images are wonderful!

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  17. As you say, an important lesson. This reminds me of the Paris Marathon when there was not enough water to go round and we were given yoghurt on the run. It made me feel better to know that the elite runners had also puked up after the race 🙂

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  19. So very true Lynn, life is full of so many lessons. I am glad Mude is doing well and you were there to watch him. And to read about so many wonderful people there to help him is a show of support for him. Lovely post, glad you are back home safely. 🙂

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  20. What a touching story, Lynn. Thank goodness there was help for your son. Just like life curve balls we never even see coming make the outcome different then “expected”. You have such a beautiful family! How proud you must be!!! ❤

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  24. Lyn I’m so glad he is okay. How disappointing that must have been for him, to work so hard, and know that the atmosphere played a key part in the outcomes. But he finished. And he is well. Good on him!

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  25. Wow. He should be very proud of himself for actually finishing with that kind of disadvantage. I’m sure he was very frustrated but what could he or the other runners from your area done to prepare for such circumstances? Watching your child struggle to breath like that is a very scary thing. It is a very helpless feeling. Glad it all worked out.

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  28. Wow that sounds like it was pretty scary, glad all is well now though. Such a shame for those that trained so hard and traveled all the way to compete to not really stand a chance just due to the location. 😦

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  29. Yes, altitude is huge with runners and can make or break a run. I ran in Boise a few times and could never understand why even a 6-mile run would leave me gasping and exhausted… until I found out about elevation. Then I went to SLC and wanted to die… a 4000-foot increase from what I train. Mude needs to come here and race… he’d be guaranteed first place!! 😀

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  30. Really gotta admire his strength to continue and finish the race in the condition that he was in….where so many others would have given up he kept going even to the detriment of his health. I’m glad he is OK but he has nothing to be disappointed about. He is truly a winner in my book!

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  33. Glad to hear that Mude was ok and well done for him continuing to the finish! This would have been an experience for him, but hopefully him and his team will take positive things from it. That was quite a road trip for you, 9-10 hours! I think travelling to see my parents 3 1/2 hours away was bad!

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  35. Young and full of strength and tenacity! Your family have the “winner’s attitude!” Setbacks are part of life but having one’s mother (teammates and loved ones) there really makes you feel better. Mude is so handsome, Lynn. 🙂

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  36. Wow. I would not have expected a few thousand feet to have that much impact either. I know it’s tough for flat land athletes to compete at high elevations like Laramie, at 7,000+. I never even think of Pokey as being high. Perhaps in the coming season he can do some training in the nearby hills?

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  39. Charley was a long distance runner and learning breathing techniques was important . I helped officiate many events when he was Director of Track in RI. I was amazed at how much of a difference a year could make for some of the runners. There is always next season.

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