social justice

I'm just in Fremont (Bay Area of California...) for tonight and then off to Oregon for a family reunion this weekend. Mexico was fantastic and I feel more refreshed than probably 2004. even got in some running on the beach (harder!) and ocean swimming, along with healthy-ish eating and drinking. Visited Sr. Iggy's and the other big bar in Rosarito beach.

Read a book on the trip by a Brit named Craig Borlase, called God's Gravity. It was about thinking bigger about social justice in the world. (the basic idea being that God's gravity calls us toward Him: love, joy, peace, patience etc.; while the world's gravity that pulls us away are things like pride, greed, etc. Read it - I finished it in about 2 days and it's easy_but_not_light, engaging reading.). I was really inspired. For example, it talked about how perhaps we can't make sure every thing we buy doesn't have a sweatshop somewhere down the supply chain - but we can try to make sure at least one shirt we buy doesn't. Same with foods and other things. (a water bottle instead of tons of gatorades... rainman :-)

So for my group of triathlon kids, I'm stewing over ways to incorporate that into the fray. Definitely thinking about getting my "regular" math students involved next year in the work of something like Blood:Water: Mission but will need to wait for approval that. My friend Matt is currently in Africa doing work with Invisible Children and working with the Education Ministry of a country there to improve their teaching methodology. Social Justice was the theme of his history class this year.

Hey... doing "regular" teaching and yet getting our kids to reach out to the wider world? To know that they aren't the only kids in the world who like Chris Brown and Fergie?

That they can make a difference to make the world a better place.

Now THAT, is changing the world. (fellow bloggers: know any good triathlon companies that are eco-friendly and worth supporting? We are already sponsored by Oomph Sports and Xterra Wetsuits, at least last year... or math curriculum that might help support this?)

Also am thinking more about how perhaps I want to re-focus my life on the "tentmaker," strategy... teaching and coaching to support things like the Triathlon team, more administrative and integration with Turning Points Academy, etc. This is going to be a great summer of change and focus.

week after

It's been a great week of teaching and coaching.

Teaching-wise we have been working at a workshop all week. A bit more of Understanding By Design but with a math focus! It's been hard work especially after school just ending but good preparation for me teaching algebra II next year!

Athletically, it's also been busy but good. Running a few miles on Monday, a good water polo practice on tuesday, a vigorous run complete with sprints and lunges and wall-sits yesterday (in our new clothes from Oomph Sports!) and today will be more water polo. Mexico starts tomorrow and i'll be back june 29th...

22 mile ride

good afternoon!

went on a nice 22 mile ride with one of my students, and a kid from church and his dad. a nice 22 mile ride - good for the first of the season in quite a while. (we took pretty much all of May off - myself included). my speedometer wasn't working but it was a nice rolling hills with some big ones too.

tomorrow is a one mile open water swim for me and the goal is to hit 25 minutes perhaps.
Albert taking a break @ the Millerton country store.

end of school!

Wow! It's over!!! (still a few paperwork things to take care of, but...)

I didn't realize how tired and ready I was for the end of school until it happened yesterday. I had a chance to actually go to starbucks with a friend last night to talk about a great book on Humility and not set time limits on when I had to go!

today i slept as long as i wanted too, went on a medium-tempo 3-4 mile run with a friend and then kinda hung out. cleaned the cars (suburban still smells from... something... a bit.), did laundry, played starcraft on the computer... dinner with Leo at 6:30.

the summer:
- USAT Level 1 coaching conference in Albuquerque, NM in July!
- Water Polo practice Tues/Thurs 6-8pm
- Triathlon practice M/W/F 4-6pm
- Adult triathlon practice!
- Summer School July 1-22 (geometry review! a lot easier than full-on Geometry all summer!)
- Math conference in July 28-Aug 1
MEXICO with Meagan and family in just over a week!!

Mud Run

It was a very successful (and relatively cheap!) mud run today as 10 students and 3 adults went down to Lemoore Naval Air Station for the Mud Run!

5 miles of running with mud-laden shoes.
Climbing over 8 foot tall walls.
Sliding through 2 feet thick pools of gunk.
Good times had by all!

Pictures are located here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/paltriathlon/MudRun2008

Some great pics of myself, fellow McLane Turning Points Academy teacher Erin Pullen, Meagan Friedrich and 10 students from McLane(5), Roosevelt(1), Duncan(3), and Buchanan(1) high schools!

Please visit the Website for a preview of our new logo - currently being professionally produced by Jeffery Scott Advertising in-kind for the team! Founding team member Sovann Mey created the version you see on the page.

Since the article, we've also picked up sponsorships from Training Peaks training software (10 licenses), Oomph Sports sent us a box of cycling/triathlon gear for the kids, and several of you generously donated your money to the cause. Your donations helped directly with this event and our upcoming Tri for Fun and Tri for Real events in July. It's been a great few weeks for Fresno PAL and McLane High School!

- one week left of School!
Monday: Graduation at 7pm and I'll be staying up all night to help out with Sober Grad. partly because I live next door to Blackbeards, the Family Fun park so can take a nap if I have too real quick.
Tuesday: TPA field trip day! (church @ night)
Wednesday: Bbq (my responsibility - including the TPA olympics!)
Thursday: last day!!!!
Friday: relax. well, plan for summer school...