Turning things around

It's nice when things get turned around for the better, isn't it?

The MSU football team sure did their job on that note, beating Indiana 52-27. I won't say much about the game because I said so much about last week's game...but it sure looked like MSU came out hungry and played a full 60 minutes. The offense is playing as good as anybody in the nation, and that's a great thing because look what happens this Saturday - they travel to Columbus for a date with the #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. I just hope they can make it respectable, or maybe even pull out the win....I mean, it happened in 1998 in the same scenario. So who's to say it can't happen again?

My running, on the other hand, looked like it was turning around for the better, but in actuality it's just kind of stagnant right now. Friday afternoon I did an easy 4 miles and Sunday morning I did 4 more easy miles. Problem is, I'm still getting a little it of discomfort in the left hamstrings. It's frustrating, but I know I can stretch and strengthen and everything.

This past Saturday morning I had the opportunity to work the Greater Lansing Cross Country Invitational. It's a very cool meet, where 35 local schools send their top 7 runners against each other to see who comes out on top and who can claim bragging rights as the best in the area. I've never been to the meet, so it was very cool to be able to watch it for the first time. It was put on by Playmakers, so I helped set up and sell shirts beforehand, then videotaped a little bit of the races for the store. It was a crisp, cool morning, but the course was definitely in a fast condition. East Lansing junior Maddi Reeves won the girl's race in 17:51 (a PR by 37 seconds, set earlier in the week) followed by Grand Ledge's Jennifer Snelgrove at 18:03 and Allison Rademacher at 18:06, both also setting a PR. Grand Ledge got the last laugh though, as they won the event as a team with 80 points to East Lansing's 95 points.

On the boy's side, it was a treat to watch Ovid-Elsie senior Maverick Darling. He's a man among boys, and is arguably the best runner in the state since Dathan Ritzenhein graduated from Rockford High School back in 2001. He claimed his third straight individual title with a blazing time of 14:58, the first time he has ever broken the 15 minute barrier. We were watching video of him in the store yesterday and it seems like he overstrides a little bit and swings his arms a little too much.....clean that up a little and who knows how efficient and fast he could be? It's scary, for sure. Williamston won the team title, as they placed three guys in the top 5, all under 16 minutes. I'm convinced there's something in the water out there because they're loaded every single year. Anyway, they totaled 49 points, way ahead of Grand Ledge in second place with 190 points.

I guess that's all for now. I think I've become a believer in these quotes that I add at the end of posts....hopefully they are motivational for everybody.

"I heard 14:14 when I turned the corner (before the last stretch), and thought 'now's the time.' Then, especially when everyone's yelling your name, it makes you want to go so much faster." --Boys winner Maverick Darling

"My goal was 18:15. So I'm shocked. My coach has been telling me for the last three months I could do this, but I never believed him. Last time I raced Grand Ledge, they got me during the second mile. So I knew I had to work really hard that mile." --Girls winner Maddi Reeves

"We play for respect every week. We have to. ... When the chips are down, that's when the coaches and leaders better be at their best." --MSU head coach Mark Dantonio