12 year olds throwing curveballs and oven doors...

I honestly think that ESPN is being irresponsible by not addressing the simple fact that kids should NOT be throwing curveballs until they are finished growing. I cannot overstate this. I don't know much about much, but I do have some experience in baseball, and I can tell you unequivocally that the most irresponsible thing that parents can do for their "future derek jeter" is allow him to throw a curveball before he can drive. When I was coaching modified baseball (13 and 14 year-olds), breaking balls were outlawed. I had several arguments with parents about this. I basically had to break it down for them...I actually drew a picture for one parent... Until your done growing, trying to throw them leads to shoulder problems, plain and simple...If you want to do your son a favor, teach him to throw a change-up, it's much more effective pitch to begin with, even at the big-league level.

Ok, now that I got that rant out of my system - I made my debut at the oven door run yesterday. I've heard for years about the "door" from one of my co-workers Dave (who I run with frequently on our lunch break), but had never shown up for it. It's basically the runner's version of the latte ride, essentially an unofficial race/group hammerfest. The run meets at 630am every saturday and does one of a few different loops every week. Yesterday we did the "classic linear park" loop. It was a relatively tame pace for about 3 minutes, then someone decided it shouldn't be, that someone happened to be a guy I know well from skiing...and after about the 3rd half mile clip, that the aforementioned Dave, threw in at a 5 minute/mile pace, I realized this was going to be a tough one, I managed to hang one for the bronze medal in the oven-door-lympics, but it was super tough...it was a great workout and given that I'm doing a half marathon next month, and want to have a good one there, this is the type of workout I needed.

This was my last weekend in Rochester until late September, but I will say, it was such an amazing weekend. I am definitely looking forward to some of the adventures to come, but I will miss home.