Why Run a Marathon?

Doing this survey taught me many things. I learned that not everyone has had a dream since they were little to run a marathon. It also showed me how many people have run marathons and loves them. I learned how many people love to watch marathon runners and why.

One of my favorite answers to why do you like to watch a runner run was because… I love to see the ones that push themselves so hard and puke at the end. Not that I like to watch people puke but to see the pure joy on their face after they have done it and how happy they are that they have finished.

Second favorite one was you people look like death. I never would of guessed that we look like death. They just ran 26.2 miles of pure joy. Of course they are going to look hot and sweaty and like death but who isn’t? For real people!

Third is I just wanted to see how many people finish and how long it takes them. That answer made me angry because not everyone was born a runner some people work really hard to accomplish things. It doesn’t matter if you are first or last or in the middle of the pack you have joy of saying I finished and there is a lot of satisfaction in that! The cheering at the end of the finish line is the best part of running because you see people who think you’re crazy but are there to cheer you on and they are glad it’s you and not them.

This survey taught me a lot about my topic and how to pursue it. It made me relies that some people don’t have the same dream as me and others do. I also learned some crazy reasons why people watch marathon runners run as well.

People with disabilities in school!

I interviewed one of my favorite people his name is Henry for privacy reasons. This is the only picture I have.

Diagnosis: Hearing Impaired almost Deaf

What difficulties have occurred in the school setting?

He has had hearing aids since he was thirty four. That teacher’s didn’t believe that he couldn’t hear. He told me a story about when he was in kindergarten the teacher got mad at him because he didn’t answer the question which she asked him. For starters she didn’t even believe that he couldn’t hear. My grandma went in with him and talked to her and told her but she still didn’t really even care. So my grandma took him out of school for that year and put him in the next year with a different teacher that actually cared. This teacher took time to understand him.

How the school addressed the needs of the student?

Once they finally started understanding that he couldn’t hear they gave the teachers microphones that would go to his hearing aid so he could hear it better. They also talked slower so he could read lips he is a pro at that. They finally started to understand that some kids need help in some areas, they had him in speak therapy as well because he can’t say his R’s, they have worked with him. Now he is a successful business man. He still can’t hear very well but it can do anything that a hearing person can.

What could the school do to better meet the needs of students?

First off I think they should listen to the parents and the students and not be rude about it. I think they can provide a positive environment even though some students are different. Don’t single them out just let them join in with the others in class.

What advice would the student give to a new teacher?

Tell them that he needs to sit close to the front so he can hear and read their lips better. Also that he just wants to be treated like any other kid in the class and not like some project like some teachers make students there project. Just be straight up honest and tell her that he can’t hear very well.

I wish teachers would care more about their students to help them out and not be so rude like they were to this man.

Will They Make Me Run Faster?!

Will They Make Me Run Faster?!

When I was much younger than I am now, I thought fancy named things would make me look fancier or better. I learned that clearance racks can do the trick. My uncle even says that when he wore Converse shoes, as a “little kid”, it made it run faster and play better basketball. So I am now fast forwarding to my freshman year of High School. I decided to run with the Cross Country Team. I had never run before and started out running in my most comfortable well worn tennis shoes thinking they would do the job. They were Fila’s with yellow shoe laces—I thought I could run a whole season in these shoes. Um not so much----

My coach suggested that I should purchase some running, running shoes. My mom agreed with him. She even told me to not to worry about the cost, only the fit. She said this because my feet would be pounding the pavement more than a mile or two---So our adventure starts on my journey to find the running shoes that would make me run faster---would it be converse like my uncle talked about or some other brand entirely ---I needed to know what would make me run faster.

I discovered that at the running shoe store there were shoes brands for A to Z. Yikes!!!! What shoes would make me run faster? Would it be the Asics Brand or one that starts with Z.? Luckily the store we were at only went to the letter S and that was enough shoes for me to wonder which was the faster brand.

I tried on several—I learn that there were different ranks of running shoes, neutral being the one that supposedly would make be the fastest I could be. I tried on 5 different brands and chose ASICS for my freshman year of high school. They were lime green, black, white and kind of mesh. I never ate asphalt in those shoes they served me well in many miles of running.

I retired them and they became my lawn mowing shoes. They once again served me well with the miles of walking behind the lawn mower, that I had loving called Chester for 10 years of my lawn mowing career. You see I have been mowing lawns for people since I was about 9 with my dad at my side helping me. I just recently had to send them to their final resting place.

My not so favorite brand of running shoes would be BROOKS. I did try to run a season of both track and cross country in them but they made me run SLOWER NOT FASTER. Not only that they made my ankles swell at least 10 sizes bigger than they are meant to be--- the lesson learned with this pair that not all brands live up to “If you buy me you will run faster.” Brooks even made me mow slower!!!

I am currently running and training for a half marathon in a pair of shoes with the brand name of SAUCONY. I am liking these shoes. The only problem I am having with them is that my little toe on my left foot is trying to branch out and see the world. I think I might even run faster in my upcoming half marathon.

I have discovered with running shoes that people do buy them thinking that they will run faster but instead of thinking that way they buy spring loaded to have a faster take off. I have also discovered that avid runners always have the best they can find running shoe---they are pounding the pavement and it is the shoe that protects them from all the stickers that come along the way and THEY REALLY DO MAKE YOU RUN FASTER!!!

I HATE BLOGGING!

This is how I feel about blogging! I would rather Shoot myself than blog!

Blog or Not to Blog

To blog or not to blog is the question! What are the pros and cons of blogging? Yes it may be easier for the teacher to grade, but some people don’t like to use computers that much and may not have one and having to sit somewhere for a million hours just to pass a class. Or having to register your blog to some website to just get credit for being in the class I think that is flat out ridiculous.

Blogging is a good resource then people can read it okay the whole world can read it because it is on the web. You can add to it whenever you want you don’t have to worry about printing something off to hand in or having a hard copy. You just have to worry about submitting the URL online. Yes not putting your assignment in the comment box unless you want your teacher to be mad at you. It save ink on the pictures you have to put with it. It is also way easier to just put the pictures online then it is to print. It also makes more sense to do it that way. It may be harder but once you give it a chance and just have patience and learn to respect your teacher it is not too bad. Why don’t we just put it on Facebook that is the same as a blog am I wrong. It is more helpful to the teacher then she doesn’t have to read 100 hard copies of papers for students. It is more fun for the other students because then they can blog stalk people and that is really what people do. You can’t tell me they don’t I am a Facebook stalker not going to lie!

Cons it takes too long and who wants to sit at a computer all day long just to blog. Blogging is really a waste of time.

Blogging may work for some people but it doesn’t work for everybody. Blogging is very useful yes. Positives about blogging in the life of Jill. I can see what is happening in my hometown with my young women leaders’ blog. I can also keep up to date on what’s happening with my best friend and her missionary, her “Two Years in Waiting” if you will. Or just reading funny things from people I used to know.

Blogging can be fun if you understand the concept of it then it is much easier. It is like running some people don’t understand why runners run. So why do bloggers blog? Is it because it helps them relieve stress and keep them sane. Does it help them find there happy place when things go wrong and they are ready to give up. It gives them a place to go and just write or type what they are feeling like when running you run faster if you’re mad or upset. Run slower if you’re sad. Blogging you write better when you’re excited and it makes more sense. When you’re upset it isn’t going to make very much sense at all. It is going to be jumbled and it is going to be angry just like you. But those are the times you write the best because you write what you are feeling and how you are feeling it.

Blogging can be fun if you let it. Don’t get mad because you have to do it just learn to love it. It is all in your head on how you are going to express your feelings about blogging. Blogging may not be for me and that’s okay to but it may be for you. Just go with it have fun and go with the flow. It’s not like a life or death situation even though that is how I thought it was but writing this paper about it has made more sense to me now on why we should blog.

Blogging saves time and trees! I am all for saving the trees. It also saves us poor college student’s money on buying paper and ink for our printers or having to pay the school a nickel every time we print something. That is a hassle because we have to go when they are opened and sometimes that just doesn’t fit with our schedules and then it makes us late for something else, like class or work.

Blogging is so stupid because you have to have patience for it. I guess learning patience is good because you need it in everything you do. Okay honestly the really reason I hate blogging is because it stresses me out. I worry about getting it in on time and what people are going to think about what I wrote but it shouldn’t really matter to me what others think about what I write because it doesn’t really even matter. I also don’t like the fact of how you have to set your blog up to look. Shouldn’t it be more of how you feel and what you want it to look like instead of having it the same as everyone else I am original and not like everyone else thank you. I also think that teachers should think about students who don’t have computers or may be computer dumb and not understand the blog process like me. But I don’t think that gives you the right to tell me that I won’t be successful in life because I will be. I will learn computers at my speed not at the speed you think I should learn it. Yes I will need computers in my life long goals but right now knowing how to type and Facebook is enough for the time being. I also don’t think that blogs should be necessary in being able to pass English 2010 in college. There is really no point to a blog but you are free to think what you want. That is just my opinion.

Community Part Two

I am going to tell you about running shoes! I love running shoes if you don’t have a good pair then you aren’t going to do very well in races or just running for fun. Let me tell you about some brands there are so many from A to Z. Let me tell you about some of my favorite brands one is Asics they make them in my favorite color, they make them in neutral which is what I need so I don’t eat the asphalt. The have a gel shock in the heal part so it helps your joints not get so sore, keeps you safe. They also make them in your school colors. You can go to a running shoe store to get them or you can get them somewhere else but if you get them at a running shoe store you know that they are going to work well for you. The running store people are so nice and loves helping you find some shoes that suit you. They want you to succeed in life and not get hurt. If you’re a student they also give you a 10% off.

Saucony is another favorite of mine. They are so comfy and eat light weight. The come in many colors as well but they have a season color this season it is blue. You can get 500-600 miles to a pair of shoes. Your running shoes say a lot about you. How dedicated you are or if you just like to run for fun.

Nike is another great brand they make great spikes for track. Nike is also considerate about people with big feet and has stores with size 14’s and 15’s in stock which is really nice.

Brooks is another type of running shoe brand. I am not very fond of them they are so uncomfortable and don’t even look that great. But some people love them it just depends on you and what you like. You just got to try them out give them a chance, be willing to try something new because you may never know what you will find and you might love it.

Running shoes cost a lot yes but you can buy them on clearance or last seasons are usually on sales. Prices range from $85 to $180 I know you may think that sounds like a ton. But if you really think about it would you rather have a good pair of shoes or crappy ones that are going to give you pain in the end? It like my mom always says it doesn’t matter how much they cost it matters if you are going to wear them and run your heart out or are they going to sit and look at you from your closet. I have 4 pairs of running shoes I have my first pair, the ones I torn my ligaments in, some yellow ones and then the ones I am running in now. I wouldn’t change have my running shoes for anything in the world they are a part of me. Everywhere I go they go we run together they keep me safe. Running shoes make a difference in your attitude about running if you have a sucky pair then you are going to hate going running. Yes running is like death but is a great way to relieve stress. The perfect pair of running shoes makes the world of difference. So go out and find the perfect pair of running shoes for you they maybe yellow or purple or pink choose whatever works for you! You won’t regret it!