Happy Happy Holidays

Here we are right in between Christmas and New Years (and Lindsey's 30th birthday) and I hope everyone had a special Christmas.  We spent ours in Las Cruces with my brother, Mike and his family.  We knew that Emma would have fun opening her presents and playing with her cousins so we packed up and were there for several days.  Some highlights for me included seeing Mike's brother-in-law Abraham who I haven't seen in several years, Mike's fire pit, Margie's cooking, the gift exchange, and a shirt I got from my brother that used to be my dad's.  

Emma had  so much fun the entire time, it was like non-stop playing with Monique and Levi and their cousin, Mia.  On Christmas eve we did the traditional (now it is anyway because I never did growing up) leaving reindeer food out on the front yard for Santa's reindeer and the reading of T'was the Night Before Christmas.  The funniest thing I heard from the kids was Mia saying how "freaky" it was that Santa was going to be "...like right there...while we're sleeping like right there!"  

On Christmas morning we sat around and opened gifts and there was no proof that any recession existed at all.  Emma did get quite a bit of goods but I think she mostly played with her skates and scooter.  I'm looking forward to tonight when we get some batteries in her walkie talkies and her and I can talk back and forth from her room to mine.    

All in all we had a great time so thanks Mike.  Family is what makes any holiday gathering special.  And as I say that I want to tell you that there is still one gift that is yet to be opened.  This gift will be opened when it's ready sometime around July 31 of 2009.  Lindsey and I are expecting an addition to our family and she is currently 10 weeks along.  Things are going great and I look forward to all the Christmas's to come. 

Tucson 1/2 Marathon

So over this pastweekend I competed in the Tucson 1/2 marathon and it went well and we had a really good time. We left for Las Cruces on Friday so we could go out to eat and spend the night with my brother Mike and his family. We have not visited LC very much since moving so it was nice to visit with Mike and eat at Andele's in Mesilla. Emma loves her cousin Monique so much and I don't think they were asleep any ealier than midnight.

Saturday we picked up Lindsey's mom, Sue, and were off to Tucson. Sue being able to go with us made the trip that much more special and fun. I love spending time with her and it is always something I look forward to.

The race was on Sunday morning and lindsey graciously woke up and drove me to the start line so I was able to avoid the bus shuttles. The start was a little crowded as we had to navigate through a one lane raod and ond over the chip timing strips. The race thinned out by the first mile and I was off and running along the foothills with beautiful desert and mountain views. I started off running what I thought was a pace I could keep for the entire race. My mile splits were: 6:53, 7:03, 6:49, 6:52, 6:54, 6:41, 7:13, 6:49, 7:14, 7:21, ?, ?, ? for a total of 1:33 or an average of 7:09 per mile. The reason I did not get my last 3 mile splits is because as I found out, my watch only remembers 10 laps. I did feel like I slowed the last 3 miles and it makes sense that I did because my longest training runs had been 10 miles. Sometimes I try fooling myself as to what is adequate for myself for training. In order to race 13 miles hard you really have to be able to run 13 miles hard in Practice and overdistance long runs to 15 miles+.

I'm already thinking about running another half marathon in January in Tempe, AZ, and thinking about how I could run it faster. I know what it will take and I know I am capable of running the distance faster but putting it to reality is a little more difficult for me? And that is the dilema that I have been facing. I am still young and am capable of racing some personal records but I have not been able to be disciplined enough to put in the work required. I have really become soft and although I want the results I guess I don't want them bad enough.

It's a struggle. Stay tuned.

Memories...

Let them fill my mind, 

warm my heart, 

and lead me through.

Thanksgiving 2007 was the last time that my dad and I saw each other face to face.  I was very happy to have my whole family at our new house in Socorro.  We shared that holiday with both of my sisters and their families, and also Steven's mom, grandma, and oldest brother Paul.  It was a very cold Thanksgiving, but filled with lots of fun.  We had plenty of activities and projects for the kids to do to keep them entertained and a special project that included the whole family.  We made water rockets and had a competition to see whose would launch the highest.  I remember my dad just keeping in the background, which is usual, watching what everyone was doing...just taking it all in.  I sure do miss him.  He really should be here now.  We are getting ready to go to my mom's in Alamogordo to be together as a family again on Thanksgiving.  It will be hard because one chair will be unoccupied.  Life goes so fast, you never know what it will bring.  Treasure the time you have, make the best of it, and be ever thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving.   

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The bad news: tomorrow is Monday

The good news: it's only a 2-day week

I just got home from our cross country awards potluck and it went so good.  Almost all of the kids showed up and all brought family along.  There was plenty of food to eat and I think everybody enjoyed the few awards I gave out and especially the movie.  My senior girl's little sister was balling as she is not looking forward to her sister leaving to college.  It really was a good time and although I am losing one very big part of my team to graduation, I will have all but 1 back next year plus everyone else who is going to join as the word is out on how fun and rewarding being part of this team is.  

Besides the potluck, it was a beautiful weekend here in Socorro.  There was little cloud cover and no wind and the sun was shining both days.  Because we have such low humidity, anytime the sun shines it feel nice and warm.  I took advantage of the nice weather and on both days I was able to get in ten mile runs.  I had been doing one 10 mile run on the weekend for the last several, but this was the first that I did one on Saturday and again on Sunday.  I am getting ready for the Tucson half marathon in a couple of weeks so being able to do that and actually feel better and run faster on the second run was a confidence booster.  

This weekend we are traveling to Alamogordo and I hope to increase the distance and get in a couple more quality runs.  

So ends another weekend.  Time is flying and Thanksgiving is around the corner.  I am reluctantly coaching middle school basketball right now and our first game is this Thursday and we have 2 more next week before the break.  Busy busy busy.

I have definitely overextended myself this year and I know it is my last year to coach basketball.  I simply do not enjoy it as much as I did cross country and although track is not my favorite I know it is an opportunity to get kids interested in cross country.  I have created a monster here.

All well and good but nothing beats just coming home, going for a run with Linds before picking Emma up.  

Speaking of running I had a great one today.  Fall is becoming my favorite time of year to run in Socorro and I ran a 10 mile loop today that parallels the bosque and the Rio Grande and it was nice to see the gold leaves and smell that familiar smell of winter.  

Sorry for the absence and I hope I made up for it with 4 posts this weekend.  I hope you all have a great and productive week as you get ready for Thanksgiving and the short work week that comes with it :)

Steven

Lindsey's New Bike 

This is Lindsey's new ride for the upcoming triathlon season. Although she has done several triathlons she has never had her own bike. She used to borrow my training bike but I can understand it's not the most comfortable for some (most) people. So we researched and looked at a million different pictures and here is what we came up with. The frame is a pearl white and these pictures do not do the paint justice. Our goal was to go black with almost every part and then throw just enough pink to make it a "girl" bike. We found pink cables and pink pedals and Lindsey added some decals to make it even more special. I think it is a really cool bike and I know it will stand out in any transition area and she will get plenty of compliements at races. Hopefully it will still look good after all the sweat and training she'll add to it as she gets ready for some local triathlons. Proud of you Linds :)

Here are some pictures of Fall in Socorro. There is a chill in the air but still pretty warm.

This is our video for Cross Country this year. I have been home not feeling well for the last couple of days so I had some time on my hands to make it. We will have a potluck dinner and awards presentation and show the movie on the projector...should be a lot of fun. Hope you like it as you're getting to see it before the team and let me know what you think.

Steven

This year Emma was a witch for Halloween. She absolutely loved preparing for this...we took pictures about two weeks before and she enjoyed all of the Halloween parties that gave her a chance to wear her costume.  She painted her nails black and wore red lipstick. On Halloween, Monique and Levi came to town and they had fun trick-or-treating together!

Fall Break

Here is a great picture that Lindsey had taken on her trip to the East coast.  It is of a stream that is close to her dad's house.  I am surprised how green everything still is.  You can see some of the foliage changing to red but for the most part it is green.  We are currently on a fall break from work that started the day before Halloween and ends today, election day.  For having 5 and a half days off it sure has gone by quick like most breaks do.  

On Friday we had our district championships for cross country.  The meet went well and at the end of the day we had the girls district champion, 3 all-district selections, and 3 state qualifiers.  I had gone into the meet with the expectation that my boys would qualify as a team but they ran a very "off" race.  A couple of the runners mentioned that they felt a little dehydrated or that they had lost fitness during our taper?  One thing was that we ran the race in the afternoon instead of the usual morning and the temperature on Friday was up in the 80's.  I was later thinking to myself that I have only 12 runners on our roster, both boys and girls, and having 3 qualified for state makes 25% of our team.  And to make that number sound even better, we only ran 9 at the district championship, so really that percentage is 33%.  The cherry on top of the sundae is that 100% of my girls' team qualified for state.  Anyway I guess I'm just being silly.  We did great and our season is still not over, something that our volleyball and girls soccer teams cannot say.  Next year I expect our team to grow as we pick up kids from other fall sports, more 8th graders, and the fact that we are only losing one runner to graduation.

Well I need to get going and I need to get off this computer so I can get stuff done.  First on the list is a run, then vote, then air conditioners need to be shut down for the winter, then bathroom updates before Sue gets here.  Thanks to everyone who reads the blog and leaves comments.          

I feel like I am living someone else's life...never did I think that my family and I would be gathering for a memorial run in honor of my dad.  I flew out to Rhode Island today to be with my mom and my sisters to attend a High School Football game, on friday, which is having a dedication for my father who taught and coached for Middletown, RI.  And then on Sunday we will participate in a run that has been organized to help raise money for a Scholarship that we started up here.  It is very hard being here and not seeing my dad.  However, I do see a woman with such strength and courage...my mom.  I am so proud of the woman she has become within the past several years and I know my dad is amazed by her as we speak.  I am very thankful for her and my sisters, that we have each other for love and support.  

Thank you Steven, for your unselfish love and support...I love you.  

And thank you to everyone for your continued thoughts and prayers.

So, if you go for a run on sunday...think of my dad because I love him and miss him dearly.

 

This Emma having fun at her PreSchool.

I have a little time this Sunday morning to actually make an update as opposed to just cutting and pasting newspaper articles like I've been. I really have been very busy with teaching, coaching, family, training...One thing that is nice is that coaching and training sometimes get done at the same time. This last week we had our toughest week yet in CC. On Monday I met a runner for a morning 4 miles then a long one after school for another 8. On Tuesdays we always get a school suburban and drive out somewhere outside of Socorro and this week we went to the Quebradas mountains that are East of Socorro. The suburban only has room for Varsity runners and we did an out and back 5 mile negative split run. My assistant coach, Lindsey, took the reigns of the JV runners that day. She is always there to help and support the team and I know I couldn't do much of anything without her. Wednesday was a half day at school and we had a track workout planned. The goal was a long warm up then 3 X 1 mile repeats that got faster as we went along. These workouts are tough and always challenge the runners and push them past their preconceived limits. I didn't run this workout because I was busy with timing and recording splits. For different reasons I did have a significant number of kids miss that day so on Thursday I had those kids do the workout they missed and I decided to do it with them and help them with pacing. All this working out with the kids has really gotten me into great running shape and I found that I could pace them to a 6:20 mile, holding back and coaching as we ran. That really ups my own confidence for upcoming events.

Now Friday was really special as NM Tech was sponsoring a fun run called the Owl Bar run. They have this run twice a year, once in the fall and again in the spring. The run is free, participants get a free t shirt, there is water stations along the way, the Owl Bar gives you a free beverage for finishing, and Tech gives you a free ride back to town. What I didn't say was that the race starts on campus, runs down to the Bosque and along the Rio Grande to the Owl Bar and Cafe 13 miles South of Socorro. I wasn't sure about having the kids do this run as it is long (for any age) and we had a meet on Saturday. I finaly decided to let whoever wanted to do it run with me and Lindsey again stepped up and held practice for those that knew the distance was beyond them. I ended up having 7 kids run the distance with me and I know all of them challenged themselves, did something that they thought not possible before this season, gained confidence, and became more of a team. As we ran, the groups spread out a little and what made finishing even more special was that parents had joined at the Owl Bar and cheered, took pictures, and asked questions as the kids finished. Needless to say that I was very proud of each and every one of them.

Now jump to Saturday and the reality of racing 3 miles at a meet sets in after a week of high mileage and speed work. The outcome? Every single runner ran a personal record! For some it might have been by seconds but other dropped minutes from their previous PR. I don't think we could have asked for a better end to a tough week. One boy in particular, an 8th grader no less, finally ran confident and finished in 17:58.....an 8th grader! For the first time, I also had all five boys finish under 20 minutes. We are not going to win State or anything but these times are from a junior, 2 freshmen, and two 8th graders.

This meet was also the first time that our school has allowed us to take a bus. For all previous meets we have had to take a suburban and that had forced me to take only 8 kids with me. As my team has grown, that constraint had become something I hated, but I was able to take a full Varsity and a full JV boys to Las Cruces for the meet. The kids all had a great time and I think that word is getting out that CC is definitely a sport that is challenging, but also fun, motivating, and more of a team than most sports offered. This season is already a success far beyond what I had imagined in August and I wonder what next year will have in store for SHS CC.

As for today, I am relaxing a bit before I go out on a bike ride in the crisp, wet weather that has come to town this weekend. I also am happy for Danny Montoya, who completed his third Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, yesterday in a time of roughly 10 and half hours. Danny epitomizes hard work and dedication when it comes to training. Congratulations bro! Last but not least, Mike is racing a triathlon in Tucson this morning. Danny did the Ironman and Mike is actually doing the Tinfoilman! Needless to say it is a little shorter in distance but still a very tough field and without knowing, I bet Mike calls me and tells me he was top 5 overall. My brother is just fast and he always races good there. Well until next time when I have a little time on my hands, adios!

Socorro Runners Top Personal Bests Up North

by: Mike Sievers

For The Mountain Mail

Every member of the Socorro High cross country team set personal records at a 5-kilometer meet hosted by Santa Fe Indian School on Saturday.

Socorro cross country coach Steven Montoya said last week was the toughest week of practice yet and he doesn’t plan to make practice any easier during Socorro’s first year with a cross country team.

“None of these meets really matter. They’re really just for bragging rights,” Montoya said. “Everything happens at the district meet.”

Socorro doesn’t have enough girls for a team. Senior Ellen Aster and freshman Nikki Mortensen will try to qualify for the state meet as individuals.

By contrast, the Warriors were missing two boys at Saturday’s meet – one because he was sick and the other because he was hunting – but still had enough to enter as a team, which is five runners.

Socorro’s boys finished 15th out of 23 teams, many of those teams from the super-competitive northern part of the state. Los Alamos, which is nationally ranked in cross country, won the meet. Freshman Tim Abeyta led the Warriors with a time of 18:55, while junior Trey Thunborg finished in 19:04.

“That was the first time either of them had gone under 20 minutes,” Montoya said.

Eighth-grader Isaiah Vigil finished in 20:39, while freshman Jaron Martinez came in right behind Vigil at 20:51.

Aster finished in 20:36, about two minutes faster than her previous personal best.

“I think she’s still faster than that,” Montoya said.

The six-team district meet will be Oct. 31 in Dexter. The top three teams will qualify for state. Under a new rule, the top three runners from non-qualifying teams will qualify as individuals.

“I expect my boys to qualify as a team this year and I think that’s reasonable,” Montoya said.

The state meet is Nov. 8 at Rio Rancho, where Socorro will test out the terrain in a meet Oct. 18 that is expected to include more than 60 schools. This Saturday, the runners will head to Las Cruces for a meet hosted by Oñate.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Runners carve new personal bests

El Defensor Chieftain Reports

The Socorro High School cross country team ran at the Santa Fe Indian School Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 4. The meet featured more than 20 schools from northern New Mexico, a region known for its running programs.

Socorro placed 15th in the boys varsity division despite missing two varsity runners. The course and weather were perfect for running and every Socorro runner ran a personal best.

Leading the boys was Tim Abeyta, with a time of 18:55 over the 3.1 mile dirt course. Team captain Trey Thunborg, a junior, also dipped under 20 minutes with a time of 19:04. Isaiah Vigil and Jaron Martinez recorded times of 20:39 and 20:51 respectively.

On the girls side, only Ellen Aster made the trip, and she finished in a time of 20:36 and placed 16th out of 105 runners.

"I'm proud to have (everyone) run personal records despite a tough week of practice," coach Steven Montoya said in an e-mail to the Chieftain. "A couple of weeks ago, I remember when only two kids ran our 7-mile run. Last week we had more like 10 kids finishing it."

Socorro's core group of runners continue to work hard and push each other in practice and in the races, Montoya said.

"These kids are tough and will be around for a while," Montoya said. "I can't imagine what they'll be running as juniors and seniors; they should be scary fast and inspiration to the young runners that take their place."

On Saturday, Oct. 11, Socorro travels to Oñate High School. It will be the first trip that Socorro will have a bus available to them, which will allow them to field full varsity and junior varsity boys teams.

Warriors pick up the pace

El Defensor Chieftain Reports

The Socorro High School boys cross country team had its best finish to date, taking fifth place in Cloudcroft on Saturday, Sept. 27.

The Warriors placed in front of rival District 3-3A teams Dexter, Lovington and New Mexico Military Institute.

Warrior Tim Abeyta placed 10th overall in the boys varsity with a time of 21:13 on the course, at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Socorro's next five boys, Dylan Gallegos, Sierra Cahall, Jaron Martinez, Trey Thunborg and Isaiah Vigil all ran in the 23-minute range.

"When they can run in a pack like this it definitely helps our team placing," coach Steven Montoya said in an e-mail to the Chieftain. "We're getting better every race and are focusing on our district meet in Ruidoso on Halloween."

The team will need to be finish as one of the top three teams in the district meet to qualify for state. The top 10 individual finishers will also qualify to run at state.

"We are confident that state is a realistic goal and we have our sights set on it," Montoya said.

On the girls side, Socorro's Ellen Aster placed fourth overall in the girls varsity race with a time of 23:31. Aster beat all finishers from Class 3A or smaller schools.

"I thought the course suited Ellen's natural running ability," Montoya said. "The harder the course, the more successful Ellen will be. The district championships will take place in Ruidoso which will be similar to Cloudcroft, and Ellen just put a huge statement out there that she is the girl to beat come district."

Nikki Mortensen finished 15th in the girls varsity race and continues to improve and gain confidence, said Montoya.

The team travels to Santa Fe this Saturday, Oct. 4, for its next meet.

The team, which is currently using Sarracino Middle School track and field uniforms, will be holding a fundraiser at Socorro's football game against Hot Springs on Friday, Oct. 24, to help purchase new uniforms.

She's Coming Out of Her Shell....

If you know Emma, she has always been pretty shy until you have spent time with her. She usually does not talk to people that she does not know even if she has seen them before. Well, now that she goes to school twice a week, which she loves, it has really helped her gain confidence in herself. Tonight we went to dinner to a restaurant that we do not go to often. At the end of our meal, the waitress had asked if we wanted dessert to let her know and then continued to fill our glasses. Steven and Emma looked at each other and he said " we will get ice cream from Tastee Freeze". Well, I guess that is not what Emma wanted because she turned to the waitress and proceeded to say " Excuse me, Ma'am, I would like a box of pie please"....so the waitress asked what kind of pie and she said " Well, what kind do you have?" so in the end she got a piece of Apple Pie. However, the laughs did not stop there. She asked Nana, her grandma, for a quarter for the machines on the way out, but the machine took her quarter without giving her the ring, so she ran up to the waitress and said, " do you have a quarter, the machine took mine!" She is really speaking up for herself-a good quality to have! Steven and I just looked at each other and smiled. We are so proud of her. She is such a sweet little girl, with such good manners, yet loves to have fun and be silly.

Warriors chalk up extra mileage

By Nat Holland El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

The Socorro boys cross country team finished ninth out of 10 teams at a meet in Belen on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Ellen Aster placed 24th individually in varsity girls with a time of 22:14, exactly three minutes behind the frontrunner.

"We were definitely the smallest school there," said coach Steven Montoya.

The rest of the schools at the Belen meet were all Class 4A and 5A, most of the from the Albuquerque metro area.

Despite being a tough course, much of it on a ditch bank with soft sand, three Socorro runners ran a personal best on the course.

Times will continue to improve as runners continue to push their limits in practice. Two runners on Monday opted for a longer 7-mile run to put in their highest mileage ever for "extra credit."

When the runners asked what they get for completing the extra-credit run — "They get better," Montoya answered.

This Saturday, Sept. 27, the team heads to Cloudcroft to face competition from smaller schools, including four of the five other teams in District 3-3A.

"It's going to be a challenging course at altitude," Montoya said.

To prepare for Cloudcroft and other hilly and sandy courses such as Rio Rancho, the team will include runs in Box Canyon and in the Quebradas.

The team, which currently competes with Sarracino track uniforms, will be holding a fundraiser during Socorro's homecoming football game on Friday, Oct. 3.

Socorro cross country team makes its debut in Alamogordo

Runners ready for their second meet in Belen

Nat Holland El Defensor Chieftain Reporter,nholland@dchieftain.com

Socorro's new cross country team opened their season with a meet on Saturday, Sept. 6.

"It was really tough competition," said runner Tim Abeyta. "It was mostly 5A schools. We were the smallest one there. I think we all ran our personal best, but we're going to have to do better at the next meet."

"It was a pretty intense meet. We kind of new what was going on, but it was our first one," said Nikki Mortensen.

Mortensen finished 15th individually in a field of about 60 girls in the open division — Socorro's best finisher.

"I think she's a lot faster than she gives herself credit for," coach Steve Montoya said of Mortensen.

"I think we had an excellent first race. I think the kids were nervous not knowing what to expect, but I think they all had a lot of fun. Everyone commented that practices were harder than the races," Montoya said. "What I was really proud of was how our kids supported each other and even the kids from other teams."

Practices may be getting even harder, though, as the team moves from being beginning runners to being competitive.

"Our mileage isn't half what the competitive schools are running," Montoya said.

Socorro runners were logging about 30 miles a week, compared to 60 miles the more competitive schools log.

Socorro runs in its second meet today (Saturday) in Belen.

It has enough boys for a full boys team and a few girls that will compete individually, including Ellen Aster, a competitive runner who will make her season debut in Belen.

Coach Montoya is a socorro native and an experienced triathlete who returned to Socorro two years ago and currently teaches at Sarracino Middle School.

Whatever Emma wants....Emma gets....this weekend!


The fun started Friday night at the Warrior Football Game. Emma has found some friends who she enjoys running all around with in front of the bleachers. They race, play tag, and pretend they are cheerleaders!





Then we got up on saturday and spent the day at the State Fair. Emma really was looking forward to the Ferris Wheel. Steven had been wanting to take her on it! I remember thinking back when my mom would hate the Ferris Wheel...but I guess it was because we would always make it swing!! Emma also got her face painted and got an airbrushed tatoo on her leg. It was a fun day...just watching Emma go on rides for the first time .
























The evening continued on with the Lobo Football game. We met our friends there for a tailgate party....Brisket, Ribs, Potatoes...yummy! We had great seats and Emma enjoyed eating every kind of candy or dessert there was to buy! After the game we went back and took the food out again; deciding who was going to bring what for the next game.

Friday night we went to the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque and watched a country concert featuring Blake Shelton and Gary Allen. Mike and mArlene were able to go with us and we had a great time together. This video is one of our favorite Gary Allen songs, it's called Life Ain't Always Beautiful. Hope you enjoy it.

CROSS COUNTRY

Cross country season has officially started and I will have no more free Saturday's until the middle of November.  We had our first race over the weekend in Alamogordo.  I was glad that Lindsey went with us as it was one way we could feel close to Tom.  It was difficult at times but we figure by us starting this team it is a way of honoring him and making relationships with kids that go beyond the classroom.  

The meet was well run and took place at the soccer complex.  The run was mostly on grass with no hills and lots of ninety degree turns.  The weather was great and both the individual boys and girls meet records were broken.    Our kids were really nervous but they did a great job in their warm up, stretches, and strides.  The boys were really unsure about pace and afraid to get caught up in the opening sprint so I think they went out really conservative which seems not to be the norm for this sport.  I don't have any proof on this but I am sure they all negative split their races and passed many people during the second half of the race.  When they finished they agreed that it was easier than they had anticipated and they all had fun.  Officially we were the last place boys varsity team.  It sounds discouraging but in reality we have only been a team for 3 weeks and I ran three 8th graders, two freshmen, and one junior in a varsity meet.  They would have been much more competitive in the JV meet but oh well, live and learn.  

On the girls side, I only brought one freshmen and she ran the JV meet.  She was really nervous and was unsure if she would even run but she did and ended up being the 15th girl and received a ribbon for her effort.  She too started conservatively and ran down many girls in the second half of the run.  She surprised herself and is a much better runner than she gives herself credit for.  All in all it was a very successful meet and our next race is in two weeks in much closer, Belen. 

Here you can find an article about the team that the local newspaper ran this weekend.  On the right, click on the download our latest edition.  It is in a featured sports section and not the actual sports section.

http://www.dchieftain.com/

A 3-Day weekend is better than 2!

There were lot's of things going on over the Labor Day weekend and plenty of stuff to update with. Friday was our high school's first football game of the season. It was a home game and had a barbeque dinner preceeding it. The food was good and the game was a blowout win for us. We were up by more than 50 points by halftime! Needless to say that lots of freshman got some playing time in the second half. In a small town like Socorro, football is a big deal and everyone comes out to support the team.

This weekend was also our county fair and on Saturday we were on our main street watching the parade while Emma collected a bunch of candy. Afterward we went up to the fairgrounds and let Emma see all of the livestock and we had a great lunch. Things like fairs have become one of my favorite places to eat! I love getting fresh roasted corn, fresh squeezed lemonade, turkey legs, brisket, and fry bread. I was just about done with a navajo taco when I remembered I was going to run a race on Sunday and I shouldn't be eating fried food like that. Oh well, I'm Mexican and I'm pretty sure my engine works just fine on grease:)

The race I did on Sunday was a half marathon in Albuquerque. I finished ok and I was glad I did it but my times are not where they used to be just a few years ago. It's tough not being able to race as fast as I used to but I also suppose that priorities have changed and I'm still in pretty good shape overall. My time was 1:42 which means I averaged 7:47 per mile. I feel like I had a good 8 miles of hard running in me but I really struggled from miles 9 through 13. I ended up 31st overall and 7th in my age group. Next up is a triathlon at the end of the month.

Since we were in Albuqueruqe we took advantage of it and visited the zoo. The Rio Grande Zoo is one of the best zoo's I've been to. They have even added many new exhiibits just from last year. Emma and Lindsey even got to feed the giraffe's. I wish we had pictures but we had forgotten the camera.

And on Monday, Lindsey and I both used it to get a little ahead on things. Lindsey with her masters degree and I with classroom stuff. Well, I hope you all enjoyed the weekend as much as we did. Have a great (short) week and thanks for looking.

Steven

We haven't posted anything for a while now but life does keep moving and we're always working on something new and different.  The biggest thing is that school has started and that means back to work for Lindsey and I.  We just finished our 2nd week of school and things seem to be going good so far.  I am teaching 3 math classes and 2 engineering classes and I am liking all of my classes and schedule.  The school itself feels a little different too for the better and we're liking it.  One thing that Lindsey and I had wanted to do since we moved here last year was to start a cross country team at the high school.  We got moved in right before school started and it never really happened last year.  This year however we were able to get our district to fund a team and we have been practicing since this past week.  We are behind every other school in the state but we got it started and we can only get better and bigger.  I am really excited and busy with practice, getting a schedule together and possibly doing some fundraising.  

This is also the first school year that Emma gets to go to pre-school.  She goes 2 days a week for half a day and she is really having a blast.  She has made some new friends and looks forward to going.  On the first day Lindsey and I had a hard time leaving her and it was a very special time we shared together.  The second time we took her she ran up the sidewalk and waved bye to us as if we were just going to drop her off.  She's having fun and we're having fun watching her grow.

And Emma is not the only one going to school, besides teaching, Lindsey is starting her Master's Degree in Technology.  She started this weekend and it sounds like she likes it so I'm glad and proud of her for starting.  I know she will do a great job and I know she probably already knows just as much as any professor she will have.  I look forward to celebrating with her when she's finished.

And I'm still trying to get in some training myself.  I have been running with the kids on the XC team but I am having a hard time getting to the pool and biking more than twice a week.  I have an Olympic distance triathlon in late September and a half-ironman triathlon in late October.  Those are the only 2 things I have registered for but I think I will jump into some running races here and there.  Our friend Misha is doing a half marathon next weekend in Albuquerque and I'm thinking about jumping in and just doing it.

Well thanks for checking in on the Montoya's and I truly hope you're all doing well and happy. Here are several pictures of Emma after picking some stuff from our garden and on her first day of school. 

      

I know there aren't too many people that keep up with these postings that don't know about Tom's situation.  He's in a Rhode island hospital and things aren't looking very optimistic.  Lindsey has been there all this week and I am here in Socorro with Emma but planning on going out there this weekend.  It's really unfortunate that this is happening.  Please, say a prayer and have faith that things can improve for him.  He is a strong guy and the heart of his family.  I know that Lindsey and Tom have always had a very special relationship and as I look through pictures we have, it kills me.  There was never a time that even saying good-bye didn't bring tears from the both of them.  The picture I posted was from Thanksgiving 2007.  It was the first and only time that Tom was able to come out to Socorro and see our new house.  This summer, he really wanted us to go out to Rhode Island and visit, as Kelly and her family and Liz with hers, were all there enjoying the beaches and spending time together.  We had decided early in the summer that we weren't going to make the trip this summer and I even accepted a job teaching here at Tech.  I realize you never know what life has in store for you but I sure wish I had gone out there.  I mean, one of the reasons I even became a teacher was to be able to spend time doing things like that, things that you can't put a price on.  But, you never know.  You never ever know what is in store for you or why.  Some things can seem so unfair that you can question, be angry, be sad, confused.  But you just have to keep your faith that things will get better and do all that you can for the people around you.  Tom IS a great guy, the type of person who can always find an old friend or make a new one.  He loves everything Boston and even watched a Red Sox game at Fenway just this past Sunday with Sue.  He's an intelligent person and I always enjoy talking to him about teaching math.  He is a great coach and I know that he has helped so many kids accomplish much more because he saw in them what they couldn't see for themselves.  So, remember to say a prayer for him and make sure you take advantage of every situation to let people you care about know that you do.  

Not Your Typical Sunday...

The alarm went off at 6:00am. As I was getting out of bed I could hear this noise..thump, thump. I listened for a minute but then went on my way to get ready for the Kelly Mine Run Race. However, Kona, our dog, was very excited about something on my side of the bed. He grew more and more interested. So, I moved the bed and to my surprise was a cute FROG! He hopped across the room until Steven could scoop him and take him outside. Too bad Emma had stayed the night at Nana's house-she would loved to have seen it! We were then out the door by 6:40 and drove up the Mountain to Magdalena. It was a beautiful drive, overcast, the road were wet and the clouds were very low. I have never done this race before and only knew that it was uphill. Steven led most of the way for the guys and I was in the lead for the girls until I fell back two spots. It was a tough race. 4.35 miles all uphill! Steven finished second overall, and I finished third for the women, first in my age group. THEN WE RAN BACK DOWN! We had a nice breakfast a little place in Magdalena while it rained.

We then headed back down the Mountain, took showers, packed some snacks, picked up Emma and headed to Elephant Butte Lake for the afternoon and Evening with Mike, Marlene, Monique, and Levi. We knew we would probably run into bad weather, seeing how it has been raining everyday for a couple weeks now. So, we set up the shade tent and sat under that while it continued to rain. We ate, and the kids played in the sand and ran in and out of the water.

Once the rain eased up, we got on the boat for nice cruise around the lake. It was really nice since it was overcast and not many people were out. Emma always enjoys the boat...she gets really relaxed-she closes her eyes and just lays there:)

Then we blew up the inner tube. It was a three-seater, and the kids were really excited so we put Mo, Levi, and Emma in and pulled them along nice and easy. They loved it! Then Steven got on with them so they could go a little faster. Steven and I even got on and Mike really whipped us around the lake-it was a blast! Mike and I rode too for a little bit, while Steven drove the boat around.

We packed up, ate at Denny's, got in the car to head home and Crash-Emma falls asleep instantly! WHAT A GREAT DAY!

Thanks Mike and Marlene-we had a great time! The pictures are from my phone, sorry about the quality.

~Lindsey

4th of July

We enjoyed the day by relaxing around the house and not feeling rushed all morning long. Around 3:30 we went to Tech, where they always have a Celebration that starts at 11:00am and doesn't end until the fireworks are over. They provide live music, local bands, food, and lots of things for kids to do to keep cool. We knew they had a big water slide so we took Emma's bathing suit. She has seen one before but has not wanted to go on it because it was at our School for fun day and there were too many people around. So, we were not sure if she would actually get on it today, but she did. She was the smallest one to go down and the guys asked her if she wanted help climbing up the stairs...of course that was a big NO! She went down and had a blast. She wanted to go again until she looked at how long the line was and said, Never Mind:) So she enjoyed playing with water balloons, getting her face paited, eating cotton candy, and dancing to the music. After that, we went home and prepared dinner, jumped on the trampoline, and watched the fireworks from our front yard. It was a nice quiet evening shared with Steven's Mom, Grandma, Auntie Emily, and his brother Paul, from Phoenix. We hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday as well.