"There is something about the American attitude to find a way to win."

Amazing victory:  US beats Brazil -- Women's World Cup!

U.S. head coach PIA SUNDHAGE On the drama of the match: “I have no words. Phenomenal. The goal and then the PKs. Someone is writing this book. There is something about the American attitude to find a way to win. Unbelievable.“  http://bit.ly/nOe5t5  


Oh what a victory on Sunday for the US soccer team at the women's World Cup!  Truly, it wasn't the prettiest game ever played.  Controversial calls, team dragging, a 2 - 2 tie... winning on penalty kicks.  It would have been so easy for the women on the US team to lay down and give up in the face of the Brazilian futebol megalith.  But our team kept going, and as Pia Sundhage said, "Phenomenal. ... Unbelievable."

Ali Krieger shooting the winning penalty shot against Brazil
Follow our team at ussoccer.com

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This morning was a tough run for me.  Hot... buggy... tired.... I was scheduled to do three miles today, and had completed 1.4 miles at the 15 minute mark, when I was surprised to see some county construction equipment preparing to regrade and oil the road.  Despite the morning heat I had been clipping along at a decent rate of about 5.6 mph, and didn't want to break my stride, so I decided to sprint quickly past them before they began.  I got the nod from one of the workers to pass quickly, so I fired up my afterburners and ran at my top speed about 3/10's of a mile to the far side of the trucks.  


Whew!  That felt good!  I slowed back to my normal pace, and was feeling quite proud that I was going to be able to report some astounding time due to that unexpected mid-run dash, when I started feeling a little sick to my stomach.  Another tenth of a mile and I knew that I had to slow to a walk. Between the hard sprint, the fumes from the construction equipment, and the heat, I was overcome by nausea.  


Fitness has a fickle stomach, I've decided.  I've read about this happening sometimes to runners who push too hard, but it had never happened to me before.  Now I know.  I walked slowly another 2/10's of a mile, until the nausea passed.  I then jogged slowly home.  I thought a lot about the women of the US Soccer team, and how they must have been feeling after running themselves ragged for 122 minutes when Abby Wambach scored the latest goal in Women's World Cup history -- YES!  I couldn't do that, but I CAN do this, and I did.  I learned a lesson today about the very thin line of balance between pushing the right amount, and pushing too hard.  I will keep working, even when it's hard, and I will slow down when I know for certain that just a little harder is truly a little too much.


Até amanhã... 
7/12/11 - 3.3 miles | 40 mins | 4.8 mph | 351 kcal