And They're Off!

Last week was the start to the Youth Cross Country Season.  Unfortunately, many of the meets conflict with Iver's soccer practice, but he was very keen on participating in the races and missing practice (it's cross-training, right? His coach was thankfully okay with it). Niall was pretty lukewarm about running at all and sat out the first two meets, content to cheer on his fellow schoolmates and running club members. We're so lucky to have coach Kristin to wrangle and organize these energetic children!

Jack and HRRAY, the local running organization, do an amazing job at organizing the meets and keeping the kids in line.

Tuesday's meet was a 1.5-mile run at the Arcata Marsh on a very warm (almost 80-degree, I think!) sunny day for Humboldt.  It was a bit of a hike (close to the race length, apparently!) from our parking area to the starting line and Iver's buddy, Silas, joined us. 

Fuente had some really strong runners! The team also gets a score based on top-five finishers, so the more fast racers, the better!

  Iver finished in third place for 3-5th boys with a time of 8:20 which (he calculated is like a 5:33 mile, if the distance is correct [he swears it is but I'm more skeptical!]), passing a couple of kids in the final home stretch, with official race results via Athletic.net bib timing here.

Our friend Olivia was the top female finisher and fifth overall!

In his first (I think) XC race, Silas came in fifth for boys with an incredible effort! 

Popsicles for finishers!

Olivia, Iver, Jon (maybe Olivia's mad she was behind by just a smidge?).

The second meet on Thursday was at Blue Lake's Perigot Park, a nice sunny course (but cooler than Tuesday), and a similar distance.  

Iver came in in second place, again behind the first-place finisher from the marsh, a fellow fifth grade student at Garfield in Eureka and alongside which he competed in the spring's Splash and Dash. Check out the time for 1.5 miles, something I would /could have never achieved!!!!! Official race results are here.

Today, to start off the day, Iver participated in the Clam Beach Invitational, which featured high school runners across NorCal. Along with JV, Varsity, and middle school runners, they also had a K-5 one-mile race and he (shoeless this year, after he "learned his lesson" running on sand last season).

 He again won second place, finishing just behind his fifth-grade rival, who he is hoping he can catch in "The Championships."

    

I'm not sure if the video will load as I've been having blogger issues, but here's the beach finish!

And now we get ready for soccer games!   Aren't you tired, too??!

The needs of the patient come first

Our local hospital, Providence/St. Joseph's (now the only hospital in the country that takes care of laboring women, since Mad River's closure last October), has made the national news this year due to at least one lawsuit against the hospital by our state's AG due to infringement on women's rights by forcing religions/ethical directives and limiting the emergent care by providers of women with incomplete pregnancy loss or non-viable pregnancies due to preterm complications. 

A recent hearing last month (which I was unable to attend) re-discussed the issue, and attorneys for Providence challenged the previously agreed-upon responsibility to treat antepartum emergencies (like inevitable miscarriage, pre-viable preterm labor, PPROM, antepartum hemorrhage, etc. even if a fetal heartbeat is present) as situations requiring nuanced medical (not religious/political) decisions between providers and patients. 

Several doctors in our delivery group collaborated to publish thislocal journal article that came out this week, which explains that our duty is not to unjust and often patriarchal, inhumane, or rigid hospital systems, but to our patients, many of whom already drive long distances to reach our maternity ward in the desert that is Humboldt County.

I have stood up for women and their rights in the childbirth setting for many years, and even as I fade off into the sunset in this part of my career, I vow to continue serve our patients humbly and compassionately in some of the hardest days of their lives.  I am thankful to have so many colleagues that vow to do the same, even as we may face the threat of hospital retaliation.   

As I learned way back in medical school,  "THE NEEDS OF THE PATIENT COME FIRST."

(- Dr. Will Mayo).

Fall(ing down?) Sports and more!

Phew! Fall is in full swing in these parts!  I realized I haven't posted a blog in weeks, and it's because we hardly have any time to sit down! 

The kids are doing well back in school (we've only received one behavior e-mail). 

Iver's year (5th grade) is hosting the Friday breakfast "Cafe Fuente" that raises money for their end-of-year trip to San Francisco. 

I worked many overnight OB calls in a two-week span but had Labor Day Monday off and we went back to Sequoia Zoo to show Kelvin the new (ish) black bears!

The kids (Niall's first year) started fall soccer, with multiple (Iver- two, Niall- one but on a different day) practices per week and Saturday games. 

Iver's U-12 team is 2-0 so far, with some strong players (some of whom he knows/has played with before) and, as their uniforms are black, named themselves the Grim Reapers! 

Niall and bud Ivan are on the same team in U-8 and they're doing great!

Before last week's soccer game, Iver volunteered to run the Hiller Park 5K (with me). He was ahead by several spots (about a minute and a half ahead of me and even finished ahead of our friend Jenna! He's gearing up to compete in Cross-Country meets starting next week!  Niall is ambivalent but will probably joint at least a couple of the races.

 5K

Place Name             G/age  Time     Bib#

26 Iver V                M10   23:57   186

27 Jenna L               F39   24:01   195

32 Tara V                F43   25:13   187

And as if soccer and running weren't enough, we've been playing driveway pickleball most evenings and even hitting tennis balls at the local HS courts.  It's hard to keep up with these kids!