Your sports fun facts of the week

BLEEDING BLUE AND GOLD

Did you know there are 333.3 million people in the United States? Did you also know 50 million of them participate in the sport of running? That's about 15% of our population.

Running is the most popular and most participated in sport in America. The same is true for Mexico and Italy.

One of the great things about being a runner is to be one all you have to do is start running.

This is our third tour in Rockdale and when we lived here the last go round I played a lot of tennis. When we moved behind the pine curtain my number one tennis partner would not go with us and I found out no one in East Texas had heard of tennis so I started running. It was not fun but I needed to do something to keep my girlish figure.

I definitely have a love hate relationship with lacing up the Nike Vaporfly 3's for a quick three miles. Right now we are more love than hate but that could change by tomorrow.

I like to run on a treadmill and so do others, because there are over 60 million of them in homes across America. I'm guessing a lot of these end up on Facebook Marketplace or being used as an expensive coat rack.

According to Running USA, most people run to stay in good physical shape and, on average, people who run live three years longer than non-runners.

Running has other benefi ts. People who run say it can create social interaction and it eliminates stress. Studies show that regular exercise like running and a balanced diet can help with weight management and could lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Other benefits include the boost of immune support and better quality of sleep at night.

This sport has a financial downside, runners spend an average of $1,748 on race fees and gear (shoes, hats, backpacks/belts, technology) annually.

I have never met anyone who doesn't always need another pair of running shoes, regardless if they needed another pair of running shoes or not. Does that make sense?

I think we be come obsessed. Is Apple Pay sweet or what? I Googled what the average pair of running shoes cost and Google lied. They reported $132.90. That's pretty inexpensive. The best running shoes are going to cost you closer to $300 and those sleds are only going to last you about three months depending on how much you run.

If you are looking to get in shape, have a better overall quality of life, maybe lose some weight, meet other people and sleep better at night, get a great pair of running shoes and hit the road. You're welcome. —ka— Onto more serious things. The Tigers take the field in a month on Friday, Aug. 30, against Smithville. The Smithville Tigers are picked like our Tigers to finish last in district. Smithville plays in District 13-4A DII. Last year they went 3-7 and 2-3 in district. This looks like a game that could be strategic for the Tigers to get some confidence and to get a W in front of a home crowd.

Big Blue will hit the road the following week and play Hempstead. The Bobcats are also picked to finish last in District 12-3A DI. Last year was tough for Hempstead and this year does not look any easier. They finished 1-9 and 0-4 in district play last school year.

Let's go Tigers, let's go 2-0.

Game three is maybe where it's real real for Rockdale. The Lexington Eagles come to town and the professionals have them picked number one in District 13-3A DII. Lexington went 9-4 and 4-1 in district. Is it just me or does Lexington need to get off t he T iger's schedule. When you win you feel like you should have won and when you lose it's like losing to your little brother in the driveway while playing P-I-G.

Those are your sports fun facts of the week.