Bella: I didn't win Mom.
Me: That's ok - you did awesome! We are so proud of you!
Bella: But, I didn't come in first. I don't get it. I thought I would be first.
She was honestly blown away that she didn't win. I'm not sure where that came from, because in practices, doing the follow the leader style running - she would be the last person in line, skipping, doing ballet jumps, or digging for worms. Never first, and never competitive. Apparently, race day is a different story for her!
She decided she wanted to practice on my treadmill so that she could get faster, but that didn't last long. She couldn't quite get the rythm down, so her peak speed was 2.5mph - holding on to the hand rails for dear life. Azure got on after her to give it a shot, and kept asking me to make it go faster. She got up to 6mph, with no hands. You should have seen her cute little legs just flying! She can't wait to run in the races next year!
Bella really did have a fun time running, and I am so proud of her! At her last meet, she was running the 400, and as she came around the bend for the last straightaway, I could tell she was hurting. She got a little closer, and I saw that she was crying - but she kept on plugging away. I think she came in sixth out of almost 20 girls.
Part of that scenario reminds me of me when I was a little girl. The crying, yes. The not coming in last, no. My Dad directed the Parks & Rec All-Comers Track Meets during the summers. I had a blast trying the long jump & high jump - but whenever he made me run the 800, I would cry during races too. I would always be thinking to myself "OK, I can fake a twisted ankle right here, around this corner, I can make it look totally real. I'm already crying..." but I never did it. I would cry my way to the finish line, usually last or close to it, and then throw up. Ah, the sweet memories. She's already doing way better than I did! Way to go girl!
The start of the 400. Just look at that form!
Our neighbors, Ashley and Anna cheered her on, and ran with her for the final stretch.
Proud runner with her biggest fan. Cal loves to shout: "Doe Bella!!!"
But the best part of track, was hanging out with the fam afterwards. These sort of shennanigans used to make me nervous -- but I've seen it done so often, that now I trust Dan to actually catch the kids after he throws them up as high as the field goal posts!
2 comments:
"...and then throw up." HA HA!!
I threw up DURING almost every race I ran in 8th grade. most of them being the 800. that is a brutal race. hence, why I stuck to jumping my freshman year, and didn't run again until my sophomore year when I let my coach convince me.
one side note though, the middle schoolers and high schoolers in cottage grove used to practice at the same track, and the high schoolers helped with the meets for the younger kids. so my first practice as a freshman, one of the older high jumper boys said to me, "oh, you're that really fast girl who threw up a lot."
what a thing to be known by.
last point: your kiddos are seriously so high in the air. it makes ME a little nervous. but I trust Dan too.
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