Run Run Run....

Okay so I've written and re-written and re-written this post over and over.. I could go so many directions when it comes to the subject of Running and Track. V (my husband) is all about track. He eats, sleeps and breathes track - thus my daughter and I are consumed with track. Not necessarily by choice but almost of out necessity. He's the Varsity Head Coach of our local girls Tiger Team. Needless to say I constantly get times thrown out at me or heights and lengths - all of which I'm not sure if they are good or bad. I just nod, most of the time, and say "Yes Honey I heard you the 1st time you told me." I get name after name said to me - and mind you most are nicknames like Chuck, Boneyard, Barney, Pebbles.. and the list goes on and on. So with all of this coming at me full force these days - I try to keep up but it's kind of maddening and exciting all at the same time. I never was in the track realm. My brother ran for a couple of years in high school and that's about all I was exposed to growing up. But now being with V for over 8 years and married almost 6 years, I'm now finding I really enjoy track. I enjoy the atmosphere that surrounds me at meets, the excitement of seeing the girls' hard work pay off and the adrenline rush you get from that neck and neck race coming to the finish line. V has been very fortunate to have some outstanding athletes come through his program. He's very humble at what he does and prefers to give the credit to his athletes for the programs huge success. Without them and their hard work the program would not be what it is today.

Saturday there was a meet - the Galesburg Indoor Invite to be exact. It was a good meet, a large meet and a successful meet for our Tiger Girls that ran and jumped and threw that day. However, it was the first time my, soon to be, 2 year old daughter got to get the full effect of an indoor meet. I've taken her to meets since she was an infant but now that she's almost 2 - she truly got a feel for what track is all about. It's not just about the events taking place, it's about the full experience of the crowd, and the starting gun and everything around you. I'm very thankful my mother decided to go with me to experience a first for my daughter. It was a hoot watching her reactions as the day continued. She started out with realizing that the blowing of the whistle meant that the gun was going to be shortly behind it. Well, as you can imagine, a gun going off in a building for a 2 year old, who has no idea what is going on, is not pleasant. She would jump into my arms every time that whistle started to blow. Then V comes around to explain to her why the gun is going off - then you can see the wheels turning and the excitement of it all setting in as she realizes that means they are going to run and RUN FAST. So she went from being terrified to a pure state of excitement where she could hardly contain herself. It was hysterical and a hoot watching this all evolve. Everytime that gun would go off - she would jump and scream with all her might - RUN RUN RUN!!!! Until they crossed the finish line and then she'd clap. Then it would start all over with the next race.

We didn't stay for the entire meet as it started at 10am and didn't get over until 6pm or so. That's a long day and not one I wanted to quite expose her to yet. I'm going to save that for the State Meet in Charleston come May. However - I'm glad we went. I don't remember watching more than just her that day. Which is sad but that's what happens sometimes when you are at a track meet. Like I said - the atmosphere, the gun, the screaming and yelling - it all sucks you in and you may end up watching the meet itself or the people around you. For me - it was my daughter that day - this is the beautiful face I got to enjoy!