Rachel has been running all summer. She decided she'd try out the cross country team this year as she anticipates the next life jump from little pond to big pond; her first year of high school. It was a blessing to have 2 brothers in our neighborhood driving every day to Cross country as well. They'd pick her up around 7:20ish and she'd get home between 10:30 and 11:00.
She was kind of frustrated from time to time feeling like it took away her summer but you should see her tan... and those legs! She is looking good!
The team would run several miles in the canyons or in the neighborhoods and do weight workouts and ab workouts after running. She said, "those cross country people are intense!!!" She wasn't sure she was made of the same stuff.
Some of the girls she made friends with at the beginning of the summer dropped out midway through leaving her feeling out of place. The other girls that are left are nice but are good friends to each other and she feels alone. She's the only girl in her grade left.
In Cross Country the races are essentially 5K runs from what I understand. (3 miles)
The night before her first race which was this past Thursday she was very anxious, wondering if she had made a mistake with cross country, feeling slow and uncompetitive, friendless. I hate feeling like that and wished I had more of a solution to offer than the advice: weigh the pros and cons and think about what is best for you. Is quitting the right thing or sticking with it the right thing? She has a cross country PE class as part of her schedule so it would be more involved than just saying "I quit"
Plus... My little Rachel doesn't like quitting.
She decided to see it though. She came home from her first race happy and seeming to be at peace with her decision, feeling better about being part of the team.
Two days later (Yesterday) she left bright and early for her 2nd race. She left at 6:30 in the morning. Again... SO grateful for those boys who come pick her up! She thought she'd be home about 11:00 so I started watching for her but about 1:30ish she rolled in. My parents were in town and we were all in the corner of our yard in the shade of the big walnut tree, sitting and gabbing and up walks Rachel grinning from ear to ear with a medal on her chest.
5th place out of 67 JV girls with a time of 22:11.
So proud.
All that running made her HUNGRY.
She grabbed a Krispy Kreme doughnut and some green beans out of the garden.
Would you call that a balanced meal?
7 comments:
I can attest to how tan and gorgeous she's looking. Good for Rachel!!
Way to go Rachel! That is so exciting! So glad you stuck with it.
Jamie,Carly,and I picked a huge bowl full of string beans off her square foot garden; before she could cook them; the bowl was almost empty! Hmmm, glad they like the greens! It was as if it were candy! Ed and I ate green apples w/salt instead.
Way to go Rachel!!! You're one incredible girl :)
(Jamie, I trust you'll relay her the message :) )
-Savanna
So proud of her! Definitely balanced! ;)
Also, there is this: it doesn't matter how many of the girls on the team are your friends because in the end, you have to run your race. The camaradarie of a team is great before the race, but when you're running...it's just you! If she loves the running itself I hope she sticks with it.
(but then, I am biased toward running you know!)
Rachel is truly beautiful inside and out! I am a very lucky auntie!
Wow! Way to run Rachel! You are fast! Keep it up, you will be glad you did. & not just for the gorgeous tan & legs. :)
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