Forums >Off the Beaten Path>Share your kids XC/running news here
My Grade one son is so proud of his "fourteenth" place ribbon from two weeks ago. This week was a "thirteenth" place.
Next week he is gunning for the "secondeenth" place one.
I have pre-race jitters! Can't wait!
Isn't that the truth! I get 'em bad, worse than for my own races, before Wyatt's meets.
- Joe
We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.
Sunflower League CC meet was this weekend out at Rim Rock Farm outside Lawrence. Wyatt ran a very good (for him) 18:44 on a moderately challenging 5k course. The team unfortunately placed in the lower half of the 12 schools. They are going to need Wyatt (#5) and our #4 runner to have a bit of a breakthrough at Regional this weekend if they are going to make State as a team, I think.
After the race Wyatt asked me if this was where KU ran their CC meets and I said, yes, this is where they run their home meet and that they have even hosted the NCAA Championships out there. He said, "Cool! That means the spike marks in the wooden bridges have been put there by champions." Pretty inspiring -- they have parts of the course named after Wes Santee, Glenn Cunningham, Jim Ryan, Billy Mills and other Kansas runners of note.
Why is it sideways?
I am excited because the team I am helping coach is entering its championship season. They are running really strong, seem to be peaking at the right time, and we have a chance to win at state (we are in a smaller schools division, but still.)
Good luck to all parents and runners these next few weeks. I had a great XC mom growing up--parental involvement of the right kind can make all the difference for a team.
Joe, it's great to see your son's enthusiasm and respect/admiration for the sport and those that came before him! Best of luck next week!
Jeff, good luck to your team too! Winning state, in any division, is an accomplishment!
My son participated in the Lutheran MS State XC meet over the weekend (not nearly as competitive as the public school meet), He came in 7th over-all with a time of 12:16. Last year he ran a 13:07 on the same course. This year it was pretty windy and he is/was a bit under the weather with a cold. I'm happy for him that he's able to compete against a bunch of guys that are much more physically developed than he is. When the top 10 runners were lined up in order, my son and the 10th place runner were a full head shorter than nearly everyone else. The kid that won already looks like a HS senior and is just an incredible all around athlete. Saturday is the Lutheran National XC meet in Mequon, WI and it's chance to beat a few of the kids that were right in front of him.
After a stellar run last week at League, my boy had an absolutely horrible day today at Regional and the team didn't qualify for State. This is life. He's only a freshman, and bad races happen, but my heart breaks for him all the way around. Suspect the pressure got to him too much (he had to perform well to put the team in a position to have a chance to go to State) and suspect that he maybe even was at the beginning of being sick (both his brothers have been feeling bad this week). Still, it's a rough way to end a CC season. Gosh, I just know how it feels when I've had a terrible marathon and I know I won't get another crack at one for another 6 months. I fear he feels similarly.
That is tough. We had a couple of young runners crack in our last meet as they experienced pressure for the first time. It's easy to forget how young the kiddos are, especially when they have been impressing all year with their toughness.
You know, you're not really a racer until you've had a bad one. And you never crack under pressure unless you really care.
Jeff, thank you.