I had all my staples to get the job done. Gum-Check, Chapstick-check, Water-Check, and IPOD. Ipod, you say..? I never got rid of my old one. This one works but also similar to me, it has a few quirks but it can get the job done!!
I turn the treadmill on next to my neighbor who was also there. We exchange a few polite words and off I go. After 17 minutes I am ready to quit. Now we are going to have to get creative. How can I be effective and get this done quickly. Tempo runs. My version. One minute at a comfortable pace and one minute at race pace. I increase my race pace each time by one all the way till I get to about 4 miles.
At this point I am sweating pretty good, counting my steps to keep my mind off getting to one minute faster and counting down on the clock. " only 29 seconds Nita, Go."
The body..HA Ha . I no longer felt great. My right calf seized up and my left quad was yelling at me. "Anita, Here I am, just wanted to remind you that I am still mad at you."
Thankfully I had a field trip and knew it was time to get out of there.
The field trip was to the movies to see African Cats. Right up my alley! I really enjoyed it. We finished the movie and had to hustle back for Austins First Cross Country meet.
The meet was cold and windy. Everyone was complaining. I was holding the timer. So as each of the 52 students from 3 different schools including ours crossed the finish line I clicked the time. The course is 1 1/2 miles. The terrain is pretty rolly. But Austin finished 12 overall with a time of 11.09. That would be a great story but that is not what I was so impressed with.
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| Ben is far left being nudged by his best friend."Good Job Ben, You can do it!" |
I was struggling to hold the timer it was so cold. Austin had crossed and I wanted to give the job to someone else and go warm up. Mom and Dad had came out to watch and I felt bad watching them shiver with the rest of us. Mom was right next me yelling "Good Job, Way to GO." "Run hard, Strong Finish". We cheered the kids on. 15 minutes has passed, And we are about half way through the kids. The wind is pretty strong and I can not feel my finger tips. I am hoping I do not mess up pushing these buttons. The Coach said this was the easiest job but I am not sure I believe him. 20 minutes have now passed and there are kids still out there. My body is shaking all over to the point that my muscles are tense and sore. 24 minutes. There is ONE kid left. Ben. Where is he at? As I look around it looks like the team has left. 26 minutes. Still no Ben. Everyone is looking. Everyone is freezing and some are asking to go home. 27 minutes. Someone yells, "THERE he is.." As we looked up there was a huge crowd coming down the straightway. The Entire team had rallied together to bring in their last runner. They all cheered him on and helped encourage him to the finish. It was a beautiful moment. Everyone was touched. At the point it did not matter what place our kids came in or who's school did better. At that point we all became Ben's fan club. Never knowing him or anything about him we all were rooting for him. It was a site to see.
There are those around you that may want to throw in the towel. There are those who lag behind, or do not follow the crowd. I encourage you to be their cheering section. Be patient with those who are not moving as fast as the rest of us. Sometimes it may get a little uncomfortable waiting around for others to come to the finish line, rather than clocking them or wondering why it is taking so long, Lend a hand, a word of encouragement and remind ourselves at least they are making a effort.
Anita
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