On Your Mark!

The past several Wednesday nights find us at the All Comer's Track Meet. There is so much that could be said. But, to be somewhat brief ...

Talmage and Sydney both run all the events they can - we get home after 9pm. Sometimes the cousins are there, too. It's a real party. Also, now I'm a seasoned pro at knowing where the different events start around the track. Hurdles, here. 200m, there. 800m, this a' way.

Taking off for the 200m. I love the serious, earnest, concentrated look on Syd's face. And her non-aerodynamic arm.

Sydney met a new friend, Hazel. I wish I had a picture of them holding hands and singing songs. They ran a few races together.

The gun goes off for the 1500m.

Sydney wanted to take a picture and I wanted you to see my cool sunglasses. They're the cheap kind because I'm positive I will lose them. Soon. It's inevitable.

The ribbons. Ah, the ribbons.

Syd ran the 800m tonight. She's a tough little runner - the only 3 year-old to run that event (possibly because all the other 3 year-olds have more responsible parents who put their kids to bed at a decent hour). She came in last, pumping her arms, smiling, heart rate pounding. Good endurance for the Little Sheep (did you know Sydney refers to herself as Baby Sheep ever since the Leaping Lamb Farm? Sometimes she's a baby horse, too. But that doesn't have anything to do with the track meet). People all along the last 100m were clapping and cheering for her.

The races have been a refiner's fire for Talmage. He was crushed the first few times he didn't win ("Mom, I wanted a white ribbon"). Advice from a good friend helped me know how to encourage him along. I mean, how do you explain to a kid to just do their best, have fun, winning doesn't matter, etc --- but then it's obvious that only one kid gets a blue, red, or white ribbon? The green participatory ribbon becomes meaningless because they're not "special".

We kept going to the meets because they liked to run the races and I liked seeing them exercise those little bodies. Over the weeks, Talmage is showing he's getting the sportsmanship stuff (Full disclosure: There was that one time when he turned on the gas during the 800m and called out to me, triumphantly and not at all chivalrously, "I passed that girl".). STILL. Nothing beats the smile on his face when he came running up to me the first time he got a third place ribbon. "Mom! Mom! I got a white one!!!" Persistence pays off. Not a bad lesson to learn.

[editor's second disclaimer note: placing in the All Comer's Meets is pretty subjective. Heats are relaxed and hodge-podge so it's all luck of the line-up if you're with super fast kids or slower kids].