Track Meet #2, June 25

Zoie and Vance ran in their 2nd All Comers Track Meet at Burlington-Edison High School tonight.

Vance's results:
50 m hurdles -- 3rd place (boys age 2)
50 m dash -- "thank you for participating" ribbon. He looked and smiled at all the people, he zigzagged, and even headed over to the grandstands to have a seat before the race was done. He really didn't want to take the green participation ribbon when it was offered to him.

Zoie's results:
50 m hurdles (or turtles as she calls them) -- 1st place (2nd week) despite tripping on the 2nd hurdle and crashing to her knees. (girls age 3)
50 m dash -- 1st place (2nd week) (girls age 3)
100 m dash -- 2nd place (girls age 3)
Softball throw -- 3rd place (4 & under)
200 m dash -- 1st place (she was the only little girl)
400 m dash -- did not finish, but here is the story . . . . .
If you have ever ran track or know someone who has, the 400 m event is the hardest of them all. You can't jog part of the way, you have to run hard all the way around the track one time. Well, this event is near the end of the meet and Zoie wanted to run it. So I snuggled with her in the bleachers while my mom and Vance played in the car. When the race was to begin, the volunteers lined up all of the racers, probably 10 and under. Zoie started in lane 3 with another girl "Edie", who just ran the 1600m race. Edie was probably 10 years old. I just told Zoie to chase her and that I was not going to run behind her like I did in the 200m. She turns to the other girl and says "I am going to chase you". So the whistle blows and she is hot on their tales. She is running good until I yell to her to keep going and she looks across the field at me. I walk toward the last 100 meters to cheer her on. One little boy is approaching the finish and crying and rubbing his eyes. I look toward the last corner and Zoie is in tears. I scoop her up and she is so sad "My legs are tired". I try to comfort her but her sobbing tears. Then out comes her embarassment and that all the kids were beating her. She did not realize that they were all 4 or 5 or 6 years older than her. Poor thing. I did not discuss this minor detail with her prior to the race. So sobbing Zoie was put in the car and we headed to get bread and Arby's for dinner since it was 8:45pm. Maybe she will try the race again.