Our First Track Meet Of The Season Flagstaff Arizona

Track season is officially here for us and we have just gotten back from our first team travel event, our first indoor meet ever ….What an event…Let me tell you the highs low’s and in betweens…

What did I forget??

 One thing I am beginning to realize is that when I am away from my regular  travel packing routines I think I remember the how to of TRACK PACKING but I forget and I forget that I forget and think I don’t need to refer to my very well written check list. Well, I didn’t refer  to my list and I found myself with out my cell phone,a brush,and  a few other things Henry left his his sports shoes and I generally had a feeling like something was missing. All and all not to bad for a first travel trip packing. We weren’t the only folks inthe Williams family to forget stuff I had to ask Lauren did she bring her Jacket..Hello we are going to the snow it’s cold there..very cold. She said oh yeah Mom I’ll go get it! Lauren is such a sunshine girl if she runs track in college it will have to be in a warm climate because she just doesn’t comput the cold.

Didn’t you say the bus was leaving at 6am?

So we got out of the house a little later than Henry liked but at 5:20am we were on the road. When we got to the place the bus was suppose to be it wasn’t?? HUMMMM Didn’t you say the bus leaves at ? Where are all the people? Are you sure? So we saw no one ,but us there. We drove across the street  to grab some hot chocolate and call the coach.When we called the coach we began to see other circling cars….Coach told Henry “It’s not 6am yet they will be there”… It was a little funny.I guess it’s better to be on time than always late.Henry likes to always be on time,me too.

We drove back to the parking lot.  No bus yet but people are sitting in their cars and other busses are pulling up, but none of them were ours..finally about 7am (imagine the bus the team contracted was late) showed up and to my surprise everyone was in good sprits and simply started to pack the bus up and it was almost time to roll out.

All Aboard

Once we got seated on the bus kids in the back adults in the front it was time to leave. This is where the fun started and my first lesson about team particpation was learned. Our trip was going to be a 10 hour ride . Most of us regularly speak politely to each other  at the track practices ,many of us (me included don’t even know which child goes with which parent until later in the season .

The bus expereince allows the parents and kids forced (happily so, time to get to know each other besides “your kid runs the 100m” the first 3 hours of the ride we (me and 2 other moms) talked non stopped. We realized that we had a lot in common and similar goals for our kids and ourselves.I learned how to make a track blanket with little effort and cost (I will show you how soon too!) they learned that I am into everything healthy.  I make kerfir, kombucha  and green drinks that I love and drink almost daily (Google it ) We are athletic and might even start training together.. All that and more from a feww captured on a bus hours. I am not sure I would want to travel yearly to this meet but I am sure it was well worth the time and effort.I had a nice chat time and I know how to make the blanket I been dying to have since last season.  

*Take away point  At the meets and in the bus traveling to and fro make the effort to get to know more folks than your regular safe group of ladies and gentlemen. It helps the team families develop commoraderie which leads to fun for all.

Are we there yet are we there yet???

Well it took a while but , about 10 hours one big meal at Coral Corral and a few winding roads through the mountains or northern Arizona  we are there. Flagstaff Arizona. Just in time to find the Walmart across the street,food for dinner and then a much needed bed.

It’s time to run kinda…

We got up early and left the Ramada Inn at about 7:30am.Kids were feed and excited and shining in red and gold. The dome was just a couple of blocks away and once we got there it weas the hurry up and wait the track and field always has.. we  waited,and waited thenabout 12:30 or 1pm the time had come for hte first sprint even of the day the 60m. Oh I can forget that our first gold medal of the day went to our first athlete on the track Max , a midget boy that ran the 1500m. Way To Go Max!!  He started a great trend that lasted through out the day.

 Per usual there were so many 60 meter heats Sub-Bantam through Young Men/Women that was about 4 hours. They ran the heats with a final top 8 to follow a little later.

The day went on nicely but I think the kids really felt the strain of 7,000 ft altitude, oh yeah the parents too. There were adults sleep all day all over the stadium even me for a few moments too.

They had some Masters athletes to follow all the regular divisons and they were fun to watch,it was funny to hear the parents saying they too could do it again…I guess time will tell in that case..LOL

All in all the meet was great and a nice change of pace from the outdoor season,not better just a nice cool change

 Lets talk a little about the the results,the reason your reading this post I am sure.

Okay you have to go the next post for all the details and highlights.

And The Winner’s Are……