Tis The Season

 Madison's Standing Long Jump

Madison signed up for track and field again and participated in the first round of the Hershey Track Meet last night.  She did the standing long jump and ran the 100m and 200m.  She came 4th in both her races which I think is awesome, but she was disappointed because you have to place at least 3rd to move on.  We don't know where she placed in the long jump because they hadn't tallied the results by the time she finished her last race and I wasn't willing to stick around for several more hours to find out. 

Fortunately I only had the boys with me for the first half and my mom was able to watch them after that.  But I have to say while they were there, they were very well behaved.

For example, look at Chase.  Though he is slightly apprehensive, he seems okay with the fact that he is sitting about 5 bleachers up, next to a chain link fence.  This is a BIG deal for us.  Chase won't go up staircases that have open sides.  And by open I mean anything he can see through, bars, fence, metal railing,etc.  In fact he practically had a heart attack two weeks ago when we used the elevator at the library.  He literally screamed in terror until I took him back down to the main floor.  So like I said, this was a big deal.

Another Meet

Madison and Davis relaxing in the shade

Madison had another track meet yesterday.  Again, they were required to chose two running events and one field event.  The field event options for her age group were the softball throw and the standing long jump.  She's not really good at either but settled on the standing long jump.  She chose to run the 200m, the 400m which were the two longest runs for her age group.  She ran her guts out and placed third in both the 200m and the 400m.  

It really is awesome to see her run.  She puts everything she has in it.  She is amazing.  I think Michael got some video of her, so I might post it later.

When it was all said and done she went to the awards table to collect her 3rd place ribbons and found that she had placed 4th in the standing long jump.  FOURTH!  I immediately started bragging about it.  Fourth!  In the long jump!   How cool is that?  She's tiny!  TINY!  I continued to brag all this morning when she finally said (in sort of a "you're getting on my nerves" kind of way), "Mom. Only four girls competed in the long jump."  Complete with eye roll. 

Oh.  Right.

Track and Field

I've been trying to write this post about Madison for a while now, but life keeps getting in the way. Anyway, here goes . . . .

This spring Madison joined the Provo city track and field team. You may not believe me, but she has some advantages over the other runners.

First, she is skinny. She is nine and might weigh 45 lbs. soaking wet. It takes less energy to move skinny than it does to move fat. For that matter it take less energy to move skinny than it does to move not quite as skinny.

Second, she practices more than the the allotted three hours a week as she is constantly running away from the torment of three little brothers. Unfortunately, distance rarely removes you from the torment of brothers. Not that I would know, my two brothers are and always have been absolute gems. That being said, I'm pretty sure I was the best sister a couple of boys could ever hope for.

Third, Madison never lets anyone get in the way of something she's worked for. She's timid but determined.

Last Thursday (the 14th) was her first ever track meet. She was a little nervous. "Mom," she said, "The 14 year old girl on my team is way faster than me." She felt a little better when she heard she wouldn't be competing against the 14 year olds.

She competed in the 100 meter, the 200 meter, and the standing long jump. She did well enough on the long jump and the 100 meter, but her crowning moment was the 200 meter.

They put her in lane 6. Now I know that all the lanes are the same distance. I learned that from cyberchase (that link takes a long time to load by the way. At least it does for me . . . if it doesn't for you, try not to brag). Madison also knows that all the lanes are the same distance (who do you think I was watching cyberchase with after all? If I'd had my druthers we'd have been watching Judge Judy. But try as I might she's never been that interested in law).

Even though all the lanes are the same distance Madison still felt like she was starting out in first place and was willing to fight to keep it. She held strong until a boy (yes she was racing against boys) started coming up on her. So she ran faster, so he ran faster, so she ran faster, so he ran faster, and so on and so forth. You'd be amazed at how much back and forth there can be in 200 meters. She. Was. Awesome.

In the end he barely one, but I'm sure it was only because he didn't want to be humiliated by being out run by a 45 lb girl.

Watch out though little boy, there's another track meet next week and she's coming for you.