Friday morning I caught Jake before taking E to school and he seemed pretty relaxed, but there was definitely an under lying sense of nervousness. After unloading Ian I saw coach and we chatted little before he headed out with the crew to state. He was excited for the kids and looking forward to sharing the experience with them. Jake was a little bummed that he was the only guy going (along with 9 from the girls team) as he is not an 'estrogen ocean' kind of kid.
The rest of the workday was routine. Jim headed out early for a 60 mile ride (longest he had ever done - sweet) with some guys and I ditched early and got down to the Sac River Trails to do some prep work for next weekend's Liberator Trail Race. The temp and weather was incredible and I enjoyed the next 3hrs doing a little trail running (around 4 miles or so) and marking the course. Dialed in the 1 mile fun run for the kids and figured out how to incorporate two creek crossings (mom's will be hating me afterwards). Did some recon work for the 5 miler and found the 'outer' loop is the best option as the inner trails are still mud pits. Good day of prep work and will finish up next week. I have heard from several that plan to run so who knows what to expect (I am prepping for 100, but realistically know it will be much much less).
Friday evening we dropped off E to spend the night with a buddy and with Jake out of the house Deb and I kicked back with the in-laws for what turned out to be a humbling loss in Spades (loss for me and Jim, that is...). I spent the rest of the evening packing up for my 'cross race in Topeka (followed by one in Leavenworth on Sunday).
Saturday morning (bright and early) Deb and I hit the road (after a coffee stop) for Jeff City. Bolivar girls didn't run until 12pm and Jake at 1:15, but I love to watch all the classes (boys and girls) as for a XC fan it doesn't get much better of a day. We arrived at 9am right at the start of the races. It was already really nice outside and the temps continued to climb as the day progresses. Coach and crew showed up around 9:30 and we all kicked in to set up the tents and get everyone prepped. Jake, once again, was a ball of nerves but looked to handle it much better than the week prior (at Districts). I knew from my personal experiences that hydration was a key to getting through the warm temps and all morning I made sure Jake was sipping Power Ade and water; didn't see many of the girls doing the same thing (uh-oh). By the time the girls ran the temp hit 80* and it felt more like 100* after weeks of running in the 40*s.
Rachel Schrader, senior BHS runner, was our best chance for an all-state spot and she was well placed in the first couple miles and moved to a solid 12th spot when disaster hit. 75meters from the line she started to buckle and weave almost incoherently. She kept trying to move up the incline to the finish, but a straight line was impossible and she fell several times. It was brutal and simply ripped your heart in two to watch. By the time she literally crawled across the line she dropped to 60th position. In the same race, the leader (a Potosie girl) buckled 25meters from the line and staggered/crawled across to finish 14th. Several runners were dropping off the course and some of the top contenders for all-state succumbed to the heat and simply tried to finish. The Bolivar girls battled hard with some, like Rachel, having a tough day and some running solid.All this time Jake is watching and waiting for his turn (Class 3 boys were the last race of the day), which continued to get longer and longer as the 4 boys' start was pushed back (along with his race) as additional medical teams were brought in. Jake nervously talked about watching Rachel's finish and he was little by little taking himself out of the game. Several factors were taking their toll on Jake prior to his race (first time jitters, super tough course, increased heat and dry air - asthma, first time jitters - oh yes, I mentioned that already).
.jpg)
Finally it is his turn and we are all gathered about 60meters from the line just watching, hoping, and praying. The gun fires, he is off, and finds himself around mid pack (quickly). Jake has always been a strong starter knowing the early position will keep leaders out of trouble in the pack, but at state everyone knows this and everyone is stinking fast. We all had pre-determined spots to catch Jake on course and I didn't go to the 1 mile mark as I could see most of it from a distance and that way could get more cheering on the backside (which is hard to reach with the runners from the front of the course). Jake came through the first mile at 5:25 in 70th spot. He looked like he was laboring at the 1.5 mark and was having a hard time holding some runners as they passed. This was the flattest part of the course and had faded to the mid 90s by mile 2. The rest of the way (the tough hilly last mile) I was not able to watch as I headed toward the finish, but Deb and those who watched said he did not wither on the hills and looked as strong as they had seem him climb all year. I caught sight of him with about 300 meters to go and he was battling all the way to the finish; passing a couple on the final push. 19:04 and 97th place. Much slower and further down than he anticipated, but he battled and gained valuable experience for next year's run for All-State. He was toast after the race and we all took turns holding him up while walking back to the tent; he truly gave it his all and we are so proud of his effort Saturday and all year. On the walk back he commented that his asthma was some of the worst all year and by 400meters in he knew he was in trouble.
After a long recovery everyone packed up the tents and gear and exited the course (only to return next year stronger, faster, and wiser). With the time delays and extended time to pack up the team and leave I was running too close to missing my Topeka race so I scrubbed it and my dad and I drove back to Bolivar having a little Father/Son time. I was bummed about missing the Topeka race, but there was little to do except regroup and get ready for Sunday's event. Deb and her folks stopped off at the LofO for some shopping and we all regrouped at home later in the evening. During the drive home we were getting
text messages on Ian's double header basketball games in SPR. Turns out he won both game (the first on a last second shot) so we are now 3-1 (cancelled game they gave us credit for win). The evening was spent unwinding from a long and busy day. Jake made it home and he appeared relieved to have some time off (since they have ran since June 1) but quickly pointed out he needed to keep some sharpness for the Footlocker Regional Nationals the weekend of Thanksgiving as that was one of his favorite courses to run. He was bummed about his placing and time at state, but he gave all he had; what more could you ask. I have told him several times of how proud I was of his dedication to countless hours/miles (mostly by himself), leadership for the team, and performances (good and bad) throughout the season. He stepped his game up huge this year and I am excited to see him on the track come spring, but mostly to see him continue to mature in XC in 2010. If he makes gains next year like this he will be on the front end of most any race in which he toes the line.Sunday morning I moved the biking gear from the Durango to the Camry and headed to Leavenworth (after picking up the Randinator). The temp was pretty sweet outside and I was looking forward to racing. Randy and I had good conversation on the way up and time flew by on the 2.5hr drive. We pulled in to the St. Mary's campus, picked up my race number, and checked out a little of the action. We caught the start of Scott's Open race and then I went to get myself ready. Earlier in the week I had done some maintenance on my rig and had totally forgot to finish up the fine tuning prior to the race. As Crusty and I warmed up my gears were jumping all over the place; frustrating to say the least that I forgot all about this until game time. Crusty slapped me around a couple times and did his voodoo on my rig and shifting was back to normal. Big props my man! Rode the course and it was bumpy and rough, but good layout with a mix of everything. I was feeling pretty decent on the warm ups and as always was looking for a top 10 finish. Got a good start (around 3rd or 4th into first set of barriers) and tried to keep a decent position early on, but I quickly realized I was missing the 'zip' in the legs and this was going to be much harder than I had hoped. Handful of folks went by and I caught some keeping in around 7/8th spot for most of the race and that's how it would end - 7th, AGAIN. I felt lucky to finish in that spot as I never really got in a good rhythm or had a good punch during the event. I did, however, have a great time as I will continue to say that I love racing 'cross much more than any other event.
The drive back, to include the h1n1 factory outlet (went with a Monterrey Chipotle cheese this week), went pretty quick and uneventful. Deb and her folks were in SPR for the day and I caught them before the left and had her bring home some Buffalo Wild Wings for Jake, Randy, and I. Got home, unpacked the bike gear, cleaned up, and was ready for some Cowboys vs Eagles and wings.
Jake headed out with his 'friend' to her church for the third time. He likes the small feel of their congregation and feels the pastor's messages speak to him. I have no issue with Jake finding a church group that works for him and will encourage/support his decisions to worship where he feels called. The boy is incredibly sharp and grounded in his Christianity so I don't feel a concern that he is not going with us to FBC.
Deb showed up with the goods (a mix of hot, spicy garlic, and wild) and we (Randy came over for the game) chowed down. Ian watched the game until halftime when Randy departed. After Ian hit the bed Deb and I kicked it over to Amazing Race for our weekly fix. I finished up the football game and called it quites on a busy weekend.
Dale and I grabbed a 1:30hr road ride at noon today; good spin of the legs and great weather.
Upcoming Week: Monday Night Football @ Bolivar - Sectional Playoffs, Tuesday - E's basketball practice, Wednesday - AM Intervals PM Liberator Trail Race work, Thursday - nothing, breath deep, Friday - final work on Liberator Trail Race, Saturday - Trail Race and Ian's basketball game, and Sunday - KC trip for De Stad series finals.
***Photo's provided by: Marla Kemp, myself, and House of Roger***
No comments:
Post a Comment