Track

I love watching the kids run. You'll remember all the cross country meets we've gone to the past couple of years. But this is our first track season, and it makes me all emotional. Most school track teams around here are walk-on. Anyone who wants to can join. Not our school. You have to try out and as we learned the hard way two years in a row it's pretty competitive. The past two springs brought disappointment, tears and tough life lessons (great for character building and real-life preparation, really stinky in the short term). But after a big growth spurt and more hard work, tenacity and courage than I knew were possible we find ourselves cheering on our two oldest kids every week, not only for their speed, but for their drive and the growth born of overcoming difficult things. Love them.

Ben runs the mile.

This next series is my favorite for a lot of reasons. This is the final straightaway of the mile run, it's where everyone makes their final push and sprints to the finish. Ben is deciding right here that he is going to pass the three kids in front of him.

And so he makes his move.

And is all like, so long suckers.

And he did manage to barely pass that last kid before the finish line. You can also see Emma there to the left. She was in the field getting ready for her first event (the 4x100) with her relay team members, but all four times Ben went by she ran over to the track to cheer him on.

Getting in position, second leg of the 4x100.

Limbering up.

And she's off!

Sun setting on the stands.