Cross Country Meet

Today was Pearl's first Cross Country Meet.  I knew it was going to be a CRAZY day, so I got a babysitter for the little ones so that I could volunteer to help make sure the 4th grade girls got to where they needed to be.  This is all the fourth graders.  In our tiny tiny school, we had the first place and the last place girls.  Go figure.  We're the outliers:)

The school where the meet was held is WAAAAY up on top of this crazy hill, and the girls had to run up about half of it on a dirt path as part of the course.  There were lots of loops and repeatings etc, so they had EVERYONE walk the whole course before running.  

Unfortunately for us, it didn't help us much.  I walked the course with the girls, then stood at the start until they had left and made their first loop... by the time the first loop was over, Pearl was at the very end with the teenage volunteers who lead the pack and bring up the rear so nobody would get lost.  When I saw her come around a second time (the wrong way...) I chased after her to tell her she was going the wrong way.  The little teenage girl was confused and embarassed, and I was really wishing I had my running shoes on at that point.  We made it back to our tent (which was thankfully right along the course) and I explained to the coach that Pearl and her friend Molly had gone the wrong way... and the coach offered to run it with them.  Bless her!!!  I didn't want Pearl to give in, but I didn't see a way around it, I couldn't send her by herself, sure she'd get lost again with no pack to follow!!!

This is her when she finally made it to the big finish, she was working so hard to go SOO slow... funny little girl!  She came in 58 out of 58 girls, but I don't think she was too upset about it.  I think she was upset that she ended up having to run further than anyone else did.  

 There were some tears at the end, I think she was just overwhelmed, and tired from the BIG hill (seriously, I would avoid running that hill!) but once we walked it out and made it back to the car she was happy and cheerful again, sure that she would do better next time.  I tell you, that girl knows how to perservere.  What a good example, really.  

You know that scripture about how church isn't for the righteous, it's for the sinners?  Well, Cross Country is apparently for Runners in Progress as well:)  As I told Pearl, the only way to go from here is up:)