Boo's run

Upcoming Events:
Girl Guides Trick or Treat Run - October 29th
Santa Shuffle - December 3rd
Resolution Run - January 1, 2006
You can register for these events online at www.runningroom.com or at the store with cash(no debit) or cheque.

Hmmm... should I? I'd love to have a bunch of other excuses, but after today I'm not so sure that's where all the fun is. Late last week in the hall at school, Boo was trying to talk Kim into running in the cross country running meet at Rosisle today. Kim thinks she's a sprint specialist and couldn't comprehend running 3 kilometers. The last time Boo ran competitively it was a disaster. In her earlier grades she placed last with only the severely handicapped autistic girl finishing behind her.

Today she got over that. I've been running a bit and it's been wearing off in positive ways all round. I couldn't be more pleased. Bonnie ran as our only representative in the senior girls. She was one of the younger in the crew. She can run again next year in the same category. Out of a field of 48 she placed 23rd. She ran a very intelligent race. She's been thinking!

It was a cold day. Breezy and overcast with the temperature only small single digits above the freezing mark. It's been a great and warm fall, but today was a bit of a reality check. Many of the kids were over dressed and under warmed up. By that I mean that they didn't bother to run a warm up prior to starting and many wore too many clothes to run in.

I didn't notice, but Bonnie took off 15 minutes before race time and did a slow 10 minute warm up. When I caught site of her at the starting line to take her gear, she was all flushed and centred. What a treat. She looked all of the grown up woman she'll be and more. Nothing like fresh air, good skin and a steady confidence to bring out the best in a girl. < insert proud Papa >

I had been dropping seeds of what I had hoped would be wisdom in her ear for several days and she obviously took what she needed and molded it to her needs. She started strong and didn't let up. She'd done no training, but if you know Boo at all you know she's not a couch potato.

By the time I saw her again she had run all but 200 meters of the 3km's and she was seriously considering that she didn't have anything left to get the last little bit of the race behind her. I think she had surprised herself. Apparently she reconsidered when someone behind her tried to make a bit to over take her in the last hundred meters. It looked like death would be a privalage, rather than giving up her spot. What a great bit of fun to watch her do so well.

She had balanced herself perfectly. She didn't go out so hot that she wasn't able to be at a good pace coming in the stretch for home and she still had enough left to fend off any challenge to her position at the end. A little retching at the line is acceptable I think. :D She's a keener when it comes to going hard, that's for sure. The treat was that some thought had gone into her race and not just blind effort that so seldom had reaped rewards for her. This time she cashed in. An expertly run race. Now... if I can just introduce the concept of preporation.

Well done Bonnie.