Track Mom Virgin

This week was a new first for me... being a track Mom virgin.  Tina started running track this year and her first track meet was on Thursday.  Track is like the step-step child at her school.  They don't even have a track and all of the freshman on the team have never even stepped foot on a real track!

The day started off with me working through my lunch so that I could leave work a little early.  The kids all have to get a ride to the meet, which was about 40 minutes from the school.  They are also not given the privilege of leaving early.  So the meet started at 4:00 and we had to wait until school was out, have the kids hurry to the car, and try to get through all the dismissal process (which is a huge mess at her school!).  Finally we were on our way.  I had Tina and her best friend Haley with me.

When we arrive at the school it seems to be some level of organized chaos.  I seem to ask about 100 questions of the seasoned Mom's in the stands.  The sun is shining it is about 60 degrees and this isn't too bad....THREE hours later at about 7:00, Tina is running in her first meet - the 1600 meter.  Now at this point, I'm a little hungry, my back is feeling the bleachers, and my butt hurts... the sun is getting lower in the sky meaning the sun isn't hurting our eyes but also isn't providing the warmth too much either.

Tina runs the 1600 and comes in 15th out of 23.  Not too bad for this being her first ever event and the first time ever on a track.  After the race is over I'm sitting in the stands and the coach comes hurrying over saying "Who is with Christina?  She is having an asthma attack".  So I go hurrying down there with her inhaler.  The cooler weather, nervousness, excitement, and mile run were too much even for the fact that she pretreated.

Another hour later.... she has her 2nd event for the day - the 1/2 mile.  She does really good on this one and comes in 7th out of 13.

And then there were still about 1 1/2 hours until the meet was over and we were able to leave.  At this point, my feet, hands, nose, legs, arms, ears, nose, and every other body part are freezing! At about 9:10 I finally went out to my car and got in to warm up.  The temp was 40 at this point!

The meet wasn't over until about 9:45 and then there was the drive back to Ashland City, I had starving kids with me that I had to stop to get something to eat, and then take Haley home.  We pulled into the drive at 11:20 p.m. at my house!

I am no longer a track Mom virgin... I will be better prepared next time.  I will have snacks (since the concession stand ran out of any real food and the kids were starved after they were finished with their meet), I will have more blankets, and I will prepare myself mentally that it is a VERY LONG PROCESS!

The only thing I was prepared for is my camera :-)  So her are some pics from this first track meet for Tina!