Impromptu Road Trip and Cross Country Meet

Joshua has been running with the Cross Country Team.  It has been rough, considering he has never run 3 miles before in his life and suddenly 3 weeks ago he's been running 2 hours a day!  He has been amazing and his coach said when he comes to practice (no matter how enthusiastic he may or may not be) he always brings his best, and runs his little heart out.  With school starting, having 2 hour practices after a full day of school has been brutal, and I'm proud of him for running this past week.

They had their first meet on Saturday.  The boys left school on Friday before lunch, rode the 5 hours to Sasebo, put in a run, hung out, slept in the Sasebo HS gym and library and then had to be on their way off to the meet at 0645.  I had an impulse to go out and support him.  An impulse that suddenly occurred on Thursday.

So Friday after the girls got home, I loaded them up (Except Callie, who managed to get a sleep-over invite so she wouldn't have to go) and we drove off.  I had expected we would just show up at the gym and see the meet, but I was sadly mistaken.

I had to have 3 girls up and checked out of the hotel and at the school by 0645.  Yikes!  We had to follow the bus and 2 other vans in a crazy caravan.  It was a 30 minute drive to some other housing area to pick up the other school's runners, and then another 30 minutes on to the site of the meet. It was incredibly stressful and we did get separated from the bus.  I had no clue where we were going, because the address they sent was not recognized by my gps.  Fortunately, one of the cars stuck to the bus and texted directions as they made the turns, so we were able to find them before turning up a windy narrow mountain road.

We arrived a little after 8 and the kids did a walk through over the course.  The girls team started at 9:30 and the boys were off a bit after 10, I think.  Joshua beat 2 of the kids on the other team and seemed to have had a good race.  He finished strong and looked good.  We were out of there by 11:30.  It was an hour drive back to Sasebo for lunch, some shopping and gassing up the van.

I headed for home just before 3pm with the girls and Joshua left with the bus about an hour later.  We all arrived home safely, me at 8pm and Joshua about 90 minutes later. It was a whirlwind, exhausting weekend, but a good one.

When the bus missed it's turn and had to make a youey,  I snuck in behind it.  This is the road we were following it on to the park.  Crazy!

This is the lovely park.  The running route went around that lake.  It was really pretty. 

Delaney and Rylee were delighted with this dock, and the adorable ducky-shaped paddle boats. 

Rylee was posing for me.  Shoulda cropped it.   

If it can be climbed, then it must be. 

This is Rylee's new face whenever I take a photo. 

Josh, just after the start! 

Coming round the last bend. 

Sprinting to the finish. 

Posing with the team. 

And I decided I needed a selfie at the lake before we left.