Poking the Bear

It's never a good idea to poke the bear.  

Thursday late afternoon was race no. 4 of JP's middle school cross country season, this time at Ensworth, a course that was new to him.  It was hotter than I had hoped, with the temperature in the high 80's at the start of the girls' race at 4:30 p.m.  

There was no shade on the course - similar to the River Campus at USN - and the route took the runners around the course twice, with a detour under a bridge to a back loop between miles 1 and 2.  The dark side of the moon, so to speak, because spectators couldn't see the runners while they were on the back loop of the course.

I was very curious to see how this race would turn out given how close the finish was at last week's race at Vaughn's Creek.  JP finished five yards or so ahead of Jack, the USN runner who had finished second to JP  at the two previous races.  Clearly, Jack has gotten faster and I wondered how JP would respond to being challenged for the first time all season.

I learned after the race from JP's friend Abe (and from JP's coach) that before the race started, a couple of JP's buddies from USN told Abe that Jack said he was going to beat JP at Ensworth.  Cross country trash talk from Jack?  Apparently.

Bad idea.

When Abe heard what Jack had said, he stopped and asked the USN boys a question.  "Have you never seen JP mad?  When Abe recounted the conversation to me, after the race, he just shook his head and laughed as we walked across the parking lot.  

Abe, of course, mentioned to JP what Jack had said and, as far as JP was concerned, it was "game on."  Unlike Joe (and me), JP doesn't like trash talk.  He doesn't do it and he doesn't like when other do it.  JP's supremely confident, as a runner, but humble, too.  He doesn't see any need to tell anyone how good he is or that he's going to win a race.  That's just not his game.  

The long and short of it is that JP surged to the lead early and never looked back.  He maintained a lead of at least 20 yards for the first mile, then increased it in the second mile.  When he exited the back loop of the course and made the turn toward home for the last half mile, he had doubled his lead over Jack.  

In the end, JP crossed the finish line in 10:44, setting another PR.  Jack finished a distant second, 40 yards or so behind JP.  Abe was third.  It was the same 1 - 2 - 3 finish for the boys as the previous three races. 

MBA won the meet, again, and remained undefeated for the season at 4 - 0.  

The race was special, because I had arranged for Jude's parents, Jim and Jane, to come, as Ensworth is near their house.  My sisters, Tracy and Alice, were there, too, along with Jerry Meyer.  It was a regular family affair.  

I was proud of JP and how he stepped up and responded to the challenge.  I wonder where JP's running will take him.  He's talented, enjoys it, and has the discipline to continue to improve.  

One more race next week, then the HVAC championship in two weeks.