Mind Game

Exam season is upon JP, starting today at MBA.  It's a lot of pressure, for sure, but JP has put the work in, and he will keep putting the work in, to get to the finish line.  Still, I said a quick prayer for him this morning because I know it's a lot.  

Next year, in seventh grade, Joe will have his first exam season in December.  For now, though, Joe is living the life of Riley as a sixth grader at USN.  P.E.  Recess.  Lunch.  Field trips.  All of the fun stuff.  I've encouraged him to especially enjoy the end of the school year with his friends because this is the end of the line for his group.  I'll write more about his later, I know, but Joe's been with his group for seven years.  That will change next year, just as it did for JP's crew, when the boys split off to go to different schools.  

JP races tonight in the Region at MBA.  He's running the 800 in what I know will be a fast field.  I hope he runs his best race.

Tuesday, he ran the 3200 in the Region, also at MBA.  Jack Wallace ran away with the race, as he finished it in a blistering 9:05 +, .27 off the school record set last year by Samuel Trumble.  Thomas Arender finished a distant second, although he ran with Jack the first three laps or so.  

In reality, it was two races.  Jack and Thomas ran one race.  JP, Gabe, Clark Steffen, and a few others ran the second race.  JP led the second group from the inside lane the entire race, which was tough to do from a tactical standpoint.  In my mind, it's harder to lead a race of any distance wire to wire, particularly when your competition tucks in right behind you and runs on your hip the entire race, which is what Gabe did.  

At the halfway point of the eighth and final lap, Gabe pulled ahead of JP and out kicked him in the end to finish in third place.  JP finished fourth.  Gabe and JP ran PR's, which was impressive.  Although the official result haven't been posted yet for some reason, I believe JP finished slightly under 9:30, which was his goal.  

It's going be fun to watch JP and Gabe compete against each other the next two years.  As I've said since last fall, they're going to make each other better runners.