Mt. Pleasant Classical Academy

The boys entered their first inline speed skating outdoor competition on Saturday.  We left home at the early hour of 5am, before the sun was up.  It was cold, foggy, and boy were they ever excited.

We met our team at the local rest area and drove north for almost 2 hours.  The first race was at 8am, a recreational class with folks from age 3 to 73, I kid you not.   The boys skated around with their coaches, getting a feel for the inner and outer tracks that went through the woods, through the meadow, up and down little hills.  The first course was a 5km race.

Lined up with the other skaters, suddenly a large man on skates came FAST at the line, grabbed onto Michael and used him as a pivot to help him stop, taking him down with Michael underneath him.   WTF!!!   Why do things like this always seem to happen to Michael?  Thankfully he wasn’t badly hurt, just a torn up hand, but why the guy didn’t go off the track and into the grass, or grab the coach–a bigger guy—next to Michael?  ugh!

The organizers soon started the race and the 50+ skaters took off down the chute.  We waited and soon saw Michael coming first around the curve and completing his first lap.  He was drafting off of the #1 guy and enjoying himself.   Mark came soon after with a pack of little kids all around him.  He later said that they wouldn’t let him go by or he would have finished in a higher spot.

The race continued and with one lap to go Michael was way out in front of all the other racers and finished in first place.  He had won his first race!

Two hours later Michael had his second race;  Advamced Mens.  These guys were experienced and as the coach advised would trip and push so Michael needed to be very careful.  We just suggested to Michael to have as his goal to finish the race without getting injured.   50+ guys lined up, the race began and by the time we saw Michael again he was at the end of the pace line but then he (got) tripped, rolled across the asphalt, got up and continued lap after lap, to complete his first 10K coming in about 500yds behind the leader.  His knees were bloody, his arms were torn, his shirt ripped from three tumbles in the first lap!  We saw the third tumble which he claims was not really the one that hurt.  And he’s ready for his next competition.  Me?  I have a hard time watching them race, it is just so fast.

This morning I heard the coach praise Michael in front of his team for his efforts and persistence.  Lots of positives about the day, the race,  Michael’s win, and how he got up after falling and kept racing hard.   HA!  And he has a medal for his win.