Dexter-Ann Arbor 2012

Last weekend was the annual Dexter-Ann Arbor race, put on by the Ann Arbor Track Club. They had a kids race the day prior, at the track of a local high school. I asked Abby if she wanted to do it. She asked if Rowan was doing it. I said yes and she exploded with excitement.

When we arrived at the track Abby started to get nervous. It didn't help that it took a while to get the young racers organized at the starting line. The races were supposed to be split by gender--girls age 2-4 followed by boys age 2-4. But Rowan almost panicked at the thought of running without Abby. So he lined up with the girls. As we waited, Abby started to warm up to the whole thing. She put her arms around me and Rowan and started to smile a little. Then she started scooting in closer to the other kids, instead of hanging on the edge of the track. And when the starting whistle blew, she took off!! She even ran without me for most of the race.

She got a medal for her effort and rehydrated with some (sneakily watered down) gatorade.

It was such a success that she decided to do the next race too--800 meters (two laps around the track). I suspected that she wouldn't really do two laps, but I let her start anyway. She needed no guidance or support the second time around. She took off like a shot without me at the whistle! Then about halfway around she noticed that Rowan was not right behind her. She stopped and headed back the way we came to find him. When she found him, she put her arm around him and tried to help him along. Finally, at the last turn of the track, Rowan got really excited about running and the two of them ran in to the finish line.

After the races, Abby went around and got signatures of the former Olympians in attendance, including Gary Morgan (in photo) and Bill Rodgers.

The next day, Rachel and I ran the adult race. The weather was hot, the course was long, and my legs were sore, but the company was fantastic!