Carissa Gwerder: Sunny San Diego

Day 1, 9/17/10

At the painfully early hour of 6:30 a.m., our entire cross country team was loaded onto the bus to endure the eight hour drive to sunny San Diego for the Aztec Invite.  After a few hours of napping and half paying attention to the Disney movie playing, everyone began to liven up and enjoy the ride.  A quick stop in Yuma for lunch, along with bracelet making and different games to keep us occupied, made for a pleasant rest of the ride.  We arrived at Balboa Park and attempted to loosen up our legs to run the course.  It was refreshing to run and be able to take a breath and actually get some oxygen into our lungs.  By the time everyone was done running and showing off their Frisbee skills-or lack thereof-we all got back onto the bus to head to our hotel.  We went to our rooms, got organized, and then went to dinner as a team to an Italian restaurant, Sardinas.  Mountains of food later, and after the ultimate representation of carbo-loading, everyone was satisfied.  In all it was a busy day, but the team is prepared to compete to the best of their ability tomorrow.  Even though the races are pretty early in the morning, there is no doubt that we will all be ready.

Day 2, 9/18/10    

      Today began with a light breakfast and a quick trip to the course by 7:15 a.m.  The weather was a comfortable temperature and overcast. We all began to warm up and stretch as the nervousness slowly got more intense.  Parents and grandparents of the runners came to show their support, and some even brought their famous snacks, which were more than appreciated by everyone on the team.  The girls race kicked off at 8:45, and most improved on their times set in the past.  The boys team performed to best they could and got great results, a second place finish by just a single point.  Although it was a bit of an unfortunate way to acquire a second place trophy, the team couldn’t help but feel proud and be happy for them.  Once the medals and trophies were distributed, we all trekked down the sidewalk to board the bus yet again, but this time we were on our way to Mission Beach, and the sun came out just in time.  We were all free to soak in the rays and swim in the ocean.  Even though the water was pretty cold, it was still amazing to spend time on the beach.   After everyone relaxed on the beach and roamed the busy streets for lunch, we got on the bus for a long ride to head back to Flagstaff.  Spirits are high and the whole team had a great time in San Diego.