Gallop 2010

This morning, the entire family made the trek up to Jax's school to cheer him on as he raced in a fundraising Spirit Gallop. This may have been the inaugural year, but given that it was a huge success, I'm sure it will become an annual tradition. So, expect me to hit you up for pledge money in the years to come!While the event was intended to be fun for the children, they all looked a little stressed at the starting line. Jax was all business. I guess focused athletes don't "smile and say cheese" for their mommies right before their performance?However, as soon as the official yelled, "Go!" into the bullhorn, the smiles started to appear. Those kids took off with lightening speed! Sadly, within a lap or two, a few kids flung themselves onto the shady grass and declared themselves done.But, not Jaxon! Nope, he was going for gold! Despite Jax's intensity I was worried for him. Anh had tried to explain that the race was more about endurance than speed. We wanted Jax to realize that the winner would be determined by who ran the farthest not the fastest. Jax just didn't grasp that concept. He kept saying, "Dad, I'm going to run the fastest! Nobody will beat me!"To keep track of the distance, the kids received a bracelet for every lap they completed, and each class had a 15-minute window to use the makeshift track and earn money for their classroom. At the end of the allotted time, each child's bracelet count would be recorded on their pledge sheet. A simple, yet fair system.Jax really gave it his all. While some kids dropped out after a lap or two, most completed the entire 15 minutes, but no one except Jaxon did it all full sprinting speed. Our own little Usain Bolt! We couldn't have been more proud!I'd say this picture demonstrates that Jaxon was also thrilled with his performance. He seemed quite proud that he lapped people more than once. You think he's a little bit competitive?Baylor earned one bracelet for being a loyal fan, and then he presented his best argument to Jax on why he deserved another bracelet, but Jax wasn't feeling that generous. Sorry, Baylor, but I'm sure next year the school would be more than happy to provide you with a pledge sheet too. Congratulations on a job well done, Buddy! You're still the fastest kid in school!