Conference Camp Out

Oh man, what have I gotten myself into? That was the thought that kept replaying in my mind Friday afternoon as we were driving 3.5 hours away to Pella, IA for the Conference Track and Field Meet. This year I wasn't actually racing, so I was able to relax a bit and cheer my heart out. Most of us who weren't competing drove down on Friday afternoon to catch the evening events. The plan was to camp out on the Central College cross country course since Pella was having their annual Tulip Festival and no hotel rooms were available within a reasonable distance. Plus we're adventurous people without much money, so who needs a hotel, right?

Well, our plan was in jeopardy as the rain started pouring about 5:00. The sky was dark and ominous and lightning kept flashing off in the distance. Great. It would be a soggy cold night sleeping on the XC course at the rate we were going. Ideas kept popping into my head about people I knew who lived in Pella and wouldn't mind me showing up at their doorstep without any notice. But that was me; what would the other 12 non-competitors do?

The track meet was delayed for an hour due to the storms passing through, but conditions did improve. The rain left the area and but the strong winds stayed. At about 11:00 Friday night a group of us pitched 2 tents on the XC course, making sure we were in the most protected and driest spot we could find. The boys in the group didn't even bother sleeping in the tents. They wanted the luxury of sleeping under the stars and the almost-full moon. Go for it, I encouraged! I'd take all the room I could get!

Around 3 AM the clouds rolled in again and the rain came. But we survived. I slept through it and I guess the guys just pulled a tarp over themselves while the rain shower lasted. The next morning most of us were awake shortly after 7:00. We were packed up by 9 AM and got an early start at the Tulip Festival. The rest of the day we spent outdoors cheering our women on to a 3rd place team finish and our men 5th. It was an awesome weekend even though I didn't get to race. Being with my teammates and making new memories was special in itself.