I was very fortunate to be able to help and volunteer with the high school cross country team. It was really great to be able to get to know these great student athletes. This year, the final tournament was in New Delhi, India. I was so grateful to be able to travel with the team and watch them run in their two races. I had forgotten how much fun I have being out on the courses and cheering the runners on. I love to find the obscure, hidden places along the course. It made me remember how much I loved running cross country when I was in high school. It was also my first opportunity to travel to India and I am very excited to go back and see more of New Delhi in late March!
Being studious in the Dubai airport.
The girls are ready to go!
Waiting to board the flight to New Delhi.
Jam in the bus on the way to the school. :)
Monkeys! We passed them on our way from the hotel to the school.
I spy with my little eye a baby mono.
We don't get this in Doha!
The AES campus. Waiting for all the runners to arrive.
Day 1 at a biodiversity park. Walking the course.
Part of the park.
Making our way up one of the big hills in the course.
A beautiful morning to run!
The JV girls warming up and ready to race!
One last stride before the gun goes off.
The Varsity girls warming up.
Nice view of some of the course.
Mindy with some of the JV boys and girl.
Aaron with the Varsity boys.
Aaron and the poo truck.
The entire team after day one of running.
Getting to explore a little bit after the races on day one.
Spanish in New Delhi...woohoo!
Lots going on.
Walking around a few ruins.
Enjoying the afternoon sun.
Peek-a-boo!
So much going on and some many colors...
Some of the ruins.
Back at the AES campus. It was a wonderfully cool and rainy day!
We walked to the course from the school.
Day two at a very different looking park from the day before.
JV girls racing. I really wanted to race this course!
JV boys racing.
Varsity boys racing.
So proud of these two eighth grade girls.
In our conference, eighth graders
are eligible to play JV sports.
The winter months in Doha can be extremely pleasant with wonderful weather and temperatures. Therefore, it is a time of the year that we must use to our advantage in many respects! My first two years at ASD, I coached elementary cross country and we always started our season in September. This proved to be a great challenge as I don't even like to run outside during that time. This year, our season changed and this meant a busy season of running for me as I helped to coach elementary and middle school cross country while also getting out with the high school team! It was great to be able to get out and run with a group and I learned so much along the way. It was fun to coach and run with the older students too! Here is a bit of a recap of the elementary race in Dukhan, Qatar and the middle school team:
This is a golf course! The kids were utterly confused (me too)!
All the schools getting ready to compete.
ASD 4th and 5th grade runners!
The finish was pretty neat as they ran across this ridge.
Cross country in the desert.
Warming up with Coach Trish.
Some of the boys ready at the start!
Some of the middle school runners.
The coach out running with the team.
Thumbs up to running!
We don't have many options for scenic runs in Doha.
Some of the middle school team.
They choose two days out the week to participate.
I was with them on Mondays and Thursdays.
On February 6, 2013, Spain and Uruguay played in a friendly here in Doha. I was so excited to be able to go and watch some these soccer superstars! Both teams brought their A teams! It is not often that I get to see players like Carles Puyol, Víctor Valdés, Andrés Iniesta, Piqué, David Villa, Luis Suárez, and
Diego Forlan all on the field playing together! Despite the 9 PM start time on a school night, it was well worth it!
Warming up on the pitch.
More warm up time and the fans getting ready and excited!
