Back on Track, page 4
Chapter 10
RACE REDO
On the morning of Addison’s second track meet, the sky was full of dark clouds ready to burst with rain. The air felt charged with energy as Addison jogged with her teammates to warm up for their relay race.
Suddenly fat drops of water burst from the sky. This isn’t good, Addison thought, watching the rain pour onto the track. What if the baton gets wet and slippery? What if I drop it again?
She looked down at her bright pink running shoes and took a deep breath. They seemed to glow in the dark, misty weather. She wiggled her toes. She loved that she couldn’t feel the ground through the soles. Her toes didn’t pinch and hurt. It seemed like the shoes really were helping her run faster too. She’d already won the 100- and 200-meter races—this time by a landslide.
Addison had been able to practice every day for the last two weeks while Charlie went to the YMCA. She’d given track practice every ounce of her energy. She’d done all the extra drills. She’d sprinted until her legs could barely carry her home.
Her family’s new schedule had been an adjustment. Not one of them liked early mornings. She and Charlie rolled into school grumpy and tired.
But it was all worth it. Charlie loved the YMCA and getting to play with friends. And Addison got to concentrate on being on the track team.
“All right, girls, time to line up,” Ms. Barnes said. She wore a raincoat. The girls were in their track uniforms. Addison felt goose bumps dotting her arms as the rain hit her skin.
“It’s slippery out there. Make sure your teammate really has that baton before you let go,” Ms. Barnes said.
Brie squeezed Addison’s hand. “We’ve got it down,” Brie whispered to her.
Addison nodded. They’d practiced their handoff a million times.
Ginny got into the starting blocks, holding the yellow baton tightly in her right hand. The rain was coming down harder. It soaked Laura, Brie, and Addison. They linked arms to try to stay warm.
BANG!
The starting gun sounded, and the four different teams took off sprinting. Ginny had a strong start, but the Maxwell Lions runner quickly closed the distance. She took the lead.
In moments, Ginny was sprinting down the last one hundred meters, fighting her way through the rain. Laura stood ready with her left arm outstretched. Their handoff was picture perfect. Laura raced ahead, trying to catch the Lions.
“You got this, Laura!” Addison yelled. Everyone on the Bulldogs team was shouting too.
Laura was done in a flash. They were still in second, but Laura had shortened the gap as she passed the baton. Brie grabbed it and ran forward. Her arms and legs were a blur as she worked to catch up.
Addison’s heart was pumping loudly in her ears, even though she wasn’t running. It was almost her turn. She could already tell the last lap was going to be close.
As she waited, Addison quickly looked up into the stands. Sofia was there, and for once she wasn’t reading a book. She put her hand up in a high five. Addison did the same, and they both smiled.
Next to Sofia, Addison could see her mom’s bright red coat. Mom was cheering and waving her arms. Charlie stood beside her in his green raincoat. He was splashing in a puddle and probably getting very wet. They were both grinning at Addison.
This is it, Addison thought. Her family had made big changes just so she could run. She wanted to make them proud.
Brie came flying around the last corner. The Bulldogs were still in second place, but the third-place Eagles runner was gaining on Brie. Addison wanted to start jogging forward, but she knew that it was too soon.
The Lions girl who’d beaten Addison at the 200-meter dash in the first meet was anchoring for her team. She stood next to Addison, hand out and ready. She was really fast, and she would have a head start. Addison knew that this wasn’t going to be an easy lap.
Brie was almost to her now. Just at the right moment, Addison started to jog, stretching her arm behind her. Brie reached and reached and then slap!
The baton smacked into Addison’s hand. Her fingers wrapped around it. There was no way she was letting go of the baton.
Addison took off. Her new shoes slapped the track, splashing small puddles of water. But she didn’t notice the rain anymore. She just ran.
Her arms pumped. The muscles in her legs felt strong and sure from all of the extra conditioning exercises she had done at practice. She thought that she might be the fastest girl out there. She just needed to show everyone.
Addison left the third- and fourth-place girls far behind. But the Lions girl was harder to catch. She was running a great race. As they came around the last corner, Addison and the Lions runner were neck and neck.
Addison could hear the rest of the Bulldogs cheering for her over the rain. Through all the noise, she heard Charlie’s unmistakable voice yelling, “GO, ADDIE!”
Addison felt a surge of power. She could see the red finish line tape through the fog and rain. Her legs went faster and faster. And then, just at the last second, Addison bolted ahead of the other girl.
The ribbon broke around her hips. Laura, Brie, and Ginny rushed around her, jumping and shouting. Addison couldn’t tell if she was crying or if it was just rain rolling down her cheeks.
Addison looked up at the stands. Sofia was cheering. Charlie was too, and so was her mom.
With the rain pouring down and everyone cheering, Addison had never felt happier.
About the Author
Joelle Wisler is a freelance writer and physical therapist. She’s written several sports stories, including the Jake Maddox JV Girls books Spinning Away and Beyond Basketball. She grew up in South Dakota and is a lifelong runner, jumper, bender, and skier. She spends much of her time these days laughing at her husband and chasing her two kids around—and any stray moose that might wander into her backyard in the mountains of Colorado.
Glossary
anchor (ANG-kuhr)—
a member of a relay team who competes last
baton (buh-TON)—
a hollow rod that is passed from one runner to the next during a relay race
concentrate (KAHN-suhn-trayt)—
to put your full focus and attention on something
disqualify (dis-KWAHL-uh-fye)—
to prevent someone from taking part in an activity; athletes can be disqualified for breaking the rules of their sport
drill (DRIL)—
a repetitive exercise that helps you learn a specific skill
lane (LAYN)—
a narrow part of a track that is used by a single runner during part or all of a race
meet (MEET)—
a sporting event featuring many races or contests
sprint (SPRINT)—
to run fast for a short distance
starting blocks (STAR-ting BLOKS)—
a device that supports a runner’s feet at the start of a race
stride (STRIDE)—
a long step
tape (TAYP)—
a string stretched across the finish line that is broken by the first person to cross the line
Discussion Questions
Describe Addison’s personality. Do you think she usually keeps secrets from her mom, or is it out of character for her? Talk about it!
In Chapter 6, Charlie agrees to play by himself at the playground while Addison is at track practice. Discuss how you think he feels about being alone. Use examples from the story to support your answer.
Why do you think the author titled the book Back on Track? How does it relate to the story? Brainstorm other title ideas that would also work well.
Writing Prompts
The climax is the most intense part of a story. Often the main character has to face his or her problems. Write a paragraph about which moment you think is the climax. Be sure to explain your reasoning.
Addison decides to join track without telling her mom. Using examples from the text, write two paragraphs that describe how keeping this secret affects Addison throughout the story.
Imagine you’re friends with Addison. Write a letter to her that suggests ways Addison can follow her running dreams—without lying to her mom.
More About Track and Field
Outside of the United States, track and field events are called athletics. Track events consist of running and hurdling. Field events involve throwing and jumping.
Track and field is one of the oldest organized sports. It can be traced back to 776 BC, when the first Olympic Games were held in Greece. Only men were allowed to participate, and t he original Games had just one event—a 600-foot race called the stadion. Eventua lly, more races and other events were added.
Although the first modern Olympics were held in 1896, women’s athletics weren’t added until 1928. The only events at the time were the 100-meter race and 4x100-meter relay.
A runner’s time cannot be counted as a world record if the wind is pushing against her back at more than 4.5 miles per hour. The strong gusts can give the runner a speed boost and an unfair advantage.
The record holder of the 100-meter dash is often called the fastest man or woman in the world. American Florence Griffith Joyner, nicknamed Flo-Jo by fans, set the women’s record in 1988 with a time of 10.49 seconds. Jamaican Usain Bolt holds the men’s record, finishing the race in 9.58 seconds in a 2009 competition.
The women’s 4x400-meter relay record is held by the USSR with a time of 3 minutes and 15.17 seconds, set in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. It was a close race. The U.S. team crossed the finish line just 0.34 seconds after the USSR.
American sprinter Allyson Felix is the only female track athlete to have won six Olympic gold medals. Her events include the 200-meter race, 4x100-meter relay, and 4x400-meter relay.
Jake Maddox JV Girls books are published by
Stone Arch Books
a Capstone imprint
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Copyright © 2019 Stone Arch Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.
ISBN: 978-1-4965-7536-4 (library binding)
ISBN: 978-1-4965-7538-8 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-4965-7546-3 (ebook pdf)
ISBN 978-1-5158-8735-5 (ebook)
Summary: Addison Jones is joining the track team—even though her mom said no. Addison has come up with a risky plan to compete, but soon she’s torn between her love of sprinting relay races and the guilt over lying to her mom. How can Addison pursue her running passion?
Designer: Tracy McCabe
Media Researcher: Tracy Cummins
Image Credits:
Shutterstock: Annette Shaff, Design Element, ROMSVETNIK, Cover
Jake Maddox, Back on Track
