What a crappy day!

Today we went to Red Deer for the 2008 Provincial Gymnastic Championships.
It sucked. A lot.

It started yesterday when the snow and ice started and didn't stop. The highways were a mess yesterday and I worried about it all night thinking that it would be an awful drive. The families that competed yesterday texted and said that the roads were like skating rinks.
We woke this morning to more of the same.

We go to leave - 3 hours early for a 1 hour drive only to find that the wind shield wipers would not work. Crap! With no time to spare we drive down to Canadian Tire and luckily they sneak us in and get them fixed....which puts us 45 minutes behind schedule. We still need to pick up Noah's friend...another 15 minutes...Then we realize that we'd better top up with gas...another 15 minutes...then we need a Timmies for the road...another 15 minutes...needless to say we got a late start.

The highway right outside of Calgary was the worst part and there were cars and trucks and vans all in the ditches. But Anthony is a great/confident/safe driver so we were fine. I white-knuckled it for a while....but we made it to Red Deer just fine.
I really should get myself a prescription for Atavan or something.
We get to the competition mere moments to spare before warm up...not too relaxing for Noah I might add.

Beam was first and she did well...a 12.4. Honestly when they flashed the score - I thought YAY...this'll be a great meet!
But it wasn't.
It was, quite possibly, the (second) worst meet she has ever attended.

Floor was next - she was not warming up her full-twist well and I wondered if maybe Tanis would pull it. But she left it in. I love Noah's' floor music it is so fast/loud/catchy but geez - that girl cannot score a decent mark this year on floor. She did her full twist - it was not the prettiest I have ever seen...but she stayed on her feet. She did all of her lines and it looked ok to me. Not her best, but decent enough. They flashed an 11.0.
I freaked! (inside and to Anthony)
All of the other competitors were getting high 12's.
I stewed.
Tanis did go over to the judges after the rotation and inquire but I'm not sure what all the deducted her on. Will have to find out the details later.

Vault was next - she did a 1/2-1/2. Almost everyone else did a handspring only. Easy...they got high 12's - she got a mere 11.733....Ummmm....so what are the judges really saying - DO THE EASIEST VAULT THERE IS, AND WE WILL REWARD YOU WITH THE BEST MARKS??? Maybe she should be doing a front handspring then? Who knows...but it seems really screwed up!

I knew then that this was going downhill and fast.

Bars was last. Bars is what she was worried about.
Did she do her giant? Nope - she bailed in the middle of it and took a fall deduction.
WHY? She made it the last two meets she competed it. Why not this time?
I couldn't help it but then I just felt mad at her. I know I shouldn't be - but she gave up. You could see it happening right before your own eyes. And then she cried.
Which really pisses me off as I told her NO CRYING! I told her - if you do not do well, you can only look at yourself. You cannot blame anyone else. You are the athlete - and you are competing against yourself. If you blow it - why cry? Who are you going to blame? Your coach? Your parents? Your competitors? NO - you compete what you train and if you train like crap - that's how you will compete. Look back - did you give it EVERYTHING? If the answer is NO - then you know who to blame.

However - when she fell - I wanted to cry.
A hypocrite? Sure, why not. Just give me the damn Atavan!

Awards really sucked.
I knew that she knew that she didn't do great but yet she had some kind of hope that maybe, just maybe, she squeaked it out.
She did not.

I thought awards were bad at the last Provincials...but not this bad - If you look at the AA. 16th. Ouch. At least last year she was 9th.
They did however give her an 12.0 on floor when they had initially flashed an 11.0

It all feels like such a waste. A waste of a whole year of training. This is what it all boils down to and POOF - it's over and you got nothing.