DAY 1
I woke up 15 hours ago and got on the bus for my first ever API Guam trip! I met the whole team which consisted of Nana R. (11), Momone I. (11), Siona L. (11), Olivia K. (10), Risa H. (10), Kaarina S. (9) and Mia A. (9), and of course, our two coaches Mr. Granger and Ms. Allen. We all hopped onto the airport limousine straight to Narita airport. Nana and I were given a lab report that is due tomorrow so we attempted to work our way through it on the bus. (I was not very successful in this.) Once we arrived at the airport we took a little pit stop at Starbucks, Mr. Granger’s favorite coffee shop, and enjoyed one last drink in Japan! Our flight was at 10:40 but we were at the airport about 2 hours early (thank you Mr. Granger). I was so happy to see that my seat was not only a window seat but that I also had Nana as my neighbor! After a long four hours in the airplane, we finally landed. When I took a step outside, I knew that the upcoming races were going to be very tough as the humidity was astonishing. After settling down in our bedrooms, we joined the St. Mary’s team for dinner at the Italian restaurant across the road. The pasta portions were huge so to digest the food we took a walk to Kmart to buy our breakfast and snacks. We got back to the hotel at around 7 pm and with the St. Mary’s team, decided to go for an evening swim. We played water volleyball and then took a dip in the sea.
This basically summarises my day so far. Nana and I are currently eating Tostitos and salsa whilst trying to finish our lab report. Good night.
DAY 2
Today was an amazing first full day! We started the day off with an 8 am morning run with the St. Mary’s team. It was uncomfortably humid and hot so after only 45 minutes we had to stop. Mr. Granger asked us not to stay in the sun at all today as our first race is tomorrow. We had a two-hour homework session with Mr. Granger supervising us and then went to the mall with Ryusei and Matt. We ate some Panda Express and Cha Time and visited some shops. Then, we walked to our race site and traced the route we will be running tomorrow. It was really really hot though and way too humid. We made it back to our hotel at around 4 pm and went straight to our rooms to play card games. We went out for dinner to a restaurant opposite our hotel and were instructed to eat “light”. We’re going to go to sleep now because we’re waking up at 4:50 tomorrow!
DAY 3
I just came back from the first race! The boys were up first and were so fast - it was amazing. We got there right when they started and the sun was only just starting to rise. It was truly a beautiful sight. When it was our turn to run, the sun was already up so it was extremely hot. The beginning of the race is on a track course but then we go off into the grass and eventually into a piece of jungle. There were only two hills and they weren’t that steep, so overall the course was okay.
We are now all in our own rooms eating some breakfast and getting ready for the day ahead of us. Our coach told us to have another two hour study period in the lobby before going out, so we are heading towards the lobby now. After that, we plan on going to the mall with a few of the St. Mary’s boys and grab a bite to eat! We will then watch Venom at the movie theatre, the movie we all have been wanting to watch. Dinner will probably be in the restaurant opposite the hotel so that we can eat quickly and go to bed early in preparation for our last race tomorrow!
DAY 4
It’s 8 pm on Saturday and I am at the airport. Our relay races were very successful but also very stressful. We started our race at 5 am and it was pitch black. It was a gloomy day and the air was very moist but we were so nervous about this race that no one really paid attention to the weather. We all lined up on the starting line, the boys going for the first lap and us going on the second. The course for this race was horrible. We started off on an uphill parking lot and had to run on the pavement for a few kilometers. We then turned down a little pathway and ended up on the beach. We had to run in the sand for 2 kilometers and that was the worse part for me. On my second lap, the tide was in, which meant that we had to run in the ocean - it was terrifying. It was impossible to have a good running posture when faced with these conditions. However, we all managed to finish the race at a good pace and I am happy with my time.
When all the races ended, we spent at least an hour with all the other teams from Tokyo in the ocean just playing around. It was so fun! We walked back to the hotel and decided to play beach volleyball. Turns out, us cross country runners are not very skilled at it! The St. Marys coach drove us to another mall where we had lunch. The hour after lunch was very hectic as I had to pack and get to the airport as I was flying back a day early. Unfortunately, this caused us to miss the awards ceremony, but Nana, Risa, Kaarina and I got an award for being in the top 15!
Overall, it was a very successful trip and I am so sad to have to leave early! This trip was an amazing experience and one that I will cherish forever. It has not only allowed me to grow as an athlete but allowed me to make new friends and I already miss it!
Good luck to the next year’s participants!