Cross Country Running...

Ahh, cross country season.

Lorien and Wyatt ran cross country last year and both liked the sport.  Lorien did not want to admit she liked running--but she did.  This year, Clare was old enough to be on the team so we signed all three big kids up.  Lorien was not happy.  She claimed to hate cross country...we made her do it anyway...character!

All three kids did a great job.  It is a pretty easy sport and the meets are fast.  The season is also shorter than some of the other fall sports (win, win, win).

The first meet is always crazy!  More runners attend than at other meets, you have to park on a four-lane street (that would be considered a freeway in Maine) and hike up a big hill to the park.  It is nerve-wracking to say the least. Cars zoom by at 50 miles an hour--did I mention the lack of side walks?  Urban living...I love it.



The first meet and last meet of the season are the only ones with a K-2 age group.  At the other meets there are two age groups K-5 and 6-8.  Because of this added younger age group Clare ended up placing in the top 10.  She was very surprised and we were so proud.

Woot-woot!  Go cross country runners!  Wait, where is the baby?

Two of this year's meets were at our home course--which was so awesome!  We didn't have to drive far, parking is a dream (in the high school parking lot) and there are plenty of places to sit and watch the race.  We didn't end up going to the second race at our home course.  The flu hit our house the week before and I decided we needed a week to recover.

The second to last race was another crazy one.  But not because of location or parking--the course is tricky.  The ground at the start of the race is covered with fine dirt and gravel.  Kids end up slipping and falling at the start of every race--especially the boys--they are so darn competitive.

Colter and Adell love to cheer the big kids on.  Colter puts his hand up to his mouth (more covering his mouth than amplifying his shouts) and yells out random noises.  Adell jumps and cheers her heart out as each of her older siblings run by.  

I found the baby--four weeks later...

At the end of the season, Clare was in love with running.  She did hurt her knee at the start of the season--actually riding her bike to school--and so she ended up having to sit out some of the season.  But she loved running and had fun running with friends.  Wyatt liked cross country too--however, he was/is also doing soccer so he had an activity every day of the week.  It was exhausting.  I think we might have to make him pick--cross country or soccer next year.  Lorien?  Oh Lorien.  She hated every second of the season.  She tried to negotiate her participation at every practice and meet.  She walked...a lot.  Both Will and I wish she would have let herself like it.  She had a good time last season and admitted that she liked cross country.  This year she seemed determined to hate it.  I think it was because she didn't have any friends participating (Wyatt and Clare had several friends from church and school participating) and she was in the next age group for the races.  Last year, as a 5th grader she was one of the oldest racers in her group.  This year, as a 6th grader she is one of the youngest...and some of the 8th graders are super-model tall.  Anyway, I don't think she will participate next year.  At least, we wont make her...