Runner Up

It's not easy waking up to an alarm at 6:15 a.m. on a Saturday. It's not easy bundling up in 33-degree weather to run outside. But sometimes it is worth it!

Assumption traveled this morning to the Stevens Point Cross Country Invitational held at the hilly Standing Rock Park. Carter had to be on the bus by 7:30. Hubby and I – layered with long underwear and hat and gloves – were on the road by 8:15. Although the boys varsity wasn't running until 11:45, we were in charge of team treats so we had to be there for the 9 a.m. start.

There were about 20 teams there and while the results were to be divided into Large and Small schools, everyone had the same challenging course. The good news is that it was sunny. No rain today. In fact, if you stayed in the sun, it was warm enough you didn't need the winter hat and gloves. I had to shed a few layers and was thrilled that at least we weren't freezing!

It turned out the conditions were just right for our team. The boys rocked at Standing Rock, taking home a team medal for second place among small schools!

That is the best team finish for the boys in, oh I don't know, a decade maybe. The guys and the coach were ecstatic! And very pumped up for the rest of the season!

Carter and teammates Nick and Seamus (back) feeling good before the run even starts.

Runners gauge their success and improvement with year-over-year comparisons of the same invitational and location. I could tell after the first mile that Carter was off to a much quicker pace than last year at Standing Rock.

This is what a sprint to the finish and a new PR look like! It was Carter's personal best finish for this season so far and definitely helped get the team to their great overall finish. Everyone was in high spirits.

By the time we got home from the meet, it was almost 2 p.m. We had a neighborhood block party, potluck and fire starting at 5 p.m. so Jim made a crab salad and I whipped together some dessert.

The temps did not rise above the 50s so it was a perfect evening for sitting around a cozy campfire at our neighbors' two doors down. Had a great turnout from the 'hood. Good food and lots and lots of laughs. I decided I should get home before I turned into a pumpkin at midnight.

And it definitely feels more like pumpkin weather than deck chair season. Maybe we can rectify that on Sunday.