Logan's 1st XC Meet

Just like Lia, Logan wrapped up his soccer career after the fall season of 6th grade and replaced it with cross country this year.  Since our school district is ridiculous and only allows girls to run XC in the 7th and 8th grade, I had to pay for Logan to join the running club that he ran track with last spring to have his first cross country experience.  He now practices twice a week in the evenings and competes in a high school, XC invitational most Saturday mornings.  Luckily, he has a few friends from his elementary school/junior high school who are also long-distance runners and who are on this same team with him.  I have been so pleased to see how quickly Logan has taken to long-distance running.  He comes home from practice so happy and positive and proudly announces how many miles they ran that evening at practice.  Two days ago, his club did a practice, timed mile for the first time at Bradley Lake Park and Logan ran it in 6:28.  Already at 12-years old, he beat his older sister's PR, which Lia couldn't believe.  

Logan and I left home early this morning at 7:30 to get to Bellarmine Prep High School in Tacoma by 8 a.m. for his 8:50 run.  It felt so strange to be walking up to a high school, XC invitational to cheer on Logan, and not Lia.  Logan was just a little bit nervous and bravely went and found his friends to warm up with them before his 1-mile race.  During Logan's race, I was able to watch him take off from the starting line, run by me at one point in the middle of the race, and then again at the finish line.  I noticed as he approached the finish line that his time was about a minute slower than his timed run two days earlier.  After he finished his run at 7 minutes, 30 seconds, I quickly learned from Logan that he did not think to re-tie his shoe laces after he quickly slipped on his sneakers as we were heading out the door this morning.  As a result, he discovered within the first few seconds of his race that one of his shoes was too loose.  He then ran the entire mile with his shoe slipping on and off his foot.  When he tried to sprint at the end of his race, it was completely coming off!  Luckily, he had a positive attitude about it and didn't seem too disappointed that his first XC meet was a bit of a bust.  I was just proud of him for not giving up and grateful that he learned this importance of tightly tying your shoelaces before each race at the beginning of his XC career.

Logan approaching me during the middle of his 1-mile race.

A great action shot of my boy as he ran past me.

Logan pushing it hard as he approached the finish line with his shoe slipping off!

Logan about to the cross the finish line at 7 minutes, 30 seconds.