Shelby's First Cross Country Season

Shelby decided to join her school's cross country team this fall, and we are all so glad she did! This was our entire family's very first experience with cross country, and we all really enjoyed it! Watching the meets and seeing the kids encouraging each other across the finish line was just so cool. It would have been nice if the meets could have been a teeny bit warmer or drier, but it was still fun! ;)  

Most of Shelby's races started at 5:45pm on a weekday evening. The middle schoolers would have Study Hall together after school {and eat! Shelby would typically pack a lunch for school and then a second meal to eat during Study Hall}, and then ride the bus together to their meet. The picture below is Brady waiting for Shelby to get off the bus for her first meet of the season.

The cross country running season is very short in Alaska--only about 7 weeks long. They started on the 3rd day of school, and it ran though the first week of October--they gotta get it in before the snow starts! Most of the schools here {including Shelby's!} also have a cross country skiing season mid-winter.

{a perk of most of the meets was a nearby football field to run around on!}

{the views from these meets never got old!}

 

We are so proud of Shelby for trying something new--and introducing all of us to it as well! What a gift it is to do something good for your body, mind, and soul...and meet new friends along the way! None of her friends wanted to try cross country, so it opened up a whole new set of friends to Shelby. We are so thankful for such a positive first experience with middle school sports!