Since 1999 I've been an assistant cross country coach at the high school where I ran cross country! When I started this I took pride in being able to keep up with the team, if only on the long run runs. I still run but more often it's alone or with the coach who has decided to go at my pace rather than his pace. We plan and troubleshoot the competitive season on those runs. From June until the end of October I'm immersed in the day to day lives of these young men. Today is the first day of the "off season", the time between cross country and track. I'll see the team only occasionally between now and June, although I may drop in on track since I'm retired now. I reminisce about this season during runs on the dune trails. Fall will always mean cross country.
