The boys made state in their 4×4 race. What happened was that the number 3 seeded team in the state ran an unusually slow third leg which allowed our third person to pass him and gain a significant lead. Then our anchor took off and the number 3’s anchor who on his best day can run a 1:51 800 had enough of a gap to make up that he was not able to catch up. Our first two boys did really great. So they ended up getting 2nd which was enough to give them a place to go to state.

So nobody knows what happened to the number 3 team’s third runner who ran about a minute time for his split. Our team was .4 seconds off of the state qualifying time but they tell me if our anchor had had to run his hardest then they would’ve beaten that. But there wasn’t the pressure because he had a comfortable second. PORTA who was also ranked ahead of us and lost on their senior night last week while we were there also had an off night and ran ten seconds under their seed time.

So that’s how it goes sometimes. Enough stars align and it works out. I’m tickled for them that they made it. Once Judah had gone and I could relax more I just kept thinking, “where are all the fast teams??” They were in second or third the whole time. The team who won was also ranked very high in the state (5th??) so no one imagined making state because of place. But anyway. John got 5:06 in his mile which wasn’t sub 5 but was still a four second PR and he was happy with progress this year.

We drove two cars to the meet. The boys had to be their earlier so I took them. Josh came later with the rest of the family. I took a nap in the backseat and walked around and called my sister since I didn’t have any money to get in. I caught her up on my Thrive woes which were troubling me as I recounted the long and exhausting story. I do not take it for granted that I have sisters who I can talk to about things. I did tell him at the end that I wish this (our conversation) would’ve gone differently.

One of the boys brought his chess set along so we played in the stands. Elianna had three baby mice she was feeding after Ethan found them while he was cleaning out the meat cookers for the hog roast this weekend. I saw a woman from marriage counseling so I politely tried to not make contact. After the meet we went to find the team and get pictures. The 4×8 Concordia team was running in nationals so we stopped to watch that. I followed the lead car home through remote country roads.