"We were young and strong. We were running against the wind." -Bob Seger

The team bus rocks back and forth as we head to Spring Green. Crossing the Wisconsin River, we notice whitecaps. Saturday's gusty conditions change our racing strategies: try not to run by yourself into the wind, work together when possible, draft a faster runner if you can.

Varsity boys disappear around the starting curve so we head to the half-mile mark to catch our first impression of the race. McFarland, Platteville, Edgewood and Dodge/Point keep runners in the lead pack. We spot Adam Nelson (17:51) running w...