Wisconsin is known for cheese, milk and a positive attitude. No matter the weather, we gleefully say "It could be worse!" By Wisconsin standards, Saturday morning is GREAT! Whereas last year the fudge-like mud sucked running shoes off our feet, and last Saturday the showers turned a park into a swamp, and last night the wind chill dropped into the 20's; this morning the ground is mostly dry and the cold air slowly warms under a bright sun.

The Baertschi Farm, just outside of Albany, has provided a training ground and now a venue for cross country meets for 40 years. How many teams are l...