This weekend, Los Altos High cross country traveled to Fresno for the Clovis Invitational, one of the biggest and most prestigious annual cross country meets nationwide. Here’s a (brief) summary of the trip.

Friday, 12 p.m.

Riley’s mom brings car markers, so the team writes messages — of varying relevance to cross country — on the van windows. We head off to Fresno after completing our second COVID tests of the week.

Friday, 2 p.m.

We stop at Casa de Fruta for lunch. The girls all bring healthy packed lunches; the boys eat gas station nachos. Sasha contemplates her banana. Riley wants a “candid” of her drinking tea.

Friday, 4 p.m.

Boy, it’s a long ride there.

Friday, 7 p.m.

After we get to Fresno and finish our pre-meet run on the Woodward Park course, we head over to the meet pasta feed. The boys apparently stop everything in the dining hall to sing happy birthday to an imaginary friend, but I’m not in the room when that happens.

Friday, 9 p.m.

We hold team meetings to go over tomorrow’s logistics and race strategy, during which half the boys are watching the Giants game — much to Coach Steph’s chagrin. We grab assorted foods to eat for breakfast tomorrow morning. Keshav shows off his hands that he cut up when he fell at Crystal on Tuesday (Keshav is notorious for falling during runs).

Friday, 11 p.m.

Caleb journals and Nathaniel tries to sleep. I take photos of them (for posterity). I see the videos sent on the boys’ group chat and am glad that I’m rooming with Nathaniel and Caleb. I make them share a bed while I get one all to myself, because “I’m a senior, so deal with it.”

Saturday, 9 a.m.

Race day. The varsity girls wake up early to head to the course for their warmup, because their race is the first of the day. The rest of us leave even later than planned because half the team comes to the lobby 10 minutes past the arranged time.

The varsity girls shatter the school record at Woodward Park, running in the championship race, which features some of the fastest girls in the country.

Steph is pointing at something out of frame. Ella throws celebratory water on Cam.

Saturday, 11 a.m.

The varsity boys, JV girls and JV boys all do well in their respective divisions. Standout performances come from Rohan Kota and Matthew Diederich in the JV boys race.

Aaron wants me to get a “candid” of him flexing and staring into the distance. Sasha contemplates life. Fiona shows off her Run Gum (which we decide isn’t much good).

Keshav falls, again. He says he tripped over the mat at the finish line.

Saturday, 2 p.m.

We wrap up a successful meet with a team lunch. Boden seems very satisfied with his new Happy Meal toy. Frankie seems similarly satisfied with her ice cream. Coach Charles stares at the camera. What’s he thinking about? Running the tangents? A new downhill running strategy?

Steph points at the camera. Why does she point so much? Who knows. All I know is that so long as there’s stuff to point at and fingers to point, Steph will do the pointing.