High school cross country runners can only succeed if they put in their miles over the summer, and even then they cannot be sure that they are ready to take on 3.1 miles of trails and hills when their season starts in the fall. More than 40 years ago I first used the 8.3 mile trail around Kensington Metropark as my ‘proving grounds’ in late August to build my confidence right before the competitive season started. In the late 1980’s I became a cross country coach for a high school in the Ann Arbor area, and for several years we made that same loop around Kent Lake our annual team bonding trip. More recently, along with our head coach, we have brought the high school teams we’ve coached in Northwest Ohio to that same hilly loop to inaugurate our season. Even our running alumni flock to the site to test their mettle and reminisce about the happy times they had with their teammates from years gone by. Nearly every one of the runners describe the Kensington loop as their favorite run because of the scenery, the 8.3 mile distance, and the mix of hills and flat stretches. Kensington Metropark has served as an important part of my running life for over four decades. -Stephen