Season 2 as cross-country parents starts with a hard truth: our seventh grader set his sights on the school two-mile record (14:33)… and crossed the line at 14:59. We walk through the finish-line emotions, why we refuse to shrink goals to “protect” our kids, and how to validate disappointment without erasing real progress. From heat, hills, and course context to conviction that looks a little “delusional,” this is a playbook for parenting competitors, leading yourself, and adjusting the timeline—not the dream.

We talk:

— Post-race conversations: acknowledge the sting, then zoom out

— Context vs. the clock: heat, hills, course, and pacing realities

— Progress over perfection: shaving time, moving up the pack, feeling stronger

— Raising competitors without rescuing them from discomfort

— Public goals, accountability, and the courage to keep saying it out loud

— Identity first: habits and mental conditioning that outlast a single race

ABOUT US:

Ashley and Justin DeWeese are co-hosts, coaches, and your favorite brutally honest couple. On Off The Cuff, they bring straight-talk, humor, and strategy to the real conversations most people avoid. No fluff. No filters. Just a bold push toward a life you actually want.

CONNECT WITH US:

📲 Couples Mentorship: @theforgedcouple

📲 Ashley’s Instagram: @ashley_deweese

📲 Justin’s Instagram: @thejustindeweese

📲 Facebook: @ashley.r.deweese