Why Run?
Cross country is a sport like no other. When you sign up for this this sport, you sign up for more than just the running; you sign up to embrace your inner athlete, you develope friendships that you ever would've imagined having, you learn that cross country is extremely mental, and you learn that this sport alone has taught you more about life than life itself. This sport has caused me to overcome more than just the course obstacles. It has forced me to hurdle every negative thought that life throws at me. It has coached me to fight like hell to recover any minor and/or major injury. It has taught me that if you don't have confidence before you approach the starting line, you will not make it to the finish. This sport literally, forces people to understand that they are capable of more than what they could have ever imagined.
Cross country will bless you with some friendships that you never dreamed of having. This sport calls for a certain breed of people. Not very many people want to set their alarm for 5:00am to get up and run seven miles every morning. Not very many people want to run so fast, that they pass out as soon as they cross the finish line. Not very many people want to feel that anxiety of waiting for the gun to go off. As a team, you'll realize that not very many people like to run, but as a runner you do, and so does your team. After you realize you like to run, you like the adrenaline rush, and you like that feeling after you just ran those seven miles at 5:00am, you'll realize you're entire team does too and that you have more in common with them than what you thought. As a team, you'll meet every Friday night before a big invitational and stuff your faces with pasta. You'll cry together on those cold snowy meets right before you head to the starting line, then you'll cry rigth after you cross the finish line because you're still cold but your team's finish was the best of all season. You'll laugh your hardest with your team because when you're running five miles in the blazing heat, you'll come up with the dumbest things to keep your mind off of the fact you're body hurts like hell. You'll understand that your team isn't just a team; your cross country team is your family.
Mind over matter. Cross country will make you understand that this sport is 90% mental and 10% physical. As a runner, you could wake up every morning and run ten miles if you wanted to. Also, as a runner you could sleep until 2pm and not run at all during the off season and preseason. Whatever your liking is, physically the runner who chooses to wake up and run "should," preform better than the one who doesn't; however, I've learned throughout my experiences with this intense sport that the runners who sleep in, might have more confidence than the ones who run every morning, and ironically, they may preform better at the big show because they believed in themselves more than the runner who chose to run every morning. It all comes down to how much you chose to trust your mind and body. A runner has to know what they are capable of. A runner has to go beyond the limits and expectations during a race in order to reach a phenomenal personal record. This sport has taught me that everyday is a new day, that if I don't put a bad race behind me, I will never bounce back. This sport has guided me in the direction of positivity because in a brutal sport like cross country, if you haven't learned anything, even something small, from a bad race or a rough practice, then you will never make a comeback and improve. It's all about understanding that you as a runner, are able to do the unthinkable in a sport like cross country. I've whitenessed runners run 21 minutes consistently all season, then when the state meet came around they ran 19 minutes flat. In a sport like cross country, anything is possible. It all just depends on how much confidence you have in yourself. It all depends on what your mental state of mind is before you approach the starting line.
Right now if you're asking yourself why you should run cross country, or why you should sign up for a sport that is as ruthless as this one, understand that no one wants to run, but everyone wants to be a runner. Everyone wishes the could run, and run fast. Also understand every cross country runner was in the same position as you right now. I can tell you, if you chose to run, there will be no better feeling than crossing the finish line with a personal best or hearing your named called to receive your medal. There is something special about that pit in your stomach right before the trigger is pulled to start the race. There is nothing more emotional than seeing your team run their best race all season or watching your teammate collapse at the finish line because they ran so hard that they can't even stand up. There is nothing better than bonding with your team at the pasta dinners or laughing so hard on a long run that you literally have to stop to catch your breath again. There is something different about us cross country runners. We push oversleves until we can't be pushed anymore, then we push ourselves even harder. This sport calls for true athletes, and anybody can be a true athlete depending on their state of mind. Remember, we don't like to run, we like to win. Are you up for the challenge?
- @allie_vandee ( al )
