"My first cross country meet"
“ALICE! You need to stay in front, so when the ball comes you can run down with the other forwards!” yelled my soccer coach, exasperated. I cannot remember how many times I heard my coach say that. Maybe it was time to try a new sport. Growing up, I never had an interest in running. I took Tae Kwon Do lessons for five years and stopped in seventh grade with a third degree black belt. I liked Tae Kwon Do, but I wanted to try something different. Hence, the soccer team, where I was a midfielder/forward, but my coach often complained I would not stay in my position because I ran around too much. I would always run up and down the field, following the ball. She suggested I join cross country several times, which may have been an attempt to guide me to leave soccer. Both times I brushed off the suggestion, but one day, I finally decided cross country was maybe a good choice. At the beginning of sophomore year, I took a leap of faith and joined cross country. The next thing I knew, I was getting ready to run my first race.
Bang! The starter pistol echoed across the field as everyone sprinted forward. It was August 21, at 6:30 P.M.; it was blistering hot - eighty-five degrees, to be exact. The sound of spikes grinding into the sidewalk mingled with sounds of labored breathing as everyone charged past the soccer field, onto the sidewalk, and down to the pond. The trail around the pond was only wide enough to run in single file. I fell into the back of the pack as we rounded the pond because I was conserving my energy for later in the race. I had ran this trail many times and I knew each turn by heart.
When I entered the Spirit Trail, I quickened my pace. Soon I passed two girls, and then a few more. My goal was to stick with my teammate, Maddy, since she was always in front of me during practice. As I passed the first mile marker, my coach yelled “7:34, keep it up Alice!” The pace was a little quick, but I was feeling good. When I reached the stop sign and turned around, I noticed there were fifteen girls in front of me. Then I realized that meant there were at least fifty girls behind me and I felt a quick burst of exhilaration. I had expected to be in the back but I guess all the grueling morning practices in June and July had paid off; I had gotten faster.
Now, it was just Maddy and I. Our feet pounded in tandem as I tried to control my breathing, so I would not burn out. As I passed the second mile marker, I was beginning to feel winded. The pace was catching up with me and sweat was dripping down my nose. I kept telling myself to stick with Maddy, which I somehow must have said aloud, because Maddy turned around and shouted “Come on Alice - you got this!” Here I was, slowly dying, while Maddy seemed perfectly fine, like this was just a casual jog in the park. She even had the energy to cheer me on! Despite the pain, I smiled and replied with a feeble, “Thanks Maddy, you too!”
We entered the lower trail, and I started to slow down a tiny bit. Unsurprisingly, I began to regret going so fast the first mile. My lungs were burning, my legs were aching, and sweat dripped into my contacts, making my eyes sting. This was the crucial moment. I was not going to give up. I focused on keeping good form as I pushed on. Twigs crunched underneath my shoes as I raced over them. Tree roots popping out from the dirt were spray painted white, so runners would not trip, but I kept my eyes on the ground just in case. It seemed like an eternity, but I soon spotted the last hill of the course before the final straightaway. I gave everything I had and pulled on the last reserves of my strength. I heard my mom, dad, teammates, and coach cheering me on as I surged up the hill and through the final straightaway. I crossed the finish line, and immediately stopped, and bent over to catch my breath. My coach walked over and told me my time: 24:14. I finished seventeenth out of sixty-five girls. Not too shabby for a first-timer.
As I was catching my breath and gulping down cups of water, I had an epiphany. Even though I complain all the time about hating practice and running in the hot summer heat, I still love it. From long runs to mile repeats, I love everything about cross country, even on days when I feel awful. I love being able to challenge myself. It is the best feeling in the world when I see my time drop after training hard for two months. Running has allowed me to meet people whom I never would have known and it has increased my mental toughness. I went from barely being able to run one mile to being able to run eight miles with ease. More than anything, running has allowed me to be comfortable in my own body and to stop comparing myself with others, because everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I will always strive to train harder and run faster, but at the end of the day, running has taught me to be satisfied with my accomplishments.
- @alicewu24 ( Alice Wu)
