The necessary mindset
Just yesterday I finally realized something about Cross Country that I’ve know for years but only just now figured out how to articulate. Cross Country requires a mental fortitude that so few people truly possess. I don’t claim to have it, and I know for a fact that even some of the best runners I know don’t have it. Which makes those who do have it all the more impressive. I raced a three mile yesterday evening, and though I set a PR, I was still about a minute slower than I should have been. The weather was hot and humid, but I’ve raced well in those conditions before, so that’s no excuse. After the race, talking to my teammates, those who raced and those who didn’t because they’re training for our district meet soon, I noticed that the people who ran well, who consistently PRed and made varsity all had one common thread in what they were saying: “I was hurting, and so I made sure to push harder.” That is a mentality that I’ve always tried to have, but have never truly implemented. Cross Country hurts, and no one will tell you otherwise, but it’s what you do with that pain that separates a decent runner from a good runner from a great runner. The truly great runners have an ability to push through pain when everyone else fades and slows down or drops out. The truly great runners push until they hurt, and then push some more. So to those runners: Never change, and always keep pushing. But more importantly, to those runners like me, who have never had that: Find it, search for it, dig for it, and never stop.
- Anonymous
