Cross country has both mental and physical benefits if your
heart is in it. People who do not run do not realize how hard
cross country practices and races really are. Even the most in
shape high school boy would find the long runs and insane
workouts extremely difficult.
“Cross country
is 80 percent
mental. It’s the
ability to tell
yourself to go
faster up the hill
rather than
listening to your
body and
slowing down;
it’s the mental
ability to be
able to sprint
your hardest
after running
those three
miles.”
(Hermann)
During a race or
mileage run the
majority of the
time the runner
cannot see the
finish line. There is
no end in site,
yet you have to
push yourself as
hard as you
possibly can the
whole time. By
the end of the
run, the runner is
accomplished
no matter the
distance.
“Cross
country
involves
running up,
down, and
through many
different types
of terrain such
as grass,
gravel, mud,
sand, and
concrete.”
(Cross
Country
Facts)
“You can become
a better runner by
spending time in
the gym. You can
build strength ,
power, and
endurance by
weight lifting.”
(Cross Country) A
study done by
Runner’s World
states weight
lifting increases a
runner’s
performance by
13 percent.
During cross
country
workouts each
runner is
expected to run
up and down,
around and
around pushing
themselves to
their limit each
set and not
giving up. The
practice
finished, we
leave
exhausted.
Drinking water
empowers
runners when
they are
exhausted from
the race. During
workouts
runners are
seldomly
allowed to drink
any, and during
mileage runs
and races there
is none. This is
what sets
runners apart
from other
athletes.
A course map. Each team is given one with 30 minutes
to prepare for the race. There are many obstacles
during a race that makes it difficult: hills, which are hard
on the legs; straight stretches, which are hard on the
mind; and the distance which is hard on the whole
body.
During a race,
each
competitor
follows a single
white line
throughout the
whole race. No
other
boundaries
exist and at
times there is
no one else
watching.
There is cutting,
pushing, and
elbowing (cross
country is
supposedly a
non-contact
sport) and
even though it
hurts and is
unfair you have
to keep going.
“With brutal
hills, sharp
changes in
direction and
surfaces
ranging from
soft grass to
deep mud, it’s
a test not only
of fitness, but
also of guts.”
(Cross Country
Running)
When the gun goes off signaling the beginning of
the race everything changes. Your attitude
becomes competitive, adrenaline surges through
your body, and nothing else matters.
“No time outs.
No
substitutions.
No different
specialized
positions.
Everyone
does the
same thing at
the same
time. You can
not just
happen to
win a race.
You need to
work hard, be
smart, and
push yourself.”
(Tiefenthaler)
Each cross country race is different. A different course,
different terrain, different competitors, and different
conditions. Sprinting, jogging, jumping, wheezing, and
thinking are all parts of every single race.
Finishing a race is one of the best feelings in the world
for a cross country runner, an instant “runners high”.
Knowing that you gave everything you had for those 1620 minutes provides one of the greatest feelings of
accomplishment there is.
As with any sport, teammates are extremely important, but
with cross country there is a different kind of bond. Your team
is the people there to talk to during the outrageously long
runs, they offer encouragement throughout the grueling
workouts, and they are the ones holding up as you collapse
after a vigorous race.
Lined up at the starting line with 400 other girls. As the gun
went off, complete chaos broke out. I was pushed and
fell onto another girl’s spike. With blood gushing out of the
ankle I stood up, continued running, and finished the
race. This event showed me how tough cross country
really is and how tough I can be.
There is no
break from
running for
good cross
country runners.
How you train in
the “off season”
determines how
good (or bad)
you are during
the season. The
more a
competitor runs,
the less difficult
the practices
are.
Cross country is unforgiving. Practices and
races are held (and each runner is expected
to be there) whether it is snowing or over a
hundred degrees.
Shoes. The only thing a runner truly needs,
along with motivation and ambition. These
shoes signify my past six cross country seasons.
Because cross
country is the
hardest sport, it is
also one of the
most rewarding.
Cross country
provides the
greatest feeling of
accomplishment
at the end of
each practice,
race, and season
and great
recognition for
each of those
accomplishments.