Cross country, or often referred to XC, is a sport that offers a lot for runners. This sport has many traditions and teammates often share and bond over these traditions. Whether you currently run cross country or ran cross country in high school, you will find many ideas relatable. Here are 10 signs you ran cross country in high school:
Finding the perfect running shoes was a mission
When you thought getting your running shoes would take an hour to get ended up being an entire day heading out to stores to see the best shoes you can get. Once you put your foot into that perfect shoe, you never wanted to take em off.
You attend and host pasta parties the day before a race
These fun gatherings were the center of team bonding, often held on Thursdays or Fridays since races were Saturday, your team relished these events. From catching up to carboloading before the race, you knew that these were the start of the weekend. A long week of training earns you the right to indulge in pasta with your team.
You either loved or hated ice baths
On hard workouts you knew ice would be the solution. A nice icebath would relieve the pain from your workout. However, it was not appealing to some runners jumping into a bucket full of ice. Either cross country runners loved or hated this tradition.
You are annoyed when someone points out how cross country and track are the same sport
Cross country and track are very different from one another, and it made you go insance when someone said how they are so similar to each other. First off, track takes place in the spring and cross country takes place in the fall. These people needed to get their facts straight.
The cross country course had many obstacles
You would think that a cross country course on your first race would be flat and completly free of any obstacles and debris. Wrong! Often courses had a large hill to run up, followed by a downhill that was rewarding. Or on a night it rained, the course would be muddy. However, you adopted on running in trecherous conditions.
Summer training often involved doing some sort of summer trip
Before the start of the season, summer running camp took place. One fun aspect with summer running was doing some sort of fun trip with your team. It often included a camping trip to the lake or beach and involved team building exercises and workouts in a different envrionment. It was a great way to get to know the team before the season.
Your bedroom consisted of many running bibs
From your first day of running to your last race, you saw your running bib collection grow. You would often hang these up in your room or keep them somewhere in an album or in a desk. These are the memories you have when you look back at how cross country meant a lot to you.
High expectations are set by yourself
Distance runners are diciplined and have developed strong goals. You had goals that with hard work and dedication, you were able to achieve them. These goals is what made you have a purpose to get a personal record.
Interval workouts consisted of mile repeats and any sort of distance
Part of cross country running included speed workouts. Whether you loved them or not, speed workouts were part of the daily regimate and the key to running faster races. They were repetitive and having a running buddy to compete with was the best option to get you through this tough workout.
You loved your team very much and have a picture to prove it
Cross country running develops leadership skills and it makes you become a well rounded person. The people who help you to achieve this are your coaches and teammates. Most likely you have some sort of picture like this on your Instagram feed or hanging in your bedroom. These were the people who you considered family to you.
