I ran cross country for three years in high school. I hated it some days, but I loved it most days. Even though I don't run cross country in college, running taught me a lot about myself. It taught me about my boundaries, my strength, my endurance, my abilities, and my mind. I will forever be glad I started running cross country and because of it I still run almost every day.
1. You get out of it, what you put into it.
If you work at running, you WILL get better. It may take a while, you may never be amazing, but you will improve. The harder you train, the more miles you run, it will show in your running.
2. No substitutions, no timeouts, no do-overs.
Cross country is a real sport, because there are no wrong calls, no substitutions, no do-overs. It is just you doing what you can, as best as you can.
3. Races empower.
Races suck, they do. Every muscle in your body screams at you to stop and your lungs feel like they are being shredded. Most runners regularly wonder during races if they can fake an injury so they don't have to finish. None actually do. But after the race is over you feel powerful, strong, beautiful. You controlled your body through the pain and maybe even got a personal record out of it.
4. Runner's high.
After races, you hit runner's high and all of a sudden you feel REAL good.
5. The food.
If you run a lot, you burn so many calories that you have to eat more! Also, chocolate milk tastes amazing after a run.
6. Our sport is your sport's punishment.
Basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, every other sport complains about how they have to run. We run for fun!
7. Running is a mental sport, and we are all insane.
Running is a mental sport, your body tells you you can't, but your mind can force your body to keep going. You develop self-control and mental strength as you push yourself further than you ever thought you could go.
8. Hills.
Hill work outs are hard but they also make you feel strong. They help you find your limits and pass them. Hills during races, those bring out true character.
9. Races are chaotic.
Races are so chaotic with everyone running around warming-up, cooling-down or racing. Spectators are running from spot to spot to cheer for their teammates, friends, sister, son or that random kid you met a second ago who looks like he could use some encouragement. No one is ever quite sure where the racers are, so the spectators get some running in as they try to get the next spot on the race course.
10. Garbage days.
Most cross country teams run on the sidewalks. On garbage days the two or three person sidewalk suddenly constricts to single file and become impossible to see from the back of the pack.
11. It is exhausting, but energizing.
You will be so tired from your run, but it will still give you more energy overall than if you hadn't run at all. It also helps you focus and concentrate.
12. Strength.
You feel so strong when you are running. Even when you don't run far, even if your breathing is terrible, even if you are struggling: you are still strong. Running through these weaknesses only makes you stronger.
13. No drama.
There isn't any drama because everyone is too tired at the end of a five mile run to care anymore about petty little issues. You also can't get mad at someone for beating you, because they simply ran faster. Next time you will try to run faster.
14. The people.
The people in cross country are amazing. They are funny, quirky, nerdy, weird, and the best people you will ever meet. They make the sport worth it. They make those six mile runs in ninety degree weather mean something. They make the time fly by.
15. Individual sport, team support.
You run as an individual, your time and your personal record are your own. Your team helps you, they cheer for you, they push you, they empower you to run faster than you ever thought you could.
