Running has always been a part of a life. From my first race, which was actually a kid style obstacle course and steeple chase in Manchester Vermont, I relished in the feeling of running a race. As I got older I traded the kid races, for the 5ks. In fact, when it came time to get my first email address I included a 5k at the end, because at that particular point in time those races were my favorite distance. I would have to say until I reached middle school, I ran because I enjoyed it, and I just wanted to personally get better. When I began my cross country career in sixth grade however, I would not say everything changed, but a lot did, as I began to immerse myself into this new world. Running has always been a popular activity, in part because it is one sport that does not actively require teammates, however when talking in the context of cross country running, teammates are extremely important, both on and off the field.
The first time someone runs in a cross country race it is an exhilarating experience. Standing on the starting line, adrenaline pumping, perhaps last minute racing strategies running through your head, but the other piece, is knowing that your teammates are right there with you, and also understand that in order to be successful in cross country it has to be a team effort. Anyone can be the fastest runner on a cross country team, in fact it is a position which runners/teammates constantly compete each other for. However, to truly be a great runner, sometimes it is not always about being at the top, but being there to support your teammates, in the other crucial positions, in most cases the top seven.
Some of the best cross country teams are great because of their depth. As I said earlier, all cross country teams have a number one runner. However, does the team then have a two, three, or four runners who can post a time that is close to the top runners. Just like in golf, cross country teams aim for the lowest score. In a lot of cases, what determines team wins are the fifth sixth and seventh runner. Cross country is an amazing sport, and I never realized until I got into it just how much it really is a team sport.
I have had the privilege of running on three different cross country teams. One in middle school, another in high school, and the most recent team at the collegiate level. Those teams and my current team are my family. I run for fun, I run for me, I run for my teammates, and above all else I run because I am a cross country runner.
