In high school, I had the opportunity and the privilege to compete in Cross Country and Track. Although I was far from being the most talented athlete, I still enjoyed every moment of participating in both sports. The experiences that I went through were well worth it.

Lessons I learned:

1) Work ethic. Life owes you nothing. You want it, you gotta work for it. Beggars can't be choosers.

2) Sportsmanship. Stay classy, my friends.

3) Teamwork. Because together we can go far.

4) Always do your best. Never give it less than 110%. Give it all you got!

5) Karma. What goes around comes around. It will serve you what you deserve, not what you choose. So make sure you treat everyone with nothing but respect.

6) There's more to life than just winning. You don't have to win every race to be great. I know I never won a single race in my high school career (I did manage to pick up a few medals though during track meets).

7) The warm up is more important than the actual workout. Don't take your warm up seriously and you'll pay for it dearly.

8) How much you hated practice. Nobody's around but your coach who is yelling at you constantly. Especially interval workouts...

9) But how practice really paid off when it came to competing at meets. Those times going down=worth it in the end.

10) Plateaus happen. Keep pushing.

11) We all have bad days. We all get injured. We all get sick. We all experience those races where everything seems to go wrong. It will be OK.

12) Honesty. Being honest to yourself, your teammates, and your coach is important. Telling your coach ahead of time if you cannot make a practice or a meet.

13) Commitment. Finishing what you started. Going to practice.

14) Taking care of yourself... extremely important.

15) Don't drink carbonated beverages during Cross Country season. Just don't...

16) It's OK to have to use the restroom in the middle of the night. It means you're properly hydrated, my dear.

17) Managing your time effectively. You can get a lot done in very little time if you're focused.

18) You will eat a lot. It's perfectly OK. You'll burn it off during practice or during a race. Just make sure you eat the right stuff and your body will thank you (And remind me to not eat anything heavy at least an hour before practice or a meet).

19) You will get dirty. You might bleed a little. You might shed a tear or two. You might have to run through some water, mud, or stickers (ouch!). And you will sweat a lot (especially during the dog days of summer). Be prepared. Don't worry, you can (will) take a shower when you get home.

20) You will feel like you're dying. Keep going. Don't stop. It will be all right. (that encouragement definitely doesn't help when you're halfway through a workout or a race and your lungs are screaming for air!)

21) You will feel amazing after a practice or a meet. Those endorphins though...

22) Self discipline. Following your school policies and your state/national laws is strongly encouraged. Making sure that you're making time to study or get your homework done. Representing your school in the best light possible.

23) Getting enough sleep. Anything less than 8 hours can be an issue.

24) Don't take a single moment for granted. You will most likely never compete with your teammates after high school and most of you will not be continuing a competitive athletic career after high school. Once it is over, it is over, unfortunately.

25) Short shorts are so in...

26) You can always run away from your problems (at least for a while). You're good with coping with stress.

27) Your legs will look great. I promise.

28) You have a high tolerance to extreme weather conditions. Hot, cold, sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy... you've experienced it all. After all, your gym is outdoors.

29) You understand the importance of staying in shape.

30) You feel unsatisfied when you skip working out for a day. It's like you asking: am I missing something?

31) You understand how important rest days are. And let's not forget ice baths, massages, and foam rollers.

32) You know that there is no halftime or bench warming. You're all in all the time.

33) It's mostly mental. Your mind is a powerful thing.

34) Your teammates and you will be a big, happy family. You will have your disagreements, but you will always make up for it in the end. Your teammates will be your biggest cheerleaders even when you're the last one to finish.

35) It is all worth it. Every second, every moment, every day, every week, every month, every year. Period.