Cross country was one of the most difficult sports I've ever participated in, but I learned so much from my experience on the team. I learned to challenge myself and persevere through pain, and to be thankful for my supportive and tight-knit team. I shed quite a few tears during practices and 5K races, but I also smiled more than ever. Some of my best memories in high school were from running cross country.

Here are 30 things every cross-country runner remembers about race day:

1. 5 a.m. or earlier wake-up call

2. Crying

3. Coming to terms that the race wasn't canceled like you and your friends hoped it would be

4. Driving yourself to school to meet the rest of your team

5. 6 a.m. bus ride to the race course

6. Holding hands with your bus partner and telling each other it will be OK

7. Eating bagels with peanut butter

8. Setting up the tent

9. Warming up

10. Passing out under the tent

11. Lining up on the start line

12. Running sprints to warm up again

13. Gathering with your coach and team

14. Promising to stay with a partner or in a pack with your teammates

15. Gun going off

16. Sprinting to get ahead of everyone

17. Slowing down into your pace

18. Getting heavy legs

19. Somehow separating from your partner and realizing that you're now in this race alone

20. Telling yourself, "You can do this!"

21. Remembering what's going to happen after the race

22. Sprinting to the finish line

23. Crossing the finish line

24. Passing out

25. Standing back up to cheer on the people still running

26. Drinking water

27. Congratulating all of your teammates and celebrating the race being over

28. Talking to everyone's parents and planning where to eat as a team

29. Being thankful that you have this team to eat with

30. Being thankful that you have this team to run with

I still cherish the experiences I had and lessons I learned during cross-country season. It's a very challenging sport, but I miss spending time and running with my team every day. I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.