Cross Country: Other Sport’s Punishment

Nicole PetersonMr. Christen

English 101: Composition 14 December 2012

Cross country has both mental and physical benefits if your heart is in it. People who do not run do not realize how hard cross country practices and races really are. Even the most in shape high school

boy would find the long runs and insane workouts extremely difficult.

“Cross country is 80 percent

mental. It’s the ability to tell

yourself to go faster up the hill

rather than listening to your body and slowing

down; it’s the mental ability to be able to sprint

your hardest after running those three

miles.” (Hermann)

During a race or mileage run the majority of the time the runner cannot see the

finish line. There is no end in site, yet you have to push yourself as

hard as you possibly can the

whole time. By the end of the run, the

runner is accomplished no

matter the distance.

“Cross country involves

running up, down, and

through many different types of terrain such

as grass, gravel, mud,

sand, and concrete.”

(Cross Country Facts)

“You can become a better runner by spending time in the gym. You can build strength ,

power, and endurance by weight lifting.”

(Cross Country) A study done by Runner’s World

states weight lifting increases a

runner’s performance by 13

percent.

During cross country

workouts each runner is

expected to run up and down, around and

around pushing themselves to their limit each

set and not giving up. The

practice finished, we leave

exhausted.

Drinking water empowers

runners when they are

exhausted from the race. During workouts runners

are seldomly allowed to drink any, and during

mileage runs and races there is none. This is

what sets runners apart

from other athletes.

A course map. Each team is given one with 30 minutes to prepare for the race. There are many obstacles during a race that makes it difficult: hills, which are hard on the

legs; straight stretches, which are hard on the mind; and the distance which is hard on the whole body.

During a race, each competitor follows a single

white line throughout the whole race. No

other boundaries exist

and at times there is no one else watching. There is cutting,

pushing, and elbowing (cross

country is supposedly a non-contact

sport) and even though it hurts

and is unfair you have to keep

going.

“With brutal hills, sharp changes in

direction and surfaces

ranging from soft grass to

deep mud, it’s a test not only of fitness, but also of guts.”

(Cross Country Running)

When the gun goes off signaling the beginning of the race everything changes. Your attitude

becomes competitive, adrenaline surges through your body, and nothing else matters.

“No time outs. No

substitutions. No different specialized positions.

Everyone does the same thing

at the same time. You can

not just happen to win a race. You need to

work hard, be smart, and

push yourself.” (Tiefenthaler)

Each cross country race is different. A different course, different terrain, different competitors, and different

conditions. Sprinting, jogging, jumping, wheezing, and thinking are all parts of every single race.

Finishing a race is one of the best feelings in the world for a cross country runner, an instant “runners high”. Knowing

that you gave everything you had for those 16-20 minutes provides one of the greatest feelings of accomplishment

there is.

As with any sport, teammates are extremely important, but with cross country there is a different kind of bond. Your team is the people there to talk to during the outrageously long runs, they

offer encouragement throughout the grueling workouts, and they are the ones holding up as you collapse after a vigorous race.

Lined up at the starting line with 400 other girls. As the gun went off, complete chaos broke out. I was pushed and fell onto

another girl’s spike. With blood gushing out of the ankle I stood up, continued running, and finished the race. This event showed me how tough cross country really is and how tough I

can be.

There is no break from running for good cross

country runners. How

you train in the “off season”

determines how good (or bad) you are during

the season. The more a

competitor runs, the less difficult the

practices are.

Cross country is unforgiving. Practices and races are held (and each runner is expected to be there) whether it is snowing or over a

hundred degrees.

Shoes. The only thing a runner truly needs, along with motivation and ambition. These

shoes signify my past six cross country seasons.

Because cross country is the

hardest sport, it is also one of the

most rewarding. Cross country provides the

greatest feeling of accomplishment

at the end of each practice, race,

and season and great recognition for each of those accomplishments.