Dylan DeGrood Mrs. Avila Puente Honors Lit. 27 May 2014 Cross Country Community (Remove Title for second copy) The aching screams of my legs and feet as I speed down the dusty path. I think to myself, push through it, and don’t give up. I bounce down the path hoping to be done soon. The finish line is calling my name as I race down the chute with the audience cheering me on in the background. Cross Country first began in the 1800’s as stated here, “English schools started competing in cross country races in 1837, and established a national championship on December 7, 1867.”(Wikipedia) The challenges of running Cross Country are cruel. The mental strength of doing this sport is unbearable. Cross Country is more than a run in the park it’s a race between the competition, your teammates, and even your friends. To run Cross Country you will need to have the required strength, stamina, and mental strength to get through the obstacles ahead of you. This sport was surely not my first choice. Honestly, once my mom and friends talked me into doing Cross Country, I was truly scared. It to...
Cross country and track to an outsider, they can only be seen as running. Well, to a student of the sport they are both so much more. Runners are gathered to both, but there are plenty of variations between the two. Although I love both of these sports, if I had to side with one, I would choose track. These can commonly be seen in training, races, and people.
I am now officially in my Senior year of Cross Country , and am close to the end of my season. My first race of this year though was a big accomplishment for me, because I hadn`t been able to run. When I ran that race though it made me just so happy I was able to finish it, I was`nt happy with the time, but there is always time for improvement. I was glad to be racing again and being apart of the team again. I believe that my injuries were a barrier in my way, but they did not stop my sports career.
As I got back on Loopy I felt a sense of relaxation come over me. I heard the announcer say that my time was 10.1 seconds. I knew that this was a good time and could possibly win the short go at the State Finals. I sat through the other fourteen calf ropers to listen to no other times faster than 10.1 seconds. Not only did I win the short go but I showed everyone that I was someone to watch.
Cross country runners spend weeks to months training for that one moment, the moment they will lean across the finish line. Crossing the finish line only lasts for only a split second, but the impact is significant. People often ask why, why spend so much time training for that one moment? Well for me it’s simple. The feeling I have when I cross that finish line is like no other I’ve ever had; it is a unique combination of pride, pain, relief, and an indescribable sense of accomplishment. After reading Into Thin Air, I realized how similar climbing a mountain actually is to running a race. Climbers, just like runners, spend months training for those few glorious minutes on top.
My first week of school, everyone encouraged me to join a club or a team. Of course I did not want to, until I heard we had a track team, and even then I did not know if I wanted to pursue it. In my mind, debating if I should dedicate myself to track was a hard decision. I was about to not only give this sport my time but also nothing but
Crossing the Border from anywhere into the United States is a really hard decision that a person has to make and that decision will have to be because of things that are going on in that persons life. The life in their home country can be a bad one it can be sad, tough to find work, working and not being able to make ends meat it is truly a big decision that one has to make when it comes down to deciding whether to cross and enter the United States and get a better life for themselves and their family or if they have any family. Crossing the border is a very serious thing to do and not to mention very dangerous and is against the law and they know it but risk it all anyways in order to provide for themselves and anyone else that they care about a better life that they could not do in their home country. So the most important idea about border crossing are it's effects on the individual because it is dangerous, it influences identity, it impacts the psychological well being and it harms the family.
I picked up my starting blocks and walked over to the white line along with the seven other girls right beside me. I rubbed the bitter cold from my arms, and took a deep breath. I went to work setting up my blocks, dropping the footholds into the slots that fit my specific measurements. The starter announced that we would have two more minutes to take some practice starts before he would call us to the line. I got down in my blocks, rose up, and finally sprang out of them, just as well as I had been doing in practice the day before. I could not have been more ready for my eighth grade Mid-Southern Conference track meet.
I was so excited to start my new journey in school. I knew that being involved in a sport was going to help me become more confident. Running has taught me how to achieve my goals, be tough; both physically and mentally, and appreciate life. The first week of cross country was difficult.
My sophomore year had begun and I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to do track this year. Last year I played football in the fall and soccer in the spring. Not really enjoying it, the decision was made to play " real futbol" (soccer) in the fall, leaving the spring sports season open. My friend kept telling me how fun track was, so I decided to give it a try.
I dip my toes in—feels cold. My nerves rise up and spread like fire throughout my body while I watch—while I wait. Stomach hurts. All those butterflies clash and crowd. They come every time that I race—it never fails. There is so much noise—the splash of water, talking, yelling, whistling, cheering.
By eleven o’clock, we had only completed two runs, and nothing seemed to be going my way. My brother and dad, without a care in the world, went down the hill with gigantic grins on their faces. Their joy made my blood boil and I felt the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I bet they wouldn’t be smiling if they had to wait for me slowly inching myself down the run.
Wait. Be still. Don't go over the line. Don't let go. Wait for it. "BANG!" My reactions were precise as I sprung out of the blocks. The sun was beating down on my back as my feet clawed at the blistering, red turf. With every step I took, my toes sunk into the squishy, foul smelling surface, as my lungs grasped for air. Everything felt the way it should as I plunged toward my destination. I clutched the baton in my sweaty palms, promising myself not to let go. My long legs moved me as fast as I could go as I hugged the corner of the line like a little girl hugging her favorite teddy bear. The steps were just like I had practiced. As I came closer to my final steps, my stomach started twisting and my heart beat began to rise. The different colors of arrows started to pass under my feet, and I knew it was time.
Drying off, I think about where I am abou to go. I dress piece by layered piece. I can't wait to hit the slopes! I round up my tools: body, boards, boots, bindings. Everything is in working order and ready for take-off. As I open the front door, I am shocked by the cold and fight my way through the wind to my car. I turn the key and put the heater on full blast. I am almost there.
Running hurdles has proved to be one of my greatest passions in life. I love the fear, unpredictability, and brief feeling of flying over the hurdles, just barely hovering over the top of each one. Most importantly, I am infatuated with the feeling after each race: my heart beating intensely in my chest and the feeling of relief and accomplishment washing over me. Although I cannot say running hurdles has been the greatest adversity I have faced in life, I have found that my life has always been like a race, running from one hurdle to the next, always having to figure out how to get up after each fall or to overcome each obstacle in front of me.
Running, you are in the middle of a race, your heart is pounding and each breath is a challenge, but you know you have to keep going. Racing a three-mile race is a challenge. It pushes not only your body but your mind through extremes, you face confrontations that you may not face on a daily basis. Running and racing have existed for centuries and do not get the recognition they deserve, for the sport itself is viewed as difficult. Cross country is not about how well of a runner you nor how fast you are; that is how you get improve and get to bigger competitions, but in the end, it is about how much effort you put in and how much you are pushing yourself physically and mentally. Pushing yourself not only physically, but mentally in races, is