Reminiscing

    While I was home over winter break, I did a lot of reminiscing. It was just so easy to do, with dusty old trophies, high school shirts, and our home cross country course a mere 3 minute drive from my house. And then I found this gem above. This picture was taken moments after I ran my high school PR at Polk Community College at the 2008 regional championship (time: 21:18). I love this photo because of the awkward contrast between the jubilant expression on my mom's face and the misery on mine. I remember exactly how I felt when this was taken: delirious, exhausted, but deeply happy and satisfied. Our team had a great race, and we qualified for states. Everyone had season PR's, and it felt even better because we went to the race knowing that we were on the borderline of qualification. Those were the days. I knew at this point that I loved cross country and running, and I can't wait until this awesome sport comes back into my life down the road.

   I took a run to Wall Springs Park (our home course) and sat on the bench where our team convened before our races. As I ran my fingers down the imperfectly painted wood, I thought of all the memories I had there. My only cross country win. The mysterious calf cramps. Leading the race the wrong way, and making it a 6K (I'm getting everybody ready for college, coach...). From where I was sitting, I could see the finish line and the first mile marker. Every time I ran past that point, I would look to coach with hopeful eyes...and then hear "6:20...6:21...". Shi--, I remember thinking, that's too fast! Again! I'm gonna die! And I almost always did.

     Cross country taught me a lot of things. It taught me that 5K's really hurt. It taught me perseverance. Being a captain taught me leadership, and the people that I met taught me about friendship. I learned about proper training, which I didn't do until college; but without that crash course and first-hand experience, I wouldn't have been able to be the athlete and coach that I am today. Cross country lit a competitive fire in me that was unlike any soccer match that I played. Although I may have been running alone at the time, I could always feel the weight of my team's accountability on my shoulders when another jersey passed me. It was like watching points getting added to the scoreboard, slowly and painfully.

Sometimes I felt like this...













...and other times I felt more like this,











but cross country will always have a place in my heart.