P.V.H.S.X.C.S.T.S.

This blog post I dedicate to my sport. Cross Country.
The glorious sport of Cross Country is probably among the more amazing sports in the world. I know, it may not be the most entertaining thing to watch, but when you watch people you know race, it gets crazy, especially at the end when there's like 400 meters left and two people are neck and neck and then one gets ahead but at the last second the next person passes them! that's good stuff. It's also a wonderful sport because for the most part, it's you against you. The goal (usually, and even then) isn't to beat everyone else, the goal is to beat yourself, do better than you've ever done, see all of your hard work pay off. Whereas with most sports your team wins or looses, no matter if you improve tenfold, your team could still loose to the opponents. You also get to gauge yourself on just how much you get better, for example, with soccer you can learn to kick more directly, but you can't really track your progress and see yourself getting better and better, whereas with my trusty sport, you can be encouraged by all the awesome progress your making and you can see it pay off through times an things.
Besides racing, there are also so many good things that come from just running long distance. You can get in shape and have so much energy to be able to accomplish daily tasks. I know after I started XC every day after a run first I'd feel awfully exhausted, but then in a few minutes, I'd feel like I'd have more energy than I did to begin with. You also supposedly get awesome legs, I'm still waiting for that promise to come true though. And running helps me clear my head like none other. I usually run alone because no one else on my team is my speed or decently close to my speed, and it just gives me time to think things through, make a checklist for the day and schedule out my day, it also can just improve your mood dramatically. During Kiss Me Kate this past year, when I was juggling school, play, and XC I would feel so much more relaxed and positive after a day of running, rather than a day of rehearsals (I love theater so very much, don't get me wrong!). Running is just good for you.
Now another HUGE part of my sport, is my team. I seriously have the best team in the world. Everyone is so happy, hardworking, and positive, not to mention great examples to me in other aspects of my life. Our team is known for just being filled with amazing people who have super high standards and are really friendly. Now some may argue that the team is kind of a "cult" if you will. but that is completely. . . arguable. I will admit we have some cultish qualities, but that is beside the point! When you join the Cross Country team it's like you automatically get 70 new friends who support and encourage you in all you do. I do theater because I love acting, I do XC because I love the people.
This season I have been honestly working so hard. Last year at about this time I was still struggling to get two miles down without stopping, and now I'm focusing on bigger and better goals. I can quite honestly say that I am probably the worst one on the team. I know, life is tough. But I'm not going to give up! Cross country is something I can work at, have goals for and improve in. Like my coach said this morning, some people's goals on our team is to be the state champion, others goals are to make varsity, and others goals are to break 25 minutes. My personal goal for the season is to break 30. for most people that is a more than achievable goal, they can do that every day for a leisurely run, even people who don't go running everyday could still probably break 30 for a 5K. But for me, that goal is something I have to work hard for. Every time I feel like giving up, wanting to slow down, take a quick breather, I try to picture myself after a race looking at the list, searching for my name and time, and then I see my name, scroll my finger over to my time and seeing 29:54 and feeling so excited. like if I ever see something so beautiful as that, It would just make me want to scream and possibly cry. I seriously have been killing myself this summer in hopes of getting a time as wonderful as that. I'm having a hard time of imagining myself not crying for hours if at region this year I still haven't reached my goal, I'm seriously that determined.
Well Cross Country is the best. best sport, best team, best coach, best everything. It's just awesome and I wake up every morning at 6:30 just super excited to go hang out with my friends and run some miles and get closer to my goals. some people complain at practice about how early it is, or how hard it gets, but I simply couldn't be happier. I love it! I enjoy Cross Country thoroughly.