Cross Country: Other Sport’s Punishment
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Transcript of Cross Country: Other Sport’s Punishment
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.