I started my running career in fifth grade and continued to run year-round until I graduated high school. My older sister convinced me to join the team; she raved about the many people she met and how much she enjoyed practices and meets. Although I was apprehensive about how I would perform in races at first, I nevertheless decided to try it out and join the team. Reflecting now, I am so grateful that I made that decision. Running not only improved my mental and physical self, but it also greatly changed my high school experience for the better. The twilight runs through the local park, the heart to hearts while stretching, and the often agonizing (but satisfying) tempo runs are experiences that I will always hold close to my heart. Here are some of the most poignant experiences that stand out to me looking back on my running career. Hopefully all you runners out there can relate to these as well:

1. Hitting rock bottom because you ran an awful time. Whether you're a cross country, an indoor track or an outdoor track runner, not running your best often affects you in a way unlike anything else. Your confidence and drive plummets when you perform "badly." Whether it's because you knew you could have kicked a little harder at the end, you faded during the second mile or your legs were just "dead" for the duration of the race, runners tend to be unnecessarily hard on themselves.

2. Comforting a friend that just ran an awful time. Although no one likes to run a bad time, there's always a silver lining amid the disappointment. There is always going to be a teammate who will comfort you. One of my fondest memories of my cross country experience was when I performed really badly in a race and one of my teammates consoled me. Many of the bonds that I made with teammates were a byproduct of us mutually leaning on one another.

3. Eating Luna Bars, bananas or bagels an hour before race time. This is the usual pre-race meal for most runners. Granola bars and fruit were the go-to right before warming up. Of course, we always rewarded ourselves with pizza or candy after the race.

4. Arriving at the meet three hours before you have to race and falling asleep in a tent (and acting like it's paradise). Sharing a tent with the team is the best; it's the perfect place to relax before or after a race. I remember we would all cuddle together in the tent in one big heap at seven in the morning, shivering under fleece blankets. You were pretty lucky if you had a race later in the day and could sleep all morning.

5. Playing intense card games. I'm not certain if playing card games was as popular for most teams as it was for Colonie, but I cannot imagine my running career without them. If you weren't running, cheering or sleeping, you were playing a card game. My team's personal favorite was Kemp.

6. Laughing/singing at practice. Practice was always my favorite part of the day. It was a time to unwind by running out all my stress and emotions, to improve my running, and to see my friends and have fun with them. I got close with people in my class year and upperclassmen as well. We often would fill the practices by talking about our days, singing while we were stretching or running, and, obviously, cracking up at each other. These practices were the high point of my days and I formed so many unforgettable memories with people that I will never forget.

7. Cheering your heart out for your teammates in the woods. One of the main reasons why cross country will forever be my favorite season is because we got to run in the most beautiful places. I loved running through misty woods, rolling hills and muddy plains. But what's better than running in the great outdoors? Cheering in the great outdoors, of course! Screaming at teammates until you're blue in the face is one of, if not, the most fun components of cross country. Not only is cheering such a great time, but it's also gratifying. When cheering for a runner you know your voice is going to be heard by them. It's almost as if the sound of your voice can fuel their legs a little more.

8. Away meets. Everyone loves away meets. They're a great opportunity for team bonding and are a downright good time. There was one meet in particular that was everyone's favorite: the Manhattan meet. Every year my team stayed two nights in the city to run a race at Bryant Park. Some of the best memories I have ever made are shopping at the Palisades Center Mall, exploring the park or singing Christmas songs on the way back from the meet with the team.

9. Doing a team cheer right before all the pain. Nothing gives you an adrenaline rush quite like a cross country cheer. We belted ours out in a circle in front of the finish line, screaming at the top of our lungs (I'm sure no one understood us most of the time). The cheer fortified us as team, provided us with the power and confidence to dominate, and informed all the competing teams that no one has as much vigor, ambition and roar as Colonie.

10. Crossing the finish line. Your lungs are tired of expanding and contracting, your legs have morphed into jello and your arms feel like iron bars. Even your neck feels like it can't support your head. You see the finish line, but it doesn't seem too near. All runners are familiar with this "end of race" pain. The thing about cross country though is that if you have the strength to believe you can succeed, you will. Thus succeeding in this sport is based on mentality, and particularly the final stretch is the hardest mental part of the race. Only cross country runners know the sense of gratitude, relief, and, most importantly, accomplishment that finishing a race provides.