If you have ever been on a cross country team in your life, you know that there are feelings and experiences that come from the sport that you can't really get anywhere else. Here is a list of some of the shared experiences that I have come across over the years.
1. Simultaneously loving and hating running
If you've run on a cross country team, you probably know what it feels like to have a love-hate relationship with running. Even when you say you never want to run again, you really don't think you could live without it. It's something that can keep you grounded, healthy, and it carves out time from your day that you are able to spend with people you care about in a place that's far away from the distractions of daily life.
2. That feeling you get after a race
Trust me when I say that this feeling is what makes the sport so addicting. A race can be a stressful and painful trial, but if you give it your all, the feeling that it leaves you with is nothing short of amazing. You are sweaty and tired, yet energized as you sit in the grass and chug an entire water bottle. That's the moment you want to do it again.
3. Wanting to eat everything 24/7
If you're a long distance runner, the chances are that you're probably hungry like right now and also all the time. When you run major miles almost every day, spaghetti is literally your best friend.
4. Feeling like your water bottle is a part of you
Every runner has their trusty water bottle. It comes with them every day as they try to stay hydrated for their runs. It is dragged to countless practices and races. Your water bottle slowly becomes part of your identity because you probably won't be caught without it. Your friends will be shocked to see that you don't have it with you.
5. The panic you feel when you forget your hair-tie
Imagine it. You're away at a meet, getting ready, about to pull your hair into a ponytail when suddenly it dawns on you that you don't have a hair tie. In that moment, you feel sheer panic, wondering if you will have to race with your hair down like some kind of psychopath covered in sweaty hair. Then, you realize that at least four girls around you have a hair-tie for you to borrow as you sigh in relief.
6. Knowing your team is your family
When you are practicing and running with the same group of people day in and day out, you become a family. Cross country tends to be a sport with smaller teams, which creates an even closer bond between the members. You all know way too much about each other, whether its an embarrassing moment on a run, secrets and stories told, or the countless inside jokes that you will all share. You might get into the occasional argument but at the end of the day, you're still all family.
7. The excitement of getting a PR
Nothing beats getting a personal record.... well, until you get a new one. There's nothing like giving your all and realizing that you hard work paid off in the end. It motivates you for next time and it makes you want an even better time.
8. Feeling like hills are your enemy
When you are running hard and you see a hill coming, you know you have to conquer it. You have to defeat this hill. I think we all can agree that running up hills is kind of the worst, and they leave you tired, but running up one can feel like an accomplishment when you get to the top.
9. Having a soul-healing long run
Every runner knows the feeling of going into a long run mentally drained and upset and coming out feeling refreshed with a clear mind. I'm not trying to say that running can fix all your problems, but sometimes it can make you feel like it, or help you come to a new realization.
10. Listening to that one pre-race song
You know that song that you play when you just feel like you need a boost before your race? It can literally be your savior when you're just not feeling racing that day. Every runner needs a good song to lift their spirits and bring them out of their funk.
12. Hearing "running is not a sport" and trying to hold yourself back
Look, I'm not trying to start anything here, but if I overhear you saying running isn't a sport there's a 99% chance that I want to fight you. I think all runners can agree that this statement is so wrong and so infuriating. It doesn't need a ball to be a sport. Just saying.
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