Cross Country Running

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The enjoyment of running is not completely tied up in winning or losing; however, nothing motivated me more to become a better runner than not being able to represent my school at the state meet during the 2014 cross country season. I joined the team in 2013 during my sophomore year, and I enjoyed early success as I made the varsity squad. Our boys’ team entered regionals with a chance to run at state, but we missed it by a few points. Soon, it was my second season of cross country running. This year was different from the previous season. We had new runners that were stronger, faster, and more experienced. I was not fast enough to be on the boys’ varsity team. With mixed emotions, I watched on the side as my friends went to regionals and were …show more content…

Runners are not known for their biceps, but it can really aid a runner to have a fit core and toned arms because the intensity of cross country is magnified by the hills we climb during a race. A strong upper body will make a hill easier since the runner has more of an ability to move up the hill without burning as much energy. In response to this new knowledge, I signed up for a strength and conditioning class to improve my strength. Not surprisingly, these ideas have brought my running to an entirely new plane. I am now the second fastest on my team, and I have an opportunity to lead the boys’ varsity to state. Failing to run with the team at state last season taught me a lot in terms of running, but it enlightened me more in understanding why people want to keep on improving themselves. While I failed in my previous cross country season, it created within me the desire to become the best runner I could possibly be. Success is only sweet because we experience failure. If we achieved our goals all of the time, life would become mundane. I lost motivation as a runner when I made varsity my first year, thinking it was going to be easy. I regained it when I bounced back from a disappointing season, never wanting to return to that feeling of defeat. Life is about improving ourselves and those around us. We improve so we do not repeat our past failures. This is why I win daily when I

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