Narrative Essay On Cross Country

Each of the four years I have been in college has brought a unique challenge and opportunity for growth. For two and half years I ran year-round on the cross country and track team, until I realized I was forcing myself to run eight to sixteen miles a day. That, and the fear that I missing out on other opportunities, resulted in me giving up the sport I enjoyed for over eight years. I do not regret the decision though. I am still able to run and pursue physical fitness through many other enjoyable means such as long bike rides, tennis and hiking.

In physical education we were put to do the mile I was always second to last if not last I wasnt made fun of but I didnt really good about myself. As the years went on I was still fat couldn’t do anything until sophomore year of high school is where it all changed. I remember it quite clearly as if it was yesterday I was sitting in my math class when one of classmates had large number pinned to his bag and a uniform on that hadn’t seen before. That's when I got curious and asked what sport was all this for he then explained it was for cross country and that I should join it would be fun. It turns out that the season was about to end so it was to late to join so I had to wait for next year so I did. I went my junior in the summer since that's when they practiced and ran for the first time. After this first run I thought I was going to literally die and didn't want to this any more and to top it off all the guy runners who I thought that were slow beat one by one. This is where I decided I wasn't going to be last or lose a race to anyone. I practiced the whole year and did track top it off. Now the summer of my senior year was very motivational since I got up early ran and did this everyday till school started to be the best of my high school. Well the season would begin and I was breaking my school records and receiving medals from invitationals and

I made the decision I wanted to change. I wanted the freedom to enjoy life without the constant self loathing. I scorned running. I abhorred running. That will never change, but I did. I committed to a new lifestyle. I signed up for my first race, the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in late fall of 2015. I registered so I could not quit again, making inexcusable excuses.

Last year when I won the Highland Conference in Cross Country, is when I really started to like running. I remember the first meet of the season. I had been running a lot, like 35 miles per week a lot, I was feeling very ready and just felt like I had the advantage on everyone else. I was in such good shape that the two miles you run in an actual meet felt like nothing compared to how much I had been running on my own so at that first meet I kind of surprised myself. I took off a lot faster than everyone else it seemed. I kept a much faster pace than most and just kind of kept it that way. The meet was at Manton, so half way through the race I remembered Manton’s cross country course is known for the signature obstacle, the mudpit. When I got

Before the season ends, it is tradition that we have one final practice in which we vote for captains. At the beginning of track, I was not sure if I wanted to run again next year, but by the end of the

Then the day came, the day I finally came face to face with my destiny, the day I met cross country. After that day I knew that this was my purpose and that this is what I was meant to do.     Cross country is a tough (to say the least) sport. Day in and day out, you have to give it your best. That does not mean you have to run as hard as you can, but the effort has to be at its best every day.

I honestly didn’t like to run until I joined Track and Field. I like track and field. At first i wasn’t going to do track and field until by sibling made me join . I like practice since our group ( long distance) would always be messing around with each and our coach would motivate us to try our hardest. When we would have meets, I would get really nervous before the race. During the race I would like the wind going through my hair and hearing the people cheering. Seeing the finish line would make me sprint the last 100 m and it would make me smile because I was done. I have learned the importance of working together and learn to not give up

Ready, set, “bang,” the starter gun goes off, thousands of people cheer, hundreds of runners on your left and right, and the only thing you’re focus on is crossing the finish line. Your heart is pounding, your stomach twists around itself, and the lactic acid builds in your legs to a point where all you can focus on is the pain that each step takes. But this is Cross Country. Outlasting the pain is part of the sport and if you hadn’t known that from the start you wouldn’t have joined right? And you wouldn’t have stayed all four years either.

Last semester I started the sport Cross Country probably the worst sport ever not kidding. My first race I got lost and basically got last and almost passed out. It was 90 degrees and we were running around Valley high school. It was a very boring course to be honest, Plus I didn’t feel good that day, and on top of that it was on a day where we didn’t have school, so three reasons why that was the worst meet ever. My most favorite meet ever was when we went to the Buhl golf course. It had the perfect weather for running. It was a mix of like rain and wind. It was great because I beat a lot of people, plus I got out of school. Last year I did middle school track it was kind of fun and extremely cold, my first race I got a Charley

As soon as I heard cross country I instantly shot that idea down. I told my mom absolutely not. I said something like “why would I want to run everyday, that just sounds like torture.” Well, guess who was at the first cross practice at 9:30am during the first week of summer, this guy. I was so upset my mom was making try something that I already knew would be terrible

A week before I decided to quit gymnastics I was discussing with my family and friends that I wanted to join cross country. It was the beginning of ninth grade and I was not enjoying gymnastics as much as I used to. I didn’t want to quit entirely because I was progressing my skills on beam and vault, but at the same time the sport became too much to handle. I also knew that if I wanted to run cross country that I would not be able to do gymnastics since the sport required me to drive up to Lincoln four to five times a week. Deciding whether to

I ran my first race when I was 12 years old. It was a 5K in Fargo, North Dakota, that I completed with my father. I competed in cross country and track for six years. I was the varsity cross country captain from 10th to 12th grade and I look back on those years fondly. During my senior year of track in high school, I fractured my fibula during a 4 by 800 meter relay race and as a result decided not to pursue competing at the collegiate level. Despite the absence of competition, I still run as a hobby as much as I can. It is a big part of my life and provides me with opportunities for meditating and developing self-discipline.

I go to the grass by where we will line up for the race and I put my spikes on. Making sure every spike is tight; I double knot the laces and stand up. Now my stomach really hurts. The nerves of a runner before a race are one of the worst things to handle. The announcer puts me in line and I take a deep breath once it’s my time to go up to the blocks. I set up my blocks for my standards and take off my sweats. The breeze hits my thighs as my tank top flows from side to side. The sun wishes me good luck just before I start my race. I slightly shake as the announcer tells us, “Runners to your mark!” and I get down. Shaking more vigorously now, my heart is pounding in my chest. It seems like hours waiting for him to yell, “Get set!” “Go!” but once he does I know it’s go time. I push off my blocks, and I run as fast as I can. I can feel my legs moving together in motion as the balls of my feet dig into the track. My spikes are doing their job in helping me grip to the surface as I make my way to the finish line. Neck and neck with the girl next to me I hope she gets winded out near the end and slows down so I can just scarcely make it past her. I feel like I am running as fast as a horse. Crossing that finish line and coming to a slow stop, I breathe heavily as I exhale in relief of being over. I did it, I’m done… and I did well. My legs raw, I get off the track. (AB) Some fellow sprinters congratulate me as I do the same to them. That is what’s nice about track, it seems like most of the people are very friendly. They have no problem congratulating you or talking to you about how nervous they are before a race. We know we are all in the same boat and all we want is to succeed. Every blue moon a distance runner will congratulate a sprinter but I don’t think it has ever happened to me. I don’t know if they are just caught up in their own world or if they are just being stingy about the whole

I’ve never been on any sports and track is my first.When I was in middle school I always wanted to participate in some type of sport. I always wanted to do soccer, but never had the courage to try out and track seemed fun, but I really didn’t feel like staying after school every day, so instead I did band. Band was very fun and I’m still in it, but that’s another story.

Running has been a crucial part of my development as a person and a student. I was a terribly unathletic child growing up. Truly focused on academics, music, and art, I was weak and skinny. Gym class would cause me stress as my peers looked down upon my skills and did not pick me to participate in their team. I still remember my seventh grade gym teacher laughing at my terrible volley ball skills. However, I started track and field in seventh grade. I was definitely not the best runner and it took a while for me to become used to moving after years of idle activities. I was still seen as an un-athletic person, but I decided to persevere and continue to run. I joined the cross country team in eighth grade and continued to run ever since. By