Fell running

be the sport for you? Do you enjoy running? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, you may think that soccer and cross country are the same thing or have the same concept, but they don’t. With soccer and cross country both being sports that teach endurance and sportsmanship, they also offer different circumstances and objectives. High school soccer and cross country can be totally different, but that does not mean they do not have any similarities. A few similarities would be; the category of sport that they fall in and practice makes perfect. Soccer is a game that involves a lot of running, thus falling into a running category. You have to have a ton of stamina and endurance just to get through a whole game. Within the game of soccer you are…

to all that knew her.” Sue Baxter was a hardworking young woman who had big plans and who brought light to the worlds of her family, friends, and teammates. Sheryl Maahs was a junior majoring in pre-business. She was from Spirit Lake, Iowa, where she had a successful high school track career. The 1985 preseason “Profiles” of the team stated that Sheryl, “did not begin running cross country until her senior year” but still “finished 13th in the 1982 Iowa prep state cross country meet.” Sheryl…

On The Run The red dust flew into my already watery eyes, as the hot sun scorched down upon my burnt and darkened skin. I could taste the sweat pouring down my face. I continued to run through the pain, lifting what now felt like my incredibly heavy legs I sprinted for my life. My heart’s pounding echoed throughout my body as I breathed heavily. I didn’t know where I was running to but I continued to pump my legs, mindlessly placing one foot in front of the other. It didn’t seem to matter where…

“Aren’t Cross Country and track like the same thing?” That is the question many runners get a lot, and it drives us crazy. This is because they are not the same thing at all. Yes you do run competitively against other teams, however they are both very different from one another, including the distances, terrain, and how much time the meet takes. The first thing I want to point out when running cross country is the distance, for both boys and girls it is a 5k race (3.1 miles). According to…

I wish the moment could have lasted forever. Standing up in front of that crowd and receiving my medal sent pure joy coursing through my veins. At that point in time, I couldn’t believe what had just happened. I had placed in the top 15 of my race, and this wasn’t just any meet… this was districts. As most people know, I have run cross country since the beginning of 7th grade. Running has a lot of ups and down for me. Along with most of our teammates, I will groan when our coach says it’s…

About a year ago at this time, I was training for the NYC half marathon. I’d never really taken to running in my life, despite always being pretty active. This was different. After I’d recently lost my mom, running connected me to something larger. When the cold winter air came into my lungs, I knew each breath was all I needed to keep going. It allowed me a space to surprise myself and as long as I kept at it, I constantly did surprise myself-- in strength, commitment, and fortitude. It was the…

Your heart is racing, running as fast as your body will possibly allow, kicking up dirt with every aching pace. Close behind three young boys on bikes, turning back to see them gaining ground. Time begins to slow as you initiate a full blown sprint, something you’ve never been able to do because of scoliosis of spinal condition you were born with. All of this commotion was caused by simply being different, and not complying with the norms of society. This was the life of Forrest Gump,…

A very significant place to me that I’m sure I wouldn’t be the same without is the track, more so the track team at my current high school. It changed my life for the better. There may be times when I don’t feel that way, mostly at practice when we’re doing difficult and tiring intervals, core work, or even when something I really don’t want to do comes up, but if I really didn’t enjoy it then I would have quit a long time ago. Through track i developed a mindset to not give up on things easily,…

We all have something to be passionate about. Whether it's a sport, a career or a hobby, everyone has that something that they do and love that is deeply woven into our lives. This "thing" is so important that taking this one "thing" away would tear any person apart. My passion, my hunger, my "thing" is running cross country. There has never been a moment wasted on my sport due to its inherent ability to build a person's character and teach the athletes the importance of goal setting. During my…

I let myself emerge in the beat, words, and melody of the music. Music has the reassurance that I need to win in the race. Music affects my mood by helping me up with motivation from the music’s rhythm. During the first mile, I plug in my headphones- this helps me defeat the challenges I experience during the race. The beat of the music pounds my heart like a beating drum. The loudness and steady tempo help me improve my performance by establishing a steady running pace. The sensation I feel as…