My head is exploding, my stomach is ripping, my legs are starting to ache, and the competitor is about to appose, this is what Cross Country is. The competition, the family, and out-lasting the pain are some minor details of running.
             The competition is extreme, each race you are going against about 150 other competitors. This year for the girl's team, Salem has been our biggest competition. Running is definitely nothing but a gut sport; hopefully you have a lot of it because you do need it. Determination is a key fact when going against a number of other girls or you just might get left in the dust, literally!
             The Cross Country team is very close especially in high school, since you train together for over 4 months and plus the season. Which is considered a big running family between the coaches and the athletes who do run. You get to know everyone else's families like their parents, brothers, etc. You basically feel like your part of a one big family.
             When your legs, stomach, arms, chest, and head hurt, and you feel like you are going to die, then you know what it's all about. Cross Country is not like other sports who get those timeouts or even get to switch players between rounds, it's an all out two miles and there are no rounds so you have no rest or stops. No matter how much it hurts, you have to finish because then you get the satisfaction of completing it. That's why I don't think we get the recognition that we should receive, going out in the cold or heat and running 3 to 5 miles no matter how your feeling you still have to run even if you are sore or tired, it doesn't matter.
             That's what it takes to see what your really made of, to see how much guts you actually have. Cross Country is an amazing sport and you won't forget that first feeling of working hard and knowing that you achieved something that many people haven't, that in it self is an accomplishment!...