Cross Country

Cross Country

Lukas Zackar

Cross Country is the first thing I look forward to at the beginning of each school year.  I really look forward to this sport because it is one of my favorites, and it is the first sport of the year.  It is good because we don’t have to wait for sports to start.  Cross-country is extraordinary because it teaches consistency, keeps you out of trouble, and helps you stay in shape.

Participating in practice every day is the most important thing to do in any sport; mainly because you have to show up to practice a certain number of times in order to travel and take part in the races.  Also, as the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” In cross-country it is important to run everyday to try and improve upon your personal best.  If you do not keep up on running, it is really easy to get left behind in a three-mile race.  It is hard to keep a consistent pace for three miles. Practice can help you keep a good pace for three miles.  It helps because we usually start off with a short distance, and then keep advancing the distance as the season goes on.  Once the soreness is gone from the first couple days of practice, you will notice a big improvement in your running.

            Joining cross-country, or pretty much any sport, can help you keep and stay out of trouble.  One good example is that about an hour or two of your time after school will be used for practice.  That will decrease your chances of getting into trouble because it would give you less time to hang out with “trouble makers.”  In my opinion, people who join sports will try their hardest to stay out of trouble because if you do get into trouble you will not be able to travel and you may be kicked off the team.  No one wants to get kicked off of any team because it would give you a bad reputation.

            This amazing sport is a great way to get and stay in shape, if you need it.   Everything that is involved in cross-country is basically just running, ab workouts, and other slight techniques that can help.  Some people join this sport just to get in shape, but if you like to run, then getting in shape is just a bonus.  Also, being in shape gives you an excellent feeling.  Exercising and staying in shape is healthy; so cross-country is a perfect fit.

            Our coach’s name is Tanya Salmon.  This is her second year coaching us here in Igiugig.  Tanya already knew what to do in practice from the previous year, so we weren’t looking for things to do.  I like the way Tanya coaches because she has us start off running short distances before we begin running 3 miles a day.  She doesn’t want us runners to compare our times with each other, instead, we just have our own personal bests.  We have an easygoing coach that runs practices just right. I think we have an awesome coach.

 Cross-country running isn’t easy. It can be painful. You can sprain your ankle, pull a muscle, or pop out a knee. The weather can also affect your running. If it is windy, it’s hard to run against the wind. When it’s too hot, you’re sweating practically the whole way and you get dehydrated quicker. When you first start, it’s tough to show up to practice every day. But at the end of the season, you may feel proud because not everyone finishes. You can feel proud that you accomplished something difficult.