Athletes keep attitude and action at the forefront

What is cross country running? Cross country athletes run a 5K race for competition, but they also put in many miles prior to the race. For Nicholas Lind, who has been running for three years and is currently number one in varsity and sixteenth best in the school’s history, the hardest part was running itself and the workouts leading up to the competitions. 

Also on varsity, sophomore Alan Haglin said, “You just run for three miles.” However, he is referring to the race itself, not all the miles put in during the summer and the fall season.

While Haglin makes it seem easy, others are more realistic. According to senior Zach Pribyl, having the resolve to continue running is the hardest part and everything else is easy. “It is fun and keeps the body in shape,” said Pribyl. 

Part of the training takes place at Ney Park. “You run through the woods for miles on end,” said Lind. Lind mentioned that the practice was not that difficult, but the races are the real challenge.

Many people feel intimidated by the idea of running, however attitude is important as well. Pribyl said, “Keep positive,” a simple and powerful message to any person that wants to get into cross country running.

In conclusion, according to these juniors, cross country running is a simple sport with a hard execution that requires a lot of time, training, and determination to be good at it, but if you do so, you are going to enjoy it a lot.