Summer Training: Part One

    Now, I know in my last running post, Running to Live, I said I would likely start my summer training with a 4+ mile run. And, to the letter, that's what I did.

    However, it must also be stated it turned out to be a 7.5 mile run. Honestly, and though I felt fine the whole time, it might've been a bit much. Maybe mile too far, as I ran the entire distance through, stopping twice only to remove pebbles that had been stuck in the treads of my ON running shoes.

    But, a start is a start, and I was the first of my siblings out of the blocks this season. This morning, I took them to a bike trail in town where the five of us started, or in my case continued, our 2023 XC season.

    I continued with my conditioning today, opening with a 3 mile run followed by an easy cooldown mile. A total of four miles.

    We crossed paths with one of our teammates on the trail, and might I just say, I was a bit jealous of his workout. While I was out running slow and steady, he was sprinting hills. Up and down, probably some 30+ times, sprinting up for twenty seconds each time. A nice, easy jog downhill.

    Running is a large part of my, ever since my freshman year of high school. It's truly amazing, all that cross country has done for me. I'm healthy, fit, and strong. It is a mental sport, and my mental strength has increased at least to twice the degree my body has. I am now more than ever a mentally tough person, able to cope with straining schedules, school, work, sports, and all parts of my life.

    I'm so grateful for the chance my parents and Coach J. gave me. Running is a family activity. Five of my six siblings have trained for the sport, two just starting today, and of course, I've run XC and track for the past three years. Our parents and oldest sister, who is at college, will watch us compete, and cheer us on. Even if my dad can't make it, I always hear his voice cheering me on at our meets, and everyone within a two mile radius of my mom hears her voice. 

    One of the best things about XC is that it's a individual sport with teams. What I mean by that is cross country runners are on a course with ten to a few hundred people on it, and they're main goal, for the majority of the runners out there, is to beat their best time, which we call a PR, or personal record.

    We're all out there running on and for our teams, but we want to improve on our own skill, lower our best 5k time, and we want the same for everyone else. It's a huge, competitive, all inclusive community.

    We're not out there to "destroy" our competition, although we do want, and try, to win. But, and this is coming from a guy who qualified for 2A State as an individual once, and twice with my team in three years, we want the competition to reach their personal goals as well. That doesn't mean if a guy comes up to me and says his goal is to beat me, I'm gonna pat him on the back and let him. No, I'm gonna give him a genuine smile and wish him a good race. Then, for the sake of the joyous, adrenaline raising competition, I'm gonna give him the race of his career.

    And when we've finished, crossed the line and regained the ability to breathe without being heard, we shake hands, smiling, and congratulate each other for an amazing race. We don't care about the outcome, especially if we finished on each others' heels.

    I've only ran cross country and track, and haven't played any other sports, and I'm glad cross country is my priority sport. One person can sabotage the team, but only I can sabotage my race. And the best and bravest of us out there are the ones who have to start their race half an hour early, just so they can get off the course before the varsity races.

    These few people who, instead of running the average, which is about a 26 minute 5k, they run 45 to 50 minute 5ks. In Iowa, you get disqualified at 45 minutes. If you come in after that, your entire race, all that effort, it doesn't count towards the team's score, even if it would be last place. I run a low 17 minute 5k. These kids are my heroes. Not the freshman who got 2nd at state last year.

    Are you beginning to see what I mean? Cross country is a beautiful sport. As a matter of fact, since I sat down to write this, the two most influential men in this part of my life, an old teammate and Coach J., have reached out to me, offering me summer training programs.

    If your kids are wanting to join this sport, or if you're on the fence about it, if you want to get or stay fit for a winter sport, or just to stay healthy, or if you just want to be cheered on and chased by crowds, which is honestly a cool part of the sport, I would recommend  it.

    Oh, and that community I was talking about? It's not just high school cross country. It's runners worldwide. You'll find us everywhere. As a matter of fact, my neighbor, who has an amazingly and meticulously well-kept multi-acre yard, is a long-time runner, as is his wife.

    And one last thing. If you want to join this community, don't think you need to join a team, run all summer, put in hundreds of hours, or thousands of miles. A runner is simply that: one who runs.

    Join the community. Learn what it is to be cheered on by complete strangers. If you join a cross country team, watch crowds of all types of people charge across golf courses, screaming and hollering, yelling things like, and these are quotes, "MOVE!," or, "Accelerate! Keep that pace!" A more common one is, "FINISH!" 

    (Like they went through all that effort just to stop a step before the finish line and quit? 🤨 Yeah, I don't think so.)

        -Living to Improve,

            Benjamin