Cross Country, State, and so much more.

So, I've refrained from writing this post for awhile now, mostly because I've still had to sort out all my emotions from that eventful day. This past Wednesday I ran in what may be the last Cross Country race of my high school career, and indeed arguably the most important one.

This past year of cross country has been amazing. Our team was incredibly strong and fast, and we had a bond that I have never quite felt before in our previous teams. I know I express the sentiments of the whole team when I say that we truly became brothers. Each and every one of us cares about every other member of the team, and we each expected and desired the best out of each other. I believe that we got the best out of everyone. We dedicated ourselves from June 8th to October 21st, and we reaped the fruits of our labors. My head swims with the memories of all those six o'clock summer practices, each trail run and each speed work, from Lambs Canyon, to Cottonwood Complex. And it all came to a head on October 21st, the day of the State Championship race. I won't go over the details of the race, because that's not what this post is about, but I will say we took 4th place in 5A and 5th place overall. It is a very admirable accomplishment, and I am very proud of what my team did. So, if any of you saw me after the race you're probably wondering why I was so emotional about it (yes I cried). And I've got to say, it's not regret, the team did wonderfully, and I know I gave it my all that day, there was nothing I could have done that would have made me race better. Rather, I'm sad at the realization that Cross Country is over for me. I dedicated essentially three years of my life to this sport. I ran almost every day for three years, and then all of a sudden... it just ended. I'm still pretty sad about it all, but I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to run, and that I was able to run with such a great group of guys. It's been an amazing journey, and I'm sorry it's had to come to an end, but I say to Coach Olsen and the rest of the team, thanks for the ride.

My journey through cross country has been what I would call a journey of discovery. I started Cross Country as a weak runner, I couldn't run 2 miles without stopping. I remember my first day well, I ran our "Del Taco" run, a four mile run with a large hill. Frankly, it was brutal, I don't think I'd ever experienced quite so much physical exertion and exhaustion. But, I wanted to run, don't ask me why, it was just something I had to do. So I kept at it, I trained and ran mile after mile, my eyes always looking forward to what I could become. So I've trained for three years and discovered a little about myself through running. I discovered I can run, I can dedicate myself to something, I can lead, and I can pursue a dream, even through adversity. There's a lot more than that, but those are what I'll share.

Cross country is my passion, and it always will be. I love the feeling of team brotherhood that comes from it, and believe it or not, I love the feeling of being utterly exhausted after a race or hard work out. That sense of accomplishment, of hard work, of growth, I have yet to experience in any other place. So I've finally discovered, that's why I run, to work hard, and to work towards my potential, to become the best I can be. So, as you could probably guess, after the end of the season I feel a little lost. I've lost something that allowed me to lead and be part of a team that I love, and I've lost a piece of me that has been with me for the past three years. Frankly, now I don't know quite where to go with my running, but I do know this, I'm going to run, whether on my own, or for a college. Whatever is, I'm going to run.