Cross Country

Nazareth Cross Country
Originally uploaded by jarrettfuller.

I miss my Cross Country days. Most people don't understand it...running, what's so fun about that. Well let me tell you. Cross country is about the adventure, the drive, the competition and the friends. Man the adrenaline you feel when that race is about to start. You feel sick, you're nervous, you almost want out of it...and for some strange reason it's awesome. You jump off that starting line knowing the expectations upon you: your expectation and your whole teams expectations. You want to accomplish something, do better than you ever have before. You see people that beat you before and you find the strength to pass them, you find the desire to run even faster when your body tells you to quit.

It hurts, sometimes the whole way, but I gotta tell ya, it hurts even more when you stop. That first 5 minutes after the race it kills. A shooting pain through your lungs, your muscles completely shut down, all to an further extreme when it's cold.

Somehow, through it all, it's still all so great, so rewarding. The next hour after your race is so calm and relaxing it's like heaven. And the people you're around alone makes it all worth it. I miss it, all of it.