Cross-country is the sport of running long distances. I began running cross country in seventh grade in response to peer pressure. My friends at the time were involved and encouraged me to join. The first year was a "test" year, a chance to experiment with a new sport and broaden my athletic knowledge. Cross-country is exceptionally challenging. It not only altered my mindset but physically drained my body, and took up valuable time from my life as well.
Cross-country is a sport with many benefits, including staying physically in shape, gaining muscles, and strengthening the mind. However, if a person does not enjoy the sport, it can have many negative impacts. After the first "test" year, I had a conversation with my mother discussing my
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Consequently, in eighth grade I pushed through another season, bonding with the coach and the team. At this point, my quitter mindset remained the same, wanting to cease running the next year. This mentality did not stop me from not running, therefore I remained part of the cross-country team. As a Freshman, I ran yet another season, acquiring an even worse attitude than in previous years. I had become one of the best runners for the team, and the best out of the girls. I'm not mentioning this to give off an egotistical or arrogant charisma, I am just illustrating the progress I've made since seventh grade. Throughout the cross-country season in high school, I noticed the practices were significantly more difficult and exhausting, both physically and mentally. During races, I would constantly repeat, "In 20 minutes it'll be over, in 20 minutes I'll be done" to ease my nerves …show more content…
Cross-country is not meant to be a sport for everyone, and I honestly feel it shouldn't be a sport at all. Track is understandable because of the field events and relays, but cross-country is simply running over 3 miles non-stop until the finish. Additionally, cross-country is an immensely high-impact sport, being the cause of an abundance of injuries such as shin splints and plantar's fasciitis, both of which I have or have had. The physical drain on my body throughout the season is ridiculous, having incessant muscle cramps and aches, as well as the ceaseless feeling of