Cross Country is an extremely mental sport, so I guess you can call me insane. Sure people always question me why I run, and sometimes, even I question myself. But the reason I run always comes to me during the race. Five-hundred people all crowded around each other, everyone anxious to hear the sound of the gun. As the gun fires, everyone takes off running. Not away from something, but all towards the same thing: the finish-line. Adrenaline kicks in, the bystanders all cheer, packs of runners start to form, and then the actual competition begins. As the people beside you try to show dominance and speed up, you need to stay mentally strong, and run with them. Three miles later, with the finish-line in sight, everyone starts sprinting. This is where you use every last bit of energy, giving it all you have. …show more content…
Parents and coaches yell at you to push harder. Everyone around you is hurting too, it's just a matter of who loves the pain more; who pushes harder to finish faster. After I hit the finish-line, I realize why I run. I love the competitiveness, the adrenaline, and above all, the feeling I get when I finish. So what exactly has this painful, insane sport taught me? It taught me commitment, dedication, sportsmanship, and most importantly, it gave me inspiration. Cross-Country inspired me to exceed my running capabilities and see what I can actually do. With inspiration from this sport, I decided to run a marathon as part of a school project. After all, if I love the feeling from finishing a 3.1 mile race, just imagine what I could feel from a 26.2 mile race. Raising over $1,000 for the Alzheimer's foundation, I ran that marathon, and finished 5th out of nearly 200 people. Cross-Country inspired me to go beyond my boundaries, and dedicate my life to