XC RACE REPORT: MY LAST GOODBYE

"Everything you do is your legacy." ~Aaron Douglas Trimble

Every story has a beginning and an end. Mine began on a hot August day. I was a sophmore and arrived about 20 minutes late for my first cross country meet. My coach was probably mad, but he always seemed that way and I didn't know him that well. He just told me that I was too late to run fresh/soph and would have to run JV. I finished in 20:07, right ahead of my middle school nemesis. The only thing I really remember, besides that, is seeing this varsity boy from another school be given oxygen through a mask after his race. I remember seeing a bunch of ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars in the parking lot. It was at least 95 degrees out with a heat index of over 100. Four people were taken to the hospital. And that was my welcome to cross country.

My coach wrote that I was "going to have to do a lot of work to catch up" on my pre race sheet that day. But today, today he gave me 3/4s of a hug and told me I did a good job and that he was proud of me. While we were both on the verge of tears. I've come a long way between these two days. It's been a journey filled with tears, smiles, determination, perseverence, and a little bit of courage. But I would love to experience each of those days over again. Even if everything happened the same way.

The top three teams and top ten individuals qualify for state at our district meet. According to the results at the Supermeet (since the divisional results couldn't be accurately compared), I had a chance to be the 10th person. My team also had a chance to be that third team. We would be the dark horse. And this is why I've been nervous for this meet for about two weeks. I didn't want it to come. I didn't want it to end. But it had to come. And it had to end.

I woke up on Tuesday with a sore throat. I told no one. I figured it wouldn't improve by telling anyone and I ignored it. Because I didn't want it to be there. And then people would keep bothering me about it. So I just kept telling myself that I was fine.

On Wednesday, I woke up with a sore throat. It got worse throughout the day. I had to cough every time I tried to talk and it burned a little during practice. My last practice. It was 70 degrees out and the sun was shining. It was a beautiful day. The leaves crunched under our feet as we ran the two miles in a pack. We came up the parking lot in a line. And then we did 6 strides. As I ran that last stride, I tried to remember it. The way the sunlight shone down on us. The way my lungs burned and my calves protested. The way the grass felt under my feet as I ran across the soccer field toward the school. Something that I've done so many times before.

I didn't even bother opening my backpack when I got home. I kept drinking water and just rambled on to my mom because I was so nervous. She did make me spaghetti and sweet potatos for supper (yes, it's kind of a weird combination) and I was in bed before 8:30. It was kind of hard to get to sleep because I was really nervous about the meet and sad about what it could mean. But when I finally got to sleep, I actually had a couple of dreams. They were all different versions of our district cross country meet, held in different places, with different results. One took place in a parking lot around cones. But when I woke up, I felt rested. My legs felt okay and my throat didn't even hurt that much. Of course, it didn't stay that way but it did give me a little extra confidence.

As I put on my cross country shirt before school, I realized that no matter what, this was the last time I would get to wear my xc clothes to school because of a meet. Not that I was able to pay attention to anything at school anyways. I should've been given a pass that said "most important cross country meet of life, please excuse".

I don't have a 6th hour so I went home before our meet began at 4:00. It had been steadily raining the whole day, it was windy, and was only about 45 degrees. When I got home, my mom told me that only four districts out of 20 hadn't been canceled. And lucky us, ours was still on. I got all my stuff together and put on all my clothes. I decided to wear my underarmour like top even though my coach told us not to wear anything if it was above 40 degrees. I figured he could deal with it and got ready to leave. It really kind of hit me then, the whole significance of the meet. That it could be my last cross country meet. I started crying and I just couldn't stop. My mom gave me a little pep talk that made me feel better. I drove to the meet crying though. I heard my favorite song ever, "Far Away" by Nickelback and another song I like "If You Only Knew" by Shinedown. I was still really upset and nervous though. This made me kind of glad that it was raining when I got to the meet because it would hide my tears.

I arrived at 3:00 but I was the first person from my team there. My coach was getting the tarp out of his car so he could put it under our little tent (that had sides). He said something to me about someone who was probably going to be at the meet but I was wondering where my teammates where. We finally started warming up at 3:11. It was bittersweet, because I knew this could be the last time I would warmup for a cross country meet. I knew that this was the last time I would get to run on my home course. Since the course had changed a little, my coach told us to do the second half. I told me teammates this but they said we were going to do the whole thing. I figured that was there problem then and I would do it later on my own. My coach came over after the first mile though and told us to do the second part, like I had said. This made me a little frustrated, because no one had listened to me and then it seemed like my fault. I was a little more worried though about how I felt. We weren't warming up at a high speed but I was breathing heavily. My legs were doing okay but there didn't seem to be anything special. I desperately wanted this though, so I ignored it all. I concentrated instead of remembering this course, this warmup, and how the rain didn't feel that bad anymore. I then finished the warmup by myself because I stopped at the lone Portapotty and kind of wanted to be alone. I ran the part of the course that had changed and then went back to the tent. My coach gave me my number. Number 304. My last cross country number.

We stretched under the tent, on a tarp that was still folded up, as it rained. The course wasn't as muddy as last week but there was standing water at some parts. Apparently, there was also a tsunami warning for the pond. JS arrived with the signs she had made from poster board and paint. I kept the sign that she had given my mom to hold. She is such a great teammate. My family then arrived and we were almost ready to go. I tied on my spikes and did my last stretches. I put my yellow race headband in my hair along with my gold hairband. My LiveSTRONG wristband was placed in my shoe, and I left the tent. My mom wished me luck as I held back tears. And then I walked to the line. For the very last time.

I only did two strides before standing on the line. After our first stride that took us to the middle of the course, our team did the traditional spike circle with our right feet. With our arms around each other in the huddle, we wished each other luck and thought about state. While everyone else shouted their cheers, we whispered cougars. And then our last stride to the line. As I stood on the line (outside box on the right, aren't we always), I looked at the crowd through the rain. I remembered how many times I have stood before on the line, waiting to run a cross country meet. At my first ever meet. At my first varsity race, the first time I wore that green jersey. At my last first meet, when everything seemed possible. At that meet where I finally broke sixteen. This could be my last time. And this could be my last chance. The gun went off, for my last cross country race.

My coach told us that we had to be in the top 15 near the beginning if we wanted a chance of qualifying for state individually. I didn't want to count on my teammates, because I wasn't sure what we could do, so I was aiming for the top 10. And I truly thought I could do it. My first 800 was in about 3:06, done next to my freshmen teammates JR and TM. My throat felt a little clogged up but I was more concerned about my legs. I was ready to go but my legs didn't seem to want to go with me. I just reminded myself that this might be my last race unless I did something so I kept going. Along the muddy course that was raked of leaves in some parts, I could see my parents and my teammates cheering me on. I had told my other friends that I didn't want them to come. If I was going to make it to state, I wanted to experience that feeling with my teammates, my coach, and my family. And if I didn't make it to state, I wanted to say goodbye with my teammates at this last meet.

There wasn't that many people at the meet and bell guy wasn't there so I didn't get the whole Tour de France experience. As I ran up the hill after the bridge, I could feel how tired my legs were beginning to feel. I had decided that I was just going to go as fast as I could for as long as I could. I also did not want to admit how I was really feeling. It was about .75 mile in when JR and TM began to leave me behind. I tried staying with them but my legs just wouldn't go. I can't just blame it on how I felt sick, my legs weren't working either. My coach yelled at me before I turned the corner to catch up to them but I was trying as hard as I could. I ran the first mile in 6:26, which concerned me a little bit. I knew our times would be slower because of the wind, rain, and cold, but this was a little too slow. Plus, I was falling behind and was just getting slower. So I thought about state.

I knew the next part, the second mile, is always the hardest so I tried to concentrate on catching the girls ahead of me. There was a girl from one of the teams we were trying to beat ahead of me and I was trying to get her. Then we went up the hill and all of a sudden, AK was beside me. I knew that she was coming and I didn't freak out. I just tried to stay with her. She went past me a little and my coach yelled five fast steps at me. I tried but my legs just wouldn't go. They were numb and cold and not fast. I knew this could be my last chance to make my mark so it wasn't like I wasn't trying. I was giving all I could.

We crossed the bridge again and ran across the ditch. I tried moving up to AK but at least the gap wasn't getting bigger. As I passed by the middle school football field, I could see the leaders of the race. JR and TM looked like they were close to the top 10, which almost seemed like a good thing, because I knew that the only way I would get to state would be if we made it as a team. My coach thought we could do it though. He also was yelling out only encouraging things at me. I appreciate the fact that he didn't tell me I sucked during my last race. I also appreciate that he didn't give up on me.

When I went up the hill to get next to the road, I remembered that this was my last chance to run the course. I even caught up to the other girl and AK a little, but then they pulled away. I hit the two mile mark in something:45. I didn't even want to know what time I was running. I could feel my throat burning and my legs slowing down. But I kept going.

We crossed back over the ditch and we entered the finishing loop on my home course for the last time. I was trying to sprint and I noticed a girl moving past me. I checked her jersey and sure enough, she was from a team we were trying to beat. This made me feel like I had to at least try to keep up with her but my legs just wouldn't go. I watched the girl catch up to AK and I cheered for her in my mind. As I turned the corner and ran the last straightaway, I reminded myself that this could very well be my last one. And even though I hadn't felt like I had anything left for the last 1.5 miles, I wasn't going to let anyone pass me and I was going to try to pass someone. I gave it my all to get to that line. I (kind of) sprinted to the finish. And even though I didn't catch up to anyone, no one caught me. AK passed the girl from the other team on the line and I came in behind them. One of my other freshman teammates came in right behind me but I pretty much knew she was back there. The girl in front of me gave me a high five in the chute and I congratulated my teammate behind me. All along, I had been worried about how my other teammates would do at this meet. And when we finally got to districts, it had been me that had struggled.

When I got out of the chute, I didn't know what to do. I might have just finished my last cross country meet. I congratulated AK and watched as my mom walked up towards me. She congratulated me and told me that it didn't matter how we did. She was proud of me. My coach walked up and gave me 3/4s of a hug. He told me "thank you" as his voice cracked and he sounded like he was going to cry. I felt the same. He told me he good job, that he was proud of me, and that it was going to be close.

I talked to JS, the assistant coach, and my teammates. I finally got cold enough that I realized I was shivering and went back to the camp to get clothes on. My senior teammate EOB was in the tent putting on her sweats. Her eyes were all red but I didn't know what to say. I sit next to her in AP Economics and we've been teammates for 3 years, but we don't talk that much. I guess I never realized how much she cared about it too. Not because she wasn't as fast as me, but because of her attitude. We both seemed to be on the verge of tears as we put on our clothes. AK walked in and got her stuff but we all just crouched around under the tent. Some of my other teammates came in and we learned that JR and TM had gotten 11th and 12th. I shouldn't have felt this way, but in a way I was kind of glad. I wanted us to all be in it together if I couldn't go by myself. That's selfish I know, but it's how I felt.

Our whole team stood around waiting for the resutls, knowing it was going to be close. And then my coach walked by the other side of the tent. Somebody must have asked him about the results and he told us. We had placed 4th, by 4 points. We weren't going to state. It had been my last meet. My last cross country meet. We all just kind of looked at each other, in some state of shock. Nobody really knew what to say. Then my sophmore teammate MT said we needed a group hug, so all of us stood in the middle of the tent hugging each other. When we stood back, EOB started crying and then I did. I gave her a hug, partly because she needed one, and partly because I needed one. JR gave me a hug after that. We both stood around the tent crying and everyone else didn't know what to do. I guess it was something you wouldn't understand until it is your last meet. You don't really know how hard it is until it happens. EOB said she was going to cooldown and I said I would go with her. I needed to say goodbye. I stepped outside of the tent after wiping away some of my tears and my coach walked by. He patted me on the back and told me I had done a great job. I didn't really say anything because I knew I would just start crying again, but somehow that gesture meant a lot to me. It was like he didn't know what to say and that he knew I was upset, but that it would be okay. And then EOB, AK, and I cooled down together after our cross country meet for the last time. EOB and I were both crying during the cooldown but we did it quietly with tears streaming down our faces. I knew our eyes were all red (although it was raining) but I didn't really care. We ran together, not talking, on the other side of the bridge. Sometimes I thought I would be okay but then it would hit me all over again. We ran the loop and then went back across the bridge. The three of us all kind of stopped running at the same time and walked towards camp. I saw my mom with my dad under their umbrellas and I walked towards them. My mom gave me a hug and then I really started crying. I was sobbing, hugging my mom, under an umbrella in the middle of a rainy district cross country meet. And I could have cared less about what anyone else was doing. When I got myself together, all the girls had left so I got my stuff. My mom and I walked back to my car together. We saw JS and the assistant coach in the parking lot. I didn't talk very much to them because I was still very upset. I got in my car after that and I just started crying really hard. I drove home that way, hearing the "Second Chance" song by Shinedown. I probably shouldn't have been on the roads because it was raining and I had no idea how fast I was going. I just cried all the way home.

I didn't even care that people beat me, or that I had a bad time, or anything. I had done all that I could so I didn't run bad on purpose. I was a senior who had only gone to state as an alternate. Of course, I was trying with everything I could. I wanted to prove to myself, to everyone else, that I had really become a runner. I wanted to run my last meet at 11:00 on Halloween in Fort Dodge. I wanted to say goodbye at a place that truly cares about cross country.

And if I wouldn't have had my bad day, we might've made it. All the freshmen had great meets. AK didn't have the best meet but she did better than me. And I was supposed to be the leader of the team. I should've been up there. And then we wouldn't have been four points behind in fourth place.We should be going to state. Even though we haven't beaten the third place team in years, we would have deserved it. It was only four points. And we almost made it. We almost made it.

WHY I LOVE CROSS COUNTRY

I might only have one cross country practice left. I might also have more than a week of practice left. Either way, I don't have that many practices left. But this has only intensified my feelings for the sport. It has made me love it even more.

I complain a lot about cross country. I complain about how no one else in our school cares, how no one comes to our meets to support us, how almost no one knows our school has a cross country team, or even knows what cross country is. I complain about how we have one of the smallest sports teams in the school and how no one pays attention to us. But really, I don't think I'd want it any other way. I love how cross country is its only little sport. I love how hardly anyone goes out for cross country, because it means that the majority of the people of the team really care about the sport. I wouldn't even want a large team because I love how it's just us. I love how the rest of the school thinks we are amazing superhumans because they don't really know anything about cross country. I love how other sports teams both look down and look up to us. I even love when people ask me why I participate in the sport, although it kind of bothers me. It's like they are both confused and impressed with us.

I love being able to do one of the things I love best with people who are some of my best friends. I love how I know all these personal things about my teammates but I barely talk to them in school. Before and after a race, people share all kinds of things they'd tell no one else, even though its their true selves. I love the races, seeing the colorful, long lines of people stretched out across the fields. I love cheering my teammates on, and cheering other people on, just because they run cross country. I love riding the bus after meets and laughing with my teammates. I love hearing people cheer for me. I love how we congratulate each other after the race and how you don't have to win to do your best. I love how we run in all kinds of weather and just deal with it. I love how it is just one race but also many races. I love how it is an individual yet team sport. How everyone counts on you but you count on everyone.

I love practices. I even look forward to most of them. I love the track workouts, the long runs, the tempo runs, and everything else. I love running around the lake, knowing that I can do anything because I am a cross country runner. I love seeing the creepers on the trail and speeding up as you pass them. I love getting out of the way of bikes and dogs. I love looking down the trail at the yellow dashed lines painted on the asphalt as the sun shines above. I love running with the leaves crunching under my feet. I love losing what feels like gallons of sweat while knowing the person next to you might be sweating even more. I love running in the rain, looking at each other knowing that both of you are going to jump into the puddles to splash each other. I love how you can act like a 5 year old on rainy runs. I love knowing you are almost done with your run but I also love when you know that you are just beginning.

I love knowing that I'm not the only one who has a whole wardrobe of running shirts. I love that I can easily convert miles to kilometers or meters and calculate any kind of split. I love knowing that my teammates will be there for me no matter what. I love knowing that my running shoes and socks might smell but I'm not the only one. I love being able to wring the water and sweat out of my clothes after practice. I love how this sports gives back even more than the great amount you put into it. I love how it changes you and makes you into yourself.

I love looking off into the distance, hearing the steady beat of my feet hitting the ground, knowing that I am a cross country runner. I love having this place to belong. I love cross country. Even more than I thought I could.

XC RACE REPORT: THERE IS NO BAD WEATHER

It is hard to describe cross country weather. My perfect cross country weather would have to be 45-50 degree, sunny with blue skies. But that is perfect cross country weather. Real cross country weather though, can be just about anything. The guy's coach told us that he has been to a meet where the snow was deep enough that you couldn't see the white line so they had to shovel off parts of the course. My first cross country race took place in over 95 degree heat. There were a couple ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars there, and four people had to be taken to the hospital afterwards. I have raced in varying levels of rain, heat, cold, and sun. Cross country meets can take place in any kind of weather (except for lightening) and that is part of what makes us so tough. We run in everything. Including a course where most of the white line has disappeared in the mud while it is cold and drizzling rain. And you know what, it was fun.

We got out of class at 12:40 on Thursday. The divisional (or conference) meet was being held about 1.5 hours away on a course that we ran twice last year. Both times, I did not do well. I wasn't really looking forward to this meet because of this. Strangely enough though, I really wasn't nervous throughout the day. Even when I thought about the meet, it didn't really affect me. This made me worried that I was going to do something similar to my last meets. Before, during, and afterwards, I kind of had a feeling of indifference, that I didn't really care that much. I would think about the race and I would not want to run it. Practices would be okay, but thinking about the misery and pain during the races made me not want to race. But I love racing, so I don't really get it. I was determined to care about this race though, because I don't have many left.

On the bus ride to the course, I had a discussion with JS about our childhoods. While eating some of my snacks, I noticed that it was raining outside. We had known the weather; it was supposed to be about 42 degrees but feel like 36 and it was going to rain. Looking outside at this weather though, from the heated comfort of the bus, it looked even worse than it sounded. But then I remembered that cross country runners are supposed to be tough. We are not soft people. And plus, I could tell all my non running friends about this and they would think I was amazing.

We arrived late, only about 45 minutes before the fresh/soph race. My coach told varsity to stay on the bus while everyone else left to set up camp in the rain. One of the people in charge of the meet apparently told my coach to make everyone warmup off the course so they could save it for varsity. It's not like anyone is going to listen to this though, because most of the teams don't run here regularily so they don't know the course.

My teammates and I stayed on the bus for awhile, only getting off to go for a bathroom break (they actually had real bathrooms because the course was at a multi level soccer complex). We did go cheer on the fresh/soph runners because it was their last meet for the year. This was our first look at the condition of the course and it looked a little muddy. More like a lot muddy, actually. While I was standing with JS while she took pictures (she is now the team photographer), we saw a couple of girls run by with mud all up one side, indicating that they had fallen. Everyone else just had mud on their legs, although we did see a girl with mud on her face. It was drizzling rain, the course was turning into a path of mud, and it looked slippery. And I was actually kind of looking forward to the race.


Varsity was supposed to run at 5:30 (although they were running ahead) so we began warming up a little before the JV girl's race. The freshmen didn't know the course so we made sure to do most of it, although it loops around a lot. Both the boy's and the girl's race loops around part of the course three times, so it was aready a mud pit by the time we began.

Our shoes were sinking into the mud and there were still two races to go before we raced. It was lightly raining out and it was cold. My pants were wet with mud up to my knees in the back and my new shoes had grass stuck all over them. The fresh/soph race results were about 45 seconds slower and more people were falling in each race. But this is cross country, so we were going to have to run.

After our warmup, we stretched under our little tent on the tarp. Our coach chose this time to give us his version of a pep talk. He told us that our times would suck because parts of the course were 6 inches of mud. He said it would feel like 3.1 miles instead of 2.5 miles and it would feel incredibly long. We shouldn't try to run preplanned times because we would get incredibly tired after the first mile. We shouldn't go out fast but we would catch people at the end. It was cold, rainy, and muddy, and there was a long gradual hill that we would have to run twice. Needless to say, it wasn't exactly a peppy pep talk. Our coach was telling the truth, however.

Before we went to the starting line, one of my teammates called my name. She started laughing and told me not to fall like I did earlier in the season. Such helpful advice. We went to the starting line early because the meet was running ahead. I ran a few strides with my teammates before going back to our box (which was on the outside, what a surprise). And then we were told to take off our sweats. Then the guy told us we had two minutes until the race. It was in the mid thirties out so there was more than a few of us that were a little angry at this. I was only wearing my underamour like top under my uniform so it was a cold wait.

It was then that my teammate TM realized that she had forgotten her race number. She is just a freshmen but that is just something you don't do. This meant that she had to run back over to the tent or the bus and back while she still had her sweats on. When she made it back, most of us were on the line. A few of my other teammates helped her get her sweats off while she tried to pin her number on. I stood on the line and got ready to race. I wasn't trying to be mean or uncaring but it really was her problem. I still had my race to run and I didn't want to get off focus because of her mistake. So when the guy lifted his hand and was going to shoot off the gun, while TM was trying to pin her number on, I was on the line ready to go. She was yelling at him to wait but he couldn't hear her. He did make us wait a little though, because he said we were moving around too much. TM managed to get two pins attached to her jersey before the gun was shot off. But I was ready.

The first 200m of the course were actually not that muddy. It wasn't very wide however, so everyone was trying to get into position. I ended up a little farther than I wanted to be at the beginning but I remembered what my coach said about starting out fast. We ran up a little hill to the next level of soccer fields and there the mud began.

The mud wasn't that big of deal until we turned the first corner. The first corner itself was almost pure mud. There were flags all over the course that we had to make sure to go around so everyone was moving to the left in order to do this. We were all still in a pack so it was very crowded. And then a girl near me fell. All of us immediately tried to avoid her so there were elbows flying as we cut each other off. I felt someone spike me but it didn't really bother me. I was just trying not to fall.

We then ran the loop that had been raced on 12 times before us. Not to mention everyone that had warmed up on the course. It was a muddy mess which made it kind of funny. We ran down the hill to the next soccer field (making sure not to fall) and turned the corner, going around the flags, as some guy yelled that the corner was slippery. Obviously. And then the muddiest stretch began.

When running on a muddy course, most people would run to the side to avoid it. Except so many people had done this on the course, that there really wasn't anywhere to go. One side sloped down so it wasn't an option. Then there was the 15ft. wide mud path. On the side of that, there was slightly less mud and more water. While running on it, you would sink down and feel it seep into your spikes. On one of my steps, I could feel my shoe slip a little from my foot as the mud grabbed at it. When going back up to the other soccer field, I was grateful for my spikes so I could kind of grab into the ground. AK had been ahead of me until this point but I didn't freak out and passed her on the hill. I just felt confident that I could do it.

The next part took us near some trees and into more mud. I'm pretty sure it was raining during my race but I didn't feel it because I was more concerned about the brown stuff on the ground. I did pass this guy with a cowbell during this part though. Yes, a cowbell. He was cheering for everyone too, so I didn't figure out what team he was really from. I made it around the multiple soccer field loop though, and moved into a better position. I was ahead of a bunch of packs, but there was a pack about 10 seconds in front of me with most of the girls from one school. I was kind of stuck between the two groups by myself but I kept going and didn't move back.

We passed the mile marker sometime in the next section, but I didn't remember where it was and no one was yelling out times, probably because they didn't matter much. We began going down the big hill loop. AK told me last year to stride down this hill and somehow this always makes us laugh when we go to this course. I remembered what she had said and did my best to stride down the hill. I slowed down before I turned the corner though, because it was looking kind of slippery. I made it around without falling and ran a flatter part before going up more of the hill. You can't quickly power up the hill but you can't just go up slowly so it just sucks all the way around. Add this to the fact that the hill is only about 10ft. wide between a fence and a downward slope. The hill was pure mud and there was no avoiding it. I tried running on the edge for awhile but it didn't really make a difference. I made it though and didn't fall that far back. My coach just kept telling me that these girls were coming back to me and that I was going to beat some of them.

Shortly before the turn onto the third time around the soccer field loop, I realized that I didn't feel that cold. Then I looked down at my legs to make sure they were still there. Keep in mind that this was towards the end of a race while it was raining and felt like it was in the mid 30's. I was not thinking straight. My legs were still there though and they looked a little muddy. But as I went around that loop for the last time, it was really kind of hilarious. The conditions were so miserable that it was funny. And I was enjoying it.

I reached the two mile mark and remembered what my coach had told us earlier. It looks like a long way to the finish line but our coach said that we had to start kicking anyways. I ran down a slight hill and turned the corner. I was catching up to the girls in front of me. One of the girls pushed one of the flags out of her face so her teammate pushed it out of her way and it came around to hit the girl a little behind them right in the face. I avoided the flag. As we went up half of the long, gradual hill though, I didn't even try to avoid the mud. I didn't run through the center of the course, because it sucked you down like quicksand but didn't go out of my way to get away from it. Then I was up the hill and near the finish line. We had about 250m to go and I was getting really close to a girl ahead of me. I passed her with about 175m to go and then ran up a little hill to the soccer field where the finish line was.

This was no 400m finishing straight. It was 100m, but actually not that muddy. There was still a pack of girls ahead of me from the same team and I knew I had to try and get some of them. One of them was my grandma's neighbor (she absolutely adores these kids) and I knew I wouldn't hear the end of it if she beat me. I pulled out all the energy I had left and raced her to the line, barely getting there before her. The chute was backed up but both of us sprinted past the line. I ran into one of the ladies managing the chute and then some guy yanked me back by my jersey. Right after I had just finished a race. I wasn't going to cut and there really wasn't a way to cut so I'm not sure why this was neccessary. I talked to my grandma's neighbor after this, although she was a little too talkative for still being in the chute. She seemed a little mad that it was me who beat her at the line, but that is why I wanted to beat her anyways. She had a PR by 2 seconds though and I ran a 16:41, my second slowest time of the season. My coach had told us our times would suck and they did. After analyzing the results, I figured that I was about 5 seconds slower that I should have been but I placed 20th.

After getting out of the chute, I waited for my teammates. One of the freshmen beat both TM and AK which was a little surprising. I was talking to AK near the line when she looked down at my legs and told me that I was bleeding. I didn't really know what she was talking about until I looked down at the lower part of my right leg. Sure enough, next to all the mud plastered on my legs, blood had dripped down. I figured it was from the girl who had spiked me on the first corner, but I was pretty proud of it. My coach came up to me and after congratulating me, he said he liked my battle scar. My dad then took some pictures of me and my muddiness before I went back to camp and talked with my teammates. I put on most of my sweats and then ran over to my down as a cooldown. I talked to him and some other people for awhile, got a conference Tshirt that raised money for breast cancer research, and then ran back to the bus when I realized my team was leaving.

I ate my Subway sandwhich, harvest chedder Sunchips (which taste amazing after a race), and chocolate chip cookie. This was going to be my last cross country bus ride and I wanted to remember it. JS and I talked on the way home, and my coach even joked around with us. Looking around at a few of my teammates who had stayed to ride the bus, as we rode home, it was sad. We all share something that binds us together. I love knowing that we have cross country in common, that we all participate in one of the greatest sports.

Our team placed 5th out of 7th, and most of varsity didn't run that well. One of the freshmen really confirmed that she was hurt and is not going to run in the next weeks. My coach seemed okay with the results the night of the race, but on Friday, he was very angry. He acted like he used to act. He was almost 15 minutes late to practice and considered skipping out on us. The week before districts, the state qualifying meet. It made me remember why I like the newer version of my coach. Regardless of this, I want to remember these next days of cross country. Remember what makes the sport so great. Remember why I am going to miss this sport. Remember why I love this sport so much.

XC RACE REPORT: WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME

Last Thursday, was my last MVC Supermeet. The last time I will run on that particular course. The last time I might run against some of those teams. Cross country is almost over. But I'm not ready for it to end.

We got to leave school early because the fresh/soph girl's race began at 3:30. I was racing at 5:10 so I had a ways to go. I didn't really do much on the 30 minute bus ride except to think about what my mom had asked me that morning. She had known that I didn't have a goal and struggled more with my race last week because of that. She asked me what my goal was for this meet and so I was trying to think of one. It was the same course as last week, only with different teams. It was also colder (in the low 40's) and rainy. Out of the four times I have ran at that course though, three have been rainy, so I was used to it.

When we arrived, my coach told us to set up camp as far away from the boys as possible, because most of them don't care about xc (this didn't work because we got there first). We put up our little tent, that is kind of embarrassing because it only goes up to about half the normal height of tents. My coach talked to us for awhile and I had some snacks. We cheered on our teammates and then I began warming up with AK, because everyone else had left earlier.

As I ran the warmup, I tried to make myself realize how much I want it. Wanting it more than everyone else makes a difference. You can push yourself so much harder. I knew my legs could do it, if I made them and realized that this was something I wanted. I also tried to tell myself not to freak out if my teammates were near me. AK and the freshman, TM, were near me in the last race and it made me panic. I wanted to beat them. I was determined to just run with them though, and not try to change my race just because one of my close competitors was wearing the same jersey that I was.

During the warmup, I also passed the spot where one of my senior teammates had asked me if I was going to miss xc, at our meet the week before. I had told her that of course I was going to miss it. I remembered that I didn't have many chances left in cross country so I had to make every single one count. Including this race.

Our team was in the second box from the left. We stood around and tried to keep warm in our sweats before we had to take them off. Then we told each other good luck and the gun went off. The opening stretch is very long, about 400m, and it's wide, so you don't have to cut over right away. I felt like I got off to a little faster start than I wanted, but I managed to settle in before we turned the first corner. I wanted to get into my rhythm so I could begin running my race.

It had rained almost the entire day so the course was a mud pit. There was a big mud puddle after the first 800m that I managed to avoid but I couldn't keep away from all of it. Four races had already been run on the course which made it even muddier and the rain had made the leaves slick. There was a couple of places that felt like I wasn't even running in my spikes because I was sinking down into the mud. It didn't bother me too much though, because it reminded me of how tough xc runners are compared to everyone else.

I ran the first mile between 6:00 and 6:10; I wasn't sure what was yelled out but I think it was 6:05. This meant that I had started out faster, but I didn't know if that was a good thing. I was slightly ahead of my teammates though, so that made me feel a little better. My legs felt okay and I didn't feel tired yet.

The next part of the course involved a hill that had a slanted surface when you came down it. I still haven't figured out the best way to go down it, the right, the left, or the middle. I made it down without tripping though and made my way to a flatter stretch, where TM caught up with me. I reminded myself not to freak out and that she was just another competitor in the race. My reaction was a little better than last week but I did change my rhythm a little. I was just trying to keep up with her when we hit a spot where my legs began feeling tired. It was almost the same exact spot as last week; it was about 1.75 miles into the race. It was all I could do to remind myself of last week's quote, "when you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long". So I kept holding on.

There is a slight hill, just a little before the 2 mile mark. It really shouldn't be that big of deal but when it comes near enough to the end of a race that you feel really tired, but not close enough to the finish line for it not to matter, it really does matter a lot. I tried staying with TM as we went up that hill because I knew I would give up if she had gotten away from me. My coach was yelling as we went past him and he seemed very excited.

At almost the same part as last week, slightly before we turn the corner to the uphill finishing straightaway, TM got ahead of me. I stayed calm though and kept a little closer than I had before. I waited until a little after the corner before giving everything. I sprinted past TM and climbed up the hill. I just told myself that I had to get up the hill and then I was at the finish line, although that isn't true. But once it was flat, I knew I could make it. I could see the numbers changing on the clock and the people beside me that passed me going one way or the other. I finished in 15:52, but that's really all I remember about finishing. According to the results, there was a girl right in front of me who finished in the same time, but I can seriously not remember anything about it. I didn't even know in the chute. I took 18th place, with TM getting 20th, in 15:57. AK didn't have her best race and was farther back. TM told me after I had congratulated her, that she sucks at sprinting at the end. I told her it was because she had left it all out on the rest of the course and then I found my parents. I felt a little dizzy after my race though, kind of like the week before.

AK and I did our cooldown together, which consisted of running from camp to the middle of the finishing straight, cheering on the varsity boys, and then running back to camp. We were cold, wet, and tired. Then, the few of us that were riding the bus home had to wait for about 45 minutes because both our coachs had just left us. It was getting dark out, and my pants, socks, and shoes were wet. We all talked to each other though, talking about random topics, with a feeling that can only be felt after a race. It's like everyone is relieved and happy and free of almost all emotions. It's when you feel like you are really yourself and you can talk about anything. And when we finally made it back to the bus, that feeling stayed. My coach was really happy because we placed fifth and he thought that at best, we'd get 6th. We actually beat a ranked team. Then our team all joked around with each other (after changing into dry clothes) and it was just fun. This doesn't happen in track, because the sprinters are there. It only happens in cross country, and I'm really going to miss it.

I talked to my coach the next morning so I could look at the results. I only briefly looked at my time, and I didn't even look at my place. What I really cared about was my place when the runners not in our district were taken out. The top ten individuals and top three teams make it to state. I counted down the list and realized that I would have been 9th. Ninth place. I could have a chance. Three of the four teams that had beat us though, are in our district. And one of those teams was not running their number two runner, who probably would have placed second. That bumps me down to 10th. I'm on the edge. But looking at this meet, it did go okay. I had a PR. It was my third race under sixteen minutes. What I have to remember though, is that I want it.