Cross Country Running Research Paper

Words: 732
Pages: 3

Over the past four years, I have been involved in several extracurricular activities at Tombstone High School. Out of all the memories I have created during my high school career, there will always be one memory that will be the most meaningful to me. Cross country runners are a special breed of runners, they are the bold, the devoted, and the strong-minded. I decided I wanted to be courageous and run cross country my sophomore year of high school. My friends, several teammates from track, and Coach Winslow encouraged me to make this decision.
I remember my first day of practice like it was yesterday; it was the beginning of my long and rewarding journey to sectionals. Coach Winslow decided the team was going to run six miles at each individual’s pace. I was doing well, for the first day of practice, until I felt a stabbing pain on my side and I was finding it hard to breathe. I later found out that during the previous summer, while I was playing summer basketball, I bruised and slightly dislocated three of my ribs. I soon realized how big of a challenge this was
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At times the pain was excruciating, but I was willing to overcome it because I knew it was a temporary situation. There were several workouts that I didn’t run or times I didn’t compete. When I felt at a loss my coach would always tell me, “Sometimes it’s not about the moment we are in right now. It’s about the bigger picture, and it’s okay if you didn’t have the best workout, or the best race, it’s what you are striving to accomplish, that’s what is important. Don’t lose sight of your goal and you’ll be just fine.” This quote came to be the foundation of my hope and strength in all of life’s endeavors. Sectionals were approaching fast and I was more than ready to punch my ticket to the state competition. I realized then, that all of my hard work dedication I put into the season, was about to pay