What Cross Country Means to Me - - - - -Baylee Stafford ---- Cody
Baylee Stafford
Why do I do cross country? I often ask myself this exact question. If I had been asked this question a year ago, my response would have been simple. I've been told that I'm good at it. It wasn't until this year, however, that I began to realize the true reasoning behind why I continue to run, despite my constant complaining. It wasn't until this year that I decided that "because I'm good at it" wasn't good enough. So I did some reflecting. Why do I run? Why do I repeatedly put myself through weeks of sweat and tears and increasingly more difficult workouts? The answer is much more complex than I thought, and there are several different reasons.
One extremely large factor that plays into why I continue to compete in cross country is the team aspect. Our team is unlike any other that I have been a part of. Our lack of numbers makes for close-knit and genuine friendships, and believe it or not, you really get to know someone when you've endured Maggie's many ruthless workouts with them. Not only this, but the culture of the team is not one of judgement or ridicule. You are free to completely express yourself in your own way without fear of criticism.
While cross country is made up of a team, it is also very much an individual sport full of individual victories. There aren't many moments that are able to match the feeling of knocking ten seconds off of your PR or hammering out an arduous workout on a brutally hot day or realizing that, "wow, I really just ran that far." It's the little victories, such as taking thirty seconds off of the time that I ran the previous year in the same workout, that keeps me coming back.
Finally, the last and perhaps the most important factor in my choosing to keep on with running is the coaching. Our coaches have helped me to grow in ways that I would have never imagined. Maggie's burning passion for the sport and constant belief in each athlete's abilities combined with Shaffer's knowledge in form and mindset make for an excellent environment. When it comes to team events as well as individual improvements, Maggie will always go the extra mile (literally and metaphorically). She has endless knowledge of running, and her love for the team and the sport never fails to show. Both of our coaches have helped me to grow tremendously as both a runner and a person, and I am incredibly grateful for them and all that they do.
