How Cross Country Helps you in your Daily Life

By: Colby Stecker

Imagine you just won a race and you got a refreshing otter pop from the staff; how do you feel? Happy about first place? What about loving the otter pops or having the adrenaline run through your veins? That's how Caleb Daniels felt after the race.

Caleb Daniels is an 8th grader that joined the Cal Young Cross Country Team this fall. He has been running since kindergarten and that is also when he first got 1st place in a Jogathon at Gilham Elementary school. He currently runs Cross Country for two teams, Cal Young and OTC (Oregon Track Club). Caleb continues track during the spring as well.

On a website titled “Runners World” it states “It is proven that runners of all levels can get immense satisfaction from the challenge of cross country racing, and the time spent on the undulating hills will help build a strong aerobic foundation, improve your endurance, leaving you mentally and physically robust before the attention turns to the indoor and/or outdoor season.”

“Running taught me valuable lessons. In cross-country competition, training counted more than intrinsic ability, and I could compensate for a lack of natural aptitude with diligence and discipline. I applied this in everything I did.”

–Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa, Anti-apartheid activist

Shcpemerald.org also says “The faster you run, the harder your heart works and the stronger it gets. Running bolsters your cartilage by increasing oxygen flow and flushing out toxins and strengthens the ligaments around your joints. Not only that, it is also one of the best forms of exercise to lose extra pounds or maintain a steady weight. So going hard doesn't hurt you, it helps you!”

What does cross country do to you? Human Kinetics says “building enormous strength: the hills and mud develop power and resilience in your calves, hamstrings, and quads. The uneven ground strengthens your feet and ankles. Keeping your balance through all the twists and turns and dips is tremendous for your core strength.”

Caleb says that cross country helps his cardiovascular health and is a good outlet for him.

Bolandathletics.com also says “Cross country racing is a superb way to develop determination and stickability, pushing back against that final limiting factor and psychology. The mental strength that cross country develops will help you in any kind of race you try.”

“When you run 10-12 miles with someone, you naturally get to know the people you run with eventually — and getting through that experience with someone else is something to bond over,” said Carly Sear (12), a four year varsity runner and the girls' team captain.

There is also a new cross country team called Cal Young at Cal young middle school, they have just started. There is also OTC (Oregon Track Club) where in the fall they do cross country. They both do cross country but one is less skilled. The coaches for Cal Young are Coach Thomas and Coach Scott.

It might be fun to race people, see how good you are with running, or maybe try to have a goal to help you in your daily life. Here are some things you can do right now to help you gain muscle in your legs and run faster!. You could go for a run, do a leg workout, maybe do strides, (where you run 100m then jog 100m) All of these things are good for your body and we help you become faster!. 

This article isn't  just about cross country, it's about how to know if cross country really helps you with getting your daily workout . Cross country isn't just about running, it is about making new friends, challenging yourself to do something you haven't done before, and setting goals.