Running, sweat, success, motivation, hope, happiness, inspiration, goals. That's what cross country runners believe. Read on to find out what running really means to them.

It's September and the cross country season has begun. Lots of the Keller students joined cross country like every other season. Nice! Running, winning, losing, that's it, right? That's what running is all about, true? However, there is far too much that we don't know about the truth behind running. There is a secret behind everything; we need to dig in deeper to reach the true meaning of things. I'll save you some time and give you the meaning behind running. My team and I asked some cross country runners and the Wildcat team coaches (Coach Hoffman, Coach Sundstrom, Coach Gora, and Coach Iott) their view of the sport. Lots of runners said they got up and considered running because they want to sprint away from stress. They want to show how stress is slower than them and how easy it can be beaten.

Running helped them realize how much strength is living in their body. The love in the sound of their feet hitting the ground. Sweat is the symbol of all goals. The Wildcat runners don't sit and wait for the storm to pass, but they run through the rain to get rid of the storm. They run through the pain. They know that the competition isn't about winning against the other teams, but rather listening to the voice in their head that whispers "Take a rest, you're tired!"

Coach Iott had said that running is a medicine, it's therapy. It brings out the best in you. The other coaches all agreed that running is pushing through the pain, perseverance, overcoming trouble, all about determination, it's fun, and most importantly, it's all about that teamwork. Support and love from your team weighs out all other competition.

Kyle, one of the teammates, said that running is helping him get ready for baseball season. Jeff said running builds his stamina. Blake said "running is about connecting with yourself through pain." Megan said that "you can never give up." You are determined to run toward that goal. Gavin said that running helps him be peaceful. Kolin said running makes him keep going and he just can't stop.

These are only some meanings to the concept of running. We are certain you can find a lot more. Did this article help you change you mindset about running? What does running mean to you?