Your heart beats out of your chest, the breathing and pounding of your feet is incredibly audible to your ears, and you have not felt your legs since the first kilometer. Mile two is the challenge where a runner must dig. You need to maintain the same pace; you can not fall off or fall back in the pack. The last mile, you are running on nothing but determination and pain. Lactic acid courses through your body, and you feel like you could stop running at any moment. You think you can not keep going, yet you continue.  The final four hundred, one lap on the track, only another minute or two, you can push through; legs stride out longer, arms swing faster, you might collapse. Finally… the finish line. You are done; it is over. Feelings of relief and endorphins released are rushing through your body. Man, what a battle that was…and I can not wait to do it all over again next Saturday. 

     For many athletes who have never experienced this feeling, it is easy to question why anyone would want to put themselves through this experience. Why would anyone willingly want to run for sport? If there is no cash prize or giant buffet at the end, it is hard to find a reason to run for that great length. For many who do not partake in the exercise or sport, it seems like a punishment, inopportune, and a waste of time. Others cannot find a reason behind putting themselves through something such as the pain of distance running. But for others, the pain is what it is all about: the satisfaction, the release, and the clarity. 

     Competitive distance running is where some athletes really find themselves. Racing alongside a teammate, being a part of a team, is what draws many to it; more specifically, cross country. At Lewis Cass, cross country is a popular female sport, and it causes some to wonder how such a challenging sport could build such a large team, community, and following. The commitment to running over twenty to thirty miles a week for three months, waking up early on Saturday mornings, and pushing your body to its limits does not sound too appealing. And yet, there are still girls returning year after year. So, the question remains, why?  

      Like everything, there must be a foundation to build from. If a builder wants a strong house, they must construct a firm foundation. If an athlete wants a successful season, they must put in the work both in and out of season. The same applies when it comes to a team. A strong team is built upon an even stronger foundation – a coach. Denise Rush is the foundation and coach of our Lewis Cass Girls’ Cross Country team. Rush has been coaching for twenty-six years and has produced some of the best athletes to come out of Cass. When asked how she gets her athletes to work so hard, she responded, “My goal is to get each runner/manager to be their best version of themselves; physically, mentally, and as a teammate and leader. A huge life skill that you get from running is to get out of your comfort zone, to be able to do hard things, and many of my runners who have graduated have told me that they were able to do interviews, hard situations, because of learning to push themselves.” Not only is Rush creating stronger athletes, but better women as well. Members of her teams use mental stamina created from running to propel them into even more challenges that life presents to them. 

       To truly understand why athletes would choose running cross country as their sport, one must understand the differences between it and other sports. “It is an individual and a team sport. It is individual in that you feel that individual accomplishment after each workout or meet, you also have to push yourself, and decide to put in the work in the off-season. It is a team sport in that you can also win as a team, train as a team, and some individuals can only get that ribbon or trophy if they are on that team, “ said Rush. 

      The sense of accomplishment I personally receive from running  cross country truly is a one-of-a-kind feeling. I can not compare it to ones I experience playing other sports. It is the one sport when winning is not the end goal. I am left proud of what I have accomplished, regardless of the final outcome. I may not place at every meet or even make the roster for some races, but I show up and put in the work with my teammates. Members of Rush’s team echo this. Junior, Isabella (Izzy) See responded, “It would be a waste of my time and experience to not give my all. I am also motivated to set an example for my seniors and juniors. I don’t want to be viewed necessarily by my times or how good or bad I am, but that I don’t give up, that I am working on improving myself. Not every day will be the best, but all I can do is try.” Fellow senior, Bianca Panimai, reinforced the teamwork theme, saying, “I notice the determination and progress my teammates Paula Pon Barca, Anna Roeske, and Lilly Hammond have in both practices and meets, which motivates me to work harder as well.” Many believe in order to create a strong team, you need an accumulation of strong athletes. However, I disagree with that statement. I believe in order to have a strong athlete, there needs to be an even stronger team. In order to have hardworking and determined teammates, there has to be something worth working toward. Creating strong team bonds produces stronger athletes because the athletes understand what they are working for. They know their why.

      For those not familiar with this phrase, it is one Coach Rush has preached for over a decade. I, along with several other athletes, can name countless times when we have had Coach tell us, “Remember your why.” What exactly does this catchphrase mean? Rush put it simply, “You must have a reason, especially on tough practices or days when you don’t want to put in a workout, and to help make good choices. Remembering your why stemmed from this, then I made it my own philosophy for coaching and teaching,” Rush says she always has a reason for anything, from her personal career in high school and college sports, to her teaching and coaching careers. Your “why” is the reason to push through difficult times. It is what you feed off of during those one thousand repeats or long runs. It is the reason that keeps a person motivated when all of the voices tell them to stop. By reminding yourself why you do something, you can persevere when times get tough.  

     Many are still left wandering, “Why do you run?” Well, to be completely honest, I can not answer that question alone. There is not one specific reason for people to run, especially in high school cross country. I can not tell you why athletes chose to sacrifice their time, energy, and bodies to such a demanding sport. I can not explain why people devote most of their summers and falls to pushing themselves to their limits. I can not even begin to tell you why someone would lace up their shoes and decide to line up at the start of a race with nerves in their stomach and pain already in their legs. But I can tell you this. I can tell you that the feeling experienced after that first mile is the biggest pressure release. That sense of satisfaction that is received after passing that one opponent is one that drives you forward. Finally, the release flowing through your body once you pass that finish line is indescribable. All those months of training, all those hours of working, and those times you had to remind yourself  – your why was all worth it.

     It could be to push yourself, become the best version of yourself, and be in shape. Maybe it is more than yourself, like running for a loved one, a teammate, or a coach. But everybody has their why, and until you experience a moment when your why is the only thing that propels you forward, you can not truly fathom why someone runs.  

I run because it gives me mental clarity, and for my health. (Brooklyn Hale 10) 

I run because it keeps me in shape and active, and I enjoy the team. (Summer Johnson 10) 

I run because I want to better my times and run XC and track in college. I just love running and enjoy being with the team. (Aftin Griffin 12) 

I run because it makes me feel a lot better about myself, and I love being a part of the team! (Bekah Birkey 11) 

I run because I love the team, and it keeps me in shape. (Lilly Hintz 9)

I run because I want to impress my coaches, family, and God. I also run because I get to eat a LOT of food. I love this team and want to improve for them. (Brystalin Gillem 11) 

I run for myself. This is my third year running, so I’ve put that much time into this moment. A moment when my feet are still under, and the sky is still above me. I have good and bad runs, but when I think of pushing through, I say,  “Why not?” Sure, it’ll hurt tomorrow, sure, I might not look my best or feel my best, but right now, I’m running, and   the feeling I have right now is something I don’t feel 24/7. I should just soak it in, why not? (Isabella See 11) 

I run to stay in shape and stay active for my other sports upcoming throughout the year. I love the team, the talkative long runs, and obviously the food. (Liz Sprow 10)  

I run because I like to get into better shape for swimming, and I love the team and how close everyone is, and the laughs we share at practices and meets. (Mia Hall 11)

I run because of Rush. She has been there and pushed me every step of the way during the season and out. I keep showing up every year because she shows up every day for me. Rush puts her best foot forward for me, so I should do the same for her. She loves and supports me, so in return, I put my best out there through running for her. (Lexi Alford 12) 

I run because it is a form of therapy for me and how I can get out my emotions; it is a release. I enjoy doing it with friends, and I like how it makes me feel like I can do hard things. I like my team and how it has helped me grow as a person. (Gracie Spicer 11) 

I run to stay in shape and be with a great team. (Kylie Logan 12) 

I run to feel a sense of accomplishment and to stay in shape for basketball. (Anna Hedrick 12)