Now's The Time To Try Cross Country - Here's Why

By Elizabeth Carey for DyeStat

Dear Freshmen, 

Welcome to high school! 

It might be a little weird, whether you’re logging onto classes online or wandering actual hallways. You’re not just starting something new; you’re starting something new with heightened uncertainty. It might feel scary, boring, or stressful. 

But I’ve got a tip for you. 

It has the power to change your life for the better. It won’t make the weirdness or global pandemic disappear. It won’t erase racial inequity. But it will invite you to reach your potential. 

Try cross country.

Haven’t heard of it? I hadn’t either in ninth grade. Cross country is a sport that involves running around outside over varied terrain, including grass and hills, for up to 5 kilometers (aka 3.1 miles). It’s fun, I promise. When you race, you race the clock for time and with your team for points. It’s about way more than besting an opponent but, for the record, lowest score wins.  

Historically, it’s held in the fall. Some high school districts in the U.S. have already started racing; others have moved this year’s competitive season later out of health and safety concerns around the novel coronavirus. While our collective experience is all over the place, largely depending on where you live, many high school teams are meeting and training at least virtually. 

That’s great news for you! Cross country (often abbreviated as CC or XC) provides instantaneous perks. 

It’s usually a no-cut sport, which means anyone can participate without tryouts. Will it help you boost fitness? Yes! Help you run faster and further? Totally. Teach you to do hard things? Yep! Go to previously inconceivable places? Yes. Introduce you to great people? One thousand percent. 

In fact, your teammates may become life-long friends. (And your coach might become the officiant at your wedding! And another coach-mentor-cross-country-star might become the co-author of your first book! JK. But seriously, that’s what happened to me!)

There’s something special about the cross country community. At its best, it is welcoming and inclusive, with coaches who foster positive team culture and emphasize personal progress, not simply end results of athletic achievement. 

Most importantly right now, cross country provides a a deep social connection during a time when connection of any sort is hard to come by — especially in a new school. Even if you’re stuck inside or constrained by an individual scenario, coaches can help you gain fitness and introduce you to others on the team. 

Again, it’s about more than the running. It’s about mental health and finding ways to strengthen your mind alongside your body. It’s joining something, making friends and building resilient relationships that very well may shape the form your life takes. It’s about getting fresh air, exploring out in nature or your town, and maybe even “seeing God” in the occasional hard workout or race. (JK, kinda.)

Psst! Don’t let the distance scare you off. When I started running “long distance,” I could barely jog 20 minutes without stopping. I say “long distance” in quotes because now, eons later, I can run more than 20 miles without having to stop and catch my breath. I started with one step: going out for track at the end of my freshman year. If I knew then what I knew now, I would’ve gone out for XC in the previous fall. 

It looks different than it did in the olden days, but it’s more significant than ever. 

You might be uncertain about how to get started and gain traction in high school. 

Know this: Cross country has a place for you. 

See you out there!

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Elizabeth Carey is a writer and running coach based in Seattle, Washington. Her first book, GIRLS RUNNING, co-authored with Melody Fairchild, is available at your local book store and HERE.