Running cross country builds endurance, clears our minds

We love cross country so much. It allows us to be free of all noise. When we run, we are free of distractions. No one can even try talking to us. It’s us against the other runners on the course. Then we lie down on the finish line knowing we put everything we had on the course — it’s the best feeling in the world.

Then we wait to see how our team fends against the rest of the competition. When you are on a cross-country team, it’s great to know that your team has the capability to win it all even without some of your team’s top five runners. In cross country, the top five count, but on any given day, the top five can change.

This season, our boys’ team won the championship race. Our top five runners placed first, second, eighth, ninth and 13th. Our score was 33 points, and the lowest score wins. We ended up winning that competition and all of the other races this season. We finished the season with no losses and an undefeated championship banner.

Cross country helps you train and prepare for other sports. Running long distances puts you in great shape, and it helps you build endurance. In the winter, it is more challenging to run and train, but it can be done. You just have to put on your running shoes and start moving.

Valerie Hanley’s seventh-grade class, Our Lady of the Hamptons Regional Catholic School, Southampton