At the beginning of my freshman year of high school, I was somehow persuaded to sign up for cross country. The team was known for being tight-knit and fun-loving, and though I had never been much of an athlete, I figured, “It’s just running. How hard can it be?”
I soon found out that it was not only hard but painfully hard. I enjoyed the thrill of a short sprint, but when the distance stretched into miles, running began to feel like torture. My lack of motivation to win or even improve my speed didn’t help. Even hearing my teammates, coaches, and loved ones rooting me on from the sidelines did little to spur me on during the races. Their enthusiasm and energy was such a contrast to my fatigue, and I often wanted to respond to their cheers with, “But I’m so tired!” So it may not surprise you to hear that my first season of cross country was also my last.
I did, however, learn some things about endurance during my short stint as a long-distance runner. I learned the importance of finding creative ways to keep moving when you can barely pick your feet up off
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