Ryan Bautista | Writer & Audrey Folia | Writer
September 9, 2024
As San Clemente’s renowned cross-country teams transition into the new school year, the intense change in pace is making their lives difficult. With new factors to contend with, like the exhaustion that comes with a full day of school or the increase in temperature, the troubles of the already challenging sport are taken to another level.
Regarding schoolwork, Junior Margot Lee describes the “adjustment [of] juggling the homework and [excess] studying” that plagues junior year. Add on the time shaved away due to after-school practice, and Margot expresses a complete lack of “downtime.” Despite summer running having just as difficult of workouts, the athletes don’t have to face the added pressure of academics. With summer vacation and early morning practice, runners have the rest of the day to hang out with their friends and relax, a luxury in school students don’t have when practice goes till 5 pm.
After practice in the summer, runners would often plan team-building activities that helped the teams grow stronger during the preseason. For example, the Girls’ Cross Country team would run along the beach and then spend the day splashing in the waves. The boys’ elite training camp was frequently interrupted by pickup basketball games with burgers available during their breaks. However, such activities are virtually nonexistent during the school year.
Also, the perks of running in the morning quickly vanish as students are required to get to school on time, pushing practices into the afternoon, and leading runners to work against hotter temperatures. Junior Catherine Golles represents the afternoon “like running in the desert” in comparison to the “nice cloudy weather” of summer mornings.
The struggles of this transition can be applied to every grade in different ways. Freshmen must balance learning how high school functions while also knowing they have to run eight miles after school. Sophomores are trying to complete major life goals like getting their driver’s license but still must run until 5 pm every other day. Juniors are pushing through AP classes while grappling with running personal records. And finally, seniors are desperately trying to make the most of their last running season while preparing for college applications.
All in all, the transition for cross country runners into the school year presents unique challenges to all of its athletes. The added mental hardships of classes starting to weigh down on the student-athletes, along with the time they spend training in the heat after school. However, most cross-country runners will say that the harder a workout is, the greater the payoff. As freshmen Jackson Morse says, cross country running “makes everything else in the day seem easier” by comparison.
Whether it be running on sand in the summer or the sidewalks at school, it’s undeniable that these athletes are willing to push through the challenges due to their love of the sport.
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