The People’s Temple. The Manson Family. Children of God. Heaven’s Gate. All of these infamous cults pale in comparison to the most nefarious of them all.
Cross Country.
As a member of this group since seventh grade, I have learned the ins and outs of navigating through impossible workouts, demanding coaches, and several different types of members. Doing cross country is the number one piece of advice I would give to anyone who wants to make lasting friendships, develop their focus and determination, and find pride in one’s accomplishments. So, if you are looking to join our ranks, I highly recommend! But before you begin your journey, you must understand who you are dealing with.
Here are the five different types of high school cross country runners you will meet:
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The All-Star
The All-Star. One of the best on the team. And for good reason. This person devotes their life to running. She takes the term “24/7 athlete” that the coach preaches to heart. The All-Star is gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free, all by choice. She has zero free time, and her social life consists of talkative recovery runs with friends that struggle to keep up. However, her extreme dedication and willpower pay off. She is the team’s inspiration (and the coach’s favorite) and without her, there would be no one to set the pace for the difficult workouts.
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The Slackers
Now, this teammate is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Her involvement is a direct result of her parents wanting her to be involved in really anything. Cross-country seemed like an easy choice because it is a no-cut sport. However, it is a shocking reality to these girls on their first day when they realize they can’t just B.S. their way through this activity. Nope. There is no walking in this sport. There are no “breaks.” Therefore, it is the sad truth that either these girls quit for an easier sport or miraculously come down with some sort of ailment that takes them out of the rest of the season. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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The Cheerleaders
These are some of the best people on the team. The Cheerleaders are the ones that are slow but supportive, always radiating positive energy and great vibes. They are some of the sweetest people you will ever meet, and they always know what to say to get you through a workout. These girls do cross-country as a way to meet people like them, always smiling and there for a good time. They are always incredibly impressed by the runners in the top seven but little do they know that they are the true heart and soul of the team.
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Fast or Flop Freshies
The freshmen are quite interesting. All of these newbies, fresh out of middle school, come in with high expectations on the first day of summer camp. It is a tradition that a group of freshmen tails on the varsity runners during the warmup and cooldown only to be lapped at the part that really matters. It’s okay, they’ll learn. What is more interesting to see is how the freshmen respond to the intense increase in their training. Many (like me) cannot handle it, eventually getting injured. Others, however, “pop-off” with the new high school regimen, all of the sudden coming from nowhere and finding that this sport was made for them.
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The Gear Junkie
This is the girl that is fitted head to toe in Nike, wearing Hokas, and a $200 Garmin watch. You can find her talking about which shoe brand is the best, all of the cool features her new watch has, and how she can’t wait to go back to the Naperville Running Company to buy more $10 socks. Moreover, she is extremely knowledgeable about all of the famous high school, collegiate, and professional runners. The only problem with the Gear Junkie is that, no matter how much she has read about how to run well, it never translates to herself. No matter how hard she tries, she never becomes the ultra runner that she has spent hours stalking on social media.
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No matter what kind of teammate you meet (or which kind you end up becoming) you will learn to love them all. There is something special about being with people at your absolute worst in the middle of a workout or at the best during a runner’s high. The bond that you create with these teammates is something unbreakable, creating a group that is inseparable, very cult-like.
As a co – cross country cult captain I agree wholeheartedly. But… you forgot “The crier” the one who constantly cries whenever a coach tries to ask about their race. An example might be the person bawling in the dark after forgetting their bib and medal.
Hi Alexa! This blog really caught my eye because the xc team still amazes me with how culty and accomplished it is while being a no cut sport. I laughed a few times at your no holds barred approach and exposing people by putting their pictures right next to their type. My favorite was the cheerleaders because no team can be successful without them cheering the all stars on(also I’d prob be in this category because I’m slow as heck). I would like to think I made a small contribution in this regard because I started playing the shrimp song in physics and apparently jill brought it to the team where it became a cult status song. Anyway, no matter what types there are, it’s amazing as an outsider to watch the team’s dedication throughout the years on the course and in the classroom too(having alex morris in bc was an experience).