Sunday Snapshot {Nothing Quite Like Cross Country...}

Cross Country Running.

There is no sport quite like it!

You run as a team, racing opponents, trying to come in faster than the other schools around you.  The faster you come in, the lower your place number.  The first five runners who cross the line for your team, add their place cards together.  The team with the lowest score wins.

While you run as a team, you also run against yourself; striving to beat that last time, to set your personal record.  It is you against a clock and more importantly, you against every fiber in your mind and body that wants the burning in your lungs and body to stop.

It is believing in yourself,

having faith in your training, 

and having faith that God will carry you through when you come to the end of yourself.

The atmosphere at a race is invigorating!

Schools set up tents and team flags all over the site.

No glamourous stadium for our runners to preform.  

This particular meet was at an equestrian center!

 Larger meets will have fun music with the likes of Funky Frequency...

Sorry folks, only here in North West Florida!

You will see...

Venders peddling their running gear and t shirts,

 Anxious runners approach the start line, ready for the sound of the gun firing,

 Loved ones racing themselves to various points on the course to cheer on their favorite runner,

 Displays of team spirit as runners get ready to run,

Prayer and encouragement that they would do their best,

 Runners (in this case, suer cute runners) pushing themselves beyond what they think their bodies can do,

Crossing the finish line with nothing left to give,

Teams savoring in the thrill of victory,

Hoping for their own personal medal of achievement,

 And reveling in their very first personal medal.

Finally you get in the car with your runner, only to hear him examine his race, analyzing what he did right and what he needs to improve, planning and planning again, for the next race.

The next race, where we will do it all over again.

There is really nothing like it...

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