It’s seven in the morning and junior Kayla Mismake is running across the dimly lit streets near the school with the JV Cross Country team. The silence is both eerie and comforting, with only her thoughts and gasps for air keeping her company. Her stamina and determination keep her going mentally through this trail. Her pace slows down as she reaches the end of her run, arriving back to her starting point.
Then she begins her day.
“I will say that it’s very time-consuming,” Kayla said. “It’s difficult because of the stress that it puts on your body daily while also managing school, but I think it’s very rewarding.”
While most students show up to the school past eight, Kayla wakes up at the crack of dawn, Monday through Friday, to make it to practice. In a sport like cross country, endurance is critical and a need.
“Typically we start practice at around 6:45, and I wake up super early to get ready for all of that,” Kayla said. “And (practices), they’re honestly kind of hectic.”
Cross country is one of the most underappreciated sports out there. From dirt trails to rocky areas, these are not the regular tracks. Runners like Kayla push themselves to their limits just to finish a race even when it can feel punishing at times.
“We run, and it’s very fast-paced compared to someone who doesn’t do any sports or cross-country in general, it’s, like, nonstop,” Kayla said.
The XC season usually takes place during autumn and winter, but players are expected to run throughout the whole year to maintain their pace and strength. The season brings many new memories to the teams and opportunities for each individual player to beat their personal record. For Kayla, her dedication has led to results on the field.
“During the cross country season this year, I’ve made a lot of improvements,” she said. “My time has dropped down a lot. Last year was my first year, so I’ve improved a lot in terms of my pace.”
Cross country isn’t just an in-school activity; just like any sport, it takes practice outside of school to truly improve and maintain the conditions it requires.
“I set a time aside every day to try and run, and then everything else I just, as long as I get my run in, I take care of everything else,” Kayla said. “On the weekends we have to run, so usually in the morning or afternoon.”
Being a high school student is hard enough as it is, and adding the word “athlete” after it is even harder. The title comes with many new responsibilities and a much busier schedule. There are many things to keep in mind when one is in a sport, like having to keep track of not only a scholastic life but an athletic one too. Friendships and responsibilities can get harder to balance, along with grades and mental health. But even through the tough morning runs and the difficulty of balancing high school life with cross country, Kayla found a place where she belongs.
“We’re honestly all like a family,” Kayla said. “After meets, we usually go to eat lunch, and we talk about the meet, and we do a lot of social stuff too.”
She hopes to make Varsity XC next year as a senior, and with the help of her cross country coach, Coach Kean, she plans on pushing herself in order to make it.
