Courtesy of Covenant Athletics
This summer, cross country runners braved early morning runs in hot weather, fierce humidity, and long and often lonely miles. This was my fourth round of summer training. Yet I still questioned why I was doing my sport — why I was still running for the Scots. Now that I’m nearing the end of my final season of cross country, I can answer that question.
As a freshman, I was not prepared for what I was getting into. Cross country has been much harder and much more rewarding than I could have imagined. In the various changes that overwhelmed me during O-Week, cross country practice became the most consistent thing in my life. I enjoyed that rhythm and soon became friends with my teammates. It’s hard to explain how exactly you so quickly become a part of a family, but I’m certain suffering for many hours with the same people nearly every day plays a role in building those bonds.
In my time on the cross country team, I have experienced the disappointment of failing to reach my goals, the setback of injury, and the sting of losing the conference championship. I’ve experienced the joys of a successful long run on the Riverwalk with my friends, hitting a fast PR that I worked hard for, and winning back-to-back conference championships. All of these have been wonderful things that I would live all over again.
So why do I still run? I have always run for the love of the sport. But now I run for a different reason. When I joined the cross country team, I joined because I wanted to be a faster runner, and I still want that. However, now I run for the Covenant Scots because I love my team. My teammates have become like brothers and sisters to me.
I will finish out this final season with gratitude, thanking God for the privilege of running as a Scot: Thanking Him for the honor of being part of something bigger than me, a program that seeks not only to build excellent athletes but also to cultivate disciples who take the time to pour into those around them.
So, thank you to Coach K, Coach Jimmy, and my awesome teammates on both the men’s and women’s teams for the honor of running with you. Some of the most joyful memories I will cherish from Covenant were times spent with you. It has been an absolute delight to be a part of this wonderful sport, suffering and having fun together. Go Scots!