by Abbey D'Anthony
Cross Country is an awesome sport. It motivates people to become better runners individually and mentally. This sport is where you pace yourself to run 3.1 miles and you try to get a personal record of what your time is. This season started from the beginning of August and is going to end this weekend. We have trained and prepared ourselves at least 5 days each week.
Being a part of this team has motivated my teammates and I to push ourselves further to become better runners, and to run as a team. Don’t just take it from me, take it from a few of my fellow teammates as well. The following is some of my fellow teammates and what they like about the meets, running, and how they train themselves, and what they eat before a meet, as well.
What is a meet? How do we train ourselves? What do we usually eat before and after?
A meet is where we meet up with different schools around the valley and we compete in running different courses with different people at different ability levels. The levels can be from those who are new and inexperienced to those who have been running for years. Different levels can be freshman girls/boys, open boys/girls (which is somewhat similar to JV), and varsity girls/boys. The competitive aspect of this is huge. When you are on the starting line, everyone is quiet, and the anticipation give you chills.
Being a part of going to a meet is a unique and fun experience because you meet people, watch people run, and just being there to watch it is even fun. After a meet, we usually go out to lunch and celebrate what we, as a team, accomplished or did not accomplish, but we still have a good time and we win some and lose some.
Training ourselves is another important way to become a better runner. When my team and I think of training we think of practicing running, doing workouts, lifting weights, and doing stretches. According to 40% of my team, they did summer runs. They would run a mile or two each day to become better.
Eating is probably one of the most important things to being an athlete. You want to make sure that you are making good and healthy decisions as to what you eat and drink as well. My team and I usually eat a nutrition bar 2 hours before practice and a meet. You’re probably thinking, why 2 hours before? It’s 2 hours before because we don’t want to eat something right before because our stomachs will most likely react differently and we wouldn’t want that to happen. Drinking water is the most important part of being an athlete, as well. We want to make sure that we stay hydrated, and we drink water daily.
The following are quotes from some of the athletes:
Zacarias Troutman:
Meets: “Being excited before a race is always a good feeling to have. The anticipation before the shotgun goes off, everyone is quiet, but it will never be a surreal experience. Anyone can easily get along and be friends with anyone, it seems. I have had an experience in the past where me and another runner pushed each other throughout the race, and everyone is supportive of everyone.”
Food: “I always eat healthy before any race or practice. I always stay away from junk food like candy, chips, soda, or just anything that is very sugary or contains a lot of chemicals in it. Before any race, I don’t change what I eat. I usually eat leftovers, a sandwich, or granola bars. Just having stuff that keeps you fueled and feeling good is all that matters.”
Training: “Over the summer, keeping high miles with running is important, and doing races on your own to see progress and try to make faster times is more comfortable than what they were before. I usually do the opposite of what most coaches say for weights and workouts. I lift heavy for medium reps or until failure most of the time. This has helped me more, personally. Also, with the fact that lifting weights helps rid the lactic acid that still lingers from after any run. Because of this, I have been less sore and have fewer joint problems, which is awesome.
Why do you like running?: “I have never been into running before, but when I started high school, my mom wanted me to get involved in a sport. I never knew what cross country was until the first day I went to practice. I was not the fastest at first and it took me some time to get used to running, but I caught on quicker than most people. The constant feeling of progression is what helped me to reach my goals or even pass my goals while I run. Staying in a sport motivates me to keep my grades up in school since I won’t be able to participate unless I am passing my classes.
Reed Ehmann:
Meets: “I like the adrenaline rush of the race. A lot can happen in 3 miles, but it’s still a fast race. I like having competition to push myself further and like the running community in general to race in.”
Food: “My diet is made up of carbs and protein, along with other supplements. I usually eat a healthy bar or something 2 hours before practice or a meet, as well.”
Training: “I did my own runs over the summer, and by July we did workouts as a team. The summer runs that I did were mostly long runs to build a solid foundation for this season. I also do a variety of strength workouts in the weight room some days after school. This includes squats, isolations, and a lot of core strengthening as well.”
Why do you like running?: “I’ve been running since I was in 5th grade, and I have always loved it. Whenever I run, there is something freeing about it. I welcome the challenge and the opportunity to grow in an uncomfortable environment.”
Alex Flores:
Meets: “The meets are very fun. You get to explore the course, meet new people, and eating after the race with the teammates and coaches is awesome. I like to make challenges, and I like to test myself with good quality training and value. I just try my best by giving my best at every race and practice as well.”
Food: “Before I always run, I usually eat a quick snack, which would either be fruit or a protein bar. I always eat an hour before running so I don’t feel sick while I run.”
Training: “For training, I only do weights as an after-school program for sports and for pre workouts before any practice that I have, but I also take it as gym time as well.”
Why do you like running?: “I’m into running so much! Whenever I run, I feel peace and forever freeness. I enjoy 2 things in Cross Country. One, because I keep this as a perfect technique to never give up, always train myself better, and I use my legs to travel with nature. Two, the team is what I call family, so we always stick together not only as a pack, but also as a family. Running can be a challenge, but you will always get better and improve.” Start as a wolfpack, end as a wolfpack!”
As our season is coming to an end, the memories that we have made as a team are unforgettable. We have had our good days, our not so good days, and we have all had a laugh or two in us. Our state meet is Saturday at Cave Creek Golf Course in Phoenix. We would kindly appreciate it if you would come out and support our Estrella Wolves as we run this meet.
If you have any questions, you can reach Abbey by email at [email protected]
Shout Out Too Estrella Wolves Cross Country Team 2023-2024:
- Coach Mock
- Coach Pritchard
- Zacarias Troutman
- Reed Ehmann
- Carson Phillips
- Tristian Dobransky
- Brady Mika
- Luke Mika
- Henry Meadows
- Cameron Olin
- Gabe Espinoza
- Alex Flores
- Shawn Surrey
- Chase Forgia
- Ty Bennett
- Ava Juarez
- Abigail D’Anthony