The Longest Stretch
My senior year of High school I ran cross country. Saying I hated every minute of cross country would be false. I loved spending time with my friends, making new friends, and everything relational. I just hated running. I am not a runner, and especially not a long distance runner. The start and the end of the race aren't so bad. At the start you have the exhilaration of just beginning, you still have energy, and everyone is still together so it is "easy" to see your placement in relation to everyone else. At the end of the race you can see that glorious finish line; the line that, once you cross it, the pain and torture of running will finally be over. If cross country consisted only of a beginning and an end, I believe that I might actually find it quite enjoyable. But it does not. Instead it is five kilometers of long, monotonous running. In order to truly excel in long distance running, a person must learn to pace themselves, and to press through the pain and monotony ...