I usually post my meet motivations on here. This is the one for our meet today. It's funny where I get my ideas from, this one actually came from a tweet. I pretty much have a Twitter account for the sole purpose of following runners and running coaches. I often find good quotes or funny observations about running there. When I saw this one I had to retweet it. (even though there's a cuss word in the name of the account) because it just rang so true to me.
“The Cross Country Team is pretty much a Cult at our school.”
-tweet from @****RunnersSay
Are we a cross country team?? Or are we a cross country cult??
Cult- 1. a small group of people who have great devotion to a person, idea, or object
2. a system of religious beliefs and rituals that are unorthodox or unusual
Team- 1. a number of persons associated with each other in a common work or activity
Let’s consider the following:
1. We are a small group. Cross Country is not for most people. I never even have to have try-outs.
2. We have great devotion, devotion to this ‘being a runner’ thing. Running isn’t just a sport to us, it’s something bigger; it’s not about the physical action of it, the taking of steps; it’s this unspoken thing, it is an IDEA. We’re not just dedicated to doing the thing, we HONOR the idea of what the thing represents.
3. We have a set of beliefs that are unorthodox. Most people do not believe that running is beneficial, in fact, many argue that it is dangerous, too hard on the body. Yet we believe it to help us. Most people do not believe running to be fun; they see it as a chore, a task, a punishment even. Yet we believe it to be one of the coolest things we do in our lives.
4. We have a lot of unusual rituals and habits. At cross country, the less clothing the better, even the shoes come off some, and sometimes the men even shave their legs. We put ourselves in all kinds of awkward and sometimes compromising positions for the sake of burning a muscle out. We get up in the middle of the night for long runs. We have our own language that nonrunners don’t understand, words like fartlek, PR, and DOMS. We deny ourselves sodas and delicious foods. We love to cause ourselves and each other pain; A game of HitTag (being chased down and hit with a ruler) is a great way to spend an afternoon. Yeah, we definitely have some unusual rituals!
I think Cult is a far better word for what we are. And cults have a reputation for extremes, usually unto death. Research ‘cults’ and you’ll find story after story where people were brainwashed, where people committed mass suicide for their odd beliefs, stories about groups of people society deemed insane. Well… we choose suicide paces, and everyday is a good day to die. We believe so strongly in this idea of running that we let part of our brains go insane. We have to be ok with the fact that most people are not going to get us; they are going to call us crazy; they are not going to understand why we do what we do. But, I’d rather be with this CROSS COUNRY CULT, my fellow insane runners, than with anyone else, any day.
Today marks the halfway point of the season. You new guys can officially start calling yourselves runners, you can officially call yourselves members of Cross Country.
Welcome to Crazy
You’re in the Cult
Now go run like you belong!
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