Kevin Ren
When most people think of cross country, they often picture just long, painful runs that students willingly put themselves through just for the challenge of it. At Mills High School, the sport is so much more than just running. This season of cross country, the team is looking forward to getting back to the PALs (Pacific Athletic League) Championship again and winning their league while also qualifying for CCS (Central Coast Section) State Championship.
The team’s success comes from the strategy and mental toughness that each runner brings to every race. It’s not just about pushing through the pain and discomfort, but also smartly pacing themselves, knowing when to surge, and supporting each other while racing. It isn’t just an individual test of endurance, but it’s a collective effort where every runner plays a role in the team’s overall success.
Although the idea of running long distances might not sound fun at all to most of us, it has attracted a great number of Mills students that really do enjoy the sport of cross country.
For some, this is their first year at cross country while others are returning cross country runners. Many of them have developed a passion for running in cross country.
A sophomore who remains anonymous recalled that when he first joined the team, he didn’t like the idea of running, but over time, he has enjoyed running cross country more and more.
For Elijah Hermosillo (9), this is his first year in cross country and he said, “I do this for my main sport in baseball so I stay at least in shape in the fall.”
Like many sports, they have to train to improve their endurance and speed so they have to practice. Normally practices last about two hours long. The first 40 minutes, they spend warming-up to get their muscles ready and then they run two laps around the track to build endurance. Towards the end, they do sprints to improve their speed and sometimes finish it off with a core workout, which helps improve their overall stability.
Many players like to eat a snack before and after their workouts on the track for practice to refuel and build stronger muscles.
For freshman Lukas Rockelman (9) he says, “Before practice, I like to eat a granola bar and after practice, I eat a Chipotle burrito bowl.”
For sophomore runner Max Voytovich (10), he likes to eat eggs for breakfast as his choice of meal for his morning routine.
While each runner has their own routines and meals they like to eat, most cross country runners also have set goals for themselves for the season. These goals are set to build off of success
Sophomore runner Kristian Lopez (10) says, “My goal this year for cross country is to improve my personal times with each race and contribute to the team’s success.”
Lopez continues, “I’m focused on building endurance and pushing myself…keep working on being a stronger runner overall.”