Girls Cross Country Off-Season
Ever wonder what off-season is really about? Ever think for one second it means slacking off for a couple of months? Keeping it laid-back? There are no time-outs in running, come prepared. Though weekly workouts have been reduced and more easy runs have been implemented during weekly training, it’s no easy task running almost every day of the year. That’s why the girls have been taking advantage over the slight temperature change during winter, enjoying the nice, cooler weather after months of suffering in summer heat which lingered far too long in the fall. Nicer weather but also lower intensity workouts have been allowing the girls to bond and laugh together at talking-pace runs without worrying too much about an upcoming race at seven in the morning. “We aren’t having to run so many miles a day which is nice,” freshman Allie Duarte mentions, “off-season is motivating me for track because I get to race shorter distances and I just know I’m going to get a personal record.” As the winter months go on, each day is a step closer in preparation for a soon-to-be amazing track season.
For girls varsity, it’s another story. As the first round of CIFs held on Friday, November fifteenth approaches, the girls have high hopes of making it to the CIF State Cross Country Championships held at Woodward Park in Fresno where earlier in the season, they had competed for the annual Clovis Invitational. “I’m really excited to see what the team is able to do, I know we’re all really passionate about our sport and I’m confident in what the future holds for us” senior Maya Buchewald mentions. And while hard, consistent training has kept the varsity team tired, they’ve become more and more successful throughout every race in the season. It’s up to each of them to keep up the good work by setting individual goals all while working together as a team to lift each other up and push each other to ultimately become the best they can be.
Though no one knows much about cross country, it takes a lot more than just plain running. It’s about learning from good and bad experiences from runs and races and applying those past experiences to future runs in order to find success. Most of the time, running is difficult and painful, but that’s what makes each of these runners so strong and unique. They are willing to take this winter season (and every other one) as a mental preparation to work their best for the upcoming season.