Why do I run cross country?

 

I run cross country because there are few things in life that are so rewarding, that can completely turn your life around. When you are out there day after day running you discover so much more about who you are, how beautiful and precious life is. When you finish that workout or cross that line, words cannot describe the feeling. It’s like happiness, pain, hate, fear all rolled together into one. The friendships you make on the team are ones that you will always cherish; you form such a bond, such a love and admiration for those around you. It’s impossible to forget.

As coaches our hope is that by being on this cross-country team, you will begin to see growth, change, joy and fulfillment.  Some might experience things that are almost inconceivable, like: How did I survive the season? How did I run all those miles? Did I know that my life would change so drastically? That I would become such a completely different person?

Many runners at first might hate the idea of running and might for some time. I mean many can’t understand why people would put themselves through so much hardship; it does not make sense to them. However, for some strange reason as new runners come out and run and stay on the team, their thoughts change. They decide to keep running.

Every runner may continue to ask themselves, why do I run? Some negative thoughts might be: “you aren’t even on varsity, you're a senior on JV, why even do it if you're not one of the top runners.” “You might not be the fastest runner, you might not ever run on varsity, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are a part of something special, something truly amazing, because when you put your heart and soul into something, when you sacrifice day after day, month after month, year after year, you realize just how valuable this experience will be. 

  

Each member of this team plays an important role, a vital role. Each of you makes a difference, each one of you matters. You all contribute to the success of this team.

Once a Spartan XC runner and team member, wherever you venture out in this world remember that you will always be a part of this program, this team, this family.

And no matter what you face in life (challenges, obstacles, problems), you can be great, you can change the world in your own way. 

We coaches believe in you and in this team. We know every runner can accomplish great things. Believe in yourselves, believe that you matter, know that you are cared about, that you will always be a part of the Murray XC Family!

As we look forward to this upcoming season, we have one question for you.

What will be your defining cross country moment?

ATTENTION PLEASE READ!!

We are excited to announce ordering is open for our Murray High Cross-Country Gear Fundraiser site.  This year, everything is branded with the Murray High Spartans logo to make it easy to wear for any and all sporting and fan needs! We have partnered with our supplier to bring you Under Armor brand gear at a discounted price! The team will also get $1 for every item ordered to help with team expenses and events.

If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Vollmer (Dylan's mom) at 801-554-9161 (text is best) or via email at nmvollm@gmail.com.

We will be accepting orders until Aug 5, 11:59PM only - so order today!!

JUST CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

             

     https://murraycc19.itemorder.com/sale  

UNCOMMON

        It seems very uncommon to do what we do.  It appears uncommon to run so many miles throughout the summer, during the season, in the cold winter, in the thawing of the spring, and then do it again!  Many would say at the end of this summer that "it is another summer gone by," (that would be the "common" way to see it), but I would argue that “it is another summer moving forward…improving, getting better, LIVING!” So, all this work and time, seems uncommon to regular folk, but what about other running folk?  We have the PREMIER XC INVITE coming up.  Will you feel "uncommon" there?  Maybe not initially or directly, but here is where you might be wrong in thinking like that!  Being uncommon is not about having to be different or to be noticed...it is about realizing and doing the little things to be better than before! All the miles, the time, the mornings, the night runs, the canyon runs, the sacrifices, the communication, the ups and downs, the heat, the sweat, the discomfort, the nerves, the smiles, the MOMENTS...that we have spent together...make us uncommon!  Not because we are trying to be different, but because we love and trust what it is, we are really doing...” MAKING THE MOST OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN!” Even among runners, we are uncommon because of what we are willing to do to BETTER EACH OTHER, and BETTER OURSELVES!  The Little Things, the Dreams, the Attitude, the Heart...are all things that matter to us, that help us to take something as common as running, and make it into something...  

REMARKABLE!! MOMORABLE!!

Crazy enough, Remarkable is one of the definitions of "Uncommon!"

IT IS ALL WORTH IT!!!

                                        

Starting lines/Hard work/Dedication

Starting lines are one of the most important stations in life. We need to do more than just avoid them. We need to actively seek them out. Otherwise, we grow stagnant. When you see the first hazy edges of a starting line begin to form in your life, don’t avoid it. Such as, first day of school, first practice or race, speaking in front of others, etc.

Don’t look the other way. Try to bring the starting line into sharper focus. Consider it’s potential. Remember that if you don’t go to the starting line, you will never view the whole course with all it’s possibilities. And you will certainly never see the glories of the finish line. 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. That’s a familiar old statement. A new one, nothing started, nothing experienced, nothing learned, nothing finished. When I think back over my own life, with it’s full share of first days, I recall that they all terrified me. I didn’t always go willingly. And yet I wouldn’t have given up those days for anything. They were some of the best days of my life. 

Beginnings are like that-both frightening and rewarding, Because of the fear factor, too many people shy away. They never take the steps forward that they should. They hesitate, they procrastinate, they wander around, they count all the things that could go wrong, they catastrophize. We tend to see darkness, not light. We get frozen in place, we don’t get ourselves to the starting line. 

Running has taught me, perhaps more than anything else, that there’s no reason to fear starting lines or other new beginnings. Over the years I’ve gone out on thousands of runs and entered many races. Many have turned out badly. I’ve experienced injuries, been chased by dogs, nearly ran off the road by cars, and have been caught out running in some impressive dangerous storms.

Through my life I’ve had plenty of reasons to stop running or never run again. But I’ve kept running because I’ve learned that disappointments, injuries, difficult times, tough workouts, they fade fast and aren’t nearly as bad as they seem at first. “Whatever you’re imagining won’t turn out nearly so bad” “Fear is only as bad as we make or perceive it”

When a child first runs, they have nothing to worry about. They run for fun, for the pure joy of running.  Summer evenings, playing tag, running barefoot, just being outside, being active and having fun.

 I hope that running will continue to bring pure joy and fun as we embark on this upcoming season together. Each one of us has our own unique starting line, may we embrace our starting line, may we push ourselves and encourage our team, and may we support each other through the good, bad, and rough times not only during the season by for the entire year!

What can you do right now to influence not only yourself but others? What can you do to make a difference in someone else’s life? These answers will vary, but we must all share the same attitude: the winner’s attitude, the Murray XC Spartan attitude. We must realize that the quest never ends, there is no finish line, just another starting line. 

We can make a difference. We can be the change for better. We simply must give it our best effort every day. If we are the best athlete and nest person we can be, then we have assuredly won the race of life! We as coaches are EXCITED about his upcoming season. May we all enjoy the journey, the process, and each other’s company! GO!! SPARTANS!!

WHY RUN? SELF-BELIEF!! IS IT WORTH IT!!

“Why run is a question often asked” “Why go out there every afternoon and beat out your brains? What is the logic of punishing yourself each day, of striving to become better, more efficient, tougher?” “The value in it is what you learn about yourself. In this sort of situation all kinds of qualities come out – things that you may not have seen in yourself before.”

Start every day with a positive thought about your goals for the day, for the week, and for the summer! Start every run with a positive idea about what you are going to do for that run… don’t focus or dread how far or where it is, or the weather…just tell yourself something good about what you are doing or going to do! Start every END OF A RUN with a positive thing that you feel you did well on your run!!

Through running, Steve Prefontaine discovered not only who he was but also who and what he wanted to be. And what he wanted to be, he let everyone know was tough! “Sometimes I wonder if punishing myself to the limits is really worth the pain I have to pay.” He confided to his diary following a tough workout in October 1971. “All I can say is it better be.”

That fundamental question – Is it worth it? – recurred again and again in Pre’s mind, speech, and in his writings. Pre-kept putting himself in situations where this question was bound to come up – because he feared and loathed the thought of being defeated by the unpleasantness even more. “Despite his pain and fear, he said in essence, “Bring it on!”

Pre-learned very early in his running career that winning was not the reward that made all the fear and pain worthwhile. Rather, it was self-discovery. 

Self-belief cannot be manufactured through obsessive yearning toward one’s goals or through the elimination of all “distractions.” In fact, it requires the opposite: an empty mind and total immersion in the process that builds the proof of potential that is the only solid foundation for true self-belief.

“Gratitude” is about letting go of desired outcomes and fully embracing the privilege and process of pursuing goals and dreams. “Believe” refers to the confidence that arises naturally through this process. A self-trust that is the antithesis of the doubt-fueled fixation on goals and dreams.

Being oneself is in fact the only way that any athlete can evolve his of her individual formula for peak mental fitness. We become who we are by facing new challenges and coping with them.

The path between you and the best you can be is unexplored territory. To embark on such a journey of transformation in which you become more and more the athlete and the person – you want to be as you tackle the obstacles that hinder your progress.    

Forget about what didn’t go well and be happy that you were able to do it and that being a part of this program is special! If you haven’t figured it out…work on being more POSITIVE WITH YOURSELF! WITH YOUR RUN, with your goals, with each other, with EVERYTHING!

Let’s have an incredible week of training!!  Let’s do this!!