Coming in with the title of League Champions last year is the hard-working Hudson High School Girls Cross Country team. They are a team built on a strong work ethic and teamwork. With only a few meets left this season, the girls have been giving it their all. And while cross country may not come across as a team sport compared to other fall sports like field hockey or soccer, the races are still a battle between one’s own mental and physical toughness. However, the Girls Cross Country team exhibits a countless amount of teamwork. It’s a supportive environment and one big community.
Some activities that unite these girls are the team pasta dinners and pre-race rituals. Every Thursday, the team gets together for a pasta dinner to carb load before the Saturday race. Junior Hannah Clark shares, “The pasta dinners really highlight the social aspect of the sport, which is my favorite part. They really bring everyone together, even though cross country isn’t fully considered a team sport. We still do bonding activities together which is really nice.”
Sophomore Phoebe Krenn agrees by explaining, “The Hudson Cross Country team is the most supportive group of people; this is really highlighted during our races when everyone is always supporting one another.”
Every race, the sides of the course are lined with parents, runners and coaches cheering and pushing people through. This sport has an amazing opportunity to grow many friendships and feel a sense of community.
In addition to the team’s social aspect, the girls also have an extremely strong work ethic and participate in vigorous training. Their weeks consist of daily practices after school and weekly meets. This packed schedule includes two workouts (usually on the track), two long runs, a pre-race workout and, of course, a 3.1-mile course. These 5k courses are especially difficult as a result of their many hills.
Sophomore Renad Sleik particularly enjoys Monday’s training. “It really hypes us all up and is a good way to start off the week. We also have a runner of the week that we announce on Mondays, which helps to encourage everyone to push themselves.”
On the other hand, Phoebe Krenn loves Friday’s practices. “It’s pre-meet day and we’re all preparing. There’s always really good energy.” This sport requires hard work and a positive attitude. Renad Sleik is a strong believer in this. “It’s all about mentality. No matter how much physical pain you’re going through while running, it’s all about staying positive. Especially during tough practices.” The runners on the team display this mentality daily.
To go more in-depth on the runners’ pre-race rituals and how the morning of the race plays out. Before the race, everything matters: the mindset, the meal you eat that morning and the amount of sleep you got the night before.
Sophomore Zeynep Mutlu says, “Peanut butter toast with fruit on the side, is always my go-to meal before a race.” She encourages people to “hydrate starting days in advance, get lots of sleep and always have a good mindset.”
Everyone also recommends packing their cross country bag the night before. This entails, “Spikes for the race, normal running shoes, snacks and money,” states Renad.
Regarding race day, one of the best parts of the race is the bus ride. Phoebe Krenn explains, “It’s the perfect time to mentally prepare, and relax by listening to music or talking to friends.”
To paint the picture, most race mornings begin bright and early. The girls normally meet at the high school around 7 a.m., where they all pile on the bus to drive to the course. Following this, the time before the race is spent cheering for teammates, warming up and walking the course.
Evidently, there is much more to cross country than people would think. It is an opportunity to be social and train mentally and physically. It is a commitment that many find to be worth it. Renad states, “It’s very special, and I’m so happy to be a part of the team.”
