8 September 2011

"Run for the popsicle!!!" That's mainly what you run for in the hot weather on the day of a cross country meet. The goals we set for this sport are crazy sometimes. Everyone that I run with is mainly focused on finishing in order to get the water and popsicles.
Success is sweet and colorful...or at least it is in terms of something cold and sugary. During a cross country race, I like to think of the little things that I get to enjoy when I finish. I like how most everyone at these meets is there to cheer everyone on and give them something to look forward to. Someone on the side is yelling to go catch the next person, that you can do it, and that just around the corner there's water. It's sometimes comforting when you're feeling slow.

I think that this is probably the same for any sport. Granted, some sports the coaches take a lot more seriously and are always yelling, but I think that it's the idea of "when I get to the sideline I can have water" or "when I sit back on the bench, I can rest" that sometimes is the main thing keeping you going.
No matter what sport you do, or what motivates you to finish out strong, the determination is definitely always going to be there. The support of friends and family is always nice, but maybe our will to finish is just coming from the popsicles that silently cheer us on from inside the cooler at the finish line.