Cross Country steps towards league finals
Shenba Vairavan- Freelancer, The Standardd
Aidan Jones (‘20) runs miles on dirt four days every week, without panting at all. In fact, the Sierra Canyon Cross Country Team runs miles without getting tired, the result of dedicated practice since July 5th.
“Over the summer we set up a season of endurance training. This ideally would [make] you capable of running for 90 minutes nonstop,” cross country coach Troy Samuels said.
According to Samuels, during the school year, the team focuses on variable training.
“One day they may only run for twenty minutes, but the next day their warmup will only be twenty minutes but they will practice for much longer. By the end of the season, [the runners] should be able to run three miles as fast as they can,” Samuels said.
The team’s first meet was on Sept. 27, where they placed 4th overall. Brooke Golik (‘18) placed 2nd in the girls run. The team’s next meet is on Oct. 11 against Paraclete.
“Cross country is a new way for me to experience competition and get the chance to push myself to my best capabilities,” Golik said.
Running requires extensive stamina and persistence, which is a key characteristic of Trailblazers. The distance gives athletes physical and mental strength, which will help them beyond cross country meets. “I like [running] because it mentally toughens me, as running long distance is more mind [than] body,” Jake Dalton (‘19) said.