Cross Country is a sport offered at Eaglebrook, coached by Mr. Keane, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Bedell, Mr. Manto, Mr. McClure, and Mr. Minickiello. It is not about traveling the world or going across America, but it’s a grueling sport where students run every day during practice. During races at Eaglebrook, students compete in two courses. The first course, located near the track or turf, takes runners from one end of the football field into the woods, where we run a 3-kilometer trail that ends in an all-out sprint-off at the track. Our second course is located at Hilltop Farm, where the Hilltop ramble takes place in the spring. This trail is more open than the other; Cross Country athletes must run two laps around the field. This course is newer than the first and more races will take place there throughout the season. The races are hard, and students do their best to get a new personal record, but some could argue that our daily practices can be as hard as an actual race.
A regular Cross Country practice starts off with the students sitting on the turf and waiting for everyone to arrive. The coaches provide a brief overview of the day’s activities, and we then run a lap around the track. We go at a very slow pace, which warms our muscles up and reduces the chance we get hurt due to starting too fast. Then the students start their dynamic stretches, which consist of walking on their toes and heels, pulling on their leg to stretch out their quads, or high knees, and stretching out their hamstrings. We perform these dynamic stretches to prevent our body from being overworked too quickly, allowing our muscles time to warm up and prepare for activity.
The team runs to different places depending on what we are working on and what the weather is like that day. Some places include the road off campus near Deerfield Academy, and most of the time, in the woods. We get to explore the less busy side of Eaglebrook, go on trails that are teeming with life and wild animals. If you are quiet enough, you can sometimes hear a bird chirping or a squirrel climbing a tree. The trails aren’t usually very long; they are mostly between 1-2 miles, depending on what we are working on. The stronger groups run a little longer, around 2-3 miles each practice, if we are working on our endurance. Each of the individuals in Cross Country runs at different speeds, but we all come to practice with a positive attitude. Each member is not solely judged on the time of their mile or how fast they can sprint a 100-meter dash. They are different people who are working to support each other through the harsh runs.
