Running offers many challenges, rewards

Autumn in Oregon brings with it cross country, a sport in which competitors race on a running course over natural terrain, rather than circle a paved running track.

Usually three- to eight-kilometers in length, courses can include surfaces of grass and dirt, passing over and through hills, woods and open fields and sometimes paved or gravel roads.

Both men and women, including the teams at MHCC, usually compete during fall and winter. That means weather conditions of rain, hail, sleet or even snow, and a wide range of temperatures.

It is both an individual and a team sport. Runners are judged on individual times and score points for their teams.

So, it’s a pretty challenging sport, and one that I love.

I have been running cross country since eighth grade. I ran three years of cross country and four years of track and field at Centennial High School.

Between the two running sports, I love cross country because it is longer and is not boring. In the distance events in track season, you end up running in circles, instead of into the woods on trails, sand on the beach, or even sometimes on a busy road.

In high school, freshmen run a 3K course, which is the same as running seven-and-a-half laps around a standard, 400-meter track. Older runners go 5K, which is about 3.2 miles.

Coming to MHCC, I wanted to compete at the college level, but in college men’s events are 8K, the equivalent of 4.9 miles. That was a bit much for me. But there are many parts of cross country that make it appealing for athletes.

For those looking for a sport to try out, all you need is strength and endurance. In running there are many competitors, so you will always have someone who is better and someone who is at about the same level, which makes it fun.

It’s a mental sport, and not only physical. It is competitive, and teams and individuals come up with a strategy before the race and attack the opposition.

While possible, it is rare to get seriously injured in cross country or track and field. Proper warm-ups and training help to lower the risks.

Also, cross country and track and field are two sports where participants almost always make the roster. There is less need to compete hard for a spot on the team – and with it, a potential athletic scholarship – than in basketball or football.

If you’re considering a sport, I would recommend you try cross country in the fall, and possibly consider track and field in the spring.

The benefits of being an athlete, especially in the field of running, are that it helps with time management, goal setting and making improvements.Some words of wisdom that I’ve received from Harland Yriarte, director of the Steens Mountain High Altitude Running Camp in southeastern Oregon, have stuck with me.

“Don’t let your weakness define you, but be defined by your strength, your big things. Then work on your little things,” he said.

It’s great advice for running, and for life.