A motto I live my life by was written by Charles Shultz, “In life, it’s not where you go, it’s who you travel with.” I have not traveled or camped much throughout my life. This year was my first year going to Interlochen State Park and my first time at Cross Country Camp. Each year the Alma Cross Country teams have the opportunity to attend a camp that focuses on team building and improving skills. This is where my team and I made beautiful memories, I gained closer friends, and increased my strength and ability levels. I loved to push myself while I was running and still be able to enjoy it. Teamwork, positivity, and encouragement are important to me. Cross camp has helped me improve, become more determined, and the find a passion for running. …show more content…
Having the opportunity to go to this campground with my team was so exciting, i couldn’t ask for a better experience. Seeing everyone with big bright smiles on their face throughout the four days and three nights was the best. On the last day the girls team cooked a healthy and flavorful meal for everyone on the team. Every one of the girls grabbed a vegetable and began to cut them into bite sized pieces. We called all of the yummy food wrapped in tinfoil the hobo dinner. My team gave me a happy and eventful time within the days we spent together. I couldn’t of had a better first experience at Interlochen State Park. Cross camp has helped me find my love for running, the importance of my team I enjoyed cross country camp because of the happiness and the great friends that come with the sport. I woke up each day bright and early, eager to do my very best and push myself throughout our morning workout. I have so much gratitude and respect for my teammates and their positive encouragement they have given me throughout my first year of cross country. The places we ran and visited were so amazing. My eyes were locked on the gorgeous scenery we
I joined my school’s cross country team in the summer. At the beginning we performed pre-season workouts. The training was tough, but my proud personality and the very thought of what I had to gain kept me motivated and helped me push through the pain. Every time I felt like giving up or quitting, I would say to myself, “This pain is only temporary; remember that the reward will be permanent, and it will be worth the pain that I endure today.” I was able to push through the
Ever since sixth grade I’ve been running long distance races but not until my freshman year did I learn about the legend of Pre. He has inspired my teammates and myself to give it all we have and to run a race not to see who’s the fastest but to see who’s got the most guts. Steve said a version of that in one of his great speeches. Any race he ran was better than I have ever done and better than I will ever do but I still strive toward his accomplishments and give everything I have.
When the cross country season started in August I became a mentor for the new runners. I was still a runner but now I was doing my running through my peers. During each practice I would lead everyone in stretching and would follow with encouragement on my bike during runs. The freshman looked up to me as if I were an assistant coach and I knew I had done the right thing in being there every day for
"Wake up, drink coffee, eat oatmeal, break camp. Walk, walk, climb, walk, walk, descend, walk, climb." -- Karen Berger, Hiking the Triple Crown.
My whole life I have played a sport. Whether that be soccer, or lacrosse, or field hockey. Playing a sport and being a part of a team was something I always knew how to do. I always knew how to play the sport as a team and not score on your own. My lacrosse team consisted of about 18-19 girls: 6 offenders, 6 defenders, 2 goalies, and the rest were mid-fielders. My favorite position was mid-fielder, I always enjoyed playing all the part that consisted of being on the team. I loved playing both defense and offense, I liked assisting with goals and I also loved stopping goals. My travel team taught me things that I did not learn anywhere else, my team taught me the true importance of teamwork, how to be a leader, or how winning is not always the most important thing.
I never wanted to leave. I truly thought my life was ending on that August day in 2010 as the Peter Pan bus pulled off the dirt bumpy road in New Hampshire on its trek back to the Bloomingdales parking lot in Connecticut. The night before, I stood on the shore of New Found Lake looking out at the horizon on my last night, arm and arm with my sisters, tears streaming down our faces as our beloved director quoted, "You never really leave a place you love; part of it you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind." Throughout the years, I have taken so much of what I learned those seven summers with me. I can undoubtedly say that Camp Wicosuta is the happiest place on earth; my second and most memorable home. Camp was more than just fun even as I smile recalling every campfire, color-war competition, and bunk bonding activity I participated in. It was an opportunity to learn, be independent, apart of an integral community, and thrive in a new and safe environment. I recognize that camp played an essential role in who I am today.
It was going to be the time of our lives. Four buddies of mine and I went out to Jackson, Wyoming to do some of the best snowboarding of our lives. It was our chance to get away from home for a week and have the best time of our lives. The trip out there was extremely boring driving through Iowa, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Possibly the three most boring states in the country.
I took a trip to Colorado In July of 2015 it was the best week of my life. The best part of that week was the day that I got to spend in rocky mountain national park. It was a great experience with beautiful scenery and wildlife everywhere you looked. This trip changed everything I thought about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do when I am finished with my schooling.
We went to New Mexico for a week to build a playground. The trip was long and hot but it was worth it. The playground was going to be built at a Manuelito Najavo Childrens Home in Gallup, New Mexico. In the middle of their dorms. We arrived at a cottage and starting unpacking, choosing rooms, and all that. Dinner came, we all took showers and went to bed.
There were many things I learned about myself while walking the Appalachian Trail. In addition, there were many things I learned about my team as well. My role in my trail group, the Porcupines, was captain. As a captain we are responsible for our group and making big decisions while on the trail. At first I didn't think I was the right person to do this job, but my field commander Mr.Duffy told me that I wouldn't be captain if I wasn't qualified for the job. From there on I knew what my job was and that was to get my team to the Delaware Water Gap and have fun.
It had been a decade since I camped last, and I recalled it being a jam packed, smokey, noisy family campground. I had only been camping in the “real woods” once, and that was literally decades ago - four of them. And now, Wendy, who is a self-proclaimed Queen-of-the-wilderness, introduced a weekend in the interior of Algonquin Park as one of our - Canadian Destinations.
I had never really been a part of a team that had a chance to win something, but the potential was always there. I finally got my chance to be a part of such a team my sophomore year of track. Mr. Jones, the head track coach, had decided to experiment with some different races to gain more team points. Since the girls' team lacked a medley relay, he placed Cindy, Kim, Susan and I in those spots. Cindy would run the 400, Kim would run the 200, and Susan and I would start the race off by each running the 100. We all had worked viciously to earn those spots by running off against our teammates.
It was a hot, summer afternoon when I decided to join the high school cross country team. It was an abrupt decision, but I believed that this would be best for both my body and my mind. I thought it would be easy to run a couple of miles a
We finish what we start. This was the motto that kept me going during the strenuous training period for a marathon. But prior to that, I must confess, I wasn’t an athlete. I was never interested in playing sports, except for recreational badminton. During gym class, I would walk three quarters of the time when it time for the dreaded mile run. I preferred staying indoors and sitting on the couch and watch movies. The first time I had heard about a marathon training program, called Dreamfar, in my school, I thought to myself, what kind of crazy person would want to run a marathon? Never did I realize, eight months later, I would be that crazy person.
We all grabbed our lawn chairs and cozied up next to the roaring red fire. I always sat a little too close, enough to where the fire burnt a hole straight through my favorite pair of flip-flops, assuring me to never make that mistake again. S’mores was all of our favorite bed time snack time and a perfect way to end the night. Every time I would roast my marshmallow until it became slightly brown, mushy, and not too hot in the center; then I 'd put it between two graham crackers and extra pieces of chocolate. One too many s’mores and a belly like later I laid back in my chair and listened as Nancy told us stories. Before going to bed Nancy told us about her favorite past times here as a child and how just like the little girl we saw fishing, she was also afraid of fishing. She told us stories about how much the campground has evolved since she was a child and how every year she promises to take us here and to keep it a tradition. At bedtime Alicia and I crawl into our tents and snuggle up in our warm sleeping bags. We talked to each other about how sad we felt that it was almost the end of summer, and how nervous we felt to start our freshman year of high school. However, our conversations ended when Nancy yelled at as from the other tent to keep quiet and go to bed. I’d fallen asleep that night to the sound of the fire crackling out and the crickets chirping