By Siddarth “The Tiger” Kannan ’14, News Editor, and Max “Quickmore” Whitmore ’14, Guest Writer, ’14

“You’re crazy.”

We, along with many other members of the cross country team, hear this phrase all too often.  Our friends, peers, and parents alike cannot begin to fathom why we love running — something that is often regarded as a punishment in other sports.  So after our usual Saturday morning runs, we sit in our ice baths (which are completely accepted in the running world because they feel glorious) and contemplate the question, “Why do we run?”

Is it the camaraderie of the team?  The short-shorts?  The pain?  The competition?  Maybe it’s the glory.  We don’t really know.  It’s a complex feeling, and there are a myriad of answers.  However, one thing is for sure: running is something we all truly love.

Nothing is more satisfying than setting and achieving goals, especially in the context of an activity so physically taxing.  Running is a sport with endless goals and we love the challenge of striving (or striding, if you will) towards these goals every single day.  Whether you succeed or fail, trying your hardest is a source of profound bliss.  Ms. Powell, a Humanities teacher and avid runner, told us that she runs because “it’s in those moments when I’m able to push past the fear that says I’m not fast enough/strong enough/good enough to make it up that one last hill, or through that one last mile, that I truly recognize myself.  Running demands much of me. And in turn, it asks that I demand much of myself. I am only too happy to oblige.”

The culture of dedication and passion running engenders is on full display in the commitment of the runners. Jake Faber ‘14, a member of both the Track and Field and Cross Country teams at the Academy, pushed himself so hard in the final stretch of a close race last year that his hip actually separated from his body.  When Jake heroically stood up, hundreds of athletes, coaches and spectators praised his commitment and perseverance.   This year, predictably, he is back at it, pushing himself to his limits once again.  Out of curiosity, we asked Jake why he continues to run even after such an awful injury and extensive, challenging recovery. He told us, “Well, not only do I love to run, but it’s also amazing to compete with the team. The sense of competition and camaraderie are values that have been too entrenched to give up.”

The pride that comes from running is unmatched.  Just a few years ago, both of us struggled to complete the basic 3-mile run.  The feeling that we get now after breezing through 13 miles defies comparison.  It is a feeling of invincibility. Not even the seemingly insurmountable amount of work that often awaits us after practices and meets can take us down. This is what gives us cross country runners our aura of cool-headedness and calm. Take a poll of the Newark Academy Cross Country team and you will find the most easygoing, low-stress individuals in the school.  For the average student, it seems counterintuitive that a group of people that drain themselves of considerable energy on a daily basis (before completing their homework) could have low stress levels.  The truth is, runners have found meaning in their daily activity, and this meaning keeps them relaxed and optimistic.

Although we can’t speak for other teams, the chemistry on the Cross Country team is simply amazing, to the point that it may even seem a tad odd to other teams.  Whether it is squeezing into Mr. Olesky’s four-person car along with eleven other sweaty guys as a result of thunder storms (while barely clothed), challenging other schools’ cross country teams to Gangnam Style dance-offs (most likely while barely clothed), or watching Cormac Seyfried ‘16 run six miles with a large construction cone on his head (definitely barely clothed),  we know that these are the memories and friendships that we will always value.  Honestly, there’s nothing greater than running through downtown Livingston with a group of great friends, singing Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” in perfect harmony.

Running isn’t just fun, it’s a life style.