By Madyson Montoya – Staff Writer
A million things run through an athlete’s mind before competition.
No matter how much experience one has at their sport, fear constantly lingers. Cross country is all about running as fast as possible at an even pace. It seems simple, but like any sport, it’s much harder and there is more to it than any viewer could imagine.
“Throughout the race, tripping is not common,” said sophomore Evelin Meza. “But during the first 100 meters, it happens because everyone is trying to get a spot.”
When a runner trips within the first 100 meters of the race, it affects every competitor because the referee will call it back and the race restarts to give everyone a fair shot.
“It’s like a herd of horses,” said senior Carmen Contreras. “So you’re just trying to get a good place out there, but then there’s people shoving and pushing and sometimes you get spiked.”
With adrenaline running high and hearts racing, the start of the competition can turn into a pretty aggressive match.
Tripping is bound to happen, but San Jose State’s cross country team is better than that. A Spartan runner falling completely down during a race would be a rare sighting.
“I’m really clumsy but I never have tripped during a race,” said junior Briana Valencia.
Contreras has experience with taking a stumble while competing.
“During one race I rolled my ankle but I got back quick,” said Contreras. “I didn’t fall down but it happened.”
In some races, placings can come down to a fraction of a second, so a little stumble like rolling an ankle can make a huge difference in the end.
For the women’s cross country team, there is a lot more to worry about than tripping. It has never been a legitimate fear for them because it is seen as something that “just happens” during practice runs.
“My biggest fear is finishing and knowing I didn’t try my best,” Meza said.
Going through the whole race and giving in to being tired is what the team fears the most. Even if the placing is good, the individual team members aim to beat themselves over their competitors.
Every athlete wants to give full effort during an event, but there is also a big fear on the other end of the spectrum.
“My biggest fear while racing is probably puking,” Valencia said. “Because your stomach starts hurting and thinking about it, yeah it’s a big fear.”
It’s also easy for a runner to get caught up in running as fast as they can to the point where their body is not able to physically finish the race.
“Passing out,” Contreras said. “You never know when it’s going to happen because it’s literally all oxygen.”
The team trains for these circumstances but if adrenaline is high, anything can happen. Once the excitement and nerves run out, it is common for a runner’s body to give out before the finish line.
Meza said that it’s normal to get light headed and dizzy while running the race, but it is important to not give in and finish through the end.
“Toward the end of the race there are so many girls falling down,” Contreras said.
It’s a fine line that the cross country team walks with fear. The scariest part is not tripping in front of people, but letting yourself down by going too hard or not hard enough.
Follow Madyson on Twitter @MadysonMontoya