Adrenaline rush

By Caitlyn Nelson
Scott High School

Adrenaline is the body’s natural high. It makes your heart pump, your knees weak and your stomach tie in knots. I look at it as one of the best bittersweet feelings in the world.

No matter what sport your play, your adrenaline contributes to the love you have for it. For me, that sport is running — cross country running to be exact.

Cross country is grueling and gut-wrenching, but I love it. It’s a sport that is sometimes overlooked, with the athletes not receiving the recognition they deserve, but runners have a variety of reasons for doing what they do.

“I like running cross country because it challenges me and I’m able to see my hard work pay off each weekend at the race!” said Scott High School senior Heather Graffius, a member of the school’s varsity cross country team and a state meet competitor.

People who haven’t run cross country themselves, or at least been a spectator at a race, don’t grasp what it takes to get out there and run 3.1 miles. It takes courage. It takes strength. You don’t run for the glory, you run to better yourself and to push yourself to new limits every day.

“What makes me love cross country is that I could be having the worst day of my life, but I can run and forget about the whole thing,” said Scott freshman Anna Toler.

And even though running is a solitary sport, cross country helps you develop teamwork. When you are pushing to the finish line, you are also pushing your team. It is amazing what a word of encouragement or a cheer from a teammate can make you do.

Cross Country is my main source of adrenaline. What’s yours?

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Readers, tell us what your main source of adrenaline is. Answer in 300 words or less, and we’ll print some of the responses on the FlipSide Web site.

To submit your response, e-mail flipside@wvgazette.com or drop it in the mail to FlipSide, The Charleston Gazette, 1001 Virginia St. E., Charleston, WV 25301.

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