I run half marathons now. Wish I'd started younger.

I ran cross country for three years in highscholl. We won state two years in a row at AAA level when that was the highest level. Now AAAA is highest level in Washington state. We got hardly any notoriety because the football players got to the city championships, whoopie ;). So I'm a bit disgruntled still. Enough bragging. Running is the purest form of sport and is incorporated into all sports. Teaches you to be responsible for yourself with no one else to blame for performance. It will always be considered a sport for whimps and thats too bad. Our star running back tried to hang with me during a run aound greenlake during P.E. once and vomited after the mile mark. What a whimp ;).

Even though I started running competively at the age of 13, I never had the opportunity to run high school cross-country because our school was very small and all about football. However, I have run collegiate cross-country the last 3 years and love it. One of the greatest feelings is out-kicking a guy in the last 100-200meters because you wanted it more and had the most guts to push yourself to the limit. I LOVE RUNNING!

Not only is this hard both physically and mentally, but you have to look out because crappy runners resort to trying to knock you around if no officials are looking. I know from expirience because cross country made running in the Marines childs play.

Hard as hell but good for the mind, body and soul.

running for fun!