Cross-Country runs wild in arb

Thursday, I was lucky enough to run with the cross country team through the green foliage of the arb.

After I streched out on my own, Coach Tom Mulligan reminded the team that they have only ten hard running days before Conference Championships. I was only invited to run because it was one of their easy days. Just a brisk three and a half mile jog.

First-year John Rogers immediately became my conversation running partner for the day. As we walked from the indoor track through the hallway to the outside, Rogers joked with me that we would run 6-8 miles starting off at an easy 6:45 pace and dropping to a 5:30 pace. I wasn't amused and wondered where I could arrange for an ambulance to pick me up.

As we left Philips, senior Noah Kraut and fifth-year Alex Dawe removed their shirts and the ran began.

We hit Woodland in stride, their relaxed start and my full sprint.

Right off the bat and I began to apprecriate all the work they had put into their sport in less than a minute of running.

I was introduced to their philosophy and games. Cars: be aggressive, they will stop for you. When crossing a street, be quick and don't hestitate.

As we headed down Prospect, senior James Quinn pointed out how running is like life. "When we run, you are on your own, no one can carry you. At the same time everyone is supportive, and can give you support. But you have to do it on your own."

A positive attitude is crucial to success, but even more crucial is the runner's determination, which pushes him or her through the pain.

Briefly Rogers summed up the game Botticelli, the most popular game of Oberlin cross country runners. The game involves people trying to guess a famous person given the first initial of their last name. Everyone guesses on the name of the person, if they ask a question which stumps the original question-maker, they move into the inner circle. The point of the game is to move from the outer circle to the inner.

This game is played on easy running days, when the team runs together. If it is a hard running day, it is hard to talk.

Another game that is played is catching leafs falling from trees. So far, co-captain senior Max Rankenberg leads with the most leafs caught for the season at two, but then Fall is only a week old.

The day wound up a long three miles through the arb and the cemetery. I even managed to stick with senior James Quinn, I think he was using me as an excuse to go at a slower pace. We finished at the same time.

Rankenberg and co-captain Harsha Thirumurthy ran a quarter-mile ahead of us, and caught up on each other's lives.

Thirumurthy has been only running for a week and a half now on his rehab, but still has blazing speed. Thirumurthy hopes to be back soon, but probably not for a couple of weeks.

As we were running through the arb, Kraut yelled, "Run for it. He's going to catch us."

Kraut was referring to Dawe, not eligible to run in races, but chasing after Kraut with his shirt at the end of a stick he was waving threateningly in his hand. Just part of the fun cross country has.

After running for three and a half miles, I was gassed. While I was catching my breather Rogers went on to run for another six miles, before doing his routine of pushups and sit-ups.

Rogers wants to be freshman of the year, an honor earned last year, by sophomore Rebecca Grossman.

A tough field of freshman lie ahead of Rogers and his goal. As Oberlin cross country winds down its season, just pay a little respect to the toughest sport around.