What's love got to do with it? Ask these runners

Cross country team proves there's more to running than just great legs

"Do you understand what love is?" responded junior David Bevacqua when asked to explain his reasons for running cross-country. When one thinks about a cross-country runner's motivations, this emotion seems oddly out of place. However, upon closer inspection of the situation, love can play an integral role in answering the question of why cross-country runners run.

Runners may not quite understand love themselves, but they know that it keeps them going through every race - and coming back for more.

Cross-country runners face a grueling challenge that many would be quick to back away from. There must be some inner force, some powerful motivation that keeps them returning to those five-kilometer long courses with such self-assurance and positive attitudes. "I just run because I love to do it," said first-year Jaimee Ramsden.

"Running and being on the cross-country team has fostered in me self-esteem and pride," said junior captain Becca Grossman. With that pride comes the satisfaction that running is achieving something positive. Junior Daniel Schwartz affirms this with his unique point of view.

"Some people love to drink. Some people love to smoke. I love to run."

With his elegant statement, Schwartz sums up the attitude of many cross-country runners including junior captain Jenni Huelsman. "Cross-country is not a sport, it is a way of life," said Huelsman. These extreme emotions are echoed by the other runners on the team.

"Nowhere but on the race course can I feel, at once, livid and euphoric," said senior captain Colin Fishwick. "I run cross country because it is, quite simply, the most complete blend of elegant athleticism and raw competitive rage," said senior captain Medora Lytle.

"I run for the runner's high when the endorphins kick in for that last mile, and you feel completely invincible" said senior Nicki Atkinson.

While the Yeorunners relish running, it is not the only aspect of cross-country that satisfies them.

"I love my team," Bevacqua said. Once again, that indefinable emotion comes into play. No matter how they describe it, every runner's reasons for running boil down to a love of the sport.

"I run for team glory, and for the feeling I get when I hammer an opponent into the ground in the last 400 meters of a race," said sophomore Hans Petersen.

Oberlin's cross-country runners began running for reasons ranging from the desire to stay in shape to the attempt to be doing the 'cool' thing. Yet they all continue to run because of the love for the sport, however they may define it. Even though understanding their dedication for running cross-country is almost as hard as trying to define love, one thing is for sure, cross-country runners have a sense of humor.

"Actually," Bevacqua stated, "I run because chicks dig it."