"Are they really going to have us run a timed mile?"
"Well, this is cross country," I reply, sighing.
My name is Madi, and I am an eighth grader at Auburn Rural Middle School, in Topeka, Kansas. I run cross country with some of the crazier people in the world, including the amazing Brad, his hair (Vivian), a lot of "Sevies" (seventh graders), a smaller but still shocking amount of fellow eighth graders, my friend Laurel, and my best friend Zoe. We are about a week in the season, and our coaches are having us run a timed mile to compare to our times last year, and no one is more excited stunned than Brad.
"So, first they have us run to Jay on the second practice, and now they are making us actually try at running?"
"Wow, you'd think we were in a running sport or something," Zoe snaps back.
Jay Elementary is the school about 1 1/2 miles from the middle school, and is a dreaded workout, especially when the water station at halfway runs out (which is very often).
Despite what you might think, Brad is a very gifted runner and enjoys it, too.
"Guys, we just missed instructions!" Laurel shoves Brad down the line and strains to see through the crowd of sweating middle schoolers.
Coach shouts at us to spread out in the starting area, and then yells,
"Go!"
I take off running and quickly fall behind Brad and Zoe. Laurel and I exchange looks as they take turns running faster than one another.
After awhile, Laurel slows down and gasps for me to go ahead.
As I run, I hear someone catching up to me. Thinking it's Laurel, I breath,
"Gosh, I have to pee!"
"I know, right, I could totally pull a Sasquatch right now!" a male voice replies.
I can't help but laugh as its owner runs down into the tall grass beside the path, bellowing like, I suppose, a Sasquatch would.
"Well, at least watch out for the snakes."
"There's snakes in here?!" he quickly leaps back onto the path, and we both break out laughing.
"I can't believe you just did that, Brett, you've got to save up your energy for the big finish."
"Yeah, well, it was funny, wasn't it?" Brett looks at me seriously before laughing again.
As we near about the half mile mark, I ask,
"Hey, we seem to run about the same pace. Do you want to be running partners?" I ran right in the middle of my group of friends, so I usually ended up alone.
"Sure, running buddy!"
*3/8 mile later*
"Yo, running buddy! I'm gonna beat you to the finish!"
And, sure enough, Brett just beat me by like a second. Jerk.
I wonder how this will change the cross country season, having a 'buddy' who runs like me?
