What it Takes to Run

Covering 83 miles can get a person a long way: it's about the distance it takes to get from Cape Girardeau to Herculaneum. It does not seem like that bad of a car ride. It would only take about an hour and a half, but imagine if you were trying to run that distance.

Southeast Missouri State University senior, Chris Loseman doesn't have to imagine, because he runs 83 miles a week for the Redhawk cross country team. While Loseman's mileage seems high to the every day person--or even the casual runner--his teammates are not far behind him. They rack up 60 to 80 miles per week. These distances average out to over 10 miles a day of running for nearly every athlete on the team.

All of this mileage puts wear and tear on a runner. When asked what has been the biggest sacrifice you have had to make to run cross country, Loseman simply said, "My body."

Other runners on the team were quick to agree with Loseman's statement.

"My legs are sore all the time. Even when I'm just walking, I can feel all of my muscles and how sore they are from running and working out. It never goes away," said Southeast senior Cody Martin.

Cross-country athletes have to give up more than just their day-to-day comfort to be a part of the team. They also give up the ability to lead the life of a typical college student.

"Since we are always tired and a lot of days we have early morning practices, we do not have a lot of opportunities to go out at night like other students," said junior Nate Shipley. "When you are looking at a 16-mile long run at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning, the urge to go out on Saturday night just isn't quite as strong."

Shipley went on to say that runners also miss out on intramural sports and just goofing around at the recreation center because they can't run the risk of getting injured and falling behind on training. In a sport where anything more than one consecutive day off can make an athlete start losing the fitness he or she has gained, falling behind on training can be extremely detrimental.

Despite all of the challenges and sacrifices involved in being a Division I cross country runner, many runners would never consider leaving the sport they love.

"The camaraderie is like nothing else," said sophomore Tyler Mullen. "We are all part of a team. We are all here for each other. We are all here for a purpose."

Freshman Patrick Yates said, "Running gives purpose to my life."