I Tried Running Cross Country as a D1 Track Athlete

Cross country was never part of my plan as a track athlete. Running cross country for the first time as a D1 track athlete was nothing like I expected. Cross country was never part of my plan. In high school, it was always soccer in the fall and track in the spring — 100% focus on both. I did a little bit of cross country in middle school, running those mile and two-mile races, and I even jumped in a couple races in high school, but I never ran anything impressive. So when cross country season rolled around at LSU, I figured it was time to give it a real shot.

Race Day Morning: Shakeout and Pre-Race Routine

The morning started with a shakeout run to loosen up the legs. When it comes to pre-race rituals, I try to focus on following the same values every time rather than getting caught up in superstitious stuff. No “I always have to put my left shoe on before my right shoe” nonsense — that is not me. The bigger challenge was having to go to class on race day, which felt wild. Sitting in a lecture when you know you have a race later makes it nearly impossible to focus.

Getting to the Course and Warming Up

Going into the race, I would not say there were huge expectations. The team loaded onto the bus and headed to the course. Once we arrived, warmups began — the standard routine of jogging, stretching, and strides to get the body ready. The energy at a cross country meet is completely different from a track meet. There is no oval, no set lanes. Just a course through open terrain and a mass of runners ready to go.

The Race: My First Ever Collegiate 5K Cross Country

When we lined up, there was actually a false start — something went wrong with the starting pistol. They had to pass it around person to person until someone figured it out. A couple minutes later, they lined us right back up, and this time it was for real.

About 400 meters in, my legs were already burning. I had to keep telling myself: “It’s all in your head. You’re in better shape than this. There’s no way you’re actually tired after only 400 meters at your 5K pace.” That mental battle is something every distance runner knows, but it hits different when you have never raced this distance on this kind of terrain before.

I had no clue where I was at during the race. I did not see any signs or hear any splits. I told myself I could be anywhere between 500 meters and 3K. The first sign I finally saw was the 3K marker, and from there I just tried to hold on and pick off runners ahead of me.

The Results: 15:12 and Seventh Overall

I crossed the line without seeing a clock. I knew I had caught a couple teammates I was not expecting to catch, but I had no idea about my time or place. I grabbed a water cup and walked off the course. Then one of my teammates pulled up the live results and said, “Dang, 15:12.” I was in shock.

I had told myself I had no specific time goal, but honestly I was expecting somewhere in the 15:30s. Running 15:12 in my first ever collegiate cross country race was a genuine surprise. I finished seventh overall and fourth on the team.

What’s Next for Cross Country

Given how the race went, it is looking like I might have a little more cross country in my future than I originally signed up for. Could I have gone faster? I think so — I felt like I could not quite tap into that last gear during the race, which probably comes down to experience. The pacing, the terrain, the mass start — it is all so different from track. But 15:12 as a starting point is something I am genuinely excited about. I guess we will just have to see what the rest of the season has in store.

For my other first race experiences, check out my first 8K cross country race.