I will never forget the nerves in the pit of my stomach as I removed my sweats and was overcome by the brisk, frigid wind which pierced my jersey as I stood on the line in Tallahassee. The dead silence which cut through the air, despite more than 300 people standing in a crowded row of boxes preparing for the race of their lives. As the gun is raised, not a single breath in pure anticipation of what is to come. Two months of racing in preparation for this moment and now it is time. Bang! The adrenaline rush replaces the previous anxiety, as the body moves on autopilot, following the stampede of a plethora of other athletes. The rest is a jumbled, blurred collage of brief recollections before the race is over. Just like that. Quickly, briefly, and utterly exhilarating.
Three years zoom by in a flash. Every cross country runner takes a different path to reach where they stand now; however, many can share in my recollection of the first day training with their high school team and the endless road of possibilities ahead of them. 
For the seniors out there (regardless of PRs, talents, or goals) this is the year where every mile you have logged, every day you have struggled and battled, and every ounce of yourself you have dedicated to distance running finally yields its ultimate results. For non-seniors, believe in your coaches and training because when you reach your peak potential, there is no greater feeling. High school running is competitive, so there must be champions and those who excel over others; however, every person who puts on a jersey to represent their high school cross country team can take solace in knowing they overcome the trials and tribulations of unbelievable feats which few can conquer.
For the seniors out there (regardless of PRs, talents, or goals) this is the year where every mile you have logged, every day you have struggled and battled, and every ounce of yourself you have dedicated to distance running finally yields its ultimate results. For non-seniors, believe in your coaches and training because when you reach your peak potential, there is no greater feeling. High school running is competitive, so there must be champions and those who excel over others; however, every person who puts on a jersey to represent their high school cross country team can take solace in knowing they overcome the trials and tribulations of unbelievable feats which few can conquer.
At Matanzas High School, we have experienced our own rollercoaster ride. We’ve had three different coaches in four years, each supplying a philosophy all their own. Our current coach, Danny Weed, brought new radical ideas which transformed our program. As a primarily distance oriented coach, he emphasized the overlooked aspects which influence running success. These aspects include core workouts, sleep, diet, and others which may seem obvious, but may easily fall through the cracks of training programs. He also ingrained the team philosophy of family into our program. He taught us that, in every moment throughout the day, your teammates are your family and family comes first. This tight knit mentality may be his finest contribution to Matanzas Cross Country. Personally, Coach Weed helped me shave 25 seconds off of my 2 mile time and qualify for states in the mile. Even more impressive, he pushed my teammate David Perez to drop 27 seconds off of his 2 mile time to qualify for states. Joining Perez and myself at States were our girls 4X100m relay, who may owe their success to their first time sprint coach Anthony Sullivan, and Savannah Drummonds, the school record holder in pole vault at a respectable 10’ coached by Jeff Drummonds (arguably among the top pole vault coaches in Florida). 
These men were in their first year as coaches in their respective disciplines at Matanzas and have earned a great deal of respect for their contribution and accomplishments.
These men were in their first year as coaches in their respective disciplines at Matanzas and have earned a great deal of respect for their contribution and accomplishments.
As my personal coach for track and cross country, Coach Weed has risen above the duties of an average coach because he covers every mile and participates in every single workout he asks us to complete. The lengths he is willing to go for his athletes compare to that of a second father: whatever any athlete needs, he gives his best to provide it for them. His vast amount of experience stems back to his high school days where he ran personal bests of 4:32 in the mile, 9:45 in the 3200 meters and 16:04 for the 5,000 meters placing 7th at states. To top it all off, he was a Brooks Inspiring Coaches Finalist in 2013. The man lives and breathes competitive running and knows his stuff! This experience has helped every distance runner in our program experience vast gains during track, and as a team we are looking to carry the success he brought to our distance program into cross country. Both the girls and boys teams look strong after building up a colossal amount of base mileage during the summer and, now entering the racing season, the results will speak for truly how inspiring Danny Weed can be.
It is always a blessing to see such colossal gains regardless of the caliber of runners, but throughout the turbulence of coaching changes I learned one essential lesson: Despite who your coach is, how talented your team is, or how much success you achieve, every runner should ultimately just take joy in lacing up their spikes, standing in the box, and stepping on the various beautiful cross country courses Florida has to offer. High school comes and goes in the blink of an eye, but the memories made in cross country season are intangible and only few are dedicated enough to complete the journey of an entire cross country career. For some of you, there will be college and possibly professional running in your future. For others, high school will be the end of your cross country career. Either way, make every second count and enjoy every moment for what it’s worth. We share a culture all our own. From the universal intense training and pasta dinners; to the abnormal number of bathroom visits on race day and unusual pre-race rituals; to the cryptic conversations about PRs, course ratings, spikes, and various other things, we runners are one in the same. Good luck to everyone this season, and wherever your path takes you, it has been a pleasure sharing the cross country experience with you all.
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