Cross country is a sport that takes its toll on a runner’s mental capabilities as much as it does on their body.While running five miles competitively, runners face the moment where they either let their body get the best of them, or their mind takes over and fights through the pain.
“The eight kilometer race is equivalent to five miles, and I come to the four mile marker feeling good, then I hit a wall,” said freshman runner DC Lipani. “Eventually I get my second wind in the fifth mile, but that fourth mile takes a lot out of you.”
Senior runner Andria Aguilar said she has a history of suffering from lapses in her mental capabilities during races. Aguilar quickly learned a race is less about how her body is feeling that day and more about how much she wants to win.
“Being in the right place mentally is absolutely essential.” Aguilar said. “It’s something that I have gone on a journey with throughout my college career. I have learned more every year and I have a new outlook on racing.”
LSU cross country runners are in pristine shape because they run the same workouts coach Khadevis Robinson did through his Olympic career. Aguilar said the training the team goes through during summer workouts and the weeks before races more than prepares them for the lengthy courses they face.
Cross country team members said success lies in a runner’s ability to find an ulterior motive to help them push through the pain and past the toughest parts of the race.
The common motivation among the team is running for the people that have been by their side throughout the whole process — their teammates.
“I am thinking I can’t let my teammates down; I have to do this for them and not just myself,” said freshman Jack Wilkes. “You have to break free of all the negativity of wanting to fall down and pass out and just think that it is bigger than myself. I am doing this for them.”
Aguilar said through running for her teammates, she has learned her body can give much more than she originally thought, and it has led to her most accomplished season as a Tiger. Aguilar shared a first-place finish at the McNeese Relay with junior teammate Morgan Schuetz, adding a first-place finish at the McNeese Cowboy Stampede and top-five finish at the LSU Invitational.
“The training is there. We are prepared for it,” Aguilar said. “On race day you may get nervous, but it doesn’t matter because you have put in the work. It’s about whether or not you can decide to step up and run for your teammates.”