Cross country: the sport where you run all the way across the country, right? Wrong. The team might not trek across the USA, but they do run long distances. Not many people know what the cross country team is capable of to say the least. Most team sports take a couple months off after a hard working season. The cross country team has a one week break after cross season and one week after track. Besides that, running and training is a must. Senior Deedee Adams has a few goals for this cross country season. She hopes to run a race faster than 19 minutes, win the WPIAL race and place in the top five at states. She has been training for this since June 15. Just like Adams, other members of the team also have goals for the season. Sophomore Danny Conrad especially tries to stay focused while racing the Vincentian Team, one of Freedom’s running rivals. “We are one of the best in the section,” Conrad said. Eating healthy and staying in shape play a major part in cross country. Everyone has their favorite pre-race meals. Adams must always have her “three Gs”: gushers, goldfish and gummy worms. Conrad eats pasta two nights before the race to load up on carbs. Proper nutrition isn’t the only key to success for the cross country runners. Adams thinks about the other competitors and what they are doing to get ready for the meets. “I don’t like thinking about the race, so I normally listen to my iPod and go talk to my friends from other schools until I have to warm up,” Adams said. Those thoughts alone give her more motivation to push harder at practice and also to help her stay focused while running.