I suppose you could think of the first two weeks of Mascenic cross-country as a sort of freshmen initiation/returnee rust-buster which introduces all the newbies to our program and giving them a taste of the workload to come; while also seeing which returnees were telling the truth about their summer running.

It can really go either of two ways: you get a bunch of freshmen with the work ethic of a sloth, or you get aspiring runners ready to do their part. And it seems to be the latter this year.

No one seemed to be complaining when the team decided to beat the heat at Mascenic’s traditional swimming spots after our long runs. But neither did they complain during XC Hills, our 3-on/3-off on the cross course, or while stepping on the track for 300’s (Well, maybe Logan did).

Anyone that knows us knows that we love track work! It’s always magical stepping onto that infamous grass covered dirt track in the scorching sun, throwing those shirts to the wind and rippin’ some dirt. Perhaps that’ll teach a certain someone not to eat McDonald’s before practice.

The team also had its usual 2-mile, pre-school-year mock race. However, instead of heading up to the State Championship course for the annual NHXC Festival, we headed over to Hinsdale. A bit lonely, however, since the only other competitors were Hinsdale themselves and Conant. Nevertheless, it was a great fitness test that gave a small glimpse of where everyone is at, running wise, but also a smooth introduction for the freshmen into high school racing (although, we have yet to run an actual 5K). Guess we’ll see what happens when we head to Coe-Brown.

In all, I think this year looks promising. I think I speak for many when I say it’s going to be exciting to see just what these kids can accomplish.

Jake Movsessian is a senior cross-country runner at Mascenic and the top returning runner in Division III.