Senior Kennedy Warner lays in bed, doom scrolling when she gets a notification from her best friend, senior Avery Benich.

“Wanna go run tomorrow at Bringle at six in the morning?”

Kennedy sighs. She doesn’t want to, but she knows she needs to.
The two cross country runners have been training together since last season. They averaged 30 miles a week this summer and now run 20.

“I feel like when we run together, I feel so much better physically. I don’t hurt as much because I’m not thinking about it as much.” Avery said.

But for Avery and Kennedy, running is more than just a hobby. It is the bond to their friendship.

”It’s how we got so close,” Kennedy said. “We made our own running playlist and listened to the same songs and sang along. We catch up with each other on life, even though we spend all day, every day together.”

Running together has also helped them stay accountable. The girls have not skipped a run for more than five days.

“And it also helps me not stop in the middle of runs, because if I stop, I feel like I’m taking away from her,” Avery said. “So it really just helps me get my runs done and do it honestly.”

Even with all the long runs, hot temperatures, and early morning get ups— the feeling after a good run makes it all worth it.

“Whenever we are running, it is just so rewarding, because no matter how good you are at the beginning, you can work to get better,” Kennedy said. “And it’s not like some other sports where it’s like, really technical, and you have to do all these things. If you put in the work, you’re going to get there.”

And over the years, they have noticed that training in the off season has significantly helped them perform better during the season. Their times from a couple years ago to now is proof.

“It just really motivated me to keep going, because I want to keep improving and I want to keep dropping my times,” Avery said. “It’s not like some other sports where it’s like, really technical, and you have to do all these things but you just run. If you put in the work, you’re going to get where you want to be.”