The thick clouds shaded the sun with cool gales passing back and forth through pockets of hot air. The little breezes made the thick October air bearable for the annual McNeil invitational. Two hundred cross country runners circle around the dusty trail, stretching and warming up, trying to reactivate the pumping strength they would need for the long, exhausting run. Some talk, trying to ease off the pressure. Some stand in deep silence, meditating, focusing, and narrowing the trail, thinking of strategies they practiced every single morning.

With long legs outstretched and lithe muscles protruding, sophomore Adam Waldum could not wait to run. His eyes sunk into a deep trance- a hypnotic state where running was the only thing that filled his mind, his soul, his heart.

The runners took their position and Waldum waited until each long second ticked off the clock. The alarm to start was abrupt, and it sent a ringing command in Adam’s body, a catalyst, to transform him into a running machine. He stayed pace at 50th place, inching closer to the other athletes vying for the top places.

“I came through the mile in about 50^th place and continued to move up, and I just focused on catching the next guy in front of me,” Waldum said.

Waldum finished breathtakingly in seventh place. This is just one of his many achievements, one of the achievements that ranked him in third place out of all the sophomores in the state. Waldum, though only a sophomore, is a well-decorated athlete with awards flying in his hands as fast as he can run. As a freshman, he took sixth place for both the cross country and track district meets.  His best time has been 15 minutes 45 seconds for a 5k race. Being young and holding time for a lot of improvement, Waldum is nearly invincible. His future is stellar and clear.

“Adam is a phenomenal runner, and I know our cross country program has opened so many opportunities for him,” junior Paul Owens said. “It has also given him chances to be one of the fastest runners ever.”

His speed is what makes him phenomenal. But behind this speed is Adam’s deep dedication to running. If one asks Adam how he excels at running, he would say, “I live running,” and he can prove it easily. His focus and discipline allowed him to be accepted on the varsity team in both cross country and track as a freshman. He immaculately maintains his physique, his mental concentration and his drive to be the best.

“Adam does everything,” junior Aurelio Silva said. “He’s talented. He’s very disciplined. He’s the perfect runner, he knows everything about running. From shoes to maintenance to food, he knows it. He’s a genius.”

The maintenance he goes through as an endurance athlete is both rigorous and precise. Each week, Waldum completes 60 miles of running.  He does this by taking long runs consisting of 12 – 14 miles for some of the days of the week and fragments the distance to six miles for the rest of the week, but on some days he runs twice to cover more mileage. The runners don’t usually lift weights, but they do a lot of core work. A twinge or slight pain in their legs rings warning bells, Waldum said and they have to be careful not to put too much pressure on them. They stretch often to keep their legs loose, and ice baths are a commodity after a hard workout. Waldum, as a self practice, changes his shoes every 300 to 400 miles of wear, approximately three to four weeks.

“The maintenance we go through is very important,” Waldum said. “Our sport comes down to seconds, and every bit of advantage helps.”

The tremors they feel in their bones as the cold wind blows past them at morning practice is just one of the many things they have to face as a runner. The maintenance is extreme. The expectations for endurance and stamina are set high. The discipline is precise and asks for a lot of focus. Most of the reasons behind their passion are unclear, but for Waldum it’s purely pristine.

“It has given me more discipline when I am working toward a goal. It has given me an outlet where I can release my frustration or stress,” Waldum said. “It all goes away after a run. I run because I love to do it. I sometimes don’t know why, but I do. It gives me the feeling of accomplishment.”

Apart from the technicalities that are important in the sport, Waldum and his team are successful because they differ from others. They are a family. They do everything together – hangout, eat lunch and have fun. They have become a great part of each other’s lives. They supported each other and urged each other to push through, to keep their eyes on the goal, to keep on believing, to keep on running.

“If I could describe the cross country team I would say that we’re fun, active, and [my teammates] are awesome to hangout with, and they’re all really hardworking and caring,” senior Shane Sloan said.

Speed. Endurance. Maintenance. Family. These are the things that make Waldum who he is. These are what create the award-winning team of runners. These are what help him gain the strength he needs to cross the finish line.

Waldum is committed. Waldum is disciplined. Waldum is focused. Waldum lives running. Waldum is running.

“Running is like breathing for Adam,” sophomore Jennifer Kim said. “He runs so fast, and the least we can do is run after him.”