These athletes enjoy running to their own (unique) schedule

It's not your typical schedule for a high school student.

Sleeping in Saturday mornings? Don't think so.

Hanging out with your friends at the big football game Friday night?

Maybe for a quarter. On a really wild and crazy night, all the way to halftime.

I'm talking about cross country runners, a rare breed and not just for the amazing shape they are in to run the way they do through the hills and woods every week.

Runners like Kaneland junior Andie Strang, God bless her, who still finds out about that Knights football game from her Saturday morning paper.

"Normally we leave (football games) by the start of the second quarter," Strang said. "We get the score the next day."

Geneva's runners certainly can relate to being in bed by 9:30 or 9:45 p.m. on a Friday night. Making it to 10 p.m. is a late night.

"I go to football games occasionally but I like to relax," Geneva's Kevin Sparks said. "Take time to myself, focus on what I need to do the next day."

One staple on Friday nights are pasta parties. Both the boys and girls teams often gather together when one family opens up their nice, warm house, which come to think of it might beat sitting through a football game with the weather like we've had lately.

"It kind of stinks (missing football) but since our group is so big we find something to do," Strang said. "We still find stuff to do, we just get in early."

They also rise early Saturday mornings, often by 5 or 6 a.m. depending on how far away their meet is.

For Sparks, the schedule he learned through cross country is now one he keeps year round.

"I've got used to it now," Sparks said. "It's second nature to me. I don't like sleeping in that much. I'm so used to waking up early I do it all the time."

The runners said they don't eat much Saturday before the races. Sparks and Geneva junior Kelly Whitley prefer oatmeal and fruit. Strang likes a bagel.

The good news is that once that race is over Saturday, they have the entire weekend to do what they like. On their own schedule.

Sparks said he'll watch some college football.

"I cool down and just enjoy the day," Strang said. "I finished the hardest part."

"I take Sunday off and just relax," Whitley said. "A lot of us are friends and hang out together.

"We're on a little different schedule than everyone else. We don't mind. We all love it. It's just so fun."

jlemon@dailyherald.com