Turn off ESPN and log off of Twitter, because there is evidence right here in Carlsbad that success stories don’t have to come from popular culture.
Senior and long-time runner Adrienne Barela has taken the Carlsbad High School cross country team by storm with her impressive improvement over the past few years.
“Adrienne has dedicated real effort to her running, and we’ve watched it pay off in her races,” sophomore Ryan Little said.
Barela has been participating in cross country since seventh grade after she found love for the sport while running in P.E.
“I joined because it’s a gnarly sport that all the cool cats do,” Barela said.
After years on junior varsity, Barela has literally and metaphorically raced ahead of the pack into a much coveted varsity spot. Her effort during workouts and consistent daily runs has generated serious improvements in race results.
“My very first 5k time was about 24:00 and my most recent one was 20:44,” Barela said.
However Barela’s most treasured part of the cross country experience comes from being part of something special: a team.
“My favorite part of cross country is having the privilege to be with my team daily. Outside of practice, we commit crimes, have sleepovers, rock out to J-Biebz, and have dance parties,” Barela said.
Barela doesn’t mince words when it comes to how she feels about her fellow runners. They all have high hopes for the team’s future.
“We have the ugliest feet, suffer numerous injuries, and race until we faint or puke. We take pride in wearing short shorts (especially our boys), run more than 50 miles a week, and we love the pain,” Barela said. “Many ask us, ‘Why?’. We simply respond by telling them that it comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.”
