Fat Week

The Kennedy High school Womens' Cross Country Team has passed down a simple tradition for as long as I can remember, which is really only six years because that is when my sister was a Freshman and therefor the earliest that I can state knowing about this custom, but still! Now that the Cross Country season is officially over, the tradition, otherwise known as "Fat Week", can commence! You may be wondering what "Fat Week" is, and I’ll tell you right now that it does not have anything to do with the social construction of "fat people" or gaining weight. Fat Week is the week following ones last meet, whether that may be the conference meet, the state qualifying meet, or the state meet, in which one can feel free to eat as they please, for the most part, and enjoy a break from running. During Fat Week, all of the cross country runners enjoy the freedom of the off season and the fact that they do not have to be competition fit 24/7. Throughout the season most of us generally try to eat relatively healthy, especially the 3-2 days prior to a meet, in an attempt to better our performance during races. This is due to the fact that, as all of us can logically deduce and have come to know, it is a lot more fun and efficient to run without a bunch of junk food in your stomach. In other words, we try to fuel our bodies’ right!

When the season is over though, we do not have to worry quite as much about what we eat, and can indulge a little in the foods that we have been abstaining from for the past three or so months. That is what Fat Week is all about! Celebrating the end to a (hopefully) great season in which we put forth our personal best,  and enjoying what it is like to live a less restrictive life for the next three or so months until track season. That is not to say that my team only eats junk food for a week, but it just gives us an excuse to feel less guilty about grabbing that doughnut or cookie (or maybe both) because we feel like we have earned it! And after all of the time spent training during and before the season, it is certainly justified to indulge a little and take a break from running for a week or two to give our bodies a rest and heal up. However, it is important that one does not drag Fat Week on too long, because the next running season will be upon us before we know it. Getting back in the flow of regular training after a few weeks is a vital part to helping ensure that we as runners can have the best following season that we can possibly have! (But do enjoy your Fat Week!)