As the cross country championship season takes flight, we're called to toe a line or two, or three.

So we open our competitive selves up to vulnerability; so we learn to let the inevitability of each day be. 

As Zel Brooks - someone who could not participate on any high school or college running teams because she was female and ran events that were not yet sanctioned for competition for women; and someone who's faced tremendous adversity but still opted to follow difficult courses over decades - reminded us yesterday: Winners keep running because nothing can take the place of persistence.