For some Bulldog runners, Garfield cross country practice is considered more of a social jogging time than actual training for competition. Friends join together to get in shape and have the experience of a team sport without truly worrying about wins or losses. For captain Dylan Peterson, cross country is a more serious endeavor.

“I like to run on my own,” said Dylan. “I’ve never been a part of the running culture. I do it for myself.”

While Peterson, a junior, acknowledges the “running club” mentality of Bulldog cross country, he runs for his own personal enrichment.

“It seems selfish,” said Peterson. ”But I just don’t do it for the social aspect.”

This isn’t to say that Dylan doesn’t enjoy his teammates. As a captain, he enjoys the “carbo-loading” spaghetti dinners and team bonding as much as the next runner. He credits a special bond formed between fellow runners as an integral part of the team chemistry, and a major draw to those who don’t find running as enjoyable as he does.

“Everyone sees you at your worst [when you’re running with them],” said Dylan. “Everyone’s sweaty, pushing themselves to the limit, sometimes puking all over the place. We’re all suffering terribly, so we’ve become close.”

With all of the, um, pleasant imagery Peterson provides, it’s a wonder he enjoys the sport at all. On the contrary; Dylan is quick to profess his love of long distance running.

“It’s not something you can explain,” said Dylan. “When you run, you kind of transcend. It’s a mind and body experience, from the exhilaration to the endorphin rush afterwards.”

As much as he enjoys it now, running wasn’t initially Dylan’s sport. Before taking to the cross country trails, Peterson played basketball, soccer, and baseball on organized teams and “everything else” with his friends.

“All of my sports sort of evolved into running,” said Peterson. “I began noticing that I could run longer and faster than others on the field.”

Dylan began running the summer before his freshman year with encouragement from his dad, a late start for someone who would later find such success. His natural abilities were evident as Peterson quickly ascended the Bulldog cross country ladder to become one of the top runners his freshman year. While most would view cross country as Dylan’s main sport, he doesn’t like to limit himself to just one option.

“I don’t like to dedicate myself to just one sport,” said Peterson.

With Dylan’s incredible skill as a runner, it’s fortunate for the Bulldogs that he has focused on cross country lately. In the most recent meet at Big Finn Park on September 27th, Dylan ran a 17:44 to place fourth in heated competition against cross country powerhouses Eastlake and Bothell. With speedy times like these, and an attitude that combines both individual excellence and team chemistry, Peterson is exactly what the Garfield cross country team needs as they enter the home stretch of their season.