The runner is totally dependent on himself. It is an endurance-based sport. Running outdoors, sometimes over rugged terrain, you push yourself in a way that's different from the track. Perhaps for this reason, cross-country runners are a breed apart. It's a lifestyle.
Preparation begins at summer camp, and culminates in the team's first meet.
After that, a pecking order begins. Fortunately, within the individualism of cross-country runners are the seeds of their cooperation. It's great to be supportive, but right now we have to demand more of one another. I don't want a runner to congratulate another runner's subpar training session, for example. Those training sessions can include runs of ten or fifteen miles - plenty of time for the runners to develop respect and affection for one another.