I haven't stopped missing it and our last race was the State championship meet where we finished 4th in the large schools 43 years ago. That team and that season was the most fun I have ever had including in college. A few of us that are on Facebook still keep up with each other and see each other periodically.
It is a little strange to read about so many of you that have great memories of the experience. Some of you participated in collegiate running, and that overshadows high school in the memory bank, but I was done with it well prior to graduation.
I have a different origin story than many of you. I already ran and had raced prior to starting high school. The first runner at school I bonded with - and who was the closest thing to my main training partner those years - talked me into joining the team that first year. I ended up doing 2 seasons, about 7 weeks each. So, you were in 1 of 4 camps:
Run only for the glory of the school and XC team, and not a step the other 45 weeks a year.
You run on your own just enough to be in OK shape 45 weeks later. This may include no running at all for 40 of the 45.
You also run for the track team. You may or may not during the long stretches in between. (Hard to say how many did this. I'm aware of 1, so somebody did.)
You run on your own all 45 weeks, or all 52 on years you don't participate on the team, such as Senior year for me. I assume all those who were into doing just that prior to high school continued.
I don't miss it in the least. In fact, it surprises me any of you do. Seemed like a waste of time then. Looking back, I wonder why I could have been talked into it.
Many of you will say, " All my best friend were on the team." Well, if you show up on day 1 and, what do you know, they are all there, maybe it would seem worthwhile. In my case, most of them were from the other feeder school or enough older I'd never had any social overlap. So, if you show up and don't recognize anybody, get out of there. It's a social club and you are not a member.