Nathan Wood runs for a lot of reasons.

“Just the experience and the landscape and the tranquility- having nothing but yourself and your own thoughts, that’s the best part,” he said. Wood, a senior member of the HHS cross country team, started running regularly just before sixth grade, his first year being on a competitive school squad, although his interest formed much earlier.

“My Dad used to run a lot, and sometimes I would join him. That’s what really got me started,” Wood said, noting that he quickly fell in love with both track and cross-country because they let him relax and concentrate on his own thoughts, free from external distraction.

Wood has come a long way from sixth grade, now boasting one of the best course times on the team.

“I didn’t start out great,” Wood explained, “but I’ve greatly increased my time, even over the past 3 years.”

During his freshmen year, Wood ran most cross-country courses- about 3 miles long- in 32 minutes. Now, his time is closer to 19 minutes. In fact, Wood’s only semblance to his old self is his nickname, “freshwood”.

“I got it when I was a shy freshman, and it’s stuck all these years,” he said, “it almost gives me a sense of being.”

Wood is no longer the quiet kid in the corner. He said he now fills a leadership role for the cross-country team as a co-captain, leading stretches and providing a model for younger teammates to look up to.

In the future, Wood hopes to improve his time even further and have a competitive senior year. After high school, he plans on joining the Army’s Airborne Unit, which has strict physical requirements that Wood said sports has prepared him well for.

“I’ve usually met my goals,” he said, “hopefully I’ll keep meeting them.”