Cross-country runners spend more time in motion than just about any other athletes. That gives them plenty of opportunity to think.

Kingsway's Chelsea Ley had a lot on her mind in recent weeks. She was getting ready to be part of the Homecoming Court.

Shawnee's David Forward has been pondering his future. He's in the middle of college visits.

Lenape's Caitlin Orr will try to clear her mind during her runs. That's not always easy, since the teammates with whom she trains "are a talkative group."

"I talk right along with them," Orr said.

Conservation also is pretty constant for the Haddonfield boys' cross-country team, which is the best in South Jersey and might be the best in the state. Senior leaders Jon "Boo" Vitez and Colin Baker said the Bulldogs chatter away the miles.

"I think that's one of the reasons we're so close," Baker said. "There's no secrets on our team because everybody knows everything about everybody. We're always talking about what's happening in our lives."

It's different during meets. The cross-country season hits high gear over the next three weeks, with sectionals, states, and the Meet of Champions. During those races, it's all about strategy, pace, the pack, the way some runners break away and others wait to make their move.

But training runs are different. Few sports, if any, offer as much chance for introspection.

In addition, distance running is as much a mental activity as a physical one. The best runners - or at least the most serene ones - manage to transport themselves to another place in their minds while they are doing the same thing with their bodies.

"I run by myself a lot in the morning," said Vitez, who probably is South Jersey's best male runner and rates as the heavy favorite to win Saturday's Group 2 sectional meet. "It's great to think about things that have been happening in my life, or about upcoming races, what I hope to accomplish.

"I try to slow things down, think about things."

When the Bulldogs run together in the afternoon, the athletes make as much noise with their mouths as they do with their feet.

"There's not too much silence," Baker said. "We talk about anything and everything. It helps because you don't want to think about every step when you're running 10 or 12 miles."

Shawnee's Forward, who will be among the favorites in Saturday's Group 4 sectionals, says there's a lot of talk when the Renegades run together.

But he says his individual runs are kind of a "spiritual time" that allow him to contemplate his future.

"When you're out there by yourself, you have to get real with yourself," Forward said. "I have so much to think about as far as college and my future. It's the best time to try to sort through things."

Lenape's Orr, who should be a strong contender for the girls' Group 4 sectional title, said that "sometimes a song will get stuck in my head."

She keeps up the conversation with her teammates during training runs. But when she's alone, Orr tries to slow her thoughts even as she churns her legs.

"For me, the big thing is trying to clear my mind," Orr said. "I tend to overthink things. When I'm out there running, I enjoy it more if I don't think too much."

Kingsway's Ley probably is South Jersey's best female runner and might be the best in the state. Even during team runs, she moves away from the rest of the Dragons because of her relentless pace.

And she likes to think about things.

"I spend a lot of time mentally preparing myself for the races I have coming up, thinking about strategy and what I need to do," Ley said. "I think about a lot of things. Going to college, goals I'm working toward, maybe trying to run in the Olympics someday.

"I've been thinking about the Phillies a lot lately. I'm really into them. And I was thinking a lot about homecoming because I'm on the court. It's been crazy worrying about my outfit and my dress."