Farewell

The end of the school year is approaching fast; the track season has about three weeks left for me and the school year will be done in about five weeks. I am excited for summer and all that senior year has to offer me, but unfortunately, our time together is officially over :(. I walked into my Ap Lang class today and was greeted with some new; my class is no longer required to do blogging. Though I would like to say that I will continue to blog anyway, that is regretfully not the truth. I was, and frankly still am, very excited to hear the news that I am done with blogging. I am a very busy person and it was often a hassle to find the time to blog. However, as I sit here writing my final blog I am filled with the desire to reminisce on all of the good old Sundays where I stayed up until 11:00pm scrabbling to finish all of my blogs for the week (sorry Ms.A!). 

           My blogs were nothing special. Most were written in approximately 25 minutes with the goal being to finish in a timely manner and move on to my next homework task. Most of my blogs were essentially word vomits of my feelings and experiences with running and they were certainly not the most well-crafted pieces of literature in the world. I do admit that though I may not always have wanted to blog, I am glad that I did! It has been fun to have these little one-sided conversations with all of you (however small that "you" might be). I appreciate all of you who have read my blogs and hope that if you didn't gain any useful information or insight from my blog that you were at least semi-entertained!  

I wish all of you the best of luck in your running endeavors, no matter what level you are at, and hope that you can muster the inspiration and desire to improve yourself and reach whatever goals you have! Running can suck, but it is something that always seems to bring us back to it. Running seems to fill us with some sort of self-pride that makes all of the discomfort we feel worth it. So with the last click of the “publish” icon, I leave you with one final message: Work hard, run fast, and be the best and most joyous version of yourself that you can be! XOXO. –Ali

Nature

Running is a beautiful sport, both figuratively and literally. The fact that essentially the whole world is our track can be amazing. Everywhere is our playground (except for the ocean, highway, and railroads, but you know what I mean). The Earth is a spectacular place, and running gives you the time and mindset to appreciate the beauty that is the nature around you. Notice how the trees you pass everyday on the trail will change colors as the seasons change. Notice the little squirrels that scurry in front of you between the two cherry bushes. Notice the sun rising along the lake if you ever get the chance on an early morning run. Nature surrounds you as you run, which can provide a welcome break from the monotony of the white walls of the indoors.

Often times I struggle to notice these things as I run, I am more focused on the fact that I feel like I am slowly dying on the inside. I found though, that the more I focus on the things around me as I run, the more I become distracted from my inside feelings of discomfort. This allows me to settle into a more comfortable pace that is efficient and what some runners call the “sweet spot”- the spot where you feel comfortable running at a fairly speedy pace and can relax your breathing and begin to feel refreshed and peaceful. Concentrating on nature and regulating my breathing helps me to get to this place and reach the sweet spot, though of course this is no full-proof remedy.

I love that I get to participate in a sport that is not confined to the indoors or a certain court or field. Though I often complain about the elements impeding my racing success or frankly making me miserable, I enjoy experiencing the full spectrum of Iowa weather and learning to adapt to all the elements! So go out and enjoy all that nature and running has to offer! (I know, could I get any cheesier?)

Sports Bras

One particularly hot day during cross country practice my freshman year, I turned around from getting a drink of water to see that most of my teammates were taking their shirts off. I was wearing a black shirt, and my older sister told me that I should take it off or else I would get really hot. I remembered that in middle school we were not allowed to run in our sports bras, so I felt weird about stripping down and left my shirt on. (Now that I think about it, why was the administration sexualizing middle school girls in the first place?!) Boy was it hot with that black shirt on! I'm not saying that taking your shirt off makes a huge difference, but it does make you feel better seeing as the wind can reach your skin and your shirt is not soaking up all of your sweat and making you feel like you just got out of a pool. I didn't realize this at first though, and it took me about a week before I gave in and decided to give my sports bra a try; it was a refreshing decision.

The boys run with their shirts off all the time in the summer, and those summer Iowa days can be very hot and humid; running 10 miles is not fun even without the heat to contend with. It only seems fair to me now that girls should be allowed to run in their sports bras if the temperatures permit, because it can feel so much better and allow runners to put forth a higher level of effort than they otherwise may have been able to. 

Sports bras are not that scandalize, they cover girls up more than bikinis do. I am no longer embarrassed to wear a sports bra to run because I know that it will make me feel a lot stronger on my run than I would feel otherwise. I will admit that I do not run in my sports bra unless it is a certain temperature or humidity where I feel like I need to, and I don’t take my shirt off if I am running by myself (but that is an entirely different topic). That is just what I am comfortable with. To put this another way, if someone wants to use the typical “school code” justification to oppose girls running in their sports bras, the only thing that would be "distracting" to guys while I run is the fact that my face looks so contorted that I look like a dying cow. Girls should be able to do whatever will allow them to train the best each day so that they can become the best athletes they can be!

Pity Clap

According to Urban Dictionary, a pity clap "occurs when an athlete finishes well after most of the competitors in a race. Usually given to the last place swimmer in a 500 yard freestyle. The audience intends it to be a polite gesture, but for the rookie swimmers it is a sign of failure."

I feel that this is a pretty accurate description! The pity clap is well known as a sign of failure in the track community. The audience collectively feels the need to cheer on the last runner as they make their way to the finish line, but in reality it sucks to be pity clapped because you know that you were so far behind everyone else that the spectators all felt the need to cheer you on an help you finish the race. It is almost comical, because unless the first place finisher is breaking a record or performing an amazing feat of strength, the last place finisher almost always gets more or equal applause to the first place finisher if they are far enough behind. 

Rarely does anyone want to receive this applause, even if it does help them finish off their race, because it just serves as a reminder of how many people are watching them race around the track as the slowest competitor. Just last week for example, My team was competing against the top 5 teams in the state all in one meet; nearly every race seemed to be stacked with crazy good runners. For the 4x8 though, all of the normal varsity runners except for me were either injured or unable to come to the meet, which meant that we had a JV team going up against some of the best teams in the state all competing for a chance to better their times and gain a spot in the coveted Drake Relays. This was a rather daunting task, and I was the anchor. When I received the baton our team had already been lapped by the first two teams, and though I made up some ground, we still got dead last by at least 300 meters. I was pity clapped into the finish line, but I just laughed it off. We all did our best, and that is all we can hope for!

Getting pity clapped sucks, but it is not the end of the world, and it just shows that the spectators want you to do the best you can, no matter what place or ability level you are at. Any good athlete knows that they will be put into situations in which they are inferior to their competitors, and that is something that we all must come to terms with! Enjoy the meets where you get to run against runners who are better than you and use the opportunity to push yourself. The pity clap is not always a bad sign, treat it as applause for your effort and triumph in pushing yourself to do our personal best for that day.  

Sunburns

Sunburns are never any fun. They make your skin turn a ghastly red with white peeling all over and they hurt something terrible whenever you touch the skin or something rubs against the burn. However, there is something worse than a sunburn: having to run with one. 

Running is a very repetitive motion, and this can often lead to chafing.  According to dictionary.com, the definition of chafing is "to wear or abrade by rubbing". Thus when ones skin is repetitively subjected to friction, the skin becomes irritated and wears down, causing sores. Running provides a perfect platform for chafing to occur, like say between the bicep and the side of one's ribs or the rubbing together of one's thighs as they run. Chafing is common, but now imagine that you are sunburnt and running.

The places where your skin comes in to contact with itself or your clothing will be even more sensitive and irritated if you are sunburnt, which is why it is very important to remember to wear sunscreen. If you do get sunburnt, concentrate on drinking plenty of water and putting on a lot of lotion and aloe on so that your skin can heal faster. We have all been there before, and it is certainly no fun! 

Heat

Heat is my worst nightmare. If I wake up on a meet day to discover that it is anywhere around 80 degrees, I am not too happy. I know a lot of sprinters and spectators are delighted to hear of the nice weather, but I would prefer 40 degree weather to 85 degree weather any day that I have to compete. I think for distance kids this is usually the case, given that our bodies will warm up a lot more during our races because of their length. 

The heat seems to slightly suffocate me, and I feel substantially weaker on these warmer days. I am not sure why this is, but for me, the heat is a great inhibitor. Thus I decided to look up why this may be; I found this chart from http://runneracademy.com/running-in-hot-weather-impact-on-pace/ 

This chart is interesting to me because though I knew that the heat had an effect on my physical state and performance to an extent, I didn’t know that it was this dramatic. During the summer, I can go out and run my long runs at about an 8:15 pace for a 7 mile run or so. According to this chart, my teammates and I would actually be able to put in the same amount of effort in cooler weather and be going at a pace that is at least a minute or so faster. This doesn't seem to quite correlate to my experience though. On days with the perfect weather conditions, I certainly do not run a 7:15 pace for 7 miles, though I may run an 8:00 or 7:45 pace. I wonder if we as runners just learn how to adjust to the heat and fight through it because we feel if we are not close to the pace where we normally run, then we are not getting as good of a work out in and our failing. I feel as if this could be true to an extent

. The website above does include a reasoning behind why the heat inhibits performance, and it is all stuff that not only makes sense, but we have all probably heard before: "In hot weather, this translates to feeling fatigued early as your body is actively adjusting your pace when it starts to overheat or the threat of overheating presents itself. Your muscles are actually nowhere near their true point of fatigue, but you are given the sensation as if they are to slow your pace."

It certainly makes sense that we would not feel as strong and ready to run on 80 degree days - I know that I certainly feel that way. This is why it is so important that runners and athletes make sure to drink enough water and stay hydrated all year around, but especially in the summer so that we can counteract the effects of the humidity by providing more liquid to sweat out. Enjoy the warmer temperatures this summer, and stay healthy and hydrated!

Spectators

A very common question to be asked by friends and family after a race is, "Did you hear me cheering for you?!"

These people always seem to ask this question in such an excited manner in the hopes that they played a part in your success. However, the truth is that most of the time runners don't hear people from all the way up in the stands calling their name. There are so many people cheering for their different teams in the stands, and there is so much going on right in front the runners on the track, that one can’t pinpoint a specific person calling out their name. It is a different story when a team mate on the side lines is screaming your name and cheering for you because they are much closer and can get in your face, but when racing, we are usually deeply inside ourselves and too focused to hear friends and family.

That being said though, there is a reason why people perform better during a race than a time trial in practice. That reason is that in a race, runners have spectators that are there to watch the race along with the competition to test them. Cheering and spectators can make a big difference in amping up the atmosphere of the meet and getting the competitors adrenaline running. Most of the time however, it is not so easy to recall the individuals cheering for you. So next time your grandma comes over to you and asks if you heard her cheering for you, you have two options.

1)     You can tell her the truth; that you didn’t hear her but appreciate her being there to support you.

2)     Or you could tell her that her cheering helped you. I mean it is really not that far off when considering the people in the stands as a whole that elevated the stakes and motivation of the meet.

Either way, always be thankful for all of the teammates, friends, and family who have ever been there to support you!

Meet Cancellations

In the Midwest, spring is generally a time of year that experiences really bipolar weather patterns. One day it will be 70 degrees and sunny, and the next it will be 30 degrees with 20mph wind gusts. The weather is extremely unpredictable throughout April and May, and because of this, meets are often cancelled. 

When meets are cancelled, I have found that the first response of most high schoolers is to be pretty excited. I don't know why this is, or if it is just that my team is less committed and competitive than most others out there, but generally no one is too upset about a meet being cancelled or postponed. Meets are nerve raking, and let’s face it, pushing your body to the limit of its competitive and physical boundaries- aka racing- is no fun. That is why it can be a relief to find out that you don't have to race that evening, especially is it is one of the wonderful 30 degree days. 

On the flip side, when you have to miss three meets in a row due to weather related cancellations, which happened to my team over that last week and a half, one tends to get a little frustrated. Even though racing is no fun, in the end we stay in the sport for a reason. The desire to be better than you were before and compete is what drives runners, and I suppose all athletes in general. Athletes want the opportunity to see if they are progressing in their training and to figure out what competitive and physical level they are at, which is the opportunity that track meets and games give us.

Because of these reasons, when one finds out that a meet is cancelled, it can generate a lot of mixed feelings. In the end though, we normally just decide to be ok with the fact that the meet is cancelled because there is nothing that any of us can do about it! Besides, who really wants to race around the track in the freezing Iowa spring air anyway; if the meet is cancelled, there is most likely a good reason!

Dance Marathon

 *Warning: the post you are about to read has nothing to do with running.* However, I just wanted to share with you guys about my experience at my schools Dance Marathon. Kennedy High School’s Dance Marathon is modeled after the University of Iowa’s version. The University of Iowa hosts a Dance Marathon each year to raise funds for cancer research. It lasts all day (like literally 24 hours) and is usually very successful. At my high school, we do a mini version, or I guess you could call it a Dance Sprint (hahaha), that lasts for three hours and is organized by our key club, which I am a part of. All proceeds made at Kennedy’s Marathon are donated to the Iowa University Dance Marathon's collection of money raised. 

The reason I am writing about this today is because it was a really great experience to dance around to some great songs with all of my friends. I mean the Dance was basically a school dance, but without the pressure to look nice and the huge crowd of grinding teenagers. It also had a lot of glow sticks and lights, which is always a plus. The Dance Marathon was such a great thing to be a part of for one other reason too, and that is because it allowed me to be a part of something bigger than myself and to help those who may need it, even if in reality what I did had a very insubstantial impact in the grand scheme of things.

Those at the Marathon had the opportunity to listen to the parents of a Kennedy alumni speak about their experience as their child lived, and eventually died, from cancer as a junior at Kennedy. I was a freshman when he passed away, and I certainly heard from the upperclassmen about what an inspiration he was. Listening to his parents speak, I couldn’t help but feel that this young man used his disease to his advantage and made a difference in the world. This was when I realized that I needed to step up my game. There are so many amazing people in this world going through a tough time, and I wanted to make a greater effort to help them.

It can be very difficult to take the initiative to volunteer in one’s community. We are all busy people, and trust me as I am typing this I am certainly not sitting high on a pedestal of superiority. I definitely need to work on being more involved in my community that has given so much to me. The world is a huge place, and, as my mom always tells my sister and I, “The world does not revolve around us.” 

I am going to use my experience in helping with the Dance Marathon as a wake up call; a call that I can only hope I will answer in the long run. I hope that you too can possibly take this as a call to action as well. 

           The below quote speaks volumes about the mental aspects of running and racing. When racing, your body gets more than a little uncomfortable, so it tells you to stop doing what you are doing because you are hurting, but the truth is, your can take a lot more than you think. Your body is designed to register pain, but in the end if you just decide to call its bluff and listen to your heart (I know, cheesy right?), you can achieve a lot more than you ever thought by breaking this barrier. But then again, that voice is VERY compelling... :)

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwifrtGC3_jLAhWC74MKHVa0ClQQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fexplore%2Frunning-inspirational-quotes%2F&psig=AFQjCNEmiJJhGoJXTYcM5fbP_HzoK7N0GA&ust=1459988428404900

Peeing During a Race (it happens)

Picture this, you are fighting your way through the second lap of a 1500, your thighs are burning, your heart is pumping like crazy, and your lungs are working overtime as you struggle to maintain a consistent breathing pattern. Your body is exhausted, and as you are racing around the track with your teammates cheering you on and the crowd picking up noise, adrenaline triggered by the "fight or flight" response is coursing through you. During this response, your body actively shuts down or limits the functioning of organs and systems that are not vital to your goal at hand, aka the fighting or the "flighting". This means that your metabolism slows down and your endocrine system stops secreting nonessential glands for the time being. This response may also mean, in some cases, that your bladder and kidneys are not able to function as securely as before being put under the stress your body is now enduring.....and I think we all can guess what happens then - you pee your pants.

You have another lap and a half left of your race and are now slightly self-conscience that everyone in the stands is laughing at you and your insufficient bladder abilities, which of course is not accurate seeing as probably a total of three people even noticed the wet stain forming between your legs. Though you might feel embarrassed about peeing your pants, this is a much more common occurrence than those not accustom to meets might expect. For instance, I will always remember when my friend came to watch her first cross country meet. As soon as I finished my race and gulped down some water she came over to me and exclaimed, “I saw four people pee their pants!” I just laughed and continued drinking my water and recovering.

I learned all of the mechanisms behind the fight and flight response in Ap Biology my sophomore year, but at that point I had never experienced peeing my pants, and I still haven't, but I have certainly witnessed it many times. Peeing during a meet, though uncomfortable and embarrassing, is really not something to be ashamed of. In fact it can be seen as a badge of honor because you know that you gave it your all out on the track and pushed your body to the extreme.

Like I mentioned before, I myself have never peed my pants in a race, but I feel like the main reason behind that is the fact that I am a nervous pee-er who goes to the bathroom no less than six times while at a meet before my race. Therefore I have very little left in me to actually pee out if duty calls during a run. Many of my friends also have this affliction, but nature does show itself every once in a while none the less.

In these instances where one does pee their pants, you can only hope that dark pants are being worn. For track, my team wears black spandex. When someone comes over and complains that they peed their pants, I have never ones noticed it while they were running! No one, I hope, is specifically looking for people who have peed, so hardly anyone notices in these instances. Cross country however, is a different story for my team because we wear sickly lime green shorts that become much darker very easily in the presence of liquid. But like I said, peeing your pants at a meet is nothing to be worried about, and most everyone has seen it before and knows that it happens to the best of us, so just brush it off, be excited about your race, and march proudly to the bathroom. 

Distance Decreases Drama

There is no doubt that no matter what the sport, if you are competing at a high level, you will be pushed mentally and physically to the limits of your ability and will to succeed. However, there is something in specific about distance running that seems to excessively test people’s limits and mentality. It goes without saying that running seems to be desirable to mostly those who are up to the challenge and hard work that accompanies competition. I realize that all sports require a great deal of commitment and sacrifice to be successful, but I would just like to point out that you don't normally see people going out for cross country for solely the social aspect as you do with many other school sports. One has to be invested in running at least a little in order to enjoy it.

Given this fact, it isn’t surprising that the level of drama and bickering associated with cross country is a lot less than many other sports. I feel that this is because distance running seems to bring teammates together. Everyone knows that what they are doing kind of sucks, and no one gets 100% pleasure from those summer days where you have to run 9 miles in 100 degree weather. This atmosphere of hard work and challenge acts to bring together teammates because generally, people feel as if they are getting through the tough workouts beside their friends who know what they are going through and can struggle with them.

Another point to mention is that in cross country and track, everyone knows at any given point where they are at. The times and races do not lie, so there is relatively minimal debate and conflict when it comes to teammates trying to figure out who is the best runner. I have heard many instances in which teammates from other sports (and occasionally track) argue over who should be on varsity or who is the more valuable player. In track, everyone knows where they stand, and the lineup is usually justified. That being said though, it has always seemed to me like no one really cares who the best runners are! We all just put in the work at practice, have fun at team bonding, and support one another on and off the track, no matter what level we are at. I love this feeling of “mutual suffering” as my team sometimes likes to rather dramatically think about our sport that brings us together and usually allows respect from one another across the board. 

Lastly, and probably most obviously, distance running brings teammates together simply from running together in practices! Spending an hour or more a day with you team running together on long runs provides a lot of time to talk and get to know each other. Making friends with one another usually helps to decrease the amount of drama in it of itself, and this goes for all sports. 

A List of Essential Supplies to Bring to a Meet

• Jersey- obviously a very important piece of equipment and most likely not easily forgettable.
• Spikes- another highly essential item.
• Training shoes- to warm up and cool down in.
• Pony tail- I can’t imagine racing with my hair in my hair blowing around me and distracting me, and though you could probably borrow one from a teammate in an emergency, it is nice to have one or two handy. Do remember to remove them from your wrist before the race though!
• Water bottle- hydration is key! (especially on those 90 degree meet days where the heat seems suffocating).
• Tee-shirt and shorts- to put on over your jersey to warm up in on warm days.
• Pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt to warm up in- these will help your muscles to stay loose and ready to race!
• Under armour top and long tights if headed to a potentially cold or windy meet.
• Extra pair of socks/underwear/sports bra- putting on a fresh pair of socks before you race can feel refreshing, and as for the underwear... you can never be too careful!
• Extra spikes/ shoe wrench- sometimes desired in case a spike or two falls out.
• Headband- keeps the hair out of you face.
• Food and snacks- to energize you before the meet and to eat on the bus ride home.
• Sunscreen/bug spray/chap stick- track meets can be long, so it is best to be protected from the elements. 
• Meet lineup- if available.
• A positive attitude and the will to put forth your best effort in all of your races that day! :) 

The Correlation Between Soceer and Track

        In my three years of high school running, I have noticed a pretty distinct pattern when it comes to competitive distance runners and soccer players, and that correlation is that they are often one and the same. Many soccer players who go on to be runners find that they are fairly decent at it, but that is really not all that surprising I suppose.

        Soccer involves a lot of running, so kids who have been playing all their lives have already built up a pretty good endurance base. They already know how to run and push themselves for the most part, though of course there is a difference in the mentality required and the pacing of cross country verses the starting and sprinting that makes up soccer.  
         Many of the friends that I played for years with on my soccer team are now some of my greatest competition, and several are too fast for me to even compete with at this point. The speed and strength that soccer players built up from years of playing the game now help them to get to the level they are at much quicker than many others on their team who were not exposed to this level of physicality from such a young age. That this is not to say that soccer players have a huge advantage over non-soccer players on the competitive levels of the track community, but soccer players are generally more likely to join cross country or track in the first place because they have been exposed to running and are more likely to start out at a more competitive level because they are probably at a high decent fitness level already. However once people get to the competitive level, the playing field levels out and everyone is always striving to lower their times and improve their fitness no matter where they started at.  

Giving up a Passion

          From the time I was six years old, I was an avid soccer player whom has always loved to follow in her sisters foot steps through club soccer. I made most of my friends through my team in the Heartland Soccer Club, and was thrilled to spend my weekends in Des Moines or Rockford competing with my team and hanging out in hotel rooms. Soccer was the only sport that I was ever really serious about throughout middle school, and I still love to follow up in the Women's National Team during the Olympics and World Cups. Soccer  compromised a huge part of my life, time, and mind for the first 14 years of my life, and I liked it that way.

         This all changed though in the months before my freshman year of high school, when I had a big decision to make. I had made my schools freshman class show choir and was really excited about it, but I also wanted to do both cross country and club soccer as well as maintain a rigorous class load. I originally saw no problem with being involved with all of these activities, but my mom convinced me that I would just spread myself too thin and struggle through the year. I deeply resented her for this and postponed my decision until nearly the last possible minute. I loved soccer and didn't really know anything else from it; I felt comfortable with it. I knew however, that I was a better runner than I was a soccer player, and I was excited to see how far I could go with the sport. Judging by the topic of my blog, I am guessing that you all know what direction I decided to go with. I quit soccer and transformed my identity from the soccer girl to the runner, with was not a terribly easy transition to make. 

       Sometimes I look back on my soccer days and I can't help but smile fondly, I mean it was a great chapter of my life, but that is all. The chapter is over, and though that was a very hard thing for me to comprehend at the time, I realize now that soccer was great for me as a kid, but in the end it was not something that I was necessarily meant to stick with for the long run. I still have my days though where I miss the sport, for instance last week my track team had a soccer scrimmage after practice on for some friendly team bonding. Lets just day that I might have gotten a tab bit too into the game and some of my teammates were shocked to see the shortest girl on the team tackle a ball away from on of our best throwers, who is clearly a lot stronger then me. 

     So my objective in writing this blog is to state that we all have extracurricular activities and hobbies that we are passionate about, and that it good! It helps us to define our values and personalities as individuals. That being said though, we don't all just have one talent or interest, and just because you may outgrow one interest, it does not mean that you will not soon find another hobby to occupy your mind and love again. It's not easy to give up something that has been an important part of your life for so long, and trust me I shed more than a few tears, but I also love my team and the atmosphere of the other sports I am currently involved in, and know that sometimes there is not a 100% right or wrong decision. Compromises are a part of your life, but most of the time life has a way of leading you down a satisfactory path. Giving up something you love is hard, but it can sometimes lead you to new and exciting adventures and experiences that you otherwise would never have had the opportunity to explore. 

Double starting

The starters say it before every race and they phrase it in almost the exact same way, but the athletes tend to gloss right over it and ignore it. What is it that the starters say, you ask? They recite this well-known and simple testament: "If you hear the gun go off a second time, it means that someone has either false started or fallen within the first 100 meters. If you hear the gun shot, please turn around and we will restart." This sentiment is heard often, but many athletes don't pay much attention to it because it is such a rare thing. I for one had never had to restart a race before, though of course I have seen it happen, and every time I see it, I think, "Awe that has to suck!” I had never actually experienced double starting before, that is until my meet last Tuesday, the meet otherwise known as "The Meet of the Triple Start". 

I lined up for the 1500 and everything was normal. I had the nerves going and was anxiously jumping up and down in an attempt to stay warm and calm myself. All the competitors were all lined up and ready to go, the starter pulled out his gun, he said the magic words, he pointed his gun at the air, and a tiny puff of air resulted. The starter had forgotten to reload his gun. He laughed about it, but we athletes were all a little on edge in anticipation of competition. We smiled and tensely went back to the waterfall line and waited to start again.

For the second time the starter said the magic words, put his gun up in the air, and the gun went off. We didn’t get far though until the gun went off again. This had never happened to me before, but I was well instructed on what to do, so I stopped right away and turned around with the rest of the girls. I looked toward the starting line and I saw that my teammate racing in this heat with me was lying on the floor in the infield! I ran toward her and tried to reach her, but she was surrounded by the other girls who had gotten to her first. She had been accidentally spiked and pushed over, so she was alright, but a little shaken up. 

In the end we both finished the race and everything was fine, but it was such a weird feeling to start the race three times. However, as soon as the race started, the fact that I had already started the race slipped my mind and it just seemed as if you had done an extra stride. The race felt normal while I was competing, there was just something in the back of my mind the whole time telling me that something was slightly off!

Boxed-In

You are standing at the starting line of the 1500 meter race, toeing the waterfall line and maybe getting in a quick stride or two. You anxiously jump up and down while the starter assigns a heat and position to everyone else competing. You are the second runner on the inside, and there are 17 other girls on the outside lanes who clearly don’t plan on staying there long. The man walks in front of the group, gives a few last minute instructions that everyone there has heard a hundred times, and the gun goes off. Half of the runners on the outside push forward, and with the bend of the waterfall line aiding them, stride ahead of you and step in front. The rest of the girls started off a little slower and are now falling in behind you within the first hundred meters. You are now boxed in. 

Being boxed in is the worst. You feel as if you are in a herd of livestock and in this position one can only hope that the race soon spaces out enough to find a gap and break free. Even if the pace of the clump is a good pace for you, it is still usually best to be free so that you can strategize better and work your way toward the front of the group. When you are stuck in the middle of five or more people, you always seem to be on the verge of falling off the track, and your feet are constantly in a tangle of colorful spikes that threaten to trip you, or worse, cut your leg with a spike. Being boxed in is simply just stressful and anxiety-inducing for me. I always feel as if I am in an uncomfortably precarious position and need to try to find my way to the outside, which is generally what you want to do if you feel that you can pass the clump.

Despite what my last paragraph may let on, there are times in which being boxed in is not always a negative thing. In times when you don’t feel like you have enough energy or fight to get around the group, than you can just stick to the inside and let the clump break up in its own, which it usually will within the first 400 meters. You can even use your position on the inside as a way to motivate you to stick with the group if they are helping you push the pace of your race, then in the last 200 meters of the race you can try to fight your way to the head of the pack, which is probably a lot smaller now than it was at the beginning of the race. My coach always says, “Get to the front of the pack if you want to get a better position with just one splurge of energy and effort!” That is of course given that you have it in you to push ahead of the pack, which one certainly does not always have. It is always a great feeling when you can push ahead though, because you are passing a lot of people in a short distance when dealing with packs.

But like I said, being boxed in is the worst! J

Struggling in Training

Having a bad day or two when training can be discouraging, but it is not the end of the world. Most athletes have practices in which they just can’t seem to get it together, days when they can’t keep up with the people they usually run with, and days when they keep failing to hit their interval time. But you know what, everyone has those days.

My freshman year there was a senior on my team who was the best runner we had. I often ran with her and a few other girls on the team on long runs, and I would have to push myself to stick with them on most days. Every once in a while, she would have a day in which the rest of the group would be pushing her and she fell back a little bit. Though I had fallen back on several occasions, it struck me that she had these days too, because I always thought of her as invincible and the best.

My inexperienced mind now understood that it was ok and completely normal to have practices in which you seem to be struggling your way through it. Everybody’s bodies recover at different rates, and sometimes your body is just feeling exceptionally tiered, soar, bloated, cramped up, or whatever else it may be that is holding you back that day.

Push through the bad practices and let it roll off your chest, because soon you will be back in the grind and feeling yourself again. You will have bad days that are frustrating, and good days that can sometimes offer a false sense of optimism and security, so let the practices come and remember that you are working each day to get one step closer toward your ultimate goal, whatever that may be. 

Sickness-Induced Stress

As athletes, most of us try to keep are bodies as healthy and ready to perform as they can be. It is as if they are cars that must be well fueled and taken care of before they can perform to their maximum capacity. Our bodies are our performance machines, which is why we try to have them in tip-top shape before a race. This is why it can be so stressful when you are sick before a meet.

As I am typing this, I am stopping approximately every 2.5 minutes so that I can cough over my shoulder as my body is racked with the force of the abrupt exhale; I also have my first meet of the season tomorrow. So when I am talking about how stressful it is to be sick and know that it will inhibit your upcoming performance, I am speaking in the moment.

Even having a slight cough or runny nose can make it difficult to inhale, which prevents you from properly filling your lungs, something that is clearly not ideal while trying to race. Any sickness at all can physically drain you and mentally fill you with doubt and dread about the prospect of your next race. Racing while sick is no easy task, though it usually doesn’t turn out as bad as you it will, it usually doesn’t promote the prefect conditions for you to hit a new personal record either; this is the notion that makes being sick stressful. You know that you have to race, and you want to do the best you can, but the best you can do at this point in time is certainly not the best that you can do on a normal basis. Acknowledging this usually makes one resent the fact that they are sick and feel awful about their chances of doing well at the next meet.

However, in the end there is nothing you, or anyone else can do about being sick, and the best thing that you can do is go out and try to have the best race that you can while also keeping in mind that you are a little weaker than normal, so you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself if the race doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped!

Cooling Down

For most people, after they have just had a hard and satisfying workout on the track doing a speed workout for instance, the last thing that they want to do is go run an extra mile or two. The workout is the challenging part, and you feel so good once you finish it, that it is annoying when you realize that you still have to go jog around for a little while. The cool down can be very important though, and it is not necessarily something to skimp on.

Unless you have nearly superhuman will power, we have all at one time or another cheated a little bit on the cool down. You remember what I mean, the time when you ran 4 laps instead of 6 because you knew no one would notice, or the time you cut around the block and didn't complete the whole cool down route. Now this may seem harmless, and it is pretty harmless if you skimp on the workout infrequently, but the trouble comes when people consistently skip their cool down. Like I said before, cool downs can suck, but they can also prevent your body from getting injured and help your muscles feel better and more refreshed the day after a tough speed workout when your muscles built up a lot of lactic acid. 

            The cool down is meant to allow you muscles to relax a little bit while you jog around so that your body does not have to go from 100% working and being built up and broken down to being not used anymore and hardening. The cool down provides your body with an in-between state that allows muscles to relax and loosen up. This loosing up of your muscles acts to prevent muscle strains and tears. In addition, cooling down helps to release some of the lactic acid that has built up in your muscles during the workout so that you do not feel as tight when you are trying to get out of bed the next morning.

           Essentially the cool down can be thought of as a stretch that can only be beneficial, so at the next practice when you have to go for a  2 mile cool down following a taxing interval workout, think of the jog as a time to wind down, catch up with your teammates, and care for your body. 

Track Etiquette

At my school, both the boys and girls track teams practice directly after 6th period, the last class of the day. Between the two high school teams and the group of college runners that workout every once in a while on our track, it is definitely fair to say that the track can get a little overcrowded. Most of the time everything works out pretty well and all parties involved get done what they need to, put in some work, and move on with their lives, but sometimes it can be a little trickier than that. Therefor there are a few guidelines that one should always remember when sharing the track.

In order to accommodate all of these people, it is important to remember that at no time should you be waiting or standing in lane one. Lane one and two are the lanes that everyone is using when they are doing their interval or tempo run, and it is really annoying when you are trying to keep up a steady and uncomfortable pace and have to slow down or veer off the track because someone is in your way. To prevent this, it is important that one always stands in the infield between intervals, and not wait in lane one while they rest. It is equally vital that if one has some down time between intervals and is told to walk or jog slowly for a certain period of time in between that they do this in the outer lanes so that they do not disrupt the flow of the runners doing their workout at the moment.

With all of those people on the track just trying to get the best workout in that they can, there is no time or reason for superiority complexes. The boys are not more entitled to the track than the girls, and the faster runners are not more entitled to the track than the slower runners. Everyone is out there doing their best, and everyone should have equal opportunity to use the track. If someone is ahead of you in lane one but you are gaining on them, it is only right that you pass around them on the outside, and not make them move out of the lane and disrupt their flow. They are most likely working equally as hard as you, so just because you may be doing sprints and they are doing a tempo run at a slower pace does not mean that you are entitled to a free and uninterrupted run if you are both putting in your maximum effort during the workouts.

Goal Setting for the Upcoming Track Season

The beginning of a season can be an almost magical time for a lot of people. The fact that athletes haven’t competed for a while and don’t know exactly how they stack up against others helps generate a lot of goal setting and planning, so with an entire season ahead of you, now is the time to let your imagination fly and work toward having the best season ever while setting some personal records! Push yourself to let the promise of a new season take you to places (or paces) you have never been to before!       
               It is good to set your goals at the beginning of the season so that you always have a direction that you are training toward the entire season, but you can always reevaluate and alter your goal based on the first couple of meets if necessary. Dreaming big is important, but don’t set a goal that is impossible for you to reach, because that will only lead to discouragement and frustration toward the middle of the season if you aren’t on track to reaching your goal.         
            In addition, one must always remember that at the beginning of the season it will usually take some time to get back into the swing of things and reach the times that you were able to hit at last year. So don’t get discouraged too easily or let your goals fall by the way side, just keep your head up and reach for the stars this season!

Throwing

I am 5 foot, sub-100lb distance runner who prides herself in recently being able to bench press the men’s' bar in cross fit, so clearly I am no expert on the ins and out of the throwing world, but I am still going to share a few of my thought with you today. Though I have only ever been involved with the "track" aspect, sometimes I feel like a majority of people at track meets forget about the "and field" part of the sport. Jumpers are often sprinters, so they are still very much interconnected with the rest of the team, but throwers are often times overlooked. Throwers are just as important to the overall team as the runners are, and throwing opens up a lot of opportunities to score points if your team has successful individuals. Throwing can make or break a team competing at the top levels where things are often tight, so then why do many, including myself, seem to forget about the throwers on the team at meets?

I do have a theory on this topic, and that theory revolves around the fact that throwers and runners are often separated during practice at most schools. This means that while the runners get to see each other every day, even the sprinters and distance athletes get to warm up and stretch together usually, the throwers are not a part of this social time. So everyone on the team is together at practices except for the throwers. This unfortunately creates and atmosphere in which the runners and the throwers aren't usually very supportive of each other. Each group may respect and enjoy the company of the other, but at the same time in feels like the two groups are almost separate teams, rather than one united front.

The result of this separation is that many runners do not go to support the throwers, and many throwers leave at the beginning of the meet after they throw if they are able to. Though it is hard to support throwers if you have a race that is occurring at the same times as the throwers are competing, it is important that we should all make more of an effort to go and support the throwers, and for the throwers to support the runners more than the average team does. Throwers and runners are all in it together, so they should be more involved with each other than they are now, because who doesn't want a few extra people cheering them on at meets or saying hi to each other in the hall way? Who knows, it may even result in increased success for both parties involved!

400m

If you walk around the stands at a track meet and ask random athletes and fans what they consider the sprinting races to be, most will respond within two seconds with the answer, "The 100m and 200m races!". Likewise, when someone is asked what the so-called "distance" races are, most people will quickly reply, "The 800, 1500, and 3000.". There is one race though that might get a mixed response when asked about, and that race is the 400 meter.

 On line up spread sheets, this race is called the "400 meter run". Given that the 100m and 200m races are described as "dashes" this leads me to believe that the 400m is considered a distance race, which is the case in most situations. But is it really all that much of a distance race? I mean it is only one trip around the track, only 1/4 of a mile, so compared to the 3k or cross country meets, it is hardly any distance at all. Any successful 400m runner knows that in order to be competitive at this race, you are basically giving it your 100% all for the entire race, or at least pretty darn close. So maybe one is not technically sprinting the entire race, but where do you draw the line? I guess the track gods have decided that the sprinting line is drawn at the 200m, but it also seems weird to group the 400m and 3000m together as distance race.

To avoid the 400m's lack of a suitable category, the race is technically considered a mid-distance race. I still feel like it can be argued in favor of the 400m being a sprinting race, but I mean maybe that is just the way I personally feel when I run it. As a distance runner, there seems to be a substantial difference between an 800 or 1500 and a 400. When I am running a 400 I feel much less restricted than when I am racing an 800. I feel as if I can enjoy myself more because it is so short and I can just go all out the entire time and feel free! When I am running a 400, I worry only about pushing the pace and keeping a steady flow of one foot following the other, whereas when I run a 1500 I am more worried about pacing myself and sticking to a strategy that I hope is successful. I guess that is why a distance runner is more inclined to consider a 400 a sprint, because it is probably the closest they will come to sprinting.

Sprinters usually don’t consider the 400 meter as a sprint because they are used to competing only in 100s and 200s, which are both literally full out with absolutely no consideration of pacing at all. That is probably also why distance runners get excited at the prospect of getting to run a 400, while most of the sprinters I know who compete in the 100 and 200 usually get wide eyed and terrified at the thought of running a 400m. To sprinters, the 400 meter race seems like a daunting task, while getting to run the 400 meter to a distance runner can seem like a nice treat. I suppose that your feelings toward 400s are also altered, as with any race, based on whether or not 400s are your race of focus or your strong suite in track.

The Hazards of Running Indoors

         As the track season starts, many of us in the Midwest are still dealing with near freezing temperature and an ever-present cover of snow on the grass. Due to this slightly less-than-comfortable weather, it makes it difficult to run outside on the track most days. When this is the case, most teams are stuck training indoors and running through the halls, which at first can seem kind of like you are committing a crime considering you have been told from the time you could recite the alphabet that it was bad to run in school. Running inside might not seem that different from running outside, but the hard concrete under your feet indoors generates a much larger impact on your joints than running on a trail or the pavement will. This extra impact can cause knee and ankle problems if too much time is spent indoors on sensitive knees, therefor it is important that one is careful as they bound their way down the hallway. Such preventative measures include making sure that your running shoes are well taken care of so that the sole can do its job and absorb some of the impact, and being cognizant that you are using proper form. This will help you keep from slapping your feet too much or locking your knees. 

          You might think that running indoors will prevent you from falling, given that you do not have to worry about slipping on ice or tripping over snow, but there are several exclusively indoor hazards that come into play that might make you need to take a second to reconsider whether it is too icy out or not. The glimmering floors of most schools and businesses, although gum imprinted and smudge marked, are very slippery when you consider that students track water into the school and the surface beneath your feet is very smooth. These components plus the extra impact that running causes creates the perfect environment for slipping. In addition, when running inside there is not a clear path to follow, so you end up heaving to dodge janitors with brooms and teachers carrying boxes of tests to grade that night. Every corner you turn is a fresh opportunity for a collision, and every room you pass has the promise of opening the moment you pass and hitting you. 

          So though it is clear that running inside can have its benefits, these are just a few things that one should keep in mind before deciding that running the halls is always a full-proof answer to the wintry outdoors.  

Preseason Apprehension

Disclaimer: In this post, when I mention “you” or “we”, I am referring to what I have found the general running public sentiments to be.

In the days before the first practice, many seem to dread the coming season, even if they love running and are very talented and well trained. I feel like everyone has this apprehension because they want to be the best they can be, and in order to do that they know that they are embarking on a journey of suffering and perseverance to reach these goals. We have this apprehension because we aren’t yet ready to spend two hours of our day for the next three or so months of our lives doing something that is both exhausting and exhilarating, but we know in our hearts that we would lose a part of ourselves if we decided not to do track.  Running is a lifestyle, and the people you meet on your team can be some of your best friends, so it is very hard to decide to not do track, so even though you do track and are glad to be doing it in most cases, that doesn’t take away the apprehensions that come along with the first few days before and after the first practice.

The prospect of facing the first day of practice can cause a rush of conflicting emotions. Usually one feels both excited and nervous. It is as if you are on a rollercoaster slowly approaching the first huge drop of the track, you are about ready to pee your pants in anticipation, but you are also really excited to feel the rush of adrenaline that the ride will bring. In regard to the upcoming season, athletes are usually nervous that they have not put in enough training during the off season and are worried that they are behind their peers, fretting over how out of shape they feel and how sore they will be as they attempt to gain their endurance and strength back. On the other hand however, people are usually excited about the promise and dreams that the new season can bring them! This mix of emotions can be both beneficial and normal if one keeps them balanced and doesn’t let their nerves get the best of them. 

The 1500m Race

The 1500 meter race; It is every distance runner’s favorite race; It is every distance runner’s least favorite race. The 1500 meter is the girls’ version of the guys’ 1600 meter race, so it is for some reason 100 meters less than the 4 laps around the track that makes up the 1600 meter race. Compared to the typical 5k that distance runners run for a cross country race, you might think that the 1500 meter is a piece of cake, but it is not all fun and games.

Just because the 1500 meter is substantially shorter in distance than the 5K doesn’t mean that it is easier. You may be able to get through the race quicker when racing a 1500, but the pace at which you have to run a 1500 is noticeably faster. The 1500 meter race is also challenging because not only is it almost a mile, but you have to push yourself to be fairly close to a full out run the whole time in order to be successful at it. During the 5k, one is able to settle into a pace and ride out most of the race at a pace that, though extremely taxing, is not giving them any extreme mental and physical inhibitions. When one reaches the pace and distance that is required for the 1500 meter, things become a little different. There is no room for one to “settle in” when competing in a 1500. The fast pace is set from the time the gun goes off and one has to actively fight for a good position in the first 75 meters of the race. If you do not get a good position, you will have to make up a lot of ground or will be penned in the inside of a pack with no opening to get out. You have to have a strategy when running a 1500, and you have to be mentally in it the whole time, pushing yourself to the limit for the entire five plus minutes.

1500s are not all terrible though. It is nice to be able to allow yourself to run at a steady fast pace and to feel the burn in your legs and soreness in your throat. This sounds like it would be terrible, but it is really great when you can see the person in front of you and fight through the pain to pass them only to set your sights on the next person. Running 1500s uses a different energy system that distance runners are not always accustomed to, so it can be quite fun!

Negative vs Positive Feedback

          There have been many studies out there that weigh the pros and cons of negative and positive feedback, and many researchers who have their individual opinions. I have come to the conclusion that in order to truly motivate someone to be the best that they can be, one needs to receive both positive and negative feedback.
          If one receives only positive feedback, then they may get overconfident and full of themselves. Not only does the general public not like overly cocky and humble people, but having an inflated ego usually results in that person thinking that they are better than they actually are. This may lead them to overestimate their success, so that when they get into a situation in which they can’t succeed, they will fall into a deeply negative and pessimistic period. This can cause their times to increase and their once huge amount of confidence to deplete.
          On the other hand, if someone only ever receives negative feedback, they are often forced into a very negative mindset from the start, which can inhibit their growth as an athlete and keep them from capitalizing on their strengths. No matter how confident or strong willed someone is, it is hard to see the talent that one has when they are constantly told that they are not good enough.
         Both negative and positive feedback are important to promote an environment in which an athlete can strive to reach their full potential and level of success, so as teammates we should all strive to let people know when we see that they have improved on something or are doing something well. We should also kindly tell each certain aspects of our training that we could improve on, because a little constructive criticism, though maybe not the most fun to receive at the time, can untimely help us to become better athletes. This is why it is important for teams to foster an environment in which it is common for everyone to receive a little tip or piece of wisdom from another teammate, this way no one will get offended when someone is trying to help them if they are doing it in a way that is not patronizing or demoralizing. When teammates talk to each other and work together to figure out how to improve, it can only lead to positive results for everyone!

Sports vs. Success in School

        For the average student, the notion that sports could improve academic success might seem like a pretty far-fetched and inaccurate statement. I would have fallen into this category in the past, but that is because I am a hard worker and want to be successful in school for my own personal gain and future prosperity. So for me, sports can sometimes feel almost like an inhibitor when it comes to my grades, because they takes away some of my time and focus from school. Some students however are far more passionate about their sport, and consider it the most important part of their lives, to these people, sports may be the only reason why they are even somewhat successful in school. In order to be involved in extracurricular activities at many schools, the student has to earn a D or better in every class, so this can be a motivator for some people. Being involved in extracurricular also gives students an environment in which they can meet new people and friends whom can help them if need in their schoolwork. 

          In addition to success in school, being heavily involved can also act as a way to keep students out of trouble and on the right track. If a student has always been busy after school and has every second of their day mapped out, then they have no time to experiment and try things that they shouldn't. When people have a lot of free time and are bored, they may try to find things to fill their time and get into partying, drinking, or worse. I am not saying that everyone who doesn't do sports or extracurricular activities will go to parties, and I am certainly not saying that everyone who does drink or do drugs is a bad person, because that is not true. On the other side of this, not every athlete or musician is a good person.

          In addition, many athletes are so focused on being the best that they can be at their craft, so they try to put only the best nutrition into their bodies. These athletes usually don’t want to risk drinking or drugs because they are worried about how it will affect them, so they simply stay away from them. Having a busy and hectic lifestyle is not for everyone, but participating in something as a kid can in fact help some people stick to what is most important and compel them to lead a healthy lifestyle. 

Street Crossing Saftey

Running is not like most sports in that you aren't usually confined to one area. Unless of course you are on a track, training doesn’t involve an enclosed space such as a field or court. When you are going for a run, the whole world is your arena. This not only sounds poetic and free, it does feel nice to essentially be able to run in whatever direction you please, however, there are clearly some safety concerns that arise from this "no boundaries" mentality. Most of the time there is very little concern to runners when they are running on sidewalks or trails. The problem comes when trying to cross streets, which is something that is nearly always inevitable at some point or other on a run.  

          Most of the time I don't worry about, or even really think about the implications of crossing the street as I run, I simply look both ways and go on my way. There are times though where there have been some experiences that were a little too close for comfort. Such experiences usually arise when pedestrians have the right away, but forget to lock eyes with the driver in front of them before making their way across the street or intersection. Drivers are not always cognizant about checking for pedestrians as they should be, and pedestrians often assume that cars will look out for and stop for them.  Though this is often the case, it is not always. This is why runners always need to make sure that they have the attention of the driver whom they are crossing in front of before they head out into harm’s way.

          One experience that comes to mind for me is the time that my team was going on a nice easy taper run a few days before the state cross country meet my freshman year. We were all waiting to cross the intersection directly in front of the bike trail when the green walking symbol lit up. We headed on our way and I looked to the side and saw that a van was headed right toward us! They had not looked for pedestrians crossing and took advantage of the red light to turn red. I heard their tires screech as they stopped a few feet to our right. Later on, a few people made some morbid jokes about the Gazette coming out with a new headline titled, “Entire Kennedy Girl’s Cross Country Team Gets in Accident Days Before State Meet”, but we were all a little shaken up.

Experiences like these just serve as reminders that we should all remember to look out for cars and our own safety as we jog on our merry way, because you can never be too safe!

Spandex

          In track, Spandex is generally the most common uniform bottom for many girls' track teams. Spandex are just an accepted part of track meets that most people don't think twice about, but they seem to be both a blessing and a curse in the eyes of many athletes, and I am not sure which side I lean closer towards.
         On the pro-spandex side, we have the fact that they are extremely comfortable and nonrestrictive in motion. Unlike spandex, running shorts are loose and flow in the wind, so they can sometimes get caught in the air and negatively effect the motion of the runner. It is also really easy to slip sweatpants on over spandex, which is a plus on those cold meet days when you quickly slip you pants off at the starting line just seconds before the gun goes off. This allows you to conserve as much heat and warm up your muscles as much as possible.
         On the other hand, spandex are very tight and compress your body. This means that though they are comfortable and allow you to run freely, they often ride up as you run. This can sometimes make athletes feel as if they are too exposed out on the track. This also means that spandex often stick up your butt crack, making you feel distracted and slightly uncomfortable, seeing as you feel the need to periodically tug on your spandex to pull them down a few inches. I can't even count all of the times I have seen girls pulling down their spandex, it is as if they are passing a teacher in the hallway and trying to pass the "fingertip rule".
         So even though this is a seemingly pointless post debating a relatively non-important issue, I hope I gave you something to think about the next time you slip on spandex or watch someone mess with their spandex at a track meet.

Spikes

          Traction and friction are very underrated components of movement. I mean think about it, if there was nothing beneath our feet to push off of, we wouldn't be able to move at all. When you sit down at the line before a race and tie the laces of your sparkling running spikes, you are not only looking extremely fly, but you are increasing you traction. This allows you to push off better and generate an increased momentum. This ultimately decreased times and allows one to push the pace to the ultimate max in a sprinting race and not have to worry about slipping in muddy conditions during a cross country race.

        Spikes can be found at nearly any sporting goods store, but it may be beneficial to go to a place where professionals are available to help you decide what spike might work the best for you, or look up some research on the most effective spike types and brands. This is an individual preference through, so what feels the best for your teammates may not be the best choice for you. When I bought my spikes I took a little jog around the store to see how the spikes felt, and I went with the same brand that I always use as my training shoe so that i know I am used to the feel of the brand. Also keep in mind that the best spikes usually are as light as they can be while still offering an adequate amount of support, an amount that differs based on each person. 

         It is also important to mention that because spikes are focused on providing a minimum level of support so that they can be lighter and you can run faster, they should not be worn often. Spikes are generally only worn during meets, because their limited support leads to less cushioning and foot placement support so that one is increasingly prone to injury and joint stress while wearing them. Be cautious when wearing spikes because of this fact and try to wear them as little as possible, meaning only when racing. In a racing situation the positives certainly do outweigh the negatives in my opinion. As my coach always say, "Wanna drop 40 seconds off your time next meet? (when referring to a 4K) Then wear spikes!"

          Another note is that cross country spikes are different than track spikes, and sprinting track spikes are different than distance track spikes. The shoe itself can be the same, for instance most of the people on my team wear the same shoe for cross country and track, but the spikes itself are different sized. Be aware of this when you are getting ready the night before a race. For instance, wearing cross country spikes at a track meet can not only be grounds for disqualification, but they may ultimately hurt your time by sticking too much into the ground at each step. Below is a link from Runner's World with some more information on spikes that can be very helpful if you are interested!

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/everything-you-need-to-know-about-spikes

Simple Body-Weight Exercises

        Many high school runners, and even myself at times, find that they do not do any cross training whatsoever. While running is the most important thing, I have found a few easy body weight exercises that seem to have been building up my strength. Now when I say that my strength is increasing, I do not mean that I can bench press 250lb, I simply mean that my muscles are getting a little more toned. Tones muscles are ideal for distance runners, because they allow you to propel yourself forward as you stride out, giving you increased power to complete these tasks. However, muscles that are too bulky can ultimately have a negative impact on the success of a distance runner because it can weigh them down too much and restrict their movement and flexibility.

        I have found that for me, and probably a few other of you out there, doing a few basic body weight exercises a night can help improve your overall fitness and strength with out taking too much time out of our already seemingly over-busy lives. I usually spend about 20 minutes when I do these exercises and I make up for myself a little routine with push ups, lunges, squats, and ab workouts. I try to get a nice and simple routine that works my entire body as a whole, tuning the system if you will. Running is an exercise that involves every part of your body working as one, so you might as well try and improve the strength and fitness of every part of your body as a whole, so that there is no weak link and the system can function efficiently. Try creating your own routine so that you can work your muscles in a slightly different way then they are used to when running. You might be surprised by the benefits that regular practice of these short and easy routines can have! 

Coaching Mentality

        In running sports, I feel like the role of a coach is downplayed a little bit compared to other sports in the mind of the general public. This is most likely because in other sports, coaches are front and center and play an active role in the outcome of the game by giving instructions and plays, while in running, there is relatively little instruction that can be given to competitors, and when there is, the encounter is rarely seen by the spectators. However, coaches do play a vital role in the training of their athletes, especially if they are teaching relatively inexperienced high school students.

        Coaches not only create a training program for their athletes and make sure that they stick to it, but they also set the vibe of the practices and season. To me, the latter is almost equally, if not more important than the former. Coaches help their athletes thrive to the best of their ability to reach each individuals potential. They provide the direction and a platform in which each athlete can prosper and improve, or at least that is what the role of an ideal coach is. Like I was saying though, worrying about the physical aspects of running is not the only job of a coach. Coaches must also work to nurture the emotional and mental aspects of running in their athletes.  

        Track season last year was a rather interesting experience for many of the students on our team, and it really stood out in my mind a testament to the importance of a coach. I truly respect my coach an he was with me for my first two year of high school in both cross country and track. My sophomore season felt different though, and not in a positive way. Our coach almost seemed to disregard his team as a whole. Now to be fair, we later found out that he was going though a lot of tragic family issues, issues that slipped there way through my coach and altered the chemistry and mentality of the entire team.

        Our coach often seemed to hid in strange places during our meets when we needed him, and he never talked to us. He also rarely cheered for us during meets. He made practices feel off and sent out a vibe in which he was perpetually disappointed in everyone on the team. He did occasionally let a few positive words escape from his lips at times or give one of his signature awkward side hugs if he was in an exceptionally good mood, but overall, the atmosphere of the season was negative. 

        Students seemed to be far more down on themselves last year than my freshman year, and everyone was so negative and disappointed. ( But I mean I guess that is the physiological effect of having your coach tell you that you could have gone faster when you got a PR.) The team began to fall apart, people left before the meets were even done and sometimes even claimed that they were injured so they wouldn't have to run in their race. Our coach seemed to have no expectations for us, and that just hurt our feeling, making us seem as if we were not good enough, so that is how we preformed. Like my mom always says, confidence is key, and we definitely didn't have much of that.

        I feel like I am griping too much on my coach, because I do feel that he is a good coach, just not last track season. This cross country season however, his attitude seemed to reverse itself. The team was very close and he let off an almost eerie air of pride and support. It was more than I had ever experienced, and you know what? I personally did better than my sophomore year, not to mention that I had a lot more fun.

        Use this example as an experiment into the physiological effects that coaches and expectations can have on a team, and try to radiate enjoyment and pride in yourself and your teammates no matter how your coach is acting so that you can all focus solely on getting better as a team and enjoying your season.