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.