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.