Whether you ran the mile, threw shotput, or high jumped, you knew what you were signing up for each season. You frequently recall those practice days where you felt like you were on your deathbed, but for some odd reason, you kept at it, returning every week, every season, every year. You then realize you're five years deep and your relationship with that good ol' eight laned tartan torture has yet to progress since day one. But in all reality, you wouldn't have it any other way. The list could go on and on, but here are just 15 things all trackies know, love, hate, and religiously embrace.
1. Practice is as fun as it is miserable.
Every time practice time rolls around, you are equally excited to do what you love as you are dreading the inevitable pain that comes with running. You try your best to remind yourself “hey, this will make me faster," but you can’t help but to secretly wish you were still napping.
2. Explaining your event never goes smoothly.
The “what's your event” question is always one that either ends in a good conversation or in complete confusion. You’re so used to saying that you do "the eight" or "triple," but non-trackies have absolutely no idea what you're talking abut and will uncomfortably smile and nod. And good luck explaining what steeple, pole vault or high jump is to newbies!
3. Waiting six hours to run for 13 seconds.
Waking up early and driving miles and miles away to spend the day at a foreign track is a weekly occurrence. As much as track is a time commitment, some days sprinters just end up running for just 13 seconds. All those hours of training, travel, prep, and begging your parents to come cheer you on for 13 freaking seconds. But at the end of the day, there’s nothing you’d rather do.
4. Embracing pre-race rituals.
Some people dance, some people skip, some people embrace their inner contortionist and stretch their bodies in ways you never imagined possible. Some runners become extra chatty with heightened nerves, some turn mute. It is key to never interfere with a pre-race athlete, unless of course you want to be spiked. All for the sake of wanting and needing to win!
5. A half second is all the difference.
Non-trackies will never understand the value of a single second. Sometimes that millisecond will push you into qualifying for nationals. Working toward achieving a new PR is what you’ve been training for season after season, and the clock takes no pity on the weak.
6. There is no such thing as Thirsty Thursday.
Forget about hitting the bars on Thursdays, you’ve got practice tomorrow! You might shed a tear while watching your non-athlete friends raging in their Snapchat stories. You might despise those who can truly embrace three nights of partying that college was supposed to be all about. But you prefer vomiting as a result of kicking interval ass rather than taking five too many shots anyway.
7. Screaming "lane one" to assert your dominance.
Nothing grinds your gears more than people dilly-dallying in lane one while you're running a workout. Can they not see you coming in full speed ahead? Like a deer in headlights, they usually stare in awe as you’re about to ram them, but the kindness in your heart tells you to scream “LANE ONE!!!” before decking them.
8. Realizing normal clothes are basically a luxury.
Every time you do laundry you are astounded at how many pairs of your jeans or normal bras never end up in the pile. You then question why even bother buying normal clothing when you never even have time nor the patience to actually look put together. Thank god leggings are acceptable, no one can tell you’re just in your clothes from practice hours ago.
9. Your ability to stomach three plates of food after practice even impresses you.
“I’m hungry” has a new meaning ever since you began running. Snacking is great and all, but getting in all three meals is no joke. People will stare in awe at your tray full of everything the cafeteria has to offer, and the lunch ladies will wonder if you’re buying for three people. A champion’s gotta eat right?
10. Relying on ice baths, rollers, and strange stretches to feel OK.
You’ve had those mornings where everything felt fine and dandy until you tried to get out of bed and collapsed to the floor crying out in pain because of yesterday’s terrible workout. Sure you were being dramatic, but the soreness is real. You’ve accepted that you’ll sometimes walk around campus like a 97-year-old. Luckily torture devices such as foam rollers, ice baths and rolling sticks are there to help, and you have no choice but to accept pain as a cure for pain.
11. There are few things worse than hitting the wall.
Double vision, tunnel vision, cotton mouth, tightening and tensing up -- just a few fun parts of hitting the wall. Sometimes you wonder why you love to subject your body to this physical abuse nearly every weekend, but alas, each and every time it’s time to race, you’re ecstatic to give it everything you’ve got.
12. Interval workouts and throwing up go hand in hand.
200 repeats, 400 repeats, Mile repeats, all are dreaded workouts you are bound to be subjected to completing at least once every week. As much as you hate doing them, deep deep deep down, you know they’re making you faster. You just won’t admit it to your coach yet (or ever).
13. “Off-Days” are foreign to you.
When you’re in season, the mythical "off day" ceases to exist. Maybe you took one per week during pre-season, but forget about it come track season. Sure you don’t have organized practice on Sundays, but your coach will undoubtedly hint at going on a light run or fleshing out your legs to be ready for Monday. And as much as you’d love to just say you did, you know come Monday you’ll regret that one day of embracing your long-lost couch potato self.
14. Track is basically a second major.
According to your coaches, practice takes up about two hours of your day each day, but when you include lift, stretching, rolling, eating yourself back to life from being drained, you realize you spend more time involved with track than you do with those critical theory courses required for graduation.
15. Team = Fam.
As much as people do not think track and field is a team sport, it really is. No single goal can be accomplished without an incredible support system, and you spend 10+ hours with yours every week. You eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with them, turn up with them, and hold each other’s hair while you vomit at the finish line. You probably even live with them! Whether they are sprinters, jumpers, throwers, or distance runners, they are your second family and you could not be prouder to call them your team!
