Track and field is a weird sport that can be hard to understand at times. Unlike basketball, volleyball or softball it doesn't require much of a team effort to score points, however, it requires a team effort to win a meet. And unlike basketball, volleyball or softball every meet we have runs from sun up to sun down.
We run a crazy sport that doesn't make much sense to the non track athletes out there. Sometimes are sport might be so difficult to understand that you may feel the need to ask a track athlete questions but before you do that keep in mind five questions we hate hearing:
1. How was your track game?
They are called track meets. Not games. Not tournaments. Meets.
2. How fast are you?
This is a very awkward question to ask any runner. You see, a runner may think they're slow by their standards, they may also think they're slow compared to their teammates but in reality they may actually be pretty fast because no one who runs for fun is all that slow.
Simply put avoid asking these questions at all costs. It's just awkward and no runner ever knows exactly how to respond.
3. How fast can you run the 100 meters?
Like other sports each person on a track team has a specialty. Each person has one race or event that they do and train for specifically and that's what they'll run come time for competition. If someone runs the 800 (two laps on the track) which requires endurance speed chances are they probably won't run a fast 100, an event that requires crazy amounts of speed.
So when you ask someone that runs distance how fast they can run 100 meters they'll probably respond with "Not that fast," but that doesn't mean they aren't fast. That just means they don't run the 100 meter dash and probably never will.
4. Was today leg day?
If a runner says they're sore from a workout don't, under any circumstances, ask if it was leg day. They run. Everyday is leg day.
5. Do you like track?
No... Not at all.
While it's nice to show interest in a track athletes passion please keep in mind that questions like these