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5 Ways Running Kept Me 'On Track'

What are the benefits of track and field, and other sports, and how did it benefit me?

autumogelvang

Jan 29, 2019

University of South Florida

105

https://unsplash.com/photos/9HI8UJMSdZA Braden Collum

1. Kept me healthy.

Running long and short distances for at least 30 minutes a day is so beneficial. Research shows that it boosts your cardiovascular system, relieves stress on joints, and improves your overall health. It also regulates weight, induces normal sleep patterns, and even enhances mood.

2. Led me to conquer goals.

When I was a part of track and field, my coaches had me set goals every week. We learned how to and when to make goals and then how to step up to the plate. As I grew in my athleticism, they got more and more intense. Learning not only how to create them, but also how to conquer them, has helped me to do the same in other areas of my life.

3. Taught me about success and failure.

Succeeding is easy. It feels good and is a rewarding experience. Then again, sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Failure is difficult to cope with. I can remember times when I was ready to give up at the drop of a hat, but I didn't. I kept going, learned from my mistakes, and set new goals to make sure the same thing wouldn't happen again.

4. Helped me to stand up and to stand down.

In track and field (and many other sports), everyone needs to be a leader, and everyone needs to be a teammate. Even if you aren't the fastest one out there, simply giving a friend a pep talk before their big race could be all the leadership someone needs. Being a teammate is important, too. Say your friend wins a competition, but it meant that you had to lose. Learning how to be proud of them is difficult but is also an important life lesson.

5. Showed me the effects of effort.

All in all, if you work hard, it will come to you. There were a lot of girls out there who could run faster, jog longer, and jump higher than I, but I put in the work, and I was out there training every day. At some points, I thought it would never end, and I would never get where I wanted to go, but I was wrong. Eventually, it all paid off and I came out on top along with all the other women who trained hard beside me.

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5 Ways Running Kept Me 'On Track'

What are the benefits of track and field, and other sports, and how did it benefit me?

In This Article:

1. Kept me healthy.

2. Led me to conquer goals.

3. Taught me about success and failure.

4. Helped me to stand up and to stand down.

5. Showed me the effects of effort.

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No one best represents the struggle like our favorite 90s squad.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

2. When there is only one section of a popular course.

3. Receiving the 18,000 emails reminding you to register ASAP.

4. When you need to see an advisor, but they are too busy/unresponsive.

5. Trying not to dress like a bum for your appointments with your advisors/department heads.

6. When you have a perfectly planned out schedule, and one class ruins it.

7. Carefully moving things around to accommodate a different class/section.

8. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. for your enrollment time.

9. Concocting a new schedule at your enrollment time after your original plan gets changed.

10. Getting into a class and filling the last available seat.

11. When all of your classes finally go through.

12. Realizing that you forgot a class that was a pre-requisite for everything else.

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

"Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet."

What is the current minimum wage at the federal level?

What are the benefits of raising the minimum wage?

What are the states that have set a $15/hour minimum wage?

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1. When you have to provide an "interesting fact" for your first day ice-breaker.

2. When your professor is babbling on and on in his lecture.

3. When you edit your friend's paper and they get an A.

4. When it's 2 AM and you remember you have a test tomorrow.

5. When you finish taking the test and you're pretty sure you failed...

6. ...but then you get the test back and somehow passed.

7. When you've been up for 12 hours straight writing a paper.

8. And then you manage to stay awake in class the next day.

9. When you have to butter up your professor for an extra credit opportunity.

10. When you're assigned a group project.

11. And your group-mates are trying to chat about life instead of the assignment.

12. When it's your last class of the day and you're about to go home.

13. But then you remember rent is due tonight and the anger comes back.

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