1. “I’m hungry”
Every runner knows better than to eat a lot before their race, so meets consist of eating small amounts and listening to your stomach growl all day.
2. “Why do I do this to myself?”
Does the passion outweigh the pain? Will this be worth it in the end? Runners struggle with the mental aspect of the sport tremendously. Your mentality is half the race in itself.
3. “Should we stretch now?”
On a rolling meet schedule, the races keep firing off as soon as they’re ready. In most cases you end up warming up too early or sometimes too late.
4. “I’m sweating.”
Whether it’s from being hot or nervous, runners aren’t afraid to wear their sweat marked uniforms with pride.
5. “Can you get out of my way?”
To say track meets are crowded is an understatement. Good luck trying to weave your way around the hundreds of people.
6. “What do we do now?”
Before or after your race you are left with a lot of down time. While walking across the infield of the track you will find many people sleeping, studying, or just trying to pass the time.
7. “I’m so nervous”
Racing is possibly one of the most nerve-wracking things out there. You’re pushing your body to its limits and competing with some of the best athletes out there.
8. “You know what, I got this”
Being confident is a must in running. If you tell yourself you’re the best one out there, you’ll race like you are.
9. “What was my time?”
The anticipation of hearing what time you ran is dreadful. It can make or break your mood for the rest of the meet.
10. “When are we leaving?”
Track meets are long to say the least, usually requiring you to wake up extremely early and stay until dark.
11. “I actually like running…sometimes”
Every once in a while you’ll get a realization that you actually like running, but don’t worry, it will go away soon enough.
