You see them in the halls. You see them on the road. You can spot them from a mile (or miles) away. They're trackies, and they're everywhere. Why do they run so much? Why do they run so far? Who's that big guy? Does he run, too? They also share some sort of weird runner bond, kind of like a sixth sense or even a disease, stemming from the fact that everyone who has ever run high school track (or did a field event) shares a similar experience.
If you ran track in high school, you may experience these symptoms:
1. You're totally comfortable stretching in weird places.
It doesn't matter if you're on the track or if you're in a line in the cafeteria, you have no shame when it comes to stretching in public. You stretch while you talk to your friends on the track, so why would it be weird if you stretched talking to your friends in Target?
2. You're probably too comfortable with your body and its functions, especially spitting.
I was once scolded by my roommate for spitting while in a dress on the way to the library. Whoops. It just comes naturally at this point; you forget that it's not socially acceptable to spit in an everyday situation.
3. You're used to the image of men in spandex or short shorts.
It was startling the first time you saw it. Dear lord, why? Why would they wear shorts that short? Why would a team ever think it was a good idea for the males to wear nothing but spandex? It may be more aerodynamic, but at what cost? You're accustom to it now. Short shorts no longer shock you as they once did, but men in spandex will always make you cringe a little bit.
4. Spring is here? No. Spring Track is here.
When the snow finally starts to melt and the winter winds fade away, the first thing you think about is doing your workouts outside. No more stuffy gyms. You love that outdoor track smell, and a new, fresh spring day will always remind you that spring track is on the way.
5. The word "ladder" or "gauntlet" still sends a shiver down your spine.
Someone says the word ladder in any connotation, and the horrible flashbacks start. You may as well lay down on the track now because you know that you're going to end up there, dead.
6. As do the phrases "400s" or "800s."
Do I pace myself? Do I sprint the entire thing? What do I do?! Someone may not even be talking about track, but if you hear the numbers 400 or 800, you immediately just think of pain. So. much. pain.
7. Your ears perk up whenever you overhear someone talking about running.
They're probably not even in the same conversation as you, but you immediately turn around whenever anyone mentions running or throwing or something that could even allude to a track and field event. And you want to talk about it. Did you just go for a run? Did you run the same event as me? What kind of shoes do you wear? Most people think that you're frightening, but other trackies always appreciate the attention.
8. You have an inhuman ability to eat.
Running an insane amount of mileage or doing a hill workout would always leave you famished, so you developed some pretty impressive eating habits in high school. Even if you're not running anymore, those eating habits still stay with you. Don't let the haters hold you back. Who are you to judge how many chicken wings I eat in one sitting, anyway?
9. You can tell what event someone did just by looking at them.
You pass a tall, skinny, pale boy on the way to class, and you just know that he ran cross-country in high school. If that girl has the legs and butt to prove that every day is leg day, she was most likely a sprinter. That one guy whose neck looks like one giant muscle? You would be shocked if he didn't throw shot put. You can peg runners from a mile away. Even if someone didn't do track in high school, you can tell what event they would be good at just from the way that they look.
10. Someone probably yelled RUN, FOREST, RUN as you passed them on the street.
That person was probably a sprinter ... OK, that person was probably me. The opportunity is too good to pass up.
11. You hate running.
Running was the bane of your entire existence. It hurt. It took away your precious after school napping time. It injured you time and time again. Every day you contemplated quitting, and you're not quite sure how you made it through.
12. You love running.
No matter how much pain it caused you, a part of you (really, really deep down) just loves to run. It relieves your stress, keeps your body rockin' and teaches you that you are capable of so much more than you ever thought you could be.
Despite all of the awful workouts and meets in the freezing cold, high school track was a place to have fun with your friends doing something that you loved. Sometimes you even miss it ... and then you hear the word "gauntlet."
