Though at times it could get stressful sitting in class thinking about the meet or workout ahead, running track was easily one of the best parts of your high school experience. It's only when you go back and think about the minor details of each day that you realize how special the whole experience was to your life.
1. Practice was never canceled.
If there was bad weather they canceled every other sports team’s practice besides track. Your coach was far less concerned about you getting struck by lightning than you were.
2. Sprinters vs. long distance.
There always seemed to be an unspoken feud about whose events were better and who was trying harder during practice.
3. Being the slowest in the fast heat.
Nothing was more stressful at a meet than waiting to find out what heat you’d be in. You dreaded being the last seed in the fast heat because it likely meant you were going to come in last when you could have placed first in the slower heat. Even though the faster heat pushed you to run harder, there was still pride in coming in first in the slow heat.
4. It was a great race! I came in 19th place.
If you were running at a big meet you had to explain to people that just because you didn’t win the race doesn’t mean you didn’t do well.
5. Never getting a six-pack.
You always told yourself that you were going to have six-pack abs by the end of the season. Despite your best efforts, it never seemed to happen.
6. Half the people quit.
The team probably started out overwhelmingly large and then dwindled away by the end of the season.
7. Pasta Parties.
You and your teammates keep the tradition alive. Even if you were just home with your family for dinner, you made sure they cooked up extra pasta the night before a big race.
8. Awkward tan lines.
Having practice every day meant spending a majority of the afternoon outside in the sun. This meant getting a few unavoidable, awkward tan lines that normal people might not have to worry about. There was usually a defined line from where your socks, shorts and watch blocked out the sun.
9. Saturday morning invitationals.
They were the best because you got to spend the whole day with your team, and usually wouldn’t leave without purchasing a meet tee shirt. Half of the clothing you own came from these invitationals. You typically wore the shirt from that weekend’s invitational to school on Monday morning.
10. Missing your race.
You spent enough time at meets to know the order of events by heart. Despite this, you still “accidentally” missed a race every once in awhile.
11. Relay teams made matching shirts.
Before the meet, you and your relay team got together to tie-dye T-shirts, and write a quote on them with markers or gel glue. You thought that nothing was more intimidating than the four of you having matching shirts and bows for your hair.
12. You avoided running.
Most days you did what the coach asked, but let’s be honest, there were definitely times when you would just go for a casual stroll in the woods when you were supposed to be running.
13. Ultimate Frisbee.
It was the sport within your sport. It was a great day at practice if someone packed a Frisbee and everyone stuck around to play when regular practice was over.
14. You could eat anything.
By the time you were done with practice you were starving. Since you were young and active you didn’t have to think twice about what you ate when you got home.
15. It wasn’t everyone’s first choice.
Half the people on your team joined because they didn’t make the cut for another sport. Track may not have been the first choice, but once they joined they didn’t want to go back to any other sport.
16. Pump up playlist.
You made a playlist especially for the bus ride to meets. You and your best friend would always share headphones and sing along together.
17. The friends you made were some of the best (and weirdest).
You always counted on each other to be in the right place to cheer when the race got hard. You were as excited for them to get a personal record, as you were when you got one. You don’t know what you would do if you didn’t have these friends on the team with you.
