Let’s face it: track isn’t the most popular sport. All you do is watch people run in circles for what seems like forever. You get a headache after awhile from the gun going off and all the teammates screaming their heads off to their friends on the track.
On the surface, this is what track seems to be. However, this could not be farther from the truth. All track athletes have many things in common but perhaps one of the biggest is what they hate to hear from non-track athletes.
1. “You play track?”
No, actually. I run track, I do not play it. Playing would assume that the sport is a type of game, which it is not. Unlike any other sport, besides swimming, it is you against the clock and that is all that matters. There is no ball or object everyone is after.
The only thing that everyone on the track is after is being the first person over that finish line. So no, we do not play track. We run track. No other equipment is needed other than the sheer force and ability of our bodies. Oh and some blocks.
2. “You run track? I could beat you in a race!”
Whether it be your friends or a stranger trying to flirt, this is not what any track athlete wants to hear. Sure it seems harmless and fun, but to a person who runs track, it is almost an insult. So many people have the misconception that track is easy. Everyone can run so what’s the big deal? There is no coordination involved or technique or plays that need to be gone over a million times, so how hard could it be?
Answer: HARD.
Anyone who runs track knows how hard it is. To step foot on that line and know you’ll be in pain from half a minute to 15 minutes is hard. Getting yourself to push past physical limits is hard. Keeping motivated even when all odds seem to be stacked against you in a race is hard. Also, track athletes spend half of their practice time working on technique.
Do people really think we just naturally are able to run with such good form or be able to clear the hurdles so well? Perhaps, but for the most part, it is not true. We spend time on all of these aspects of running to be near perfect for race time. And you thought you could beat us in a race.
3. “Track is boring!”
While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, this one is just as hurtful. Track athletes spend so much time on the track pushing themselves to limits they never thought possible. To say it is boring is to say that the track athletes whole life is boring because once you're on a track team it basically consumes your life.
Also, any track athlete could tell you they could spend all day at a track meet and love it. There is always something new to learn and the energy is unlike any other. Perhaps instead of saying it’s boring, people should try to learn a little bit about it. It’s an amazing sport and is well worth the time.
4. “Oh nice track cleats!!”
I kid you not, I have gotten this one before. While they may have a resemblance to cleats (maybe to some people?) they are not. These are special shoes to enhance our performance. It may be just me but I don’t know of any other shoe that comes with a wrench to take the spikes in and out. That is pretty badass if you ask me!
5. “Track isn’t a sport…”
Perhaps this is the hardest one to hear. As I said before, track takes time and commitment. It takes blood sweat and tears. No other sport has worked me to my breaking point or gotten me into better shape. For those who say it is not a sport, try it sometime. It’s a major event at the Olympics for a reason.
It may not be the most popular, but it is the most rewarding that I have ever participated in. No other sport has made me feel so self-confident or believe so much in my own abilities. To some it may not be a sport, but to those who run track, we know it is the best sport. Why else would it be the original sport?
Although track athletes go through ridicule and torment from others, we are all proud of what we do. We go through hell and back just because we love the feeling of crossing that finish line and knowing we were able to make ourselves successful.
Track athletes are a unique group that one only can understand if they are a part of it. Sure, we hate to hear people talk negatively about our sport (or hate to listen to people who try to talk about our sport and have no clue what they are saying), but we all know we could crush them in a race and turn around to smile at them while they're still 100 meters behind. As track athletes, we wouldn’t trade our sport for the world.
Except maybe the days coach plans a 400-meter repeat workout.
