My Love/Hate Relationship With Track

Well, it's that time of year again...for track training.

Now, let's get one thing straight, right up front: I hate running but love being in shape. (I also love winning, but that is hardly a big enough reason to run track.)

My track career began freshman year. I was thrilled to be trying a new sport, especially one that involved the only aspect of other sports that I was any good at: running. I soon discovered, however, that running against other people that actually trained to run was a lot more stressful and painful than I had expected. While, in basketball, I could sometimes manage to outsprint other players on fast breaks and, in soccer, I could keep up enough endurance to make a decent mid-fielder, but track was different. I had to push myself to run much faster and much longer than I was used to in order to do well against other competitors in a race.

One thing I did not learn freshman year...well, actually, I did learn it, but chose to ignore it, (much to my detriment) was that, to be a good runner, you actually have to work hard. Really hard..and not just at the meets themselves but every single day of the season. Like I said, I chose to ignore that fact all through freshman year, and my final meet had me huffing and puffing (and crying, my mother likes to teasingly remind me) as I desperately scraped a 6th place ribbon in the 800m.

The pain and shame of that last race were probably the sole reason I decided to quit track. Well....at least, for the next two years, but, as people (particularly guys who are annoyed with my persistant efforts to beat them in one thing or another) like to point out, I am extremely competitive. In fact, I'm not sure it's healthy to be as competitive as I am, but anyway, as soon as my best friend Laura beat my PR (personal record) in the 800, I had to give track another try.

So, senior year had me back on the track, this time training like a madwoman to beat the new Dominion Academy 800m record. I was terrified of the thought that Laura might beat me in a race and I relentlessly trained, even traveling down to Kentucky with Laura for a week of two-a-day training sessions and personal instruction from her aunts who had both gone to state in track.

Long story short, I worked pretty hard last season and really did reap the rewards. I was stronger, faster, and healthier than ever before.....But still, every meet had me stressing about the next race and, whether or not my nerves helped me race well, they certainly made me remember why I quit track. I guess I'm just bi-polar when it comes to track. I can't seem to decide if I love it or hate it, whether the benefits outweigh the sacrifice..

But, here I am, beginning my training for the track season at Franciscan. Yes, I'm running intercollegiate track. My mother thinks I've lost my mind. Maybe I have. I know that I'm going to have to train harder than last season in order to even get personal records, let alone prove competition enough to place well, but something in me won't let the sport go. God has given me a small measure of talent but a large amount of determination. What can I do but give my best to His glory?

.....and really, this whole post was a big stalling tactic because I don't want to go outside and run in the rain.

..but it's still raining.

..so I better get out and run.

But at least maybe you all understand my track complex now.

When you're a newly licensed driver...

...make sure you really do know how to get gas at the gas station before taking the car out on empty.

...do not allow your 7 year old brother to wave his hand frantically out the window at passing police cars.

...MAKE SURE YOUR LIGHTS ARE OFF BEFORE LEAVING THE CAR!

...do not sing opera, as this will tend to make you gesture wildly, thus making you look certifiably insane and causing you to step hard on the gas when attempting to hit notes far above and beyond the range God intended you to have.

...watch out for random ladies who like to drive on the wrong side of the road for no apparent reason.

...expect to be sent on an errand of some kind at least once a day.

...do not listen to Charlotte Church if you are inclined to sing along, as this will cause you to attempt feats both your vocal chords and the car cannot handle (^ see "singing opera" above ^)

...do not expect to be graciously accepted into the left lane. It is a priviledge that you must either earn or demand...there are no polite requests involved.

...if you back out of the driveway via the grass and curb, your father may explain to you a new meaning of the term "lawn job"...and then proceed to make you feel utterly foolish for a good 15 minutes.

...if you drive the speed limit you will be passed by everyone, even truckers. Accept this now or learn to drive at least 15 above.

...when in downtown Dayton, keep in mind that questionable-looking personages have been known to meander aimlessly across the middle of the road for no apparent reason.

...drive-thru's are for experienced drivers...driving close enough to the window to reach your food is harder than it looks.

...driving in 4-6 inch heels is not advised but has been done.

...learn to become deaf to all shouting, screaming, fighting, scuffling, complaining, singing, and excessive laughing from the back seat...or otherwise expect to lose your mind.

and finally...

...pray every time you get in the car. Pray that God take mercy on your newly acquired skills, pray for the well-being of all those driving around you, and pray for no accidents...with the car............or in your pants.

C.S. Lewis blows my mind yet again

"....This process of surrender--this movement full speed astern--is what Christians call repentance. Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means killing part of yourself, undergoing a kind of death. in fact, it needs a good man to repent. And here comes the catch. Only a bad person needs to repent: only a good person can repent perfectly. The worse you are the more you need it and the less you can do it. The only person who could do it perfectly would be a perfect person-- and he would not need it."
~C.S. Lewis 'Mere Christianity'

Ahh...I love that man.. :)