Track season is coming…can you feel it?
There’s something special about stepping on the track. There’s a little tingling that starts in your spine, if you’re a runner you can’t stop it. The hairs on your arms start to prick, the back of your neck feels a chill. It’s unconscious, your body senses the speed. The excitement.
Even when I’m flying and we’re close enough to still see the ground, whenever I visibly make out the wide oval of a track I smile. I feel like it’s the Universe’s way of saying, “Hello!” just to me, it’s a special message just for me…like it knows there is a runner on board. So spotting a track on a plane always feels like a good luck sign.
Every track has stories to tell. Years and years of secrets buried between the lanes. Stories of hope, dreams the red rubber can feel through the spikes. Underneath the rubber the gritty dirt holds lasting memories from runners decades ago.
The track feels, but it is an unbiased judge, cold at times, but it has to be. It can’t make everyone a winner, it can grant EVERY runner their dreams, it couldn’t possibly fulfill every goal made by starry-eyed harriers. For every smile there may be tears, but that’s part of the magic. Part of the waking dream.
The track tests every runner, but when we make those goals, go to bed with those dreams, we know this. We go in fully aware that we could wind up smiling or falling short. That’s okay, we spike up anyways because that’s all part of the fun.
The journey TO the track is just as special as what transpires between the lanes.
1) Have you run track? Are you looking forward to track season coming up? What races?
2) Do you like track, roads, cross country, or trails more?
3) What’s one of your fondest track memories? Funny, inspiring, utter fail, anything!
I haven’t ever run on a track really. Not since I was forced to do athletics during school (as we all know running came late to this runner chick) and for sports carnivals every year.
I do fondly remember the ice creams my friends and I would eat every year while we watched the boy’s races though…and I was usually in charge of keeping the cheer squad going. I think if I could go back in time as the girl I am now (minus a few wrinkles 🙂 ) I would make more of an effort to start running earlier now that I know how much fun it is!
And how many gorgeous runner friends 🙂 it can bring into your life. For now though I will stick to my roads and the occasional trail when I can make it to one on the weekends. Perhaps a goal for 2014 is for me to find a track near me and give it a try 🙂
tracks, roads, runners are connected thru it all! that said, if u were around to hand out some ice cream during track meets you wouldn’t be able to dodge the mob of hungry runners! hehe.
oooh, i would be really pumped if u did find a track race to take part in 2014!
I have a love/hate relationship with the track! I hate driving to it because I know it’s going to kick my butt, but I love driving home from my workout because I know how much faster those intervals I just ran are going to make me in my next race! I love that totally spent, I can barely move, feeling I have after a good workout.
Trail running is my favorite, though!
hahaha…pre/post track feelings are TOTALLY normal. come to think it’s kinda like before every hard workout or race…it’s the nervous/excited thing before because you REALLY want that amazing feeling after to turn out as awesome as you hope. 🙂
This sort of makes me miss my long ago track days!!!
i know, right?!?! 😉
I never ran track growing up, but I get butterflies in my stomach when I step onto the track for a workout. It’s a mixture of a bit of nervousness, but also excitement, very similar to race day but in a smaller amount.
I like roads and trails more than the track, but there’s nothing like the feeling of nailing your intervals and finishing a track workout strong!
that last line = the whole reason we run on the track 🙂