Monday through Friday the track team begins practice at 4:40 PM. These are more than just practices, though. You see, the track team is a family, so every day at 4:40 PM we have a big family gathering. We laugh about experiences we had throughout the day and update each other on upcoming events that our family members may have. After we gather, we break out into individual groups and get to work.
Track in a way is a reflection of life. In order to have success in track you have to do the little things, the tedious things that no one thinks about but add up over time. Every warm-up in track is an opportunity to get better, as the skip motions that we go through are the same motions we should hit when running. A passion for improvement is needed in order to progress in track, as you have to become extremely technically efficient in the motion of running in order to put up fast times. At Oberlin, the passion for improvement exists throughout the campus which has led to many successful track seasons.
My mind is currently in countdown mode to the first week of December when we get to take the track for a meet for the first time. My track family and I have put a countless amount of tedious hours into the sport, and I can’t wait to see the results. Lining up in the starting blocks and getting ready to race is on my mind every rep I do at track practice. My fellow sprinters and I have been visualizing the team's success while simultaneously working towards it since we got back on campus last spring. The excitement that exists on the team right now is contagious as we race towards our first meet. Nothing is better than competing with your family at your side and I can’t wait to compete with and cheer on my family this track season!
