This season’s track and field conditioning at NC began on November 27, 2017 to prepare runners for a prosperous new season. Athletes sacrificed a few hours of their free time on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays to take a trip on the road to excellence in their sport.

“Conditioning is the foundation of your fitness in any sport that you do. In track and field, it’s especially important because it’s mainly running, jumping, or long distance— whichever event that the athlete participates in. It’s so important to be able to improve your stamina, your endurance, and your speed,” assistant girls track coach Hannah Wood said.

Track’s conditioning season requires much more running than other sports at NC. Although rigorous, the runners’ large workload pays off during the spring season.

“I always participate [in conditioning] because I feel like it makes me a better runner and it keeps me in shape,” sophomore Isaac Stobo said.

New and returning track runners who wish to prepare themselves and shape up for the upcoming season procured the option to attend conditioning at the first track meeting, held in late November of 2017. This preseason training builds athletes’ stamina and helps put them ahead of those who choose to join track at the start of the season, which began January 16.

“Our season just officially started, and for the athletes who have been working the last 8-9 weeks, you can see that they have a slight edge over the students that are just now coming out,” Coach Wood said.

Conditioning also allows potential runners to determine whether or not track appeals to them.

“It’s [Conditioning] so people can get a feel of what track is and to see if it’s their sport or if they should switch to a different one,” sophomore Haley Kish said.

Coaches divide the conditioning locations between the track and field and the weight room. Athletes typically run on the track for half an hour and then work out in the weight room for another half hour. They run a series of anywhere between 100m and 400m sprints. On certain days, coaches focus more on the runner’s form, making sure to switch up the workouts often to benefit the athletes’ stamina and ability. In the weight room, Coach Jesse Lynch set up four stations that focused on building core and leg muscles. After runners completed their running and weight room workouts, they would stretch, walk around the track to cool down, and then head home.

Conditioning puts athletes and the track team as a whole at an advantage because it builds their dedication to the sport and improves their strength. Throughout this year’s season, athletes will continue to work hard and persevere through the seemingly endless amounts of running.

“I think we’re gonna do really well this season because we have a lot of strong, fast, and determined people,” sophomore Tali Porter said.