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April 1, 2010
Michaela Go
For some athletes, rain means canceled practice. For track and field, however, rain means nothing more than soaked clothing, shoes and socks.
During rainy days, to avoid sitting on the drenched football field, warm-up and conditioning takes place inside the main gym lobby. Afterward, practice is taken back outside. Workouts are unaffected during light rains, but during harder rains, workouts change accordingly.
The rain affects sprinters, long-distance runners, and field event athletes at varying degrees. A sprinter always runs on the track, but long-distance runners usually train around Quarry Lakes where they may be presented with puddles and mud. Throwing practice is probably the most affected. It’s trickier to hold the discus because it’s slippery when wet. The shot put ring also get slippery. This causes many safety hazards and as a result, instead of outside running and calisthenic exercises, throwers work out in the weight room.
“When you’re throwing, you don’t want [your foot] to have too much grip [on the ground], but you need a little grip,” senior Seth Eddings said.
Despite the uncomfortable conditions presented by the rain, many runners actually enjoy rainy-day runs.
“The rain makes running more fun,” freshman Chloe Ng said. “It cools you down, as you run.” Likewise, the workouts prevent athletes from getting too cold.
Meets are only canceled if the weather is “ridiculous.” Rain during a meet makes staying warm more difficult, especially while the athletes wait in between their events.
“We have a waterproof, all-weather track, and all-weather skin,” track and field coach Ben Vose said. “And while everyone is skipping practice because of the rain, that’s when we improve.”
