The Lincoln Log

With the track stretching endlessly before you in a never-ending vortex, it seems nearly impossible to even finish this lap. Physical fitness has to be top-notch and a major priority for these athletes and the way they gain is through careful dieting and strenuous conditioning.

When the track team conditions, they practice mileage to build up endurance, not speed. It’s not as rigorous as regular training, but essential to their ongoing season. Although most runners do not notice this, they run an average of 30 miles per week during conditioning. New runners run three – five miles and experienced runners run five – seven miles at each practice.

When it comes time for regular training, different exercises are executed. They still run mileage (minimum of 3 miles, just running), speed workouts (mile repeats – 4 laps, cool down 1 lap – the amount done depends on your speed), sprints (lining up in the gym running 4 sets of 10 – 10ßI want to get that clarified), frogleks (I need a better definition than the one they gave me), and the like. The average training schedule is a plethora of exercises; it’s unique in its own style. On Mondays, the team runs around the polo field, Tuesdays the track members run from Lincoln to Lake Merced to build up speed, and on Fridays they run to the beach, do push-ups, sit-ups, ab-work, lunges, and pull-ups. Around the end of the track season, they also have practices on Saturday. The runners concentrate on mileage on a weekday basis. They work on sprints & speed-work in sets of 300/400 on Tuesday and Thursday, and weight-lifting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Like any typical athlete, eating right is essential. Food choices are limited, but it isn’t forced upon them. The runners usually take it upon themselves to resist from eating desserts, restrain themselves from junk food, not drink soda, and the like. The coach encourages eating extremely healthy at least five weeks before all city; lots of fruits, veggies, and water should be eaten. Sleep is also essential. “Before a race, you carbo-load,” senior long distance captain Lucy Luong said, “you eat a lot of foods with cards like rich, paste [mostly]. It provides energy and you usually start the night before.”

Independently, the runners make it their responsibility to work out as well. Sophomore Eric Wong does sit-ups, push-ups, and weight-lifting in addition to the team workou

So far, the season has been fine, but our team has some catching up to do. Their biggest competitors this season include Lowell, but the team is still strong. However, this year, there’s a lot of strong runners such as senior, Lucy Luong, captain of long distance, Sloane Cook, and senior Joann Liu, captain of sprinting. There are a lot of freshmen, but there’s a shortage of female runners. “Everybody sees runners as losers, but they’re athletes, just like all the others,” coach Danny Liu said.

However, the track team is a tight-knit group, familial and friendly. Most of the runners are self-directed and do not need much, if any, instruction. “Track is not all about the team, it’s about bonding with the team, having fun, and coach is awesome too,” sophomore Eric Wong said.