Under the scorching mid-July sun on the track, I find myself drenched in sweat while my friends enjoy a relaxing time at the pool. Today marks the last day of practice for the season, but the offseason poses a challenge. It can be tough
to find places to train and stay in shape, especially when it comes to track and field. There are a good number of gyms and training facilities in the area that are beneficial to staying in shape during the offseason but none that I have looked into have an indoor or an outdoor track. For me offseason training without a track can be very difficult. When it comes the runners working out in the gym focusing on glutes, calves hamstrings, and other muscles are important but running is a sport that during the offseason you are recommended to run about 3-4 days a week and the pavement is very rough on a runners leg muscles and can lead to injury effecting performance when the season begins., If there were more options for runners during their offseason such as open track and field time it could help athletes stay in shape without worrying about potentially dangerous training circumstances. Not only would open track and field time be a good opportunity for track athletes, but it could also be good for soccer players and football players during their offseason as well. While these ideas are good, running and weight lifting are not the only beneficial aspects to staying in shape during season. Offseason habits like maintaining a healthy diet are good for staying in shape and keeping your body healthy. Adding a good mix of fruits and vegetables to your meals can provide antioxidants which are great for runners. Antioxidants have the ability to protect your cell membranes from oxidative stress enhancing your performance. Oxidation damages your muscle cell’s membrane, so it is important to make sure you keep lots of antioxidants in your body to prevent from injuring yourself. Overall, I think training during the offseason is super important for all athletes but can be challenging for certain sports when they have limited training options.