The winter track team has been hard at work over the past several weeks. If you use the athletic facilities during these cold months of the year, you have surely seen these athletes running north of fifteen miles per hour sometimes in their workouts.
In a sport that is already physically taxing within itself, freezing outdoors for two hours each day is certainly not the most comfortable place to play. However, runners manage to push through the pain and continue to produce times that qualify them for large competitions.
“The first meet of the season is always one of my favorites. I’m able to showcase all of the work I’ve put in during the offseason and also get to see the strength of the other teams.” – Ahijah Goins
“The special part about being with the team is that everyone is willing to push each other a little harder and suffer a little more every day,” Third Former Alex Peter said. “You can’t get fast quickly in this sport, and, knowing that, everyone tries their hardest at practice forces everyone to give their best effort.”
As everyone starts to settle in after the first few weeks, the Fords travel to Lehigh on December 13th for their first meet of the season. It is a large event, with many schools from the greater-Philadelphia area competing in it.
“The first meet of the season is always one of my favorites,” Sixth Former Ahijah Goins said. “I’m able to showcase all of the work I’ve put in during the offseason and also get to see the strength of the other teams.”
Despite the cold, the boys have been putting in a ton of effort in a variety of different training styles.
“Coach Hawkins has us do a whole combination of speed and short-distance workouts tied in with endurance,” Goins said. “On some days we are on the track doing very speed-intensive 300m workouts, and other days we are at the college running laps around the nature trail to build more cardio.”
As the competitive part of the season kicks off and the boys start to regain their strength, the Fords will continue to push for another strong winter season. It will take grit and dedication, but as long as everyone stays focused on their health and fitness, Fords Winter Track should be in for a dominant stretch of months.