Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Clothing

There are many sites out their that give you suggestions of what to wear while running. I’m hear to give you my preference of clothing when I go out running.

1. A light, breathable shirt
It is a good idea to wear a light, breathable shirt like CoolMax, which is a technical fabric that will wick the sweat away from your body. But if you don’t sweat a lot like me, you will be safe with a plain, white undershirt. If its colder go ahead and throw a windbreaker on.

2. Head Protection
Whether it is the coldest of conditions, or the warmest of conditions, wear a hat or beanie. Wear a hat when it’s warm to keep the sun of your face, and to keep the sweat from getting on your face. If it is cold, go ahead and wear a beanie to keep the heat on your head, and to keep the sweat off your face. There is nothing worse than having a cold head while running

3. Watches
It is a good idea to wear a watch on your wrist to check how long you run for. You can buy even the simplest, cheapest one from Target to track your time, or you can buy the $100 watch that keeps track of how far you ran and what pace you ran at. The good thing about the expensive watches is that you can upload your times to the computer. I recommend Nike+.

4. Shorts
Wearing shorts is the most basic piece of a runner’s wardrobe. Usually you would want to wear a loose technical fabric or a nylon to keep the sweat away. It is not a good idea to wear super loose shorts, that will get in your way while running. I recommend shorts that are shorter than your knee. When buying shorts make sure they have elastic or some sort of draw string (you don’t want them falling down). I also wear a type of slider shorts that go over my underwear, to avoid those awkward wedgies. If it is colder make sure to wear appropriate length pants to keep the heat in your body, preferably some type of warm-up pants.

5. (Optional)
Sunscreen- so you are not burned while running, and so you do not have an excuse not to go running next time.
Sunglasses- just to keep the sun out of your eyes

Monday, November 14, 2011

History of Running

Throughout history Athletics, or also well known as Track and Field, has been played in numerous countries and by numerous amounts of people. Actually, Athletics is dated back to the Ancient Greeks. Track was also the only event to be played in the first Olympics Games in Athens, Greece in 776 B.C. Athletics was actually the first recorded sport that we have records of. The reason for this is because the first thing you do as a child is walk which as part as the natural order of things leads to running. The first and single event in the first Olympics was the ‘stade’ where you ran the entire length of the Athenian Stadium.

Since 776 the Olympic games took place in Athens once every four years. As time progressed, more events were added to the ancient games, Including longer running and jumping. Other events like wrestling, discus, and javelin were also incorporated into the games. Later on, the Romans incorporated a form of the Greek events into their own games, like chariot racing, wrestling, and the most favorited gladiatorial combat.

During the Middle Ages, Athletics became more diverse, when the sons of famous nobleman began to be actually trained in the sport. Which lead to conflicting rivalry between the nobility. At last, in the nineteenth century the more modern events that we are more familiar with today began to form.

             Athletics is mostly an individual sport, with running events like the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600-meter races. You can also be on a team of four people like the 4×100 meter or the 4×400 meter relays. A regular track team consists of one runner to as many as you would like, but you do not have to be a runner. You can do a field event like shot put, high jump, javelin, discus, long jump, triple jump, and pole vault. Whether you are a runner or not anyone can participate in Athletics.

The track field or also known as the track is oval shaped, usually surrounding a football stadium. The track itself usually has nine lanes, which you run in. Some events have different lane assignments than others, but usually you have to stay in your own lane. The field events take place on the field, on the inside of the track. On the field, there are different places for each event. The long jump and triple jump both have a long lane in which you run and then jump into a sound pit. The shot put, javelin, and discus take up the most room because you need room to throw. The high jump and pole vault have a padded area in which you jump over a suspended pole in order to clear it.

            Modern Athletics is still played at the Olympics with athletes from all over the world. Today’s track is pretty similar as it was in 776 B.C. with the exception of the additional events and the methods of training and performance. Even to this day Track and Field is played at the elementary level, high school level, college level, and professional level. Athletics will truly last the test of time.