Track Meets

THE MEET ITSELF
In a track meet there can be up to 8 events being held simultaneously. An athlete must manage their time in an effective and efficient manner. At a track meet you are a representative of East High School. You should be focused on the meet, be properly warmed up, and prepared for your event(s).

Know the order of events and keep track of where we are in a meet. Allow plenty of time for warm-up and preparation for your event. Be sure to be at the staging area or staring line on time! This is especially important for relay teams where all four athletes must be present. A cheat sheet is available in your informational booklet.

TRACK AND FIELD STANDARD ORDER OF EVENTS
Running Events
3200 Meter Relay – Girls/Boys
100 Meter High Hurdles – Girls
110 Meter High Hurdles – Boys
100 Meter Dash – Girls/Boys
800 Meter Relay – Girls/Boys
1600 Meter Run – Girls/Boys
1600 Meter Wheelchair Race – Girls/Boys
400 Meter Relay – Girls/Boys
400 Meter Dash – Girls/Boys
300 Meter Intermediate Hurdles – Girls/Boys
800 Meter Run – Girls/Boys
800 Meter Wheelchair Race – Girls/Boys
200 Meter Dash – Girls/Boys
3200 Meter Run – Girls/Boys
1600 Meter Relay – Girls/Boys

Field Events (order varies from meet to meet, check schedule)
Shot Put – Girls/Boys
Discus – Girls/Boys
Triple Jump – Girls/Boys
High Jump – Girls/Boys
Long Jump – Girls/Boys
Pole Vault – Girls/Boys

New for 2011—Minnesota becomes the seventh state to offer wheelchair track and field competition. Wheelchair-bound high school athletes may compete in three events: 800 Meter, 1600 Meter, and the Shot Put. The 800m and 1600m will be held separate from the running events but the shot put will be combined.

An athlete can be in a maximum of four events: three running and one field, one running and three field, or two running and two field events. If a competitor competes in three track events, only two events may be 800 meters or longer.

Running events take precedent over field events. One can leave a field event to compete in a running event. Be sure to communicate that to the person running the event and let them know when you will return to complete your event. Larger meets will be strict on time so be sure to get your throws/jumps in as soon as possible so you don’t need to checkout.

Stay away from the starting/finish area when not competing. Only coaches, meet workers, and competing athletes should be in these areas during a meet. DO NOT CROSS THE TRACK while an event is in progress. Causing interference to a competing athlete may cause you to be disqualification.

Pole vault participants must wear helmets during practice, warm-ups and competition vault.

When you are done competing, make sure you find a team manager right away and report your time/distance as we do not always get a full result list from the hosting team.

Be sure to be supportive of your teammates when you are not participating. Please refrain from leaving any in-town meet early. Stay and support your team like you would at any out-of-town meet. School bus transportation is provided for out of town meets. Athletes must ride the school bus to and from meets. If you have unique circumstances that preclude riding the school bus it is your responsibility to have turned in the correct form to the athletic director 24 hours prior to a meet. Meets in town require athletes to find their own transportation to and from meets. Please refrain from leaving any in-town meet early. Stay and support your team like you would any out-of-town meet.

A large number of the track meets will allow unlimited entries so everyone can compete and try new events. Certain meets will have limited entries (Duluth Invitational, Sections, etc.) and athletes will compete based on the coaches’ discretion. These limited entry meets are designed to put forth the best team effort based upon prior meet results, sportsmanship, and other variables.

Track Bag – Get your track bag ready the night before your meet. The list below are the things you must have and even some optional ones if they are not a distraction.

  • Uniform
  • Warm clothes (rain gear if needed)
  • Running Shoes
  • Track Spikes – Replace any worn spikes at home (not on the bus or 10 minutes before your race)
  • Water Bottle(s)
  • Snacks
  • Light Lunch (if needed)
  • Large garbage bag to keep your track bad dry if it rains or rests on wet ground
  • MP3/CD Player – Not used in competition area, bus/camp is okay, headphones only
  • Sunscreen

Prohibited Items – The following items are NOT ALLOWED at meets or even on the bus:

  • Soccer Balls, Footballs, Frisbys, and other throwing/kicking objects
  • Boomboxes, Stereos, or anything that is disruptive to others
  • BBQ Grills
  • Personal Tents (unless approved by coaches before hand)
  • Tanning Products (Stay out of the sun so your body doesn’t get zapped of energy)
  • If you think it is prohibited, it probably is so check with a coach first.

HEALTH / FOOD
Pre-Meet Food (Carb Loading)
Start carb loading about two to three days before the meet: eat a lot of foods with carbohydrates. Carbs are a great source of energy for athletes. Some good sources of carbs are pasta, bread, fruits, and vegetables. Pasta is slow to digest so 24hours before your race is a good time to eat it. White meat chicken with a salad is good for dinner the day before a meet and eggs and whole grain toast or oatmeal for breakfast the day of the meet are some examples.

Lots of Rest
Get lots of rest before a track meet. Do not exercise a lot before a meet as you don’t want to be sore going into the meet. Relax and eat lots of energy foods. Get plenty of sleep so you are ready to start your day.

Water / Drinks
Drink lots of water the day before a meet, the day of the meet, and as needed throughout the meet to stay hydrated. Its very important on hot days, but still required in the cooler climates. Too much water can give you “water belly” which will be comfortable to compete in. If you are in absolute need of water after your event, you probably didn’t drink enough water previously. How do you know if you drink enough water? If your urine is light yellow or clear you will know that you are hydrated. You should be drinking 2.7 liters of water everyday.

Meet Snacks
Its a great idea to be snacking in moderation during the meet to keep your energy up. Orange slices provide for extra, lean, and healthy energy throughout the day. They also take about 15 minutes to break down in the stomach so its great for between races and also as a lunch add-on. Some other fruits include: apples, bananas, grapes and peaches. Granola bars and nuts are also good. Don’t eat too much, just enough to sustain you for the track meet.

Meet Meals/Lunch
Try and keep your main meal for after the meet as we typically will stop someplace to eat. Concession food is mainly for the spectators and are not good for athletes. Hotdogs, hamburgers, fries, nachos, and other salty, fatty snacks will absorb the water in a runner’s system and are also very slow and hard to break down. A simple sandwich with lean meats like turkey, low sodium ham, or also peanut butter and jelly is a good way to fill up. Bring an ice pack to keep it cool if needed.

Tips

  • Do not drink any carbonated beverages while in training, it will affect your performance.
  • If you have longer hair that gets in your eyes, wear a head band or tie your hair back as it can be irritating.
  • Do some stretching on all your leg muscles, abs, back and arms. You should hold each stretch for about 5-10 seconds for each muscle about 10-15 minutes before your event starts. You don’t want to hold the stretches too long because the muscles will become spongy. Holding them for 5-10 seconds will stretch them enough to get your blood flowing and still keep the muscles elasticity. Repeat the process afterwards too.
  • Do not do anything new on the day of the meet, like new shoes, or eat new foods. Stick with foods that you are familiar with. If you get new shoes you should get them about a week or two before the meet, just don’t get new shoes on the day of the meet as you will be unfamiliar with them.
  • Relax. Don’t worry too much about what happens during your race. Just run, throw, jump or do whatever you do. As long as you give 100% in practice, 110% in meets, and don’t compete or practice when you’re injured, you will improve in your event.
  • If you are participating in a shorter distance event, lengthen your stride as much as possible and try to maintain that stride and the frequency of the strides throughout the entire race.
  • When you’re running, make sure your form is correct. It will help save MUCH energy during the actual race.
  • Make sure your shoes are in decent condition. Shoes should last about 400-500 miles. If you can bend the width of your shoe around the toes its time for you to get new shoes. (do this with out your foot in the shoe).