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Before you start running track, go to the doctor and get a physical to make sure that it’s safe for you to run. During the physical, you’ll fill out information about your medical history and be examined physically by the doctor. You may have the opportunity to get a physical done at school. If not, make an appointment with your primary care physician. You’ll need to get a few different things to wear and use at practices and meets. Get some athletic clothes, such as gym shorts, athletic leggings, moisture-wicking shirts, moisture-wicking socks, and sports bras, that make working out comfortable.  Be sure to get some running shoes that have proper support to prevent injuries, a water bottle, and a water-resistant duffel bag to keep everything in. It would be a good idea to keep a sweatshirt and sweatpants in your duffel bag to wear while you warm up. If you prefer sprinting shorter distances to jogging long ones, then sprinting events might be for you. The sprinting events in track include the 100 m (110 yd) dash, the 200 m (220 yd) dash, and the 400 m (440 yd), each of which you can run on your own or in a relay with 3 other people. In a relay race, the first runner in a team of 4 starts with a baton and passes it to the next person immediately after they’ve finished running the required distance. Then, the second person runs the same required distance and passes it to the third team member and the cycle continues. The 4th team member crosses the finish line with the baton. In track, there are several different longer races that your school or running program may or may not offer. Typically there is a 800 m (0.50 mi) race, 1,600 m (0.99 mi) race, and a 3,200 m (2.0 mi), but the options vary by school and track type. Consider doing one or more of these events if you feel stronger and faster as a distance runner. Especially at the collegiate level, there are farther distance options, sometimes as long as 10,000 m (6.2 mi)! If you consider yourself agile and athletic but not necessarily a runner, then a jumping event might be a good fit for you. While practicing for these events, you’ll probably do a mixture of different exercises, including cross training, weight lifting, sprinting, and jumping drills. Consider trying one of the following jumping events:  Long jump Triple jump High jump If you can’t decide between running and jumping events, hurdling events incorporate both types of movement. Typically, you can do the 100 m (110 yd) hurdles, 400 m (440 yd) hurdles, or both. Either way, you’ll have 10 evenly-spaced hurdles set up on the track in your lane that you have to jump over on your way to the finish line. You can do up to 4 events, so if you love both running and jumping, you could do a running event, a jumping event, a hurdling event, and you’d still be able to do one more. For the most part, throwing practice consists of throwing drills and weight lifting. Consider focusing on throwing events if this kind of workout sounds more appealing to you than running-focused workouts. There are several different throwing events that you can try, including:  Shot put Javelin Discus
Get a sports physical. Get athletic clothes, shoes, and equipment. Try sprinting if you can run fast. Go for middle or long distance events if you have endurance. Try jumping events if you can jump high and/or far. Try hurdling events if you love both running and jumping. Attempt throwing events if you’re strong but don’t prefer to run.