Welcome to Track Season, don't forget your sunblock

In Houston, Texas Track seasons can be brutal

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I'm not talking about school track season, where the meets are awesome and short and you get in and out and carry on with your life.

 

Summer track season is where the crowd thins and you see gorgeous bronzed parents yelling after kids to get out of the sun and their calls of "hydrate!!" can be music to your ears!

This is year 4 for us, 3 if you remember the year COVID stole from us. 

I digress, I'm here to discuss how to prepare yourself and your athletes for a summer track meet. First year parents, take notes. 

1. Get a very good cooler, or 2 if you don't mind a trip to the car to refill. We have a Rtic Backpack cooler and a Rtic softpack Larger Cooler. The backpack cooler comes to the stands, we take a trip sometime before the 4x100 to refill from the larger cooler, sometimes several times. 

2. Seat cushions "oh I don't need those" after 6 hours, your booty will be so mad at you. I got mine from Walmart, they were about $15 and worth their weight in gold! Link to Walmart Cushions

3. Sun protection, umbrella, sunglasses, sunblock, you name it. You need it. Even the most melanin blessed individuals fall victim to the treacherous Texas Sun! We have options here but a sportsbrella is on of our favorites. Academy link to Sportbrella do we get paid for this? no, will you thank us? yes. for sure.

4. Water- anyway you can get it, frozen waterbottles, regular waterbottles, hydroflask, cut up fruit. however you can get it in you and your athletes do that. Heat exhaustion is real, and hydration does not start during the meet, it's the night before, the morning of, the way to and during the meet. This goes for parents and spectators too! 

Your athlete is not always going to be able to float between you and the track, so having a smaller cooler  and water that fits in their track bag is essential! 

More later.

RR