She looked at it with pleasant surprise. The teacher then handed it back to me. I got a 94% on the test. Since that was a full A on the test, I smiled and looked out of the window next to me. Some of the other classes were in the yard doing a physical training routine. Others were running laps. When class ended, it was time for lunch. Lots of students crowded around me. They congratulated me on my high score and asked to know more about me. As I asked around, I saw that this was a pretty normal looking class. I was a junior in high school. This was a high school junior classroom. This was B'mow Island Third High. This was the third out of 4 schools. Each school had 3 homerooms devoted to each class. Each class had 22 students. I was able to do a lot of stuff. I was a nice student, so this type of stuff did not bother me at all. For our science period, we just had a lecture about tectonic plates and earthquakes. Their day was then over. I was offered to go check out some afterschool clubs. Since I had a specialty in Speed, I decided to look at the Track and Field team. There were 3 there.
Noel, Oliver and Paul were identical triplets that were in my class, they were in the Track and Field team. Because they were so similar and friendly they had a nickname from the rest. They were "Nollie, Ollie and Paulie." I was not someone that did any extra-curricular activities after school ended. I usually came straight home to do my homework. After that, I ate and played videogames until it was time for bed. Track and Field had a lot of different events. I knew that much from watching the Olympics. It took me looking in the encyclopedia to figure out what I could do besides running. Field events are competitions which involve jumping and throwing: the long jump, the high jump, the javelin throw, the discus throw, the hammer throw, the pole vault and the shot-put. There were also the races to compete in. In a competition there are generally three different sprint distances: 100m, 200m, and 400m. The middle distance races are the 800m, the 1500m, and the 1 mile long runs. These races all require different skills and tactics to win. They rely more on endurance and pacing than just speed.
There are also three main long distance races: the 3000m, the 5000m, and the 10,000m races. These races are similar to the middle distance races, but the emphasis is even more on correct pacing and endurance. A hurdles race is one in which big obstacles are placed at intervals along the track that the runners must jump over on their way the finish line. Typical hurdle races are the 100m and 400m for women and 110m and 400m for men. Your timing, footwork, and technique are key in wining hurdles events. Of course you still need to be fast, but jumping the hurdles in stride without much slowing down is how to win in the hurdles. Relays were also an option. Relay races are where teams of runners compete against each other. There are typically 4 runners and 4 legs to the race. The 1st runner starts with their baton and runs the first leg handing off to the 2nd runner. The big hand off must typically take place within a given area of track. The 2nd then hands off to the 3rd and the 3rd to the 4th. The fourth runner runs the final leg to the finish line. Common races are 4x100m and 4x400m.
