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Chapter Meet Day

“You don’t want to approach the long jump approach as if you’re lowering yourself and then jumping. You want to keep your center of mass as high as possible so you can use all the momentum that you’ve built up for the entire run so you can get the most out of your jump.”

Track and field is a discipline that is made up of dozens of different events, from the 100 meter sprint and the marathon to the high jump and the javelin. Given the vast variety of these events, the preparation on the day of the meet can be quite different for the athletes as well. In track and field, there are three basic types of events: running, jumping, and throwing. This chapter will discuss the differences, and the similarities, in preparation techniques for athletes in each type of event. Whether you are a sprinter or a distance runner, jumper, or thrower, it is helpful to get some sleep the night before a race or event. Experts recommend a full eight hours, if possible. But even if nerves keep you up, or you cannot get as much sleep as would be ideal, do not let it bother you. Research indicates that if you have been sleeping well and regularly during training, one poor night of sleep should not have an adverse effect.

— Dwight Phillips, 2004 Olympic gold medalist

Preparation for runners is different than for athletes in jumping and throwing events.

Running What to Wear

For sprinters, what to wear is pretty easy. No matter the temperature, sprinters should wear what they are used to racing in. In cold

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