As the season begins, I step on to the outdoor track and wonder why we are forced to wear two layers of clothes consisting of shorts, sweatpants, a long or short sleeve shirt and finally a sweatshirt. It is a scorching 50 degrees and, after running, the sweat begins to drip.

I say to myself, “I could be in a t-shirt and shorts and be perfectly comfortable right now.”

A week passes and I realize how wrong I am.

First the wind kicks up, and with wind comes the cold weather. Completely bundled up, it’s almost bearable; almost. Then the sun goes down and I feel as if my face is freezing over.

You better have your mittens on because the cold hits your hands first. As you pump your arms all the way around the track, it feels as if my hands are having their own boxing match with the sub-30 degree air.

Your lungs tighten up fast and your feet go numb. I finish my workout for the day, hurry back to my car, although I can’t hurry too fast because the weather slows me to a fast walk.

Then I come back and do it all again. Track is more than a workout; it’s a way of life.