As the weather finally starts to look more like spring, I find myself swapping my warm tights and wool socks for revealing running shorts and… really not much more. However, the nicer weather is only part of why I love track practice after school each day. Track, or for that matter, any activity that requires moving around after school, has more benefits than I can keep track of.

Having practice after school is a magical thing. It is, as Gob Bluth from the show Arrested Development would say, a “forget me now pill.” Coming back from practice everyday after five o’clock and jumping in bed after a long shower makes me forget that I even had school that day. All I can think about is the tempo run I went on during practice, not the long lecture I had in Economics a few hours earlier (sorry, Mr. Dodge!). I cannot think of anything better than going to school and not remembering it at all. The school day simply becomes a blur, and it makes getting up every morning from a fantastic night of sweet, sweet sleep just bearable enough to do so. I accomplished something great and forgot about everything not-so-great. It’s a wonderful feeling to say the least.

Not only does practice act as a daily roofie, it also has many more equally awesome benefits. For instance, I don’t feel as bad for eating entire boxes of Girl Scout cookies and a whole Hy-Vee pizza. Although I did this over winter break during my hibernation period, I felt bad about it because I didn’t deserve the copious amounts of calories. But now I earned that pizza! I ran for forty minutes! I can eat what I want, when I want. Running gives me an excuse to pig out like a real American.

The benefits of track are great, but it’s still really hard work. Exercise, especially running, is a test of endurance and strength, something that’s hard to put forward.  While I’m running, it hurts, and requires energy I don’t always have, especially after a long day of school. Sometimes, I would rather spend that energy laying in bed and watching Netflix (but that’s what I always wish I was doing). But being part of the track team is important, and no matter how long the run or how bad the workout, I’m always glad to be a part of it.

Your daily roofie doesn’t have to be track. Coming home from school after a long day to practice your cello for a few hours, or going to your two hour long dance class, or riding your bike all have the same effect. Being able to come home from your activity knowing you did something more with your day than school is a great feeling that hopefully everyone will know the feeling of.