Running track after college, worth it?

depends on where you live really. The main hassle for me has been the travel getting to meets/finding open meets that have decent competition.

If you're just doing outdoor, that probably makes things easier. Training in the winter in the northeast or midwest is pretty miserable, but definitely doable.

basically, you need a goal or 2 that you are really excited about and motivated to achieve. Otherwise, you won't survive the year-round training grind without the structure of the team.

Personally I'm having a blast training after college. I always loved racing on the track and I wasn't ready to give up the sport.

I'm in my first year training post-collegiately. It has pros and cons. Assuming you plan to work a regular job, your life will never be centred around running like it was in college.

There are people who run in college because they like the camaraderie and perks of being a varsity athlete and there are people that truly love the sport at its root level. There's nothing wrong with either group and when the team disappears, you'll find out which one you are.

People ask why I'm still running and I never have a good answer except that I wake up every day wanting to get faster and can't see things differently. If you have friends left on your college team, keeping your own training going will help you stay connected. Definitely not easy though.

Thanks for the responses!

I actually live in New York City, (and hopefully plan to stay here) so access to The Armory is a possibility. Is joining a track club recommended or is it easier to remain unattached?

I've been unattached and informally coached by my old university coach (just email Q&A). If there's a group in your area it's probably a good idea. Just find out what kind of training they do and if said training suits your schedule and running style it can't hurt having other people around. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with training alone. You'll meet other people along the way.

If you've got a good running club nearby, it's worthwhile. I was in a very mediocre club for a while, and didn't get much out of it.

I find post-collegiate track pretty fun. I can show up, run the races I want, and leave, bing bang boom. The only hassle is finding an open track to workout on.

If you feel that running adds to your life, then go ahead and continue doing it. However, you will need a job. Maybe you want a girlfriend/wife. Do you want to have kids? There's a lot to think about. Maybe it's time to give back. How about volunteering for the local high school track team? Other noble causes? All I can say is there is nothing more pathetic than the guy who works at the local McDonalds, doing his two-a-day workouts and claiming to be the US record holder in some age group event. Who cares? I used to know the masters record holder in the mile and pathetic described him perfectly. His kids were always dirty, unkempt and dressed in rags. Give up the running and go get a real job, you bum. Learn to keep the things in your life in their proper perspective. Learn what's really important and life will be good to you.

Running at the club level has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I have gotten a lot faster and met some of my best friends in the process. XC is bigger than track though, at least where I'm from. Club Nats is one huge race followed by one huge party. The whole thing is just fantastic. I'd highly recommend it for someone at your level. Some clubs sponsor their faster athletes too so you don't have to pay for gear or travel to big meets. I don't know enough about guys' middle-distance times to say whether or not your times are fast enough for that.

I still work full-time and it gives me more than enough time to get in 75mpw and compete on the weekends. Practices with my club are twice per week with a group long run on Sundays, but we often do our easy runs together on other days too.

Almost Graduate, where in NYC are you going to be living/training post-graduation? My PRs are 4:15 Mile, 14:40 5k, 25:00 8k and I'll be moving to Midtown in a few months after I graduate, would be happy to potentially train with you.

You know you could run road races, maybe move up to the half marathon. But yes, running some meets unattached is worth it.

I graduated college in the spring of 2012 and quickly joined a club team in Chicago.

In the past two years, I've run a few college XC and track meets unattached. One thing that I've learned is that I don't really enjoy it as much as I used to. Sure, I get great competition. But without a team there, it's not the same.

I actually had a blast at Club XC nats in Lexington KY in 2012 with our club team -- much more fun than the random college meets I ran. And I ran like shit too.

That being said, I've turned to love road racing. I've found a lot more success in the half and full marathons and the local 5k's and 10k's are actually pretty fun. You show up at 7:30, race at 8a, cool down, then get to hang out at the after party with your teammates or make new friends. Oh, and generally, people bring beers. You leave my 11 or so and then am back home, showered and ready to go by noon and still have my entire day ahead of me.

In addition, someone with your PR's probably has a decent 5k time as well. You can pick up some decent prizes. I've won a few free pairs of shoes, along with some gift cards and all.

I'm glad I continued to run. I've made modest improvements. Some people make significant improvements.

I have time to train as hard as in college despite having a full time job, I just have to plan my week out ahead of time rather than rely on 1-4pm being able to just show up to the track and run whatever the coach tells me.

I am not in a club, but I do have a training partner. This helps a lot for me. Some people do it solo no problem.

Being in NYC, you should have lots of meets to join. I'd say if you are considering it, why not just go for it? You can always stop if you find you don't like it. It is a lot easier to stop than it is to start again. Plus like you said, you aren't trying to go pro, so that takes a lot of pressure off. Just have fun with it and I bet if you can get consistent for a year, you'll hit some PRs.

This is all great stuff guys, I appreciate all the feedback. I think once school ends and I (hopefully) figure out my career I'm gonna see if I can fit it in on the side.

My life plans are a bit murky atm (where I'm living/working) but the urge to keep running is still there and I'm trending up performance-wise.

it's like life now. except replace the "undergrad" part of your life with "job" or "grad school".

Almost Graduate wrote:

I was wondering if anyone could give some insight into what that sort of life is like.

hit the roads & club XC in the fall/winter, track in the spring, big base miles & a few fun runs in the summer. get those PRs down a tad more and if you have any sort of endurance & are consistent/healthy, you could train for a OT qualifier in the Marathon in your late 20s/early 30s.

YOUR WELCOME.

Honestly, I went to a nerdy college, so I had actually more free time my first few years out. It was great. And YES it's worth it in my experience. I even went back to do track in my mid 30s just for fun, but I definitely prefer the roads, especially the marathon.

Running is the best. Keeps you fit, gives you time to yourself or social time if you run with others. Racing keeps you motivated to get out there and give it what you got.