Jan. 5, 2010

The South Carolina track and field team annually heads down to Orlando, Fla., for a week of preseason training before competing against Denison University in a friendly exhibition. The team trains vigorously throughout the week before getting a chance to enjoy the Disney theme parks as a climax to the University’s winter break. Various members of the team will check in daily with GamecocksOnline.com about the everyday happenings with the sprinters, hurdlers, distance runners, throwers, pole vaulters and multi-event athletes.

The second entry comes from senior distance runner Dani Barnes, an SEC scorer in the mile run and DMR last season.

Well it is the end of our first full day here in Orlando. We came expecting sunshine and that’s what we got, but we did not expect this cold weather! So after a good night’s rest to recover from the journey down, we went for a run around Disney’s sports complex. With miles of trails and fields to explore we soon forgot about the cold. We then hopped onto the track and got the legs going with a few sprints, which may have started the idea of a distance 4x100m team? Maybe not!

After our first practice we stocked up at Wal-Mart followed by some much needed naps before our second work out of the day. Some of the distance group opted for a run around a nearby park which turned out to be a bit further after a few unplanned wrong turns, and some of the more fragile girls headed back to Disney for some cross training in the gym.

We are back in the hotel now and all a little tired from our efforts but all in all a very good first 24 hours in Orlando. Let’s hope the rest of the trip continues with much of the same.