The men's track and field team is ready to compete outdoors, where running times are faster and field events go to greater distances.

To kick off the outdoor season the Lions will host the Spiked Shoe Invitational this weekend. The Lions' distance runners will run the 15K race to help them get into shape for the upcoming outdoor season.

Coming off a second place finish at the IC4A Indoor Championships, the Lions have started training for the outdoor season. Tri-captain Doug Walter said the outdoor season brings added events and possibly added points to the team's score when the IC4A Outdoor Championships roll around.

Tri-captain Greg Large, who ran on the distance medley relay team that placed at the indoor IC4As, said when the outdoor season comes along he's ready to go.

"I'm a hurdler at heart," Large said. "When the longer hurdles come about, I'm happy."

Large, who will graduate in May, said his training for the outdoor season will change a lot from the indoor season. His training for outdoor will include running at race pace over eight hurdles spread out over 300-meters two or three consecutive times in a workout. The actual 400-meter hurdles are run with 10 hurdles and a runner must maintain his steps between each hurdle even after he gets tired, Large said.

That's where the training comes into play. Large, and other hurdlers, must concentrate on keeping the same number of steps between hurdles during the workout. Large said he takes 15 steps between each hurdle. The more steps a runner takes between hurdles results in a slower time.

"I hope to perform well and also finish up my career with some personal bests," he said.

Large said he prefers running outdoor to indoor because he's tall and runs with a long stride and it's easier for him to run outside where there is more space. He added that running on a larger track is easier on the body, especially the ankles.

Walter said the conditions outdoors are better all around, as long as the weather is nice. The track is longer, more wide-open and has less turns, which results in faster times in the running events, he said.

The Lions will compete at several highly competitive relay meets like the Dogwood, Colonial and Penn Relays.

"That's where all the fun comes in," Walter said. Large added that, "you can't really beat the competition that you're going to face at Penn Relays, or the crowd."

The Penn Relays meet is the oldest relay meet in the country.

"There's no other meet like it, I love it," Walter said.

The Lions will gear their training to peak for Penn Relays and then peak again for IC4As.