There was nothing ceremonious about the last lap run around the McCann Center indoor track. No one was there to witness it. Except for the mournful groan of the train whistles on the nearby tracks below, the building was silent.
This morning, the long-awaiting renovation of the McCann Recreation Center will begin. When the updated McCann Fieldhouse reopens in the fall, there will be new hardwood flooring throughout the arena. That floor will cover a battered and scarred but very useful 160-meter track that served our program well for several decades.
This morning, the watch on my wrist recorded a long (for me) jog of 1:14:11. I started my final laps very early, at 5 a.m., to assure that I would not bother anyone nor impede the construction that will begin the new era in McCann.
We have witnessed gallons of sweat poured out on that track through the years by the dedicated men and women of our program. I have run thousands of laps on that old, beat-up surface – most of them like today, during the silent, early-morning hours with nothing but my thoughts and maybe a few iPod tunes in my ears.
After all that effort and all that sweat through the years, all that remains this morning are the tears.
Great post, Pete
ReplyDeleteP :(
Sad that Marist lets one sport (basketball) so dominate and rule the needs of all the athletic program.
ReplyDeleteI am going to take money I would have given to the "general fund" and instead will support only the Track and Field/Cross Country program. While I hesitate to discontinue support to academics and other campus construction and improvements, I do not wish to support McCann Center and its basketball expansion.