Inside-outside blues

Earlier today was the annual Recover from the Holidays (Fat Ass) 50km race that my old friend Charlie Sprauer and I direct each year at Norrie Point in Staatsburg – that’s up by the Mills Mansion, for those who were wondering. The 31-mile race is something we have put on since 1996.

Today, we had absolutely glorious weather for January 7. Actually, it would have been absolutely gorgeous weather for May 7. Birds were chirping! It was close to 60 degrees. As a result, we had a record of 29 finishers for the out-and-back, 10-lap course.

This was a culmination of some fantastic early January weather, and it could not have come at a better time. With some of our athletes back for winter intersession training – the first time we are here in Poughkeepsie, in the winter, without an indoor track facility in McCann – the warm weather was certainly welcome.

Even still, I have to admit to being a little down and out about the fact that we are schlepping off campus in vans most days for practice. In January.

During the fall, such off-campus travel is a labor of love. We want to – and, most would argue, need to – be running off-road during cross country.

During the spring, it is a labor of love as well, but it’s also necessity. We need to get to the track to get our work in. But outdoor track is such a short season, so such a daily grind has always been tolerable.

Having the indoor track – and practice literally a short walk down a flight of stairs – was always a nice luxury for a cold-weather wimp like me. But those days, as we know, are over for good.

So even though we enjoy this freakishly warm and snow-free weather, it is still slightly disconcerting to be at outdoor training venues in the middle of the winter.

However, whether it is at the track or anywhere else outdoors, we will adjust, adapt, conform and get used to the new routine. We have no choice.

Well, that’s not entirely true!

We do have limited access to the indoor track at SUNY New Paltz. And in our maiden voyages with small training groups on Thursday and Friday, the early reviews are very positive.

Again, we will adjust, adapt, conform and get used to new routines.

While it would be great to see this weather persist, we know it won’t.