As we were riding on the JTR bus this afternoon through New Haven on our way to Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, CT -- site of the NCAA Northeast Regional on Friday -- I made a very astute observation. It snowed here. A lot. There were mounds of snow all over the place. When we arrived at Hammonasset, there was not as much snow. But there was snow, all right.
It was cold and damp and raw. While the team did its pre-meet run and strides and drills, I surveyed parts of the course. There was mud and snow and wet grass. One section of the course, between the 1-mile and 2-kilometer mark, was pretty much under water. A massive puddle -- almost a small pond -- had formed along the course. Meet officials have designed a detour in this area. Side note: Meet management from Yale and from Fairfield should be lauded for all the work they have done in preparation for the race. Between SuperStorm Sandy and now this nor'easter, it has provided them with quite a challenge. From my perspective, they seem to have handled every challenge superbly so far. Nicely done.
Anyway, the weather forecast for Friday looks like standard issue November: Sunny and chilly, with temperatures in the upper 40s/low 50s. Sounds great to me! The course probably will still be messy in places. But what the hey. It's cross country. Spike up and run. Just race. Should be fun.
Reminder: Race times are noon for women and 1:15 p.m. for men.
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