Today was a gloomy, damp and chilly autumn day, a day in which both XC teams needed to get a good quality practice in, as we prepare for our upcoming championships. The men's practice at 11 a.m. was our usual Tuesday tempo workout at Vassar Farm. The women's practice at 2 p.m. called for hill repeats at Bowdoin Park.
A few women had to do the Bowdoin hills early, and the footing was suspect due to fallen leaves, branches and wet roots. Alerted to this by the early workout athletes, Coach Chuck came to the rescue. He went home, got his powerful leaf blower, and forged a wide and clear path for the women in their workout. A stroke of genius! The last thing we need is a late-season injury in practice, and the leaf-blowing saved the day.
Hard to believe, but it was 20 (!) years ago at this time that Coach Emeritus Phil Kelly and I were similarly manicuring the back trails at Bowdoin in preparation for the Northeast Conference XC Championships. And of course, no one on this planet has done more manicuring or work on the Bowdoin trails that Coach Horton. Today, a little leaf blowing went a long way.
We are always stressing to our athletes to do the "little things" -- getting good sleep, proper nutrition, etc. But sometimes, coaches can do the "little things" as well to help their athletes, and Chuck certainly did that today. Nicely done!
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