McCann Track: Better than nothing!

As I type this, from the upstairs lounge of the new McCann Center, adjacent to the three-lane elevated indoor track, there are close to a dozen people using this track for walking, jogging and sprinting. I’m stunned, surprised and pleased to see this. The track is 134 meters in the middle lane, basically 12 laps to a mile. It’s a square. Four straightaways with right angle turns on each corner. Not ideal for a D1 track and field program. Not even close. And yet … yesterday morning, our sprinters did a hard workout on it. The turns were tough. They had to decelerate and nearly ran into walls. It was not easy, but it was similar to what we deal with at the Big Blue Doughnut (SUNY New Paltz indoor track). Speaking of the doughnut, we brought a group of distance runners there on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, and we will continue to do so. There is no way we can properly execute longer interval workouts on this track. But it’s something. When you have nothing and you get something, by definition that’s “better than nothing,” right? This lounge is nice. We have cubbies, some lounge furniture, a water fountain nearby. I have a new home, a new “hiding place” from the important people that work in this building. There’s even a restroom on the second floor, something the “old” McCann Center has never had. If I were to move my coffee maker over here, I might never leave (except when I have to drive the vans off campus for practice ... that doesn't change).

So here we are, in this brand spanking new building. It’s beautiful. The track … well, it’s something. It’s not great. It’s a short square. But you know what? I was in here this morning at 5:36 a.m., with my friend Tony, we did 48 laps (4 miles), and broke a sweat. We were not out in the 15-degree morning. Something. Better than nothing. We used to do this on the "old McCann track," which is now the "McCann Arena" ... perhaps you remember that track, 160 meters, more track-like than this, something we got plenty of use out of back in the day until it was unceremoniously shuttered in 2011. These photos are of some distance runners, sent from Hogue’s phone last night, who are taking to doing their doubles up here. Four miles easy, 48 laps. Why not? It’s not the treadmill. It’s something. Better than nothing.