Thursday December 7, 2006
Arrived today in sunny San Diego. I almost hate to tell everyone in Georgia that it
was 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky at 3 p.m. local time. After arriving in
San Diego, I proceeded straight to Balboa Park to go for a run on the course. I
arrived to see the workers putting together the course. There is a small army of
painters that put down all the Footlocker logos and the start and finish areas.
They were already putting up the flags and poles to mark the course.
The Course:
It appears they have had some rain recently. Though it was warm and dry while I ran
the course Thursday afternoon, I noticed some differences. The grass was much
greener. Last year there were a lot of brown spots, but today it was very green and
even a few steps were soft with a muddy step or two. Overall the course is firm and
looks good. Hoping that what the recent rain will do is lessen the dust just a
little, but I doubt it. Friday during the walk-through, I will be sure to take many
pics of the key portions of the course. But if you haven\'t ever seen the course, it
is much tougher than it appears on TV. There really is not any level/smooth ground.
The footing is good because the ground is firm, but there is a lot of side-hill
running. The key part of the course will be \"The Hill.\" It appears they put fresh
gravel on it very recently, so look for it to take even more out of the runners than
before. What makes it so tough is that it comes right after the 1 mile during the
first loop and right after 2 1/2 miles the second loop. The hill is about 100 yards
at a tough grade, then you take a hard right and have a side-hill run for about 30 -
40 meters before you have a more gradual climb for about 150 - 200 more meters.
Considering the pace, location, the dust, and the competition, this hill takes a ton
out of any runner. Then you have to go down an insane downhill. This downhill is
almost scary when you look at it from the top. This hill is steep and long (steeper
and longer than the finish at state). The first time down you fly, the second time
down, you survive. From there it is about a 1/4 mile to the finish, most of which
is gently up-hill.
The Finalists:
The 80 best harriers in the country are arriving all day Thursday. They will be
staying at the amazing Hotel Del Coronado. Today includes checking-in, receiving
gear, and a bonding party (I think the theme is \"Beach Bash\"). Tomorrow morning
they will come to the course for the walk-through and pre-meet.
More to come tomorrow!
Coach Travis Gower
McEachern High School