Yesterday, I headed up to Luther to do a speed workout on the track.  I always dread track work when I’m preparing for it, but once I do it, I actually like it.  Speed is good.  In this case, I did ladders – 200/400/600/800/600/400/200 at 5K pace (roughly 6:30 per mile).  While running, I noticed large gaps, like five or six feet long, of the track just missing.  Went home and told Steph “I hope they repair that track soon.  It’s bad.”

Well, good thing I got in the work out yesterday because the track is no more.  The tractor on the left tears into the surface with its blade to create a flap, then grabs the flap and peels it away.  It was doing sections probably 20 – 30 foot long at a time.  The little Bobcat seemed to be doing the fine touch work (around the edges, near the steeplechase pit, etc).  The big tractors on the right just drops its blade and peels everything away.  It was rather slow and only on that one section that I saw.  Still, I’m guessing the entire surface will be off in the next hour or so (once they finish removing the stuff for graduation).

I’m very much looking forward to the new track.  The current one was put down just before I enrolled as a student.  That was back in 1997.  Twelve years is a long time for a surface.