Loy Norrix High School
Running Time 54:56 + 1-lap kick
Loy Norris HS looks fairly new, and I thought that the track might be locked, but there was an open game by the gym side door. One person came out and walked the track while I was running, but no track practice, so I was able to get in a good run. The bleachers had 5 sets of stairs. When available, I run each set of stairs twice, one as I make my way down the bleachers, one on the way back.
The track was in great shape – very springy. And very blue. That offset the proximity of the freeway, which was only a few hundred yards away. I was listening to music, of course, but it is the pollution I do not care for. I once worked at a business that was right next to a freeway. We had a layer of brake dust on all surfaces all the time. No bueno.
The weather was dismal – cool, rainy, and windy. But I had opted for a nap the day before when I got to my hotel in Mr. Pleasant, so I felt rested and had a good run. I think that will be my weekly ritual now: run on Monday and Tuesday, nap on Wednesday, run on Thursday, walk at the airport on Friday.
Kalamazoo has an industrial feel to it, like Saginaw. I did notice more greenery. I would have looked for a running spot away from the freeway, but this was close to the hotel and the track was new and accessible, a combination sometimes difficult to find. Loy Norrix was a former superintendent for the school district, and I would imagine his name was the most memorable quality he had, though that is not really fair to say, since I did not know him.
Don't Make It a Habit. Make It a Ritual. 