The WEATHER-
Believe it when we say it, the weather has been absolutely atrocious at times in April- particularly in the Chicagoland area. Some teams and individuals have been fortunate enough to chase warmer climes. But still, it has been a struggle to get into quality outdoor practices let alone races that yield performances of substances.
The days leading up to DNIP, it has been like a tightly wound Duncan yoyo. For several days it felt like late winter with the real feel temperature in the upper 20s during peak workout times. On Thursday, we got handed some fool's gold with the Mercury touching 71 degrees in many areas. Then Friday, it rained virtually all day which produced more meet cancelations.
What will Saturday evening behold for us? Depending on who you follow for weather updates, it is supposed to be the warmest day of the year. Shall we say 81 degrees!? That same warmness is expected to be in effect throughout the five-hour plus festival in Palatine. The hot air is going to bring heavy winds (near 20 mph, gusts over 35 mph). High winds are among distance runners' worst enemies, especially when all-star caliber fields have been assembled.
We cannot control Mother Nature so the best thing to do is go out and compete to the best of our ability. It is my belief that we sometimes compete at our best under duress and in situations that may seem unfavorably. Saturday evening fits that mode perfectly.