Rich on Running: Shore Drive run proves Lynn doesn’t quite have ‘coast with the most’

How ironic it is that the King’s Beach promenade is right by the salty waters of the Atlantic ? yet the powers-that-be can’t seem to come up with some salt to help pedestrians deal with snow and ice.On Monday, I went for a 2.4-mile run along the promenade, from the condos at 350 Lynn Shore Drive to the Red Rock Bistro and back. Overall it was a delightful experience. The rustling sound of the waves approaching the shore, the sight of them sweeping across the sea, and the spectacle of the setting sun all created a beautiful panorama. The birds that flew across the sky, swam in the sea and jogged along the beach provided a welcome addition to the landscape.Yet those who manage the promenade, which is listed as a Department of Conservation and Recreation site, have done an uneven job of making it navigable for those who use it. Periodic patches of ice make running a dicey activity at times. At several points – especially between Red Rock Park and the Swampscott border – the ice transformed a late-afternoon run into a late-afternoon walk ? and a hesitant one at that. Particularly egregious was the ice patch at the bottom of the stone steps opposite Greystone Street. And ironically, as I was reading a placard about how the promenades provided an opportunity to “Walk Where You Could Not Walk Before,” my foot slipped and I wondered whether the sign should instead read “Slip Where You Could Not Slip Before.”I’m not trying to slam the DCR ? or the City of Lynn. (The sidewalk in Swampscott was also snow-coated, although it felt more foot-friendly.) But Lynners and others from the North Shore deserve to enjoy the beach promenade under optimal conditions. And it seemed like even on a cold winter afternoon, there were still quite a few locals using the beach. I counted two fellow runners on the way to Swampscott ? and two more on the way back ? as well as a bicyclist and some walkers (including a few folks with their dogs).There is much for Lynners to be proud of when it comes to the King’s Beach promenade. I just hope that someone comes up with a way to mitigate the snow and ice so people don’t need ice skates instead of running shoes to use it.The St. Mary’s indoor track team runs against Austin Prep today (4:30) at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. The program is in its inaugural season.”So far, we’re struggling,” coach Tom Donahue said of the 1-3 Spartans. “We’ve had some success in places, our feet are under us in others. The kids are working hard and getting better every day.”Donahue cited four players as among the top performers on the team, and three are from Lynn: Brianna Anderson, Stevie Carroll and Todd Collier. The fourth, Ian Grocki, is from Saugus.Anderson, the coach said, “is one of the top girls in the state in the 50-meter dash,” while senior co-captains Grocki and Carroll are doing well in the shot put and contributing in the longer distance runs.Collier was the Item Defensive Player of the Year in football this past fall, and Donahue gave him a couple of weeks off after the season ended “to rest and heal from bumps and bruises,” the coach said. Last week, Collier returned to win the 55 hurdles and place second in the dash.”We’ll look to him to strengthen us for the rest of the season,” Donahue said.The coach is himself a graduate of St. Mary’s (Class of 1988) who went to college at Worcester State (“a million years ago,” he said).”Jeff (Newhall, St. Mary’s athletic director) was nice enough to ask me (to coach indoor track),” Donahue said. “I’m starting to do it, and I’m learning to love it.”The coach noted that before the program was created, “there were only basketball and hockey” for winter sports at St. Mary’s, “and there were limited positions for those.”The Lynn Hibernians’ second annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K Recovery Run will take place on Sunday, March 20, at 11 a.m. at Hibernian Hall on 105 Federal St. in Lynn. Last year’s race raised over $7,000 for a scholarship fund and charities. This year’s race will featur