Rich on Running: Hurricane brings a study in contrasts for runners

You can’t ask for more of a weather difference for runners than before and after Hurricane Sandy impacted Massachusetts this week.This past weekend, we had a chance to enjoy what could be the last prime foliage viewing of the fall. While many trees still sported their fall colors after the hurricane hit, runners who chose to venture outside on Tuesday also had to contend with debris on the ground and variable weather conditions.On Saturday, it was truly “the calm before the storm” as I visited Western Massachusetts with my girlfriend Laura and our terrier Daisy. We went to the Elwell Recreation Area on the banks of the Connecticut River in Northampton. Here, you can catch stunning views of the Holyoke Range. Runners can cross the river via a 1,492-foot pedestrian bridge (if you look down, you can see an island) and follow the Norwottuck Rail Trail into neighboring towns such as Hadley and Amherst. Quite a few fellow runners, along with walkers and cyclists, shared the trail, which lies over a path once used by the Boston & Maine Railroad.While the weekend offered a chance to contemplate foliage, yesterday provided a chance to contemplate much of that same foliage – on the ground, along with tree branches knocked down by hurricane gusts.In Greater Boston, it seemed like the storm didn’t deter runners from going out. People were wearing summer gear on their afternoon runs along the streets of North Cambridge. I started to feel out of place in my sweatpants, long-sleeved shirt and jacket.While I planned to do a short run along the Alewife Brook on a newly refurbished section of the bike path, the weather and my terrier had other ideas. Just as I started my run, it began to rain, and Daisy indicated she would rather run back to the car. So that was what we did, over a bridge spanning the brook (trust me, it was nowhere near 1,492 feet) and a dirt road leading to the car. The branches strewn across the dirt road reminded me of a similar “obstacle course” – the rocky Goat Path in Lynn Woods during the summer cross country races.Running pre- and post-hurricane are certainly two different pastimes. (I hope no one considers running during a hurricane!) While it felt blissful to run this past weekend, yesterday it was more of a realization that hurricanes can bring variable weather conditions in their aftermath, and that you’ve got to be careful on the ground, such as if you’re running in a wooded area like a bike path.So, while last weekend you couldn’t help but keep an eye on the foliage, this week it can’t hurt to keep an eye on the forecast, and on the ground.Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected].