HIT THE ROAD

To the combat athlete, roadwork conjures images of pre-dawn runs, breath fogging the morning air and, to many, a drudgery that must be endured. Boxers, wrestlers and kickboxers the world over use roadwork as a wind builder, a leg conditioner and a grit tester.

From the great Joe Frazier: “You can map out a fight plan or a life plan, but when the action starts, it may not go the way you planned, and you’re down to the reflexes you developed in training. That’s where roadwork shows — the training you did in the dark of the morning will show when you’re under the bright lights.”

Roadwork has been used as a tool since human beings began pitting themselves against others of their species in organized combat. Which brings us to the questions of the day:

Has it always been people in sweat-soaked, old-school gray sweatsuits pounding out miles on