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Runners, walkers find relief from the cold at the Pettit Center's indoor track

Posted at 1:02 PM, Dec 13, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-13 14:04:34-05
Runners and joggers seeking to stay active during Tuesday's bitterly cold temperatures sought shelter at the track at the Pettit National Ice Center. 
 
"It's still chilly in here," said Tim Linehan. 
 
Tim and his wife Mary were taking their daily walk around the indoor track rather than their Wauwatosa neighborhood. 
Randy Dean, Executive Director of the Pettit National Ice Center, said the temperature inside is usually kept around 50 degrees. 
 
"We have 97-thousand square feet of ice in there," Dean said. "So you've got to keep that cold. But we're also heating the building all the time." 
 
Linehan added the indoor conditions were preferable to the frigid temperatures outside. 
 
"Towards the end of the walk you can take some layers off," he joked. 
The ice center is open from 5:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. and costs $4 to use the track for the day. 
 
Dean said crowds tend to pick up during the cold months. 
 
"We had a mild fall, so people had other outdoor activities to do," Dean said. "But once the cold weather hits, and we get a little bit of snow, they come out in droves."