OWL-DRAGON

Mid Winter Running

One week ago I did a trail run thru 3 or 4 inches of snow over ice. The snow had a sand like consistency that prove very difficult to run through. In fact on one steep hill I was reduced to walking when my running efforts took on the cartoony effect of my running and not moving ahead.

This Friday I knew running on trails was out of the question. A cold rain fell through the night but I thought I might get a run on the neighborhood roads. I went out with Max and encountered sidewalks and streets covered with ice. Even four footed Max was having a hard time. Worst the rain actually iced as it hit us. After a quarter mile Max who usually is indifferent to even to the worst weather pulled up and looked at me as if to say “Boss I’m game for most anything but this is not good idea.”

So we headed back home to thaw and dry out.

Saturday was much better. It got up to forty. While there was still a strong west wind it didn’t seem as chilled. The clouds raced across the sky and toward the end of the run it was more cloudy then sunny. The streams I crossed were high but mostly within their banks and great streams of water flowed down the sides of the road as the snow piles gave up their moisture. Today however was much chillier - about 27 when I went out and once again the wind was strong out of the northwest. The sky was bright blue. I actually enjoy this running much more than a hot summer run.

Having an ambitious March schedule with a 10K, half-marathon, marathon gets me out even when the weather is less then cooperative but there is a satisfaction running in difficult conditions and not letting weather stop me.