Sunday, February 15, 2015

Gone With the Wind

My running has been full of start and restarts this year. I keep wanting to get back into consistent training, but things keep popping up and I am allowing them to be my excuse. I do not have an actual race to train for, even though I keep telling myself I will do so 5k's, so I lack the extrinsic motivation to go out on ridiculous cold mornings.

Last Sunday I said I would run a 5k, but I ended up doing a good 4.5 miles. It was a jog/walk because I was carried away with taking pictures. I really miss my morning sunrise. It was cloudy and gray when I started and then the sun peaked. I just couldn't help myself so I took pictures. A lot of pictures.

Today, the plan was to do a 5k as fast as I could manage. Mother Nature; however, felt the need to issue a wind and snow challenge. It was 11 degrees with a wind chill of -11. Wind gusts of up to 25 miles per hour. This is where any normal, sane person would take it to the gym and run on the treadmill. I am not normal. I am not sane. But, I am all for research before embarking on random acts of stupidity. So, I researched running in the cold weather, signs of frostbite, and I looked over my notes from the last two years of running on snow and ice.


I layered up, laced up, strapped up, covered my face in Vaseline, mask and glasses and headed out. To the wind with it! I accept this challenge! It really was not as bad as I thought it would or could be. I kept to the trails as much as possible. The snow was between 0 to 6 inches and some of the snow drifts that I ran through were up to 20 inches deep. Hello high stepping! Parts of the trail still had ice beneath the powder snow, so I need slowed down on those areas (okay, I walked some parts of it), but running through the trees kept the wind gusts at bay. Aaaaand then I step into the wide open landscape and was immediately shoved to the left from the slap of the wind. Mother Nature and I just giggled at each other and kept on doing our thing. She tossed me around while I pushed on. It felt so good that I ended up running 6.5 miles. My time wasn't great, but I did it and I loved every minute of it. It was beautiful out. The wind was blowing hard and I got to see a dozen wind cyclones. The snow swirled and made pretty designs all around me (think Disney's Frozen). There were even a few red foxes out and about, looking for food.

Today's run feels like the beginning of something big and wonderful. Cannot wait for the next one!

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