Winter Running

After a nice snowy run

In the cold of winter it's not always easy to get up and out of that warm bed, but if I can, it's seldom I am not rewarded.  Such was the case on Monday when we got about 4" of snow here.  An afternoon run, with light snow still falling, was the highlight of a great day.  Dressed warmly (almost too warmly), protected from the snow with my Norrona Bitihorn jacket (weighs less that 9 oz., compressible to the size of a bagel, and completely wind & water proof), my Natty Geo Buff and Injinji gaiters, I was all set.  I opted not to wear my YakTrax which, at first, I thought might be a mistake.  For the first mile or so, the snow would clump in the sole of my shoes like wet Carolina red clay and I had to keep knocking it out.  But that didn't last.  It was a perfect way to spend a snowy afternoon.

"A little snow was here and there...."
"Snow beneath whose chilly softness...."
- Emily Dickinson

Me and Beacham

Today was another great day of winter running.  After debating multiple running options, I decided on running the trails at the National Whitewater Center.  With the melting of the past few days, I looked forwards to some sloppy conditions - which I love.  I met my fellow One2Tri Racing teammate, Michael Beacham, and two other good friends, Steve & Leah Grace at 8:30.  The trails were technically closed, but that really applies more to mountain bikes than runners.  Closed trails are also nice because we didn't have to be on guard for bikes.  The starting temp was 30 degrees and there was considerably more snow and ice on the trails than I had anticipated.  We started out slowly until we got a feel for the snow/ice and then were able to pick up the pace a little.  It was absolutely gorgeous on the trails; plus, it was obvious that few if any runners had been out since the snow.  We logged a slow, but vigorous 8 miles.  Another great day!