Running in a Winter Wonderland

This morning I awoke to our first snow. I remembered a run last winter in the snow, where it was just the sound of our feet crunching softly on the snow, and the beautiful trees around us. That is not what happened this morning. But before I tell you about that, an update of the issues I've been having with The Vengeance.

Thank you all so much for your genuine concern after my last post! I feel I should clarify:

1. Although I almost always run with my Garmin, on most runs I don't check it at all or only check it when it gives me the mile interval beep.

2. I can still run without it!

3. I'm still hoping it can be fixed.

Hopefully I somehow screwed up a setting, or its still under warranty, or something. After my last post, I tried running with it a few more times. It hasn't blacked out on me again, but it doesn't seem to be recording pace, location, elevation, any of that. When I hook it up to my computer, it shows my mile times, overall time and pace, but that's it. No map. So there is definitely something screwy with it. If anyone has any clues, PLEASE let me know. It was a fabulous, expensive gift and I've loved it.

back to my wintery wonderland

It seemed like a good idea to run. Yesterday it rained all day, so no run there. Snow? I can handle snow. I love running in snow! A little wind? No problem. It was windy 98.9% of all hours of all days in the town we used to live in (and worse in the winter. Seriously, by the time of the spring thaw our first year there, I thought I was going to lose my mind from the constant sound of wind. Mercifully, it lightened up in warmer weather, and eventually I got used to it). So around 10am I bundled up and headed out.

I almost bit it twice about a block from our house, at an intersection where the snow was particularly compacted/icy from traffic. "It will be better in the park," I told myself. After all, the park has rangers (seriously. Just like in Elf, but not on horses). They must have plowed/shoveled by now. Right?

I got to the entrance of the park.

As usual, I veered to the left to begin the lap around the park. I start on the road for a bit, then merge onto a walking/running path. The road wasn't too bad. It was when I got to the path that trouble really arose. Because, well, I may have been the only person to have set foot there all day.

At first I thought it wouldn't be too bad. It was only 3-4 inches of snow, and pretty powdery. But then it was windy, and in places I couldn't see where the path was at all. Halfway down this side of the park, the path crosses a street. At that point I decided to turn back and run along the road instead of the path. I think that's when I took this picture.

There were still some icy spots, but I think if I'd stuck to the roads from the beginning I could have finished a longer run. I do love running in the snow. Like almost all runs, I'm really glad I went. Even if it was just 2.7 miles. As the city remembers how to handle snow, I'm sure it will get easier to run in it.

Mileage update: 10.6 this week and 689.6 for the year. I WILL reach 720!! So close!