Say It Isn't Snow!

The fluffy white stuff came a bit early this year...and stuck around.  I went for a quick run Monday afternoon thinking that I needed get as many warm, outdoor runs in before the ground was cloaked in white….little did I know that quick two mile run would be my last snow-free run of the year.  I ran the bike trail that skirts Muskegon Lake, taking in the changes I have seen it go through over the past year.  All the boats are out of the harbors now, snuggled and winterized in their warehouses.  The foot traffic on the bike trail has dramatically decreased with the dropping leaves and temperatures. Once winter comes, most of the sections of the bike trail nearest the water become too hazardous for runners and pedestrians.  The plants are now brown and dried up, no longer colorful or green, leaning haphazardly against each other and on the ground.  A far cry from the autumn wonderland I so enjoyed just a few weeks ago.

Weather for my run group’s Wednesday night session felt frigid, but it was truly nothing compared to what we survived last year.  Nonetheless, the temperatures and wind chill were unexpected this early in November and marked an abrupt end to fall running...even if the snow wasn’t swirling quite yet.  Lit up in our assortment of reflective gear (and sharing it with some of our newer members), we took off to the streets and sidewalks of downtown.   A few snowflakes licked us as we ran in the dark, now pounding the pavement of the downtown neighborhoods in Lakeside, but not enough to coat the ground.

Concerns about how the snow, cold, and ice will slow down my times down again floated through my mind as I debated which layers I was going to wear.  Summer was a struggle for me, seeing my times and paces affected by heat and humidity, autumn brought redemption and speed that I am counting on to keep me on track to meet my 2015 goals.  Another epic, frozen winter like last year...that will put any all-season runner to the test.  

By Friday, it had snowed enough for a few inches to stick.  I seized the chance to run outdoors after school, even though I was incredibly nervous about running on my own.  I didn’t know what to expect on the snow-covered bike path.  While the scenery hadn’t changed much, the terrain had.  It was difficult to see where the pavement’s edge was at first.  During the first 800m, my footprints were the only marks marring the freshly fallen snow.  Eventually my tracks joined those of a rabbit, zigzagging across the path.  Occasionally, bird track would dot the sides of the trail, near low, scrubby brush.  Further down, I joined the walk of a dog and his owner who had also decided to brave the snowy trail before me.  Rounding a bend and trekking closer to the bridges, I recognized the footprints of another runner.  Smiling because I was proud of myself for noticing the tracks were different from that of the dog-walker, I knew I was no longer ‘alone’ on the bike trail.  Even though there was not another soul to be seen for my five mile run, I knew that others had ventured before me, as would others after me.  

Funny how comforting that was.  Despite being alone, I took solace in the knowledge that others sought the trail; I had company of sorts...others who perhaps sought a physical release of energy, a jaunt with nature, or just an excuse to play in the snow.  For example, once I turned back toward my Jeep, I began to ‘play’ a bit in the snow...first running only in MY footsteps...then in the other runner’s, comparing my nature gait to his...then ‘skating’ along the path (quickly running, then sliding with both feet on the icy/slick spots)...and finally kicking up as much snow as I could when I came to the bridges that cradled a snow depth of four inches.  I am positively certain that anyone who would have come along while I was ‘funning’ (having fun while running) would have had every right to believe that I was crazy...or an over-sized kid.  But then again, maybe they also would have smiled and joined in the fun with me.  

  I settled for my Oiselle Moto Lesley Tights, Lux Funnel Neck, 

a Brooks Infiniti Half Zip, a hat and some gloves.  I’ve been 

breaking in my Brooks PureGrit trail shoes that I am 

intending to use while logging my outdoor winter miles.

That is what I am going to try to hold onto this winter...making running fun, even in the middle of Polar Vortex 2.0.  Those long runs, with seemingly endless miles across frozen roads and trails, could be so much more enjoyable if I seek the joy in my surrounds and have fun with it.  2015 holds two major goals for me:  a time goal for the Fifth Third Riverbank Run 25K and my first marathon.  Winter is just beginning.  Weather experts are saying its going to be a long one.  So here is to more ‘funning’ this winter!  Bring it!

By the way...so far the snow hasn’t slowed me down much. My average pace is still below 8:00 per mile.  #justsayin’