Snow, Your Enemy

I had the best of intentions this week, I really did. But after my good run on Monday night, my running schedule for the week quickly fell apart. I knew I wasn't going to be able to attend the track workout on Tuesday, but I planned to get in a run at lunch on Wednesday. I knew I'd have to get it in before the big snowstorm that was forecast for Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, I woke up to find that we had a slippery coating of snow on Wednesday morning, and snow persisted throughout the day. After digging us out Wednesday night and Thursday morning, I attempted a run Thursday evening only to find that the road at my starting point was covered in black ice. Wisely, probably, I skipped.

This left me with an 18 mile run scheduled on Saturday. Since I hadn't run since Monday, I thought I should try to get some miles in today and push my long run back till Sunday. The weather, however, again thought otherwise. It snowed from the time I woke up this morning till about 1:45pm. I ran 7 miles at lunch in near whiteout conditions. It was above freezing, and the roads and sidewalks were mostly fine, but I'm sure people who saw me thought I was an idiot.

And maybe they were right. But it will take more than a little snow to stop me. (Dear God, please note that this is not intended as a taunt or an invitation for more snow. In fact, the less snow the better, please!) It was a decent run. I think I came in at 7 miles in about 1:10, so not a great pace, but I'll take it given the conditions. I mapped out the distance on dailymile and I'm estimating the time, since I forgot to charge the Garmin.



I hate snow. I wish I didn't, because as a kid I really loved it. But now it just means messy roads and shoveling, and since I work from home there's not the benefit of delays or snow days. It's a major inconvenience, especially when training for a marathon. Maybe that's why it was actually a little bit fun to bust out the snowblower, which was unfortunately out of commission last year, for the first time in 3 years and completely annihilate it. How I missed the roar of its mighty augers of death; how I missed it turning 3+ hours of shoveling into a little over an hour of mechanized warfare. Best. Invention. Ever.