Friday night one of my running partners sent me a message saying he was going to have to bail on our long run the next morning. He followed it up with, "have fun in the snow". I assumed he was mistaken. Or watching some other station's meteorologist! Friday, like much of the previous week, had mild temperatures, and no moisture in sight.
But I woke up Saturday morning to find out he was right. I was wrong. The ground was covered with white stuff, and the flakes were continuing to fall pretty steadily. I slipped several times walking to the car to load my stuff, and I realized I probably ought to go back and grab my Yax-Trax.
Good idea.
When we got out to Waterfall Glen, the snow was already about an inch thick on the ground. My friend Rick put on the Trax, and I followed suit. There was no point in being in denial about the conditions. Winter made it's regularly scheduled arrival, and there was no use fighting it.
It's gotta happen every year, that first real winter run. If you live in Chicago, you have to learn to at least have a relationship with winter. You don't have to like it, but you will have to deal with it. And now's the time.
And that's ok. I always appreciate a little snow before the holidays. You know, the whole 'White Christmas' thing and all. It's festive, and makes for beautiful surroundings when you run in nature.
Footing, of course, is another issue. So is warmth! But I'm not complaining. It was actually a really pleasant run. Despite the snow, the temperatures were pretty nice. And the crowds that fill the parking lot and the paths in the summer are apparently sleeping in.
But there are plenty of hearty souls out there. One of the charity teams, Team World Vision, training for a spring marathon was out there with a campfire. They were making s'mores for the post-run snack. They looked warm. Nice.
So, I guess winter is here, and it won't be long before we'll be dressing in layers and braving much more extreme conditions than this. Or staying inside on the treadmill. But the winter builds character and makes us stronger right?
Let's just go with that for now. What choice do we have? In the meantime, Have a great holiday. Next week I plan to look back at the year and some of the more memorable races. If you have any favorites to share, please leave a comment!
See you on the roads.....
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