Snow Runs: Pros & Cons

Okay, so Blizzard 2014 has officially hit Portland.  I was excited at first for some snow to change up the scenery, but after battling the storm in almost white-out conditions on the 2.5-hour drive home yesterday (only to go 12 miles), I was exhausted.  I knew I didn't have it in me to tackle the eight-mile run I had scheduled.  White-knuckling my steering wheel and squinting through my windshield had taken everything out of me.

Meanwhile, I'd been grumbling for the past several days about how tired I was.  Still apparently recovering from my 20-miler and working early and long hours had left me wiped.  So as bummed as I was to fall eight miles below my planned weekly mileage, I figured maybe it was the universe telling me to take it easy.  Couple this with the fact that I cancelled work for this morning and got to sleep in, I could easily consider this glass half full.

Today, I was booked for a 5-miler and made a very smart decision to head out before it started snowing again.  With the frigid run I had earlier this week and now the current inches of snow hiding all the curbs, I wasn't exactly excited to venture out.  But I'm so glad I did.

First, an admission:  it was hard.  Running in the snow requires a lot more work than I'm used to.  I've run in snow before, but that usually entailed it snowing while I was out and not many inches of it lining the sidewalks.  This was more like running in sand.  You've got to raise your knees higher to get your feet in and out of it, and it requires more balance not to slip and slide around.  It makes you breathe heavier to get enough oxygen.  And not to mention, you need more concentration to avoid the dreaded yellow snow and to figure out exactly where the curbs end.  It's hard not to be paranoid about face-planting into the street.

But the vibes were great.  It seemed like the whole city took the day off, and all the schools were closed, so everyone was out enjoying the fun.  I passed two different people skiing down the sidewalk, and whole neighborhoods were out sledding and innertubing down their hilly streets and at local parks.  The bars and breakfast places were already packed, and it gave me an urge to have myself a nice spiked eggnog upon returning home.  (Still contemplating that, though, since I haven't been brave enough to go outside again to buy said eggnog.)  At the end of the run, I even topped it all off with a traditional little snow angel.

Tomorrow is planned for a 12-mile run, and I'm a bit apprehensive since they're predicting ice.  More than anything, I'm terrified of the thought of being injured this close to race day.  Hey, waddya know?  I am now 30 days out from race day.  Now that's something to celebrate.  Might have to get that eggnog after all.