Final 2008 Run

I got in my last run of 2008 this morning, in the snow, again. Today was a tougher run than my solstice snow run. It was about 10 degrees colder, much windier and the snow was fine and abrasive. However the course works the wind was in my face very often and I could hardly see along certain sections of the road. The snow was caked in my eyelashes and brows and my face was wet and cold. I toughed it out though and finished the year strong.

On the gear front I wore my entire new Sugoi rain suit and it was nice. It's not as warm as my trusty Patagonia, but the jacket's neck fits more snugly and that's a great bonus. It was very comfortable and kept me dry and warm while breathing well.

So, here we are, again, another year in the books. I think it's been a good year on the blog. We've certainly posted a lot and run/worked out a lot. It's good to see. Thanks for doing this, it's very gratifying as the instigator of this experiment to see that it works -- both as a workout motivator and as a way to keep in touch. It's succeeded beyond my goals and that's because it's so active. Thanks guys.

A happy, healthy, safe, prosperous, blessed and mileage filled New Year to all.

Christmas Bills Due

I wrote in a comment this morning that I've been living on a diet of cookie and cocktails and it's true. I've been eating Pfeffeneuse, Joe Froggers, Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Shortbread cookies for about 2 meals per day and washing them down with everything from beer and wine to Sazeracs and Negronis . . . not exactly a diet for fitness nor running success. I got off my duff though and did a labored a run around town. It was in he 30 minute range and it was sort of painful. The Christmas bills have come due.

My short off-season feels deleterious but I'll be OK. It was a cold, bright, beautiful and super windy day. Because of the wind I debuted of a new piece of gear. Mrs. A bought me a Sugoi rain suit for Christmas and I wore the pants today to block the wind and they worked very nicely. The new suit will make VT City training a bit more comfortable since it will rain and snow during the cycle. I hope to get out tomorrow to end '08 strong and then I'll be doing a New Year's Day 5K here in town to kick off my race/month goal in '09.

Solstice Snow Story

I've been thinking a lot about this blog and how really it's a collection of good stories, some better than others. This thought has lead me to start trying to go for runs that are good stories. I got one today. I headed out around 12:30 this afternoon for a run in some crazy, snowy conditions and it's the Winter Solstice: sunrise was 7:10 AM and sunset is 4:14 PM . . . I covered somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 - 3.5 miles. Not my longest, but given the conditions, good enough for today. I was slippery but not too bad, and I adjusted my stride a bit and all was good.

I saw one other runner today just before we got to church at 9:45 AM and then no others the rest of the day. I was basically alone on my trot. There was no gradual increase in snow on this run, it was snowing the hard whole way. I wore a couple pair of socks and that was good -- something I'll do more of this winter -- as well as a GoreTex raincoat with my hood up. I was very comfortable. I once heard that the Inuit have seven words for snow to describe different types of snow. Well today I ran on/in powder, packed powder, plow churned, foot trodden, tire packed, slushed and just-snow-blown snow. I'm not sure that's what the Inuit had in ind, but they live where they live and I live where I live.

Snuck One In

I spent my morning doing some networking and other things and then decided to hit the road at around 1:30 PM. I set out on stroller route, which is 4 and change, just as the snow was starting come down but continued to fill in and get heavier during the course of the run. The snow is very small flakes and fairly dry and blowing all over. It was blowing in my face for the last half mile or so and I have to admit that I was glad to be done because I could barely see. All in all it was fun, though and a bit out of the ordinary. It was cool to be out in the weather as it intensified. The weekend is supposed to be unsettled at best so I'll see what happens on the run front. I'm hoping to sled out back with the kids, and if there's enough snow, maybe we can get in a snowshoe on a local golf course. I'll let you know.

Crunch! Crunch!

Taking advantage of my under-employed situation as well as the facts that Mrs. A was working from home and that Child 1 & 2 were at school I headed out at 12:35 for a lunch time run. It was a classic, nasty fall/winter day: temps in the mid-30s, spitting rain and a nice crusty coating of ice and sloppy slush all over the place. I did 5.2+ (I missed a turn and added an additional block which actually equals two blocks because it was out and then a return). Still no watch, so no data.

I was just running, enjoying the late fall/early winter bleakness. It was cool to get on non-cruddy pavement because then the run got really quiet and peaceful, I was gliding. When I was on the crud I felt like I was making more noise than a stampede of bison. Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! I felt good throughout except after I returned. After each of my last three runs I've had some nasty . . . expulsions while sitting upon the pot, shall we say . . . I think that I am fighting some sort of stomach bug. Generally I feel fine all day, everything is normal except post-run. I guess, as long as it's post run and not intra-run . . .

Absence

Nice to see the blog rolling on without me. I've been away from this and running since last week. Last week was a drag of a week for two reasons. First, I only got one run in and second, I lost my job on 12/4. It is what it is and these are the things that happen in life . . . PR we should talk about your marketing plan, I'll call you.

So, I've been laying low this week licking my wounds and drinking a fair amount, networking and hanging with my kids. I've not run so much until today when I got out for an out and back on my stroller route. I don't know how long it took my watch is dead so I went data-less, and I didn't do the hwole thing and then stopped at the end to talk to some neighbors. It was cold tonight and I felt pretty good. It felt good to get back out there and I feel like it won't be a big deal to get back on my cycle. I don't think that I'll race this month, but that's OK. I'm lined up or January and maybe February, right Bennu? Please send details about the February race you were mentioning

December Begins

I got out today for 29:08. I had no real route in mind, just the intention to get out and run. My regular routes are getting a bit stale so I headed out on stroller route and then cut off of it on a street (or a portion thereof) that I've never run before. I need to find something to punch up the interest factor a bit, so I'm considering different routes. All in all I felt good, if a little sluggish.

This was my first run since Friday, though I was not slothful in the interim. I worked hard in my yard to shut it down for the season on Saturday. Four hours of raking and barrel lugging is a good workout. Weather, and my body telling me it needed a rest kept me in on Sunday. Though I spent the day Sunday finishing up my bathroom painting project (sort of, still some trim to do). Three of the four days of the Thanksgiving weekend were good workouts, and the fourth was productive and busy. Not much of a point to this post, really. Again, it was a good run on a nice day and it got me in a good mood.