Snow!

The past week has been a good one.  I've started to get back into the groove with my workouts (though the will to wake up and swim at 6 AM still eludes me).   I got in three runs, including two interval sessions, so that's going well.  I was only on the bike once, but that was due to the minor miracle we received Thursday night.  After long months (years!) of little to no snowfall, we got 7+ inches of the fluffy white stuff.  I was so excited I took a half on Friday and went wandering around Rice Lake State Park with my snowshoes.

There is something really fantastic about being in the woods after a good snowfall.  At first, you are struck by the silence and then as you listen, small sounds start to emerge.  The creak of wood under the weight of snow, the soft "floofph" of snow falling off overburdened limbs and piling on the ground below, even a few hearty birds cheeping happily as they search for food.   There was another car at the park, but I never saw the owner.  I rather liked it that way.

Saturday I decided it was time to try my luck on the sidewalks again, despite the still unshoveled snow in places.   I did about a three mile loop, mostly on the city trails.  It was a good solid run, slower than my best times, but pretty good (if I do say so myself) for running on loose snow and ice.   I think next week I will try with my trail shoes, as my road shoes just don't give enough grip on the loose stuff.   Also, the gym gets mad at me for using my gritty shoes on their treadmills.  Also, now that I've got a set "base" distance, I'm going to start deliberately increasing my long run.

Sunday would have been a bike day, but a few folks from the bike club were heading to Austin to go cross-country skiing, so I tagged along.  It had been years since I last skied, and I never learned anything besides the basics (how does one do a hill?).   I was quickly on my own (shock!), but I had fun regardless.   I did kind of run out of energy due to my poorly thought out decision to not bring any munchies, despite only having salad for lunch.  Lessons for next time.

While out skiing, I had the opportunity to try out my latest purchase.  I've been looking for something to haul water for once my runs start getting longer than a half hour.  I'm sure that sounds funny to some folks, but I get parched quickly and am completely willing to carry water if it means I don't have to stare down fifteen minutes of running while dying for a sip.   However, I have an iffy back, and a "nipped in" waist, so  waist packs and I don't really get along.   Then I found this:

Yay REI!

It has a small (about two water bottle's worth) bladder and sits in the small of your back.  It's different, but I think it meets my needs.  In any case, I crashed out twice while skiing, and it survived.  Also, it's small enough to tuck under my jacket, keeping the water and tube from freezing.   I'll probably take it out on a run next weekend to see how it does with that, but for now, I'm liking it.