Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Clearance Special
Whatever!
They were at a good price at my local store (Body N’ Sole), so I scooped them up.
My current pair is wearing out faster than anticipated with just over 500 miles (see below) on them, so when a good deal appears I had to grab them even if I won’t start wearing them for a few more weeks.
This.wind.was.crazy!
I adjusted the first mile through a residential area so I could reduce the wind and generate some internal heat. By the time I reached the open fields again, I was warm enough to head west into the belly of the beast! The windswept snow hitting my face was bitter, and the force of the wind was severe, but I told myself to go just one mile to another row of houses where the wind should be less. My gear was doing its job as the covered parts of my body were warm enough.
The house-row runs north on the west side of the road about 1/2 of a mile, so I headed north with their protection. When I reached the end of the row and crossed the tracks, I faced the full frontal ferocity of that northwesterly wind. Quickly, I considered my options, alternatives, and other wind-breaks up ahead if I continued north. I had 1.5 miles to the next viable route and about a third of that had some windbreaks, onward to the north I went, and turning east was a notable and welcomed relief.
Besides the traffic and increasingly slick surface, the wind and snow were less of an issue heading east, and two miles later I was heading south and expecting it to get even more relaxed. I was wrong!
The wind was now behind, and on my right, it was more than just a little pushy. This was now like running down a hill for two full miles on a non-ideal surface. I thought to push my way into the wind was harsh and now this trying to stay upright was a new challenge for a different set of muscles. Yes, from the glutes down are feeling it.
The wind was gusting so strong that I had to consciously manage my right leg to keep it from banging into my left on the downstroke. It was a challenge, but sort of a fun one.
It’s Sunday, and it’s back to work tomorrow. The Thanksgiving break was a nice time to binge on some Netflix (The Evolution of Us) and study a company structure (Perficient), but I was also able to maintain my running routine. The weather was mostly cooperative with some wintery stuff on the way the next few days.
As I crested a hill this morning, the view struck me that the miles of farmland and grid of roads as far as the eye could see were organized by generations before me, who had dedicated time and money into their construction.
While these roads have seen plenty of farm machinery and rural traffic, they have also been my running tracks for the past 6 years. The majority of the over 10,000 miles and the few thousand days have been on these country roads. I supposed, in a way, I have some of the best-maintained running routes around.
I am grateful for well-maintained county roads and limited traffic.
When you think of someone running outdoors, you may picture an image like the one above. Good looking slender people with nice looking clothes/gear and a smile on their face
Do you have to wear the cool gear to be a real runner?
While traveling last weekend, I had just returned to the hotel at the end of a 9-mile run in the snow (temp@24, w/c@15) and got some odd looks from two young runners just heading out. They were dressed in their “cool gear” and I… well… I’m a utilitarian (warm, dry, safe) and not all that interested in style over functionality.
I’m an early morning runner, and it’s usually dark when I start out, and it is lighter when I return. They looked at me with my flashlight, reflective vest, pepper spray, water bottle, running belt, hood was drawn up, an old pair of gloves, and insulated wind pants. Maybe they thought I was homeless?
I was about to tell them to be careful on the river path when they quickly exited toward the street for an in-town run. Good for them. It did make me wonder if I should get more of the fashionable gear.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried several of the well-known items from socks on up and have found some non-running gear that provided better results. When I speak of results, I mean warm torso, staying dry longer, no blisters or chaffing, comfortable after a few hours of movement, warm face, fingers, and toes, etc. Runner’s World has a neat little what-to-wear tool you may want to check out for some suggestions. This runner has posted her tips on a blog as well, very helpful.
I spent the weekend in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and explored a few running routes along the Mississippi River each morning. The weather was cold and wet which makes exploring new routes a little more challenging.
I do enjoy the exploration even if it can be a little intimidating when you don’t know the surroundings very well. The fresh snow covering the path added to the difficulty.
I commend the city of Moline for having these dedicated trails that appear to be well maintained except for some snow removal on the low-traffic portions.
Running along the river did remind me of the few times I’ve found routes along the Mississippi in the Memphis area. The river is a little bit narrower on the Northwest side of Illinois than it is a few hundred miles south in Tennessee.
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