First Winter Run

I went out for my first winter run for the season. It is hard to believe that it it nearly 4 weeks already since I last had the bike out on the trails of Edmonton’s river valley. On the one hand it feels as if that ride were just days ago – on the other hand it seems like a distant memory.

Today’s run was decent weather wise – a degree or two above freezing, and overcast as I set out shortly after noon. There was a bit of a breeze and even some blowing snow near the end of the run but it was refreshing. I certainly don’t mind winter running as long as I am dressed appropriately – not too lightly or heavily. The one thing I hate about winter running and it certainly came into play today is the ice! Ice takes the fun out of running for me. Instead of gliding around on autopilot in a meditative state it seems as If my full attention must be directed at the act of running, picking out a safe spot for each footfall and being prepared to correct when I do accidentally or unavoidably hit a slippery spot.

With a bit of a warming trend in recent days, the snow surface had melted down and refroze. I found both the snow/ice covered paved trails and the dirt trails equally treacherous. Some sections of the trail  (Downtown Edmonton between the Grierson-Cloverdale footbridge and Walterdale Bridge) weren’t too bad (for example, the wooden bridge deck itself) but it seemed anywhere there was even a bit of a slope, there was also an icy trail – a most unwelcome combination.

Nonetheless, I did make it safely around my loop (approximately 8K) and didn’t feel to bad. I even started thinking about getting serious about the running this winter with the goal of a marathon in 2012 (but no decisions yet).

Also making today run enjoyable was the music that accompanied me. I was listening to the recently released Kate Bush album, “50 Words for Snow” . It was soothing and seemed very appropriate for a cool, grey day with a light snow falling.