Just a "Meh" Kind of Week

Nothing much too report from me, just the same ol’ same ol’… battling with winter running and all that.  I went out for a snowy fun run during a lull in Sunday’s winter storm (more on that in a bit), went out for my scheduled runs on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then started to feel run down.  I didn’t sleep very well on Tuesday or Wednesday night, and well I don’t do very well on a lack of sleep.  I’m one that seems to always need a full eight hours.  Without sleep I often get sick if I don’t back off things a bit.  So that’s what I did.  Even with today (Friday) as a normally scheduled rest day, I took Thursday off of running.  It was just an easier maintenance run anyway, so no big deal.  My more important runs for the week are this weekend.  A not-so-bad 4 miler tomorrow, followed by 6 miles on Sunday.  I haven’t run for 6 miles since this last spring so we’ll see how it goes.

Looking back to this past week though, we did get a decent winter storm on Sunday.  In the morning we had freezing rain, then sleet, then snow, and then nothing.  Just after lunchtime the storm just stopped.  I was feeling antsy in the house and wanted to still get a run in (even with the 3 – 4 inches of fresh snow) so I ventured out.  Because of the snow depth, I wore YakTrax instead of my “screw shoes” which was a good call.  It really would’ve been a perfect time for snow shoes.  Besides the snow though, it was a beautiful time for a run.

I thought I would be the only one braving the outdoors for a run or walk, but there were actually numerous tracks already made.  Keeping it simple with the snow, I just went for a 2 mile jaunt through the local park.  To keep it fun (and more adventurous) I ran a route that I don’t normally run.  In those two miles though I never once made fresh tracks in the snow.  (I guess people always have to walk their dogs!)

At the last moment I decided to take my phone with so I could take some pictures –

Snowy tracks (from dogs and people).

There were even fresh tracks on the lesser traveled section of the park, like the lake’s little boardwalk (which doesn’t get cleared of snow in the winter).

The stairs definitely weren’t clear of snow, but there were still tracks.  With the snow, this 70+ step staircase wasn’t so much a staircase, but a long bumpy ramp.

People were out, but they weren’t at the beach…

Or at the archery range…

Or playing in the playground…

Or playing volleyball…

Or having a family reunion at the picnic shelter.

I’m realizing now that although I saw lots of tracks, I never actually saw any other person (or dog) while I was out there.  Weird. 

After I got home from the run, I commented how this was the most lame winter storm (especially as we were still under a winter storm warning.)  Well the weather apparently was listening.  About an hour later it starting pouring rain, then snowed for a while, and then poured rain again through the evening.  The next morning our section of town had an ice-induced power outage.  Ok, lesson learned.  Never poke fun at the weather.