Don't They Plow These Paths?

Distance runs are so much fun, and I'm not entirely sure why. I certainly don't look forward to starting them, especially in this cold. But there's something about being out there for a couple of hours, putting on the miles, that's full of accomplishment or something. Or maybe it's the chance to see some of the city that you don't normally get to in the day-to-day running around that we do.

I did the route out to Edworthy Park and back again, because I love the south side of the river under Spruce Cliff. It was really slow going through there today, as the city only plows the path up to Crowchild. West of Crowchild and it's sort of packed from all the traffic.

The snow is OK to run in, though. It's a little uneven and you start to feel the ankles and knees a little. And it's softer and sometimes rolls out from underneath your feet, so it slows you down, but it's likely easier on the feet and leg joints too.

Another feature of the path below Spruce Cliff is the selection of natural springs, which in this weather, create a dome of ice over the path. The water never stops running either, so the ice is slippery as heck, and in some places you have to shuffle along while holding on to the fence between the path and the railroad tracks.

Because the snow slowed me down so much, by the time I got back to 10th Street, I just headed straight back home, instead of trundling down by Eau Claire, the Centre Street bridge and home on 4th Street.

I've decided to work strictly on time for the distance workouts again, like I did last year. So for now I'm aiming at two hours, and what ever distance I cover in that time. In the snow, it's a little less than on dry pavement. After the new year, I'll start adding time at ten minutes increments, until a week or so before race day, which is pretty much what I did last year.

Today's run:
Distance: 18.22 km. Time: 1:46:51. Average speed: 10.2 kph.
Rest distance: 1.12 km. Rest time: 11:00
Total distance: 19.34 km. Total time: 1:57:51

Weather: Typical pre-Christmas winter conditions: Partly cloudy and -17C, rising to -14C by the end, although the CBC sign on Memorial Drive said -12C at around the hour and a half mark.