New Year's Blizzard

My first run of the new year, and it's blowing pretty nasty out. There were reports on the radio of major stretches of highway being closed. But I figured I better get out there.

Seems like the only day of the week I run is Sundays; I need to get back into my schedule of at least three times a week. I don't know why it's so hard, but I readily lay the blame on the cold and the darkness.

Anyway, it's blowing hard from the west, but I had that at my back heading down to the Centre Street bridge. The paths and the top of the bluff are layered in semi-packed snow, and it's slow going. In contrast, the bridge was scoured clean by the snow. I could feel it too, a whippy cross wind slowed only a little by the bridge railing.

Coming off the bridge, I was fully exposed, now wishing I'd worn a scarf, but a hundred paces on I had some shelter from the trees growing along the edge of the river. A little better. Past Eau Claire it was much more sheltered, and I started to warm up a little, and that was all I needed. After that, even though I was in and out of the wind, it never really bothered me too much.

I crossed at the 14th Street bridge, reasoning that I wasn't up to much more since I've been slacking for the past month. On the other side, with the wind at my back, it was much more civilized. I passed the two little jeeps with plows on them, that keep the path clear from Edworthy to the zoo, they were backing down the path, maybe to take a wider bite from the ridge along the path's edge.

The trudge up The Path Under The Stairs went well. By then I was head down, all business, just get 'er done. The path at the top of the bluff was mostly polished now by the blowing snow. There were a couple of low spots where it was accumulating, just for variety.

I don't set any speed records in these conditions, but I think I did not too bad.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.62 Time: 47:02
Average speed: 6:10 min/km. (9.72 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)