Long Run RIGHT as Winter Starts

On Sunday night, the weather forcast was talking about some snow the following afternoon making for a potentially messy evening commute. "EVENING COMMUTE." So I was shocked when I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to SNOW CURRENTLY FALLING. It wasn't BAD, but I don't like running on slick surfaces as it messes with my knees. I had no reason to be pushing TOO hard in the snow, so I figured I'd still do my long run outside, but just aware of the fact that my times might be a bit slower (and I was OK with that).

I got in 11.54 miles with the middle 6 at 6:34 pace. That middle pace was substantially slower than normal as the VAST majority of my "pace miles" during my long runs over the summer and fall have been in the 6:teens or lower 6:20s. I don't know the last time they've been in the 6:30s - possibly summer of 2020 when I was coming back from my 8 months of not running. And it's not really that I was "taking it easy" out there, but that the slight slipping kept me from going faster - my last split was my fastest as I was able to run a 1/4 of path that was snow-free because of a barricade blocking the wind and snow.

I also turned down the Greenway Trail on this run as the snow was coming out of the south and I thought the trees along the Greenway could possibly be blocking some of the snow from falling on the trail and give me better footing:

Pace miles were splits 5 through 17: down and back on the Greenway
(east/west), a little bit to the south on River Road, and then back
north to cross the Franklin Ave Bridge again. Then 3 easy miles home.


Selfie post-run as the snow on me starts to melt.


Front yard post-run around 7 a.m.


Front sidewalk. I was expecting 0 snow until the afternoon. #DamnIt


Walking to class at the U an hour later, with a bit more accumulation.

We got a bit more snow overnight Mon/Tues, and then we got a bit more overnight Tues/Wed as well. We need a day with some sun to help clear the trails again. Charlie went out Tues evening to build a small snowman, and I took a photo of it with a little fresh snow on it on Wednesday morning:

Happy winter running!