Semblance of a Whole

Running in a Winter Wonderland

The solstice may still be three weeks away, but it's December and there's a fresh blanket of snow on the ground (with a couple more inches expected tomorrow), so in my book, it is officially Winter.

About a year and half ago I started running (well jogging, to be more accurate), after about a 18 year hiatus. A few months after that, I wrote in an earlier post about my checkered history with the cross country running team and my ambivalent feelings about the sport. Over a year later, I'm pleased to say I am still at it, and my knees haven't cried uncle yet.

One of the unexpected pleasures I have discovered has been winter running. After running all through the warmer months of 2006, I didn't want to lose the ground I had gained once the weather got cold, so my first attempts to run in the snow were out of desperation to avoid the boredom of running on a treadmill at the gym. Although the late sunrise and early sunsets restrict most of my winter runs to weekends, to my surprise, I found that by dressing in layers I didn't have any trouble staying warm. It also helps that I live in close proximity to Minneapolis's "Chain of Lakes," and the city keeps the paths relatively ice and snow-free throughout the winter.

This winter, I have even run two races while it was snowing. On Thanksgiving morning, I ran the Drumstick Dash, which at 6 miles, was also the longest race I have ever run. I then went home and hosted Thanksgiving dinner for 17. This past Saturday, I did the Reindeer Run. The temperature was about 17 degrees and there was a nippy wind whipping off Lake Harriet. The snow started falling shortly before the race got underway, and there was about an inch on the ground by the time it was over. Of course I was running, so I stayed relatively warm. My devoted husband, however, who came to cheer me on, was not as enthusiastic about the whole "running in a winter wonderland" scenario. Guess who's getting long underwear for Chanukah?

(Just kidding, Dan).