Forget Running Shoes - It Snowed!

Winter finally made an appearance here in Nebraska on Friday night. After a few weeks of temperatures well above normal, we awoke on Saturday morning to nearly 10 inches of snow blanketing the landscape! When I say blanket, that's literally what it appears to be too - not the usual drifting snow that Nebraska is known for - this snow piled in evergreen trees and broke branches, and looks like frosting on top of the bushes at several parks. The wet heavy snow made a mess of thing for a short time on Saturday morning, but by Saturday afternoon we were outside playing in the snow.

The only snag I ran in to was my running routine. Sunday is traditionally my day for a long run, but with that much snow, there wasn't much chance of finding a clear trail, sidewalk or even a street that would work for an extended distance. A few inches of snow mixed with ice can make running a little more difficult but I have a pair of 'yak traks' for days like that. When the snow is mid-shin deep, there just isn't much hope of completing any run worthy of being considered beneficial.

So, Sunday morning I dusted off my snowshoes and ventured out into the elements. The first thing I realized - I overdressed. Within half a mile of starting I had already taken off my hat and gloves and I was opening the air vent zippers on my heavy coat to circulate as much air as possible. I should have known better, I run in shorts and a long sleeve shirt in temperatures as cool as 25° F . Why would I need a heavy coat at 30° F when I am doing the equivalent of running?

With the exception of overdressing, the hike went pretty well. Around 3.5 miles I could feel a blister rubbing on my left heal, but decided to not call for a ride home - I'd just tough it out for another 2.5 miles. That was a bad choice, I'm going to need to let that blister heal for a day or two before even thinking about putting on my running shoes!

By the time I made it home, my legs were pretty darn tired and I was starting to become dehydrated. My shirt and coat liner were soaked from sweat. In fact, I had trouble seeing for the last few miles because of all the sweat getting in my eyes! When I weighed myself I had lost nearly 8 pounds! I basically felt like I had run a half marathon, and from all indications I equivalently had.

All that after only 5.85 miles! Too bad we don't see more snow like this in the winters - I could really go for some more snowshoeing, but perhaps I would prepare myself a little better.I took my GPS along so I could get an idea of how far I had gone. The map of my route shows a graph with my speed and elevation profile as well. I kept my pace around 3 mph for the most part, with the exception of a few breaks to take pictures and to rest for a few moments to wipe my eyes of sweat and generally just rest for a moment. After I took a thirty minute nap, I felt like I could recover enough to make it through the rest of my day. I suspect that is the land, and only, snowshoe trip I will be taking for the winter season, so I made sure I got my fill of it. I would love to have another big snowfall to snowshoe, but I also need to think about getting in some good long runs before the half marathon too. Now less than four months away!

Until again
-=Nolan=-