Winter Running – Obstacle Course
Friday, February 3rd, 2012Winter Running – Winter Obstacle Course
So, how goes the winter running now that our big snow storm of 2012 is a distant memory….NOT!
With over 16 inches of snow in the main event, not a distant memory at all.
Here it is over two weeks later, and there are still quite a few tricky winter obstacles for me to be on the alert for whilst on my winter runs. One very obvious obstacle is ice in all its forms – from black ice to sleet falling from the sky to ice puddles and everything in between.
The morning temps have been in the mid 20’s F, so I know there is going to be ice when I run to work.
And by the time the afternoon rolls around, the temperatures have jumped up a bit into the high 30’s F to sometimes even low 40’s F. So we do have a significant amount of melting of the enormous amounts of snow we received. Which means winter running is defined as slushy and sloppy in the afternoons, and treacherous and slick in the a.m.
Snow berms created by the plows are another potential tripping hazard. For me it is sometimes hard to see how big, and wide they are when trying to cross over them to get to the street crossing. But I use my white cane to poke and prod at them until I feel I can step on and over them safely.
Of course, the constant freezing and thawing and rain and freezing and thawing and snow always keeps the footing a question mark. Now that I am able to run in the mornings again, I have been wearing my cleats to help keep me upright.
With all of the obstacles thrown at me recently, it kind of reminds me of that ABC show “Wipeout” where they throw obstacle after hazard after spine-jarring spill at the contestants who actually volunteer for that kind of abuse. (I imagine chiropractors can’t even watch that show for the horror of the trauma voluntarily imposed upon their bodies.)
There is one obstacle that threw me for a loop a few mornings ago. As I was running down the very clear and easy-to-navigate bike path across town, I noticed that there was some snow in the middle of the path.
Well since I don’t have much 3D vision left, it is always best that I go around things in the path, but for some reason, I don’t know what it is about seeing something, and feeling I have to step on it?
But can you say, “Snow Boulder?”
Yep, a huge chunk of snow had broken off from the large snow bank along the side of the path and rolled right into the middle of the trail.
But I didn’t see it that way. I just saw a white patch on the black asphalt – and of course, I was thinking it was just snow on the trail – not a monstrous ball of snow standing sentry in the middle of the path.
Luckily for me it was so big, I just kind of fell on top of it. Yes, I know you can visualize it, kind of belly flat across it, arms flailing, very startled and amazed that this thing could just kind of sneak up and do me that way.
So I casually-self-consciously stood up, wondering whether anyone got to see such a fabulous display of grace and style, nothing battered but my fantasy of myself as a graceful gazelle, bounding beautifully across the open plains.
But it’s the small snow/ice chunks that are more dangerous to my life and limb, as those ones will send me flying in a more impactful way!
Anyway, I used my Herculean strength and rolled the icy snow boulder off the path, so no one else would fall victim to its hypnotic beckoning to run straight into it.
Yes, I admit – it was larger than life.
But that’s me; I like to run into big things. Just see my blog post entitled “Don’t Worry, The Bridge Is Still Standing” and you’ll see what I mean.
How ‘bout it?
- Vision Runner
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