I've been struggling to do anything this week but knew today was the day for my longer easy run. The sun was shining, temperatures had warmed up to near freezing, and I saw there was a November weekend 10k badge on Garmin this weekend. So I accepted the challenge, put on my lighter winter run gear and drove over to the city pathway. I haven't ran 10k since running my HM this summer but knew I was going to keep it slow and easy, focussing in keeping it in HR zone 3 so success was highly possible.
I haven't ran this pathway since the snow hit and the city is still trying to get all the snow cleared so I wasn't sure which winter cleats (if any) I would need today. I threw both in the car and drove around a bit to scope out different areas of the pathway that I would run. It had been cleared but was snowy in most areas with a few bare patches so I put on my yaktrax with the coils and spikes and set off with a Spotify playlist in my ear that was generated for me from my past frequently played songs.
Within the first km, I knew I was overdressed. The jacket got undone and the gloves came off. By 3k, the jacket came off and was tied around my waist. It was a little cool without the jacket initially but I was sweating quite a bit so I figured it was better to take it off sooner rather than later. It was a good decision for I warmed up in no time. I stopped along the way to take some pictures and kept the run nice and easy. There were lots of walkers today and a few dog walkers but no other runners seen. There was a lot of ice under the snow cover so I am glad I wore my winter cleats and was able to keep a fairly steady pace. There wasn't a lot of wildlife today, but I did see 2 black squirrels zooming around a tree and caught a glimpse of a little chickadee heading into a tree. By 7km, I was now running into the wind and I was getting cool so the jacket was put back on. As I curved around the final corner, a good song came on (Wrong side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch) and with the end in sight I had a hard time keeping the pace down so I ended up in Zone 4 for the last little bit.
I finished the run sweaty and happy. 10k November weekend badge obtained, in addition to the Intense 150 badge. Yay. Little milestones but I'll take them at this point. As I keep saying, I'll get back on track. One step, one run at a time.
What a wonderful post. Your beautiful photos and the detail in your description really bring your run to life. Thanks for sharing 😊❄️.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I never know if it is getting repetitive- snow run after snow run but that is what I have for the next 5 months 🤷♀️.
Unless it's a really cold spell snow in the UK below 2000ft/about 600 metres rarely lasts when on the ground for more than 5 days, let alone 5 months.
This year our first snowfall was in October (it thankfully didn't stay) and we've been known to have weird snowstorms in May (that also usually doesn't stick around) so winter is by far our longest season. By the time Spring comes, we are ready for it. This snow is here to stay so we're in for the long haul now. That is why we must make the best of it, otherwise you go stir crazy!