Same snow different day

[Decker]

We had a snow/ice storm yesterday and they closed the schools for the first time in eight years. There is around a foot of snow caked in ice out there. We have our outdoor intervals today. I’m curious how that will work 😁. Last time they ran in the parking garage (I was still sick at the time so I missed it). On the plus side these steroid nasal sprays have killed off my infection and I’m finally feeling like myself again. But I’ve lost a bit of the speed and momentum I had building up. It’s all griss for the mill or something wise like that eh?

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Feeling better is good. The rest can, and will, follow

Your weather though ..... crikey! Much respect for you carrying on with all that around.

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

Thanks Linda. We went out tonight and the lungs were fine! Bit slippy but the extra snow slowed us down

[Lavender1962 Half Marathon]

Glad to hear you’re feeling better! Your group is resourceful in finding ways to run.

Let us know how the run turns out.

Our storm in Montreal was last night, just snow though. All of the schools, including colleges and universities are closed today.

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to Lavender1962]

Thanks Lavender, we went out tonight and though a bit slippy in spots, it was reasonable temps so it was ok.

Hope you manage ok in your storm. Montreal seems to get so much snow. I think we just got a taste of it these last two weeks. My friend in Winnipeg said its been in the -30s for weeks now, so it can always be worse I guess! 🙂

[runswithdogs in reply to Decker]

Wow! You guys both are having schools closed. Hard going running in that.

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to runswithdogs]

Yes our kids were excited and went tobogganing, and hoping for a second closure day but no luck 😁

[runswithdogs in reply to Decker]

I'm with your kids. Mid-week day off in February sounds just about right now.

[Windoze Half Marathon]

Oooshh...you can keep that nasty snow 🤣🤣🤣

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to Windoze]

I like the snow, its the excess cold I could do without 🥶🙂

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

Not sure I want a foot of snow Decker but a little would be nice! 🌨☃️ We have missed out on all but a few flakes where I live, this winter! I too have had a while out of running following a run of flu and related infections over the new year. Back out there now but like you, my pace is off...but it is so good to be running again isn't it?🙂

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to Sandraj39]

It really is nice to be out again. Happy to hear you are on the mend too. Our pace will pickup as we spend more time out there. The snow is nice to run in especially when the big fat flakes are falling like they were today. It was less slippery than it could have been as our run leader did a recon run to find a safer route.

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon]

Glad to hear you're finally on the mend. February has not been kind weather-wise and I'm about ready for it to be over. On the radio yesterday they said we haven't been warmer than -20 since February 2 and it feels like it; we've been in an extreme cold warning pretty much the whole time and even hosted a 3-4 day Hockey week in Canada despite the insanely frigid temperatures. I haven't ran more than a few 20-30 minute treadmill runs since my ER visit in the middle of January but am hoping March is kinder on the health and weather front. This lady is getting grumpy and needs to run.

Do take care on the ice out there. Driving has been so dicey lately, I can only imagine what trying to run on it will be like, especially intervals 😬. Your speed will come back, I'm sure, in no time once you get kick it up a notch again.

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Yeah I was thinking about you there this week. A friend from Winnipeg said they’ve been in the -30s. Hard to get out under those conditions. It’s crazy how cold it gets there. Sounds like you really need a break in the weather. Hope it comes soon. The roads tonight were not too bad, mostly plowed and the temps were -10 or so, which is balmy compared with the last week.

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon in reply to Decker]

Minus 10 sounds so lovely. We've been consistently in the minus 20's and 30's before windchill which is just biting. I'm definitely hunkered down carb loading without the running to justify it. Oh well; this too shall pass. Tomorrow the registration for my local trail race opens up. I'll be signing up for the 20k. That'll hopefully spur me on to get the running shoes back on🤞 and start eating better again. Glad to hear the roads were ok for you tonight though. Hopefully your weather is back on the upswing.

[runswithdogs in reply to SaskAlliecat]

You and me both Sask. It's been a tough few weeks and I can't wait for even -10C.

[AlMorr Half Marathon in reply to runswithdogs]

Sorry that you have had such low temperatures where you are, if - 10C makes it feel warmer that is good , some places in the UK are forecast by the weather people to go to +16C, where I live in Central Scotland we are to have temperatures of around +12C, I just hope it warms up soon where you live.

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to SaskAlliecat]

That race sounds like a great incentive Sask. You need something to get your brain on board this time of year. Only 2 weeks left of Feb!

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon in reply to Decker]

Just finished registering! Whoohoo. I already feel more motivated to go out for a run...oh wait, it is -30 (-41 with windchill 😢).....maybe later then but this will get me out the door again as soon as the weather breaks. In the meantime, short little treadmill runs it is. Well actually over the next week it is skiing and snowmobiling and then come March I'll figure out where to restart my training programme 👏👏👏👏👏👏

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Yes! There you go! And you are getting out to ski and snowmobile so you are not cooped up so much. That is good to hear. Bring on March!

[runswithdogs in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Nothing like a race to kick your backside in gear. I'm hoping conditions for March are good as well, I need to get on my HM training. Was going well until this endless cold snap, but such is life here

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon in reply to runswithdogs]

I know what you mean. I wonder why I even try to keep up with training in February, it just knocks me down and makes me feel bad. I think next year I’m going to keep February as a run whatever you want kinda month! Might be less frustrating.

You know early bird pricing is still on for a couple more days and there are still openings for all distances if you’re wanting to try something new.....just putting it out there runswithdogs 😁. Trail running road trip 🤷‍♀️?

pskyrunning.com/

[runswithdogs in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Hahaha. I totally would in a heart beat! I could use some running related tourism. Unfortunately we're home for the foreseeable future. My dear old dog tore both CCLs last year, which was quite the recovery, and this year is dealing with a herniated disc. She's old, and fragile, and spunky. My partner and I have committed to no travel together until she dies, and that's the sort of road trip I think he would love. So I'll slot it on the future bucket list.

Any chance you're heading west this year for some parkrun tourism?

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon in reply to runswithdogs]

Sorry to hear your old gal is having some tough times but she’s so lucky to have such caring, understanding people. If you ever do make it out this way, let me know. I’d love to take you guys out in the hills. Going to a park run is definitely on my bucket list. There are currently no plans to get out there this year, but will reach out to you if we do get out there. I find we really don’t go back to Calgary very often since we moved away 11 years ago. We have family in Edmonton so we tend to end up there when we head west.

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

Good luck with your winter running Decker. I can’t believe the temperatures in N America continent at the moment . We are heading for Colorado on Monday and think we’ll have to buy more ski gear . Minus 20s is colder than we’ve been in before. More excuses for shopping!!

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks Dexy, yes, as they say, there is no bad weather, just bad layer choices! Have fun on your ski trip and layer up.

[SaskAlliecat Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Oooh, enjoy your trip Dexy5! If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend a neoprene face mask. We got ours over Christmas break when we were skiing in -30C and it makes a huge difference! Even today, we were skiing in -15C but there were 30-50kph winds and our faces were fine. We wear a thin balaclava under it for an extra layer and with our helmets and goggles there is no exposed skin at all. The neoprene keeps the wind out and makes for a much more enjoyable experience! The toes and fingers still get a little cold (a good excuse to go into the chalet for a nice warm beverage) but at least your cheeks, nose and chin are good.

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Thanks for the tips SaskAlliecat. I think we will need to buy some extra things when we get there so I’ll look out for masks. Usually I’m ok with a buff but maybe not this year. I understand snow is forecast this week so hoping that means it’ll warm up a bit.

Looking forward to having a snowy break.

[Whatsapp Half Marathon]

Gald to hear you are feeling better. Shame the weather is spoiling the fun though.

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to Whatsapp]

Thanks. Only when its really cold is the weather a real issue, otherwise it is kind of nice to run in the fresh snow. Shoes with traction help too 🙂

[C3PO Marathon]

I'm glad you're feeling better, and impressed that you actually made it out there. It's so hard to run in heavy snow, and I can't even imagine doing intervals.

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to C3PO]

Thanks C3. The intervals were a bit of a joke in the slippery snow, but still got a few good laps in before I was zonked. We only did 6k and it felt like 18 😁.

[mrrun Ultramarathon]

I agree with you, there's no such thing as bad weather - it's how good or bad we adapt to it. Your speed will come back, it's important that you are back and in good health. I was off for three weeks due to a minor knee glitch which my able physio fixed with a few twists, slaps and bangs. And, yes, l felt a bit out of breath during the first two runs but now l'm galloping like a deranged stallion again. Running in car parks appeals to me for some reason. Lordi trained like that during cold spells. Hmmm. I wish what London car park managers would make out of weird me running in circles? Imagine seeing that on CCTV?

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to mrrun]

I think Lordi is onto something but lately he’s tasted the sweet life with the indoor track (sounds like it had a bar with beer too). Yeah I think if I tried running on my own in a parking garage here, some moron would just run me down 🙂. Good to hear you are back on form too👍🏼

[mrrun Ultramarathon]

A bar with beer? Where? That’s like upgrade from Economy to Business, no? He knows something more.

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to mrrun]

I’m not sure I’d ever leave that track 😊

[Lordi Marathon in reply to mrrun]

Next time I run at that indoor track it will be like running past the pub every 400m!

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to Lordi]

I never thought of it that way. That makes it even more challenging :)!

[Lordi Marathon]

Sounds nasty. Kudos for getting out of the door! We've had a thaw here in Finland the last week or so but still too much snow and wet ice (freeze thaw freeze leaves leathal paths were sometimes there just isn't enough grit in the world). As an expert in indoor carpark running, I can say it's hard mentally (unless you like memorising number plates) and hard on the legs due to solid concrete but a good weather-free (warm/cool 13-15 degree) option. I think this guy has experienced the worst running conditions though, with snow and other hazards ! theguardian.com/us-news/201...

[Decker Ultramarathon in reply to Lordi]

Yeah we’re having the thaw now so everything is slushy and wet. I will give it a go later this morn and see what it is like. Not sure about parking garages, but podcasts get me round the boring tiny indoor track (no beer) nearby. I wondered what kind of toll the indoor concrete would take on your joints over a season, though it may not be so different from concrete sidewalks I run on. That guy in the story is remarkable. I’ll take slush over hangry Mountain Lions thank you very much.

[Lordi Marathon in reply to Decker]

I'm sure solid concrete or paving is THE worst running surface imaginable. Luckily I've managed to build my legs and survive a few 100s km of car park concrete running so in a strange way the surface may have toughened my system up or at least made me concrete-proof! No injury issues from it as yet (1 year + and counting) ... famous last words?