Well, the impossible (at least one of them, anyway) has happened: the 45-75F gypsy vegan runner has become an often-sub-zero Montana-winter gypsy vegan runner, and still a night-runner at that (have to keep earning the rights to my other trailnames, Jerry!). I'd counted on the indoor track at MSU getting me through this reverse-migration stint in Bozeman, but, alas (read: BUGGER-BLAST-BOLLOCKS), they do their renovation projects backwards here and are working on the indoor track in the winter so that it can be open by summer. Right...
After the 24-hour run, I had tendinitis in one foot and a flare-up of a old left-knee ITBS that I've been playing tag with for the last few years, and so between PT and rehabbing hadn't really been running enough (or at all, at times) to really notice the coming potential dead-stop with the change in weather on the way. Then it hit like a ton of bricks (or a #*@$load of snow and negative temps) just as I was ready to start testing out some real distance... and not only could I "not run", I didn't want to leave the indoors at all. But it wasn't too long before I was going nuts and needing to run or completely lose any marbles still left upstairs, so thanks to about 20 lbs of polar fleece, my trusty running buddy Kermit the Second, and -- the real star and savior of this story -- the YakTrax PRO I found via my favorite Zombies Don and Gillian before leaving dear California that seemed like they might come in handy sometime down the road, I am, indeed, back on it (and yes, beloved trailrunning friends, off it too :).
I've run every evening and/or night this past week and a few the week before, and and even taken to my old Bay Area practice of run-commuting to and from errands, appointments, etc in the past few days (ran through the drive-up ATM at the bank last night!). Getting my mileage back up looking toward running with Catra and Jerry over Christmas and Franklin's Fat Ass 50K back up here in January... and in the meantime am getting to know the whole part and parcel of this running-in-winter mess, like eye-cicles (icicles that form, after about 3 minutes some nights, in the corners of my eyes) , the need to keep fingers moving (and the yowl-producing consequences if I forget), what happens if I forget to "clear" my YakTrax whenever I get the pavement to do it and then run onto a shitload of ice...only made that mistake once so far with nothing more detrimental than me looking a twit trying to stay upright. And yes, I hate it, I dread going outside before every run and have to talk myself into it and psych myself up for it and put really, really good music on Kermit the Second... but as much as I absolutely hate the cold, and as much as I ABSOLUTELY hate snow, I simply love running more. And as long as I have a say, nothing -- not even Kelvin -- will get between me and all those miles (or kilometers) still left to cover.
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2 comments:
Yay for Yak Trax! Aren't they the best? Last winter my co-worker and I were the only ones who made it to work when it snowed because we walked to work in our Yak Trax. :) Of course, Portland snow is nothing like Bozeman snow, and I don't envy you your running conditions... just be safe out there, please! We want our Antonia in one piece still, come springtime. :) Love you!
Lacey
you're wonderful ~ yep, i promise i'll be careful, can't have anything go amiss as a) would really go round the twist if something happened and i couldn't run and b) i keep being reminded as if by surprise i have these amazing friends who somehow love me :) and i love you back, and am glad you got through your bike ordeal (relatively, and i can sympathize) unscathed. see you at harmony, cannot (read CANNOT) wait!! save me a crosstep? and you'll have to teach me to morris...
~gv
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