Winter Running

I had two different experiences with winter running this week. Wednesday morning I hit the road for a normal 4.5 mile run and it was crisp, dry and...cold. I meant really cold. 8 degrees on the thermometer and, according to AccuWeather, about -10 in "RealFeel."

Just past the halfway mark, my vision blurs and I think, "crap, I lost a contact." I am closing one eye then the other to see which one, and it occurs to me, "no, my contact are freezing." They did not freeze solid, but I could feel them becoming slushy. So, I am jogging on narrow back road, in the dark, with blurred vision, and only THEN it dawned on me, "maybe this was a bad idea."

This morning the temp was 32 degrees and snow was falling. There was an inch or so on the ground of good packing snow. It was wonderful. When I run in this weather it never ceases to amaze me how quiet it is. The snow on the ground and in the trees just deadens the noise and cause a light gray illumination when your eyes adjust.

There is nothing more peaceful on God's green (make that white) earth.