Training Log: Spike

Travel day plus a bit of walking at MHS.

PTOC score event at Shawnee Mission Park with about 5 inches of heavy snow on the ground and lots of snow on the trees.

My legs were heavy from yesterday, but I think it didn't make a whole lot of difference.

My local score O' strategy is to watch where the pack or packs go and head a different route. I prefer running alone. In the snow, that wasn't especially smart. A better strategy would have been to go the same direction Tom or Dean headed.

The controls were put out before the snow. Some of them were pretty hard to see. I think I've got a video of one of those. I'll try to post it later.

Lots of fun.

I took a couple of photos when I was warming up.

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A bit of a jog to warm up and then picking up some controls after the finish.

Snow shoveling. The snow was a bit wet and heavy, so it was a bit of work. It was also nice to be outside. The temp was just below freezing with no wind. The snow was sticking on the trees and everything look nice.

After shoveling, I went out on West Campus for some easy orienteering. The navigation was simple but running was pretty tough because of the snow. I took it easy.

Early on I went on one of the very small trails. The forest on West Campus is completely overgrown with honeysuckle bushes. The snow on the honeysuckle branches bend them down so that following a trail means ducking and bashing through snow covered branches. It was slow. My gloves got soaked and snow went into my jacket and all over my glasses (front and back side of my glasses).

As I was bashing along the trail, I stopped and noticed a lot (maybe 100?) of Cedar Waxwings hanging out in the forest. That was cool.

Late in the course I did something I shouldn't have. I decided to follow another minor trail through honeysuckle. This time I lost track of the trail - it is very faint. I kept thinking that I was spotting an area that looked a bit better, so I'd go there. But really it wasn't better, just different. I bashed around in that stuff a lot and got snow covered again. Eventually I reconnncted with the trail at a spot where the trail was relatively distinct (in the area I call the Danish Forest).

When I got home I was tired. I think that was from the combination of shoveling and bashing through the woods all hunched over.

This was a fun run and felt like a small adventure. I do wish I'd skipped that last indistinct trail.

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I went for a jog on West Campus. Weather was fun - right about freezing and snow. I really like winter for running. Not so much for commuting to work. The forecast is for 3-6 inches of snow by 6 p.m. Saturday. If we get that much, I'll be able to get out the skis and shuffle around a bit.

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