Training Log Archive: Swampfox

I was hoping that maybe I could get to run in a snowstorm today, and my timing was perfect! It snowed for a solid hour while I was running at Happy Jack. After the snow stopped, I kept on going, figuring it could be the last decent chance to spot some snowsnakes this spring.

Ran trails at a decent pace over at the School Section, and linked up with Tyler for part of it.

Amazingly it did not snow today. Almost wasn't sure what to do, but I ran anyway, from home over to the School Section and ran trails there. Nice to have that in the hip pocket when needed, or even when not.

The extensive existing jeep trails over there were always quite good to run on, but with the work going into developing a nice network of mountain biking trails, it's become a terrific place to run, with a wide variety of terrain and footing possibilities. For a real challenge, you can do sprints on the limestone slickrock (hint: it's not exactly slick in any sense of the word.)

Day 5 of snow, and already it's snowed several times today. Around town people have started putting up signs (no joke) that read: "If this is Spring, then I don't want to see Summer." Man, this is really cutting into my special heat training.

The interstate was closed yesterday (semis got stuck in the snow), for a whole extra degree of isolation, and so I ran from home, off into the east prairie. For a while I had a Martian with an eerie green light chasing me around in the dark, which wasn't as scary as it sounds, because in the end it only turned out to be a big shaggy dog.

C • not so special 10

Light snow in the air, and so much snow on the trails. Too bad the grooming stopped, but so it goes. In the meantime, running on the trails makes for great training for some future Tiomila where there was two feet of snow on the ground with lots of uneven, freshly packed elephant trails between the controls.

I have to say the feeling of spring was a little elusive today, especially with a brisk wind hurrying the snow along.

Quite chilly today for April--I don't think it made it out of the teens. But running was quite pleasant anyway. There was no wind, and snow was falling steadily the whole time while I was on the trails at Happy Jack. Other than having to avoid the occasional partially obscured post hole, it was as easy as it could be. I haven't quite been able to shake John Prine's death from my mind, and as a way to cast things in a happier light, this afternoon I put together a rough cover of my favorite song of his. It is remarkable to me that someone of his age at the time he wrote the song was able to write it, or even wanted to. My version:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ama007n084m7yzg/Hello%20...