Just Another Day Out On the Trails

"I never knew a man go out for an honest day's walk for whatever distance, great or small...and not have his reward in the repossession of his own soul."  G.M. Trevelyan

Very cold day but excellent conditions for snowshoe running and a pleasure to be out. Someone else had been running ahead of me but I didn't see a soul while I was out there. 6 miles.

Snowshoe Interstate

For the second time in as many weeks, someone on a snowmobile chose to illegally ride on Lime Creek property and destroy the condition of many of the ski trails. While this sometimes improves the trail for snowshoes, I hate that anyone feels privileged to abuse the trail system.

Perhaps if we need to look for the silver lining, the county chose to take their groomer out to fix the damage and with colder temps returning, the main loop was a fantastic running surface...like an interstate highway is to drivers!

Other snowshoers and the snow bikes had been in the woods, as well, so the run went quite well today. 6 miles.

Making Running Play

Today reminded me of why I continue to run even with having to deal with knee issues as I age. There have been times when I wonder why I'm out pushing myself into discomfort but then have a run like today that is totally a joy. There's no doubt that I feel better running in snowshoes on snow than on roads or summer trails.

Last Thursday's snowstorm has left the quarry trails in the best condition for snow running that I've seen this winter. The storm also created havoc with trees and branches in the woods. But that is exactly what set today apart. I was not just out trying to run down a trail but rather running, ducking, twisting and jumping...felt like a kid again!

Friday night and yesterday was taken by helping at the NJCAA Region XI indoor track meet at Storm Lake. We had a few national qualifying performances and some other close calls.  Men's results and women's results  There's a last chance meet next Friday.

6 miles today.

Something In the Air

I rushed through a snowshoe run yesterday in fog, light rain, and sleet. The forecast was for some major wet snow followed by wind and dropping temps. The snow began after I got back home and I spent several sessions just keeping my drive and sidewalk open.

So it was great to get dug out and hit the trails today in sunshine. Again I needed to watch my time out because NIACC track and field is heading to Storm Lake this afternoon for our regional meet. I am picking up our evening meal on my way out the bus.

As I ran around the quarry trail, I noticed, again, an unpleasant, septic odor. This seems to be increasing each day and is always at the point when I'm downwind of the quarry pond itself. I suspect that snow cover and ice has allowed for the water to go septic and last week's warm temps exposed the surface in enough places that gasses were released.

I absolutely made the correct decision to wear my Iverson wooden runners today because they ran perfectly on the fresh snow and kept me from sinking too deep. Beautiful out there today.

Got in 5 miles yesterday and another 4 today.

Enough Already

After the frigid temperatures we've been dealing with, most folks around here seem to enjoy the above freezing weather we've experienced this week. While I can't say that I prefer the minus zero stuff, I do prefer it to above zero at this time of year because of the effects on snow conditions.

Third day in a row for temps close to or above 40° and it does play havoc with snowshoe running. While I typically enjoy seeing deer while I'm out, they can certainly mess up the trail system with their sharp hooves.

There was a distinct improvement in the runnable snow in the stretches that remain shaded all day.

I cut this run short as I began to feel a bit more wasted than usual. Watching the Olympics is really messing with my normal sleep pattern. 5 miles.

Dions Make Good Dog Repellent

Another warm day in North Iowa. As I got started on the trails, a woman was heading back towards the parking with two dogs in tow...or rather loose. There's a sign posted that claims dogs must be on a 6' leash. I tend to not worry about that requirement when there is no issue with control by the master. I have never trusted Piper when I've been dog-sitting so I always keep her on a leash. 

One of this woman's dogs was a large Golden Retriever and it was crouched beside the trail as if waiting to pounce on prey. The prey turned out to be me as it rushed forward, growling, and teeth bared. My only option at this point was to raise my Dion-clad foot directly towards it's face and that brought about an abrupt stop...until I went past then it tried to sneak from behind. So I stopped and watched the dog, raised my snowshoed foot each time it moved towards me and listened to it's owner yell at the dog on each approach. Finally the owner caught the dog and I was on my way!

Yesterday's extra work on breaking the trail was enhanced by a subsequent snowshoe hiker so the path was nicely groomed and prime for smooth running today. I had less issue with clumping snow today because I sprayed a good amount of silicone spray on the bindings of the snowshoes.

Six miles total on the day.

Snow Rollers

My first exposure to snow rollers was years ago, when I regularly snowshoed the river. I saw the phenomenon and was quite impressed. 

This morning we received a few inches of new snowfall followed by clearing and a fair amount of wind. The temps were warming and topped out around 35° so the snow was really packing under my snowshoes today. But the woodland trails were a blast and I enjoyed being out. Snow rollers were forming from the drop of a crotch in a tree!

There was extra effort to run today because of the snow and drifting. I plowed through most of my ancillary trails and will need to consider running in the mornings to avoid warm temps the rest of the week.

Cut it short at 5 miles because of the deeper snow. More often than not, I felt like I was running on tennis balls because of packing snow in the bindings. The county had made a loop around the main trail with their groomer so those segments were more runnable. The warmup provided by the need to shovel my drive and sidewalk left me a bit sore on today's total efforts.