More Snow on the Way

That's correct, we are in the middle of yet another snow. There's already an inch or two of accumulation from today's winter mix and we're still seeing more snow fall. And, if the meteorologists are correctly predicting the outcome, we could be wallowing in as much as 7-10" of the white stuff by tomorrow morning. Guess I'd better not put away those sleds just yet.

If this keeps up, it'll make for some ideal ski conditions this weekend ... though too bad I don't own a set.

But I do have my trusty pair of YakTrax-Pros! Here are a few photos from my afternoon run, just as the weather began rolling its way into town. Stay warm and run hard.

Loop The Lake

I went out for a trail run at a local state park lake yesterday and really enjoyed it. The four-mile long looping pathway was refreshing and challenging, and gave me confidence that my winter training is still quite solid. The semi-hilly route begins at the swimming area, winds in and around a variety of inlets and peninsulas, along a dam and over a spillway, through a favorite camping area of ours, and over an old iron bridge or two before finishing at the boat docks. Due to the steady accumulation of snow we receive each winter, this unplowed trail is typically slick and treacherous enough that I normally resolve myself to urban street running until spring thaw. Coupled with the fact that I had stayed up well past midnight on Friday evening (had a blast playing board games with friends & family) and kept myself fairly busy most of the day on Saturday and Sunday morning as well, it only intensified my desire to rest and relax, possibly even catch a few rare moments of an afternoon nap. But something made me think of that trail on my way home from church, and as I mulled over the idea, slowly but surely, my adventurous spirit began to kick in.

I suppose what didn't help was the beautiful day we were having outside; high 20's and sunny. It truely was an opportunity I couldn't let pass. So I dug around my gear to find a warm thermal shirt and running jacket, my pair of UA winter-weight tights and fleece gloves, and grabbed my favorite "Minnesotan" hat ... the dilapidated one with the trademark tassel that swings wildly back and forth as I run. Also tossing the camera into my Jeep, I set off across the local back roads towards the state park a few miles away. Happening by a few fields on my way, I managed to observe an entire cluster of wild turkeys, all of whom seemed oblivious to my passing. Fortunately for them, they'll be safe for a while longer until spring hunting season begins. At the park entrance, I slid it into four-wheel drive and carefully made my way down to the boat dock area below.

Parking next to a couple other vehicles near the boathouse, I could already see the set of footprints of someone had already set up shop for a chilly round of ice fishing on the lake in the distance. Another set of ski tracks led away from the parking area and entered my intended trail at the edge of the lake. Affixing the pair of Yaktrax to my running shoes and pulling on my hat and sunglasses, I started off at a cautious gait as I made my way over to the trail head. Much of the path here was covered in roughly 4-6" of snow powder, with a slight crust just a couple inches under the fresh surface. Though I noticed faint sets of tracks from a few earlier visitors, most likely days before me, the cross-country ski tracks appeared much newer and I decided to follow those in anticipation of firmer footing. Tightening the straps on my ice cleats, I plodded off down the trail.

The first half-mile or so was filled with an icy winding path and heaps of deadfall. It seems much of the debris had fallen during an ice storm we had received in mid-December, and would likely remain in their resting places until park crews came out later for their spring clean up. To the best of my ability, I managed to find the paths of least resistance around each pile I encountered and only needed to hike it off-path once. Luckily I didn't venture too far into the woods, as I may have needed a pair of snowshoes further in. As I rounded the southern portion of the lake to head west, the area opened up and the trail crossed over a small bridge there. I must have startled a couple of squirrels on the path because they scattered quickly and beat me across the bridge by more than a few meters.

With the added Yaktrax traction, the next section wasn't as daunting as I had originally feared. A couple hundred feet further on, I encountered the largest and steepest hill of the entire route. It's a monster, trust me. I have troubles at times just clearing it on my hardtail. But up I went, and soon I was at the top panting like a furious sled dog. Stopping for a moment, I glanced out over the treelike at the pure and smooth lake surface as it extended far into the distance. I could see the ice fisherman still toiling away, hoping for a few for his troubles. Back down the other side and around the bend, I jogged past the trail entrance that led to a local kids camp in the area. This particular camp I have become more familiar with in the last couple of years. Interestingly, a partner and I have recently hosted a couple of adventure races there. They offer a beautiful area with rugged terrain, filled with horse trails and bunkhouses. We've also used the entire state park as part of each event, and hope to use funds raised through our efforts to install a permanent orienteering course. Though we haven't discussed plans for this coming season, it is my hope we will be able to bring our 12-14 hour race back to the area soon again.

Heading past this trail and along the lakeshore for another 10-15 minutes, I popped out onto the trail above the dam. This seemingly flat portion follows a straight path towards an iron bridge overlooking a large spillway. Over this and you enter the state park camping facilities, though a bit dormant for this time of year. I followed one of the paved roads which meandered through stacks of picnic tables and empty lots, and marveled at how my ice cleats clicked loudly on the hard surface. I made a mental note that it may not be as such a good idea, since I didn't want to end up ruining cleats and damaging the rubber bands under my shoes.

Jumping back off the roadway and onto a transitional path, I crossed over from the camping sites and into a recreational area complete with playground and shelter. The long northeastern slope there necessitated a grueling long climb up and then back down. The next trail entered me back into the woods along the water's edge and carried me for another half-mile or so until I arrived at the boat landing area. Here, I hesitated a moment before venturing out onto the ice a few meters or so to test the surface. Feeling confident, I ran the ice for maybe a hundred meters more to the edge of the landing parking lot. There the trail follows another narrow and extensive peninsula to a long iron bridge which fills the gap between the northern and upper-eastern portions of the lake. Across the bridge I ran and, upon reaching the far side, I began the last portion of trail that would take me into the parking area where I'd left my Jeep.

This was perhaps the most beautiful part of my run. As I ran south along the edge of the lake, everything took on an noticable ethereal focus. Though the sun was high overhead, it illuminated every branch and bush on the trail with a crisp icy whiteness. I thought about how I could've been at home napping, how I could have been resting all warm and cozy, and how I could have ultimately missing this rare, scenic moment. You know, it's times like these that make challenging your endurance all worthwhile. And as I packed up my gear and started the Jeep, I breathed a prayer in thankfulness. And promised myself I'd be back again soon.

Traction

I couldn't pass up a chance at a 4-mile tempo run at noon time today, nor the chance to share it with you. With the temperature hovering around 30°, and a fluffy snowfall just beginning, I dug out the new pair of YakTrax-Pros for their inaugural journey around the neighborhood. And what a magnificent and dauntless journey it was.

Of course being a person who doesn't normally hold on to those handy instruction booklets which come with all new gear you buy, I was pleasantly surprised to find the YakTrax-Pros quite easy to decipher and had them attached to my running shoes in under a minute. It took me a couple of moments to understand how to pull the natural rubber straps up and over the ends of each shoe, but all was forgotten as I stepped outside onto the slick walkway and finally learned what winter-running traction truely was all about. Being a Jeep and off-roading afficionado, let me put it this way: it's like having four-wheel drive for your feet. Yes, real traction is finally here and, boy, is it nice.

Not only did I literally hit the sidewalk running, but my apparent confidence was seemingly better than the drivers around me. It allowed me to enjoy the brisk weather and beautiful snowfall for all that it was. I'll go out on a limb and say there were quite possibly my best purchase from Scheel's yet!

Here are a few photos from before and during the run ...

Running On Ice, Ice, Baby

"I get no traction cause I'm running on ice,
It's taking me twice as long,
I get a bad reaction cause I'm running on ice,
Where did my life go wrong,

You've got to run, You've got to run, Running on ice,

Running on ice, Running on ice... "

— "Running On Ice", lyrics by Billy Joel

I feel the real tests of a runner's technique or ability come while encountering some of the toughest conditions, and winter has this habit of throwing some of the worst weather our way. Runners just need to learn to prepare and readily adapt to it. Easier said than done, it seems. It so happens that our area was hit with a nice, thick patch of icy rain this weekend. In some places, I heard it was an inch or more thick. In Minnesota, they call that "car-hockey" weather. While the ice-covered trees and fences all glistened like some classic Ansel Adams-like photograph, it was just enough to discourage most people's trips outdoors and keep families safely inside. Personally, I gladly postponed any thought of a mid-day run, instead enjoying a wonderful time inside of decorating the Christmas tree with my wife and cozying up to hot chocolate with the kids. Yeah, I know that running on ice-covered roads and sidewalks is practically unavoidable this time of year, but it just isn't an experience I particularly relish. And Saturday's weather made for a happy, comfortable little respite indoors … who could pass that up, right?

Now I'll easily admit, I enjoy a run in most all conditions. Give me heavy snow, driving rain, extreme heat, sub-artic cold, tropical monsoons … I appreciate them all. But icy sidewalks … well, that may be the only exception in my running playbook. I mean who really wants brave that treacherous icy obstacle course outside, where you literally have to claw and/or skate your way to the top of each and every hill? Sure, being able to do so successfully clearly demonstrates the utmost mastery and delicate combination of balance and timing, with a strange amount of luck tossed in for good measure. However, an icy failure surely brings about the real risk of slipping and falling, even spraining an ankle, or worse finding yourself literally skiing your way back down the hill towards a certain tailbone-cracking doom. But the fact remains, unless I want to resolve myself to an indoor season of life on the treadmill, I must tackle my fear of ice running.

Since I've apparently been in the mood for lists lately (see my recent posts — I'm slowly but painfully preparing for my New Year's resolutions), I thought I would try and formulate a better game plan to help increase my confidence of running on icy roads and sidewalks. Below are a few initial, random thoughts that came to mind as I traipsed over many an icy patch during my noon run in downtown Des Moines today. Interestingly enough, each potentially disasterous slip I avoided only solidified the list for me more. In fact, these tips could easily be used for snowy conditions as well.

1. Choose to run on snow instead — I will spend more time "off-roading" to help avoid those troublesome areas. Maybe this is where additional trail running can finally entice more interaction from me. Besides, getting off the sidewalks and running through the snow has its own benefits.
   


2. Stay wary of traffic — I will be careful and alert if conditions force me to run in the street. Deep snow may inevitably force me to share the roadway with the hoards of distracted holiday drivers, so I need to be mindful of running against traffic and constantly watch for vehicle intentions.
   


3. Shorten my running stride — I will try not to over-extend my body's ability to be stable by taking longer than necessary strides. Instead, I will decrease the distance of my footfalls to provide better self-control and reduce fatigue.
   


4. Run slower than I would in fair conditions — I will take my time while running on ice so that I may retain composure. This will help me to identify impending icy situations and more quickly determine a safer choice of route.
   


5. Be aware of my path, and where I am going — I will do my best to constantly stay focused on the route I've chosen. Conditions can change quickly, so I want to be sensible and alert enough to detect what dangers may be waiting ahead. This also goes hand in hand with having a plan and making it known.
   


6. Determine a better traction method — I will take time to research and possibly invest in better shoe traction options to improve my safety. Such as do-it-yourself screw shoes or store-bought trail shoes. I ran the recent LHF race in an old pair of Solomon XA Pro-2 shoes and they faired rather well through all the mud and rough terrain, but they can't obtain a solid grip on ice. However, I had noticed some Yaktrax Pro snow and ice shoe cleats at Scheel's recently, possibly a welcome Christmas addition to my winter running gear.

So, fellow winter ice and snow runners, have a little faith. This season doesn't need to force us to be a slave to months of treadmill-induced running. With a little wisdom and a bit of caution, we can hit the outdoors with assurance and poise; revealing all of the beauty this season has to offer. Run on with confidence.

Note: I'm well aware my wisdom of running is limited, so please feel free to leave a comment to this post if you have additional tips to share.