Welcome back winter

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After a fairly mild November and December, January is proving that the cold and snow didn't forget about Colorado. The first big snow storm arrived just in time for the Rescue Run and the second wave hit this weekend. Two weekends in a row with near or sub-zero temperatures have made getting outside a bit of the challenge. The trails and roads were just starting to melt from the first storm this weekend. Nick and I had a muddy and a little icy mountain bike ride on Saturday in the Canyon. Some of the trails were in perfect condition, others were a little dicey. But after doing nothing but riding inside since Christmas, it was nice to get out. Then Sunday, the snow started flying again. I retreated to the trainer - Nick braved the cold!

My workout inside went really well, but staring at the walls for three plus hours does get a little mind-numbing. I knew I was having problems when I programed the distance on the treadmill to 40 miles! Then Nick started telling me all about his ride when I got home. About how quiet and still it was in Stratton. That it was cold enough for the mud to be all frozen. That there was no one else on the trails. I was pretty jealous. It's always so much fun to be out that first day of the snow, with the flakes falling all around. The sounds of the world are absorbed by the snow and all that matters is having fun. There's no one around and it's just you and the snow.

I did get a little of that today when I ran at Palmer Park. First tracks in places, no one but the birds around. I had my Katula spikes on and had a fantastic run. Despite how close some major roads are, the park was just peaceful and quiet. Trail running in the winter is so much fun, as long as you have the right equipment. It's a lot more mentally revitalizing then the treadmill or dealing with the traffic. I'm sure I'll be tired of the snow and cold in a few weeks - but for now, I'm looking forward to a few more snowy trail runs. Just enough to balance out the indoor trainer rides!

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