There's No Fun Like a Snow Run

There's nothing quite like a romp on trails covered lightly with new snow. The past few weeks I've been running the bike trails at the nearby Terrace Oaks Park. The bike trails are closed for the winter season, which means more trails for runners like me! These have been a great find as they are mostly singletrack, winding, and hilly. Actually, I'm surprised they are used for biking because so much of the trail is so narrow and the turns so sharp that you could hardly ride on them. Surprisingly enough, they're also supposed to be used for CC skiing once there's enough snow.

Well, it's been a rough couple of months running-wise. My motivation really hit the skids with no races to look forward to and the wife still struggling to recover from some mystery illness that has had her out of work since sometime in September. However, I've regrouped and refocused myself and have been getting out twice a week for 1 to 2 hour runs the past couple of weeks. Today's run went especially well and I really enjoyed the light snow that was falling.

With the end of the year drawing near, it will be time to start planning next year's runs. My main goal is to complete at least one 100-miler, which I plan to do in June at the Kettle 100. If all goes well, I definitely want to run the Superior Sawtooth. Unfortunately, I do know that Voyageur will be out next year, as I have a couple of close friends who are getting married that weekend. Bummer! Right now, I just need to stay consistent and start working up a training and racing plan.

In racing news, a hearty "Congrats!" goes out to my brother who ran to a 25th place overall finish at Mountain Masochist. Had he not taken a wrong turn, he probably would have finished in the top 20. Duh oh! Anyway, he still ran really well and should be one of the top runners in the Midwest come next season. He also just turned 40 in November, so watch out Masters runners!