Tired of the Snow

I am tiring of the winter. I recently read that 17 of the last 21 days in Washington have had temperatures below normal. The cold, while unomfortable, doesn’t bother me too much since I can always wear extra layers. More irksome are the wind and the snow, and recently we’ve had more than our fair share of both. Last Sunday it was 23 degrees F (-5 C) outside, but the wind (up to 40 mph) made it feel like 6 F (-14 C). Running 16 miles, half with the wind in my face and half at my back, was draining.

Last night the schedule called for 8 miles with 8 x 100 meter strides. The forecast called for snow to begin in the evening and continue into the morning. When I left the house at 9:15 the snow was starting to fall. At first it was more like flurries, but by the time I finished my run it was a bit more substantial. I had frost on my hat and jacket when I got home. I awoke to find a little more than an inch of snow on the ground.

The temperature is supposed to remain below freezing for the next three days. I’m concerned that the snow on the ground will freeze, making it difficult to run. Tonight I’m supposed to run 9 miles. Saturday calls for 5 miles and the long run on Sunday is supposed to be 17 miles. I wish I had a treadmill in my basement so I wouldn’t have to worry about the weather as much. I think about getting one every year, but I never pull the trigger.