Snowy Night

Two of my favorite kinds of runs are night runs and runs in the snow.

I enjoy running at night because I tend to be more focused. I can't see everything around me, and so my focus generally turns inward. I pay more attention to my form, my breathing and get a general calm during a run that can't be replicated during the day.

Snow runs are similarly cathartic for me. Runs in the snow, usually while still snowing generates a sense of peace and quiet that is generally lacking during the hustle and bustle of a typical daily run. The sound of the gentle crunch of the shoe in fresh snow is quite calming.

It's a rare day when I can combine two vastly different runs into one. Tonight was one of those times. I had a relatively full day, between church, grocery shopping and a birthday party for one of Skylar's friends. I also ended up having some car problems in the middle of nowhere returning from that party while the snow was starting to affect the road. So, when I got home and got the kids settled, I decided that I needed to get out and clear my head.

I went out with a plan to complete a streak-keeper run. For me that's a 2 mile run that keeps my streak of running at least 2 miles every day. But as soon as I started running, I quickly changed my mind. The quietness interrupted only by the sound of my shoes on the fresh snow coupled with the sound of my own breathing was enough to clear the stress and fog from my day. As I settled into a rhythm, the distance doubled from 2 to 4 miles, and the pace quickened to a comfortable, yet challenging pace. By the time I completed the loop and returned home, I had a feeling of serenity that is becoming far too rare.

Plan today: 2 miles streak-keeper - pace: slow and easy
Actual 4.2 miles @ 8:15 pace