Had to do it

(I wish I had some pictures to add to this post)

My goal for the weekend was to get in my long run outside. I was saving it for Saturday since it was going to be the nicest day of the month—34 degrees. True to form, my plans got changed. No way was I going to do a long run then go stand on my feet for 8 hours at my part time job so I thought I would go on Sunday before the weather got really bad. I guess I was being too optimistic that it wasn’t going to get as bad as everyone was saying on Saturday.

I woke up to rain. Ugh! If it was snowing I would run but not rain—not when it’s hovering above freezing. I started to make plan B—I could go to the gym and run on the treadmill, but even that hasn’t been very successful. I missed Matt’s class so that was out. I wanted to go outside! Around noon I looked out the window and it stopped raining. Hallelujah!! It was still 30 some degrees—why the hell not? Knowing that the temp was going to drop in the next couple of hours I would still be able to enjoy the warmer weather while I could. I put on four top layers, one bottom layer, gloves, a balaclava and a second hat and headed out. Hoping that was enough, yet not too much for the expected change in the weather.

The temp was perfect. The roads and sidewalks were wet. It was still drizzling. Yet I looked around and said “this is great”. All morning I was on the phone and glued to the weather station knowing my family and friends in ND and northern MN were trapped—all of the major highways were closed.

While running, I took mental note of what would become really bad areas when I came back since it would probably be icy. I thought about the drivers whizzing past me. They probably thought I was nuts—but I thought they were nuts for not having fun outside while they could.

I stepped in a few big puddles a couple of times causing a few choice words to come out because my feet were getting wet. I thought I was screwed, but thankfully my wet shoes and socks warmed up to my body temp.

I had a pretty good run until—I was on the bridge going over CR 12 on Ferndale. The sidewalks were already iced over. I slipped a little and thought I would go over if I didn’t run on the street. A few cars whizzed past—I guess it doesn’t matter the time of the year or the activity, they don’t move over even if they are the only car on the road.

Then came the Luce Line. It was just one soupy-slushy mess! Three miles of this will not be fun! I saw a few bike trails and thought they must have been Bill’s—turns out they were his. Every time I put my foot down the slop would bounce up and nail my other foot in mid-lift. As I cursed at the slop and now my wet feet, I could also imagining Bill doing the same—yet his trail marks looked like he had fun. After a mile of unsuccessfully trying to not get my feet wet I finally said “screw it, can’t do anything about it now. You can only keep moving” With my feet completely soaked—and a ½ a pound of water in each—I hoped it wasn’t going to cause problems when I got on drier pavement.

Half a mile to the end of the trail, there is this bridge I needed to cross that arches over a lake. I remembered last time it can get pretty windy and knew that the bridge was probably very slick. It was hard to see the ice, but at one point I considered crawling over it since it was so hard to walk on. I made it over on two feet and noticed a few kids sledding in their backyard. I don’t know what it was, but I stopped cursing the trail and was able to have a good laugh at the kids when the tubes wouldn’t stop and they slid onto the lake—they were fine.

Once I got off the trail and on my way home, I noticed the bottom half of my jacket was frozen and my shoes had an unusual mustache. Water must have squish out of my shoe and froze to the side. I was a little concerned, but I never got cold!

Once I got home I jumped in the shower—a bit too soon. My legs were red from the cold. I should have let them warm up—but didn't. Needless to say, 10 miles of MN icy/sloppy conditions did not compare to the pain I experienced from frozen skin getting hot water poured on it.

All that said, I was glad that I got out. It’s -30 with wind chill for the next couple of days.

Hey Bill, isn't this your perfect riding conditions? Be careful!