winter: and my thoughts on it (and running in it).

date: wed jan 22

time: 12:30pm

distance: 4.5K

temp: -20*C

date: sat jan 25

time: 9:20am

distance: 5K

temp: -8*C

weather: snowing. 

(we received 6 inches of snow the previous night...and the roads were not plowed recently.  

that is how i felt running in the couple inches of snow on the roads)

i don't really care for winter as a whole.

i love the snow covered ground...

but, man, is it ever hard to get around when it never stops falling.

oh wait...

it does stop falling.

then i love the beautiful blue skies, with the sun reflecting off the white ground...

but, oh man, the bitter cold and wind that comes along with that.

so i love aspects of the season.

i dislike other aspects of the season.

i love snowshoeing...sledding...snowboarding...building snowmen, igloos, forts...

love campfires...the trees...the blue skies...the snowball fights...

love coming inside to hot chocolate...blankets...cuddles with my kids and husband.

it's the cold i have a hard time with.

when it's minus 20*C pre-windchill.

i don't hate it.

it has a beauty and a uniqueness to it that i can appreciate, but...

i could do without those temperatures, and quite thoroughly enjoy winter.

i think of my husband out welding at a dock, or working on a boathouse, with the wind off a lake 

and remember how it could be worse.

i think about the homeless... 

it could be worse.

i just don't like the cold.

i'm little.

i get cold easily, and take a long time to warm up.

and, yet, even when the temps have been quite cold these last couple weeks

(it's actually been snowing or freezing - never in between)

i get on my running clothes and shoes and head out.

i don't like running inside.

and, 

because of the beautiful sun that was shining on me for part of my run, 

i actually sweat a little today.

and i enjoyed it.

date: today.  (mon. jan 27)

time: 1:30pm

distance: 4K

temperature: -20*C

(my face is softened because of my breath.  yep, cold)

*all photos taken by me

with Gertie.

edited with Photoshop Elements.

end note:

last year i had my daughter home every day while her brother was in school. 

i couldn't run until my husband got home in the evenings.

i am so thankful for the chance to run mid-day, when the temps may be at their best, on the days my girl's also at school.