By the time I got home last night the nice white fluffy snow on the bike trails and forest ways had been pounded into a mash of slosh, mud and ice by hundreds of feet, sleds and vehicles. I also arrived home an hour later than normal due to train delays, so this mess had started to freeze. But I didn’t let these less-then-ideal conditions stop me from getting in a training run.
I laced up my trail shoes and gingerly set out over my 9K route, keeping a sharp eye out for patches of ice in the approaching darkness. I kept up a steady pace, definitely not setting any speed records, but at least getting in one last workout before my race on Saturday. I actually found a short white forest path that remained untarnished by human feet and destroyed it with my own - pure lust!
This morning was a crisp -7C/20F and the sidewalks and secondary roads were iced up and treacherous. My train was late again, but at least this time I made my streetcar connection to work.
Tomorrow (Friday) night it is supposed to snow again in our area, so if we get another 5-6 inches of snow than the roads may not be cleared in enough time to make to the race on Saturday. I don’t mind driving 1-1/2 hours to a race, but when this turns into a 3-4 hour marathon drive due to winter chaos then the “joy of running” experience becomes dulled by the “drudgery of logistics”. No Fun, No Run!
Call me a winter wimp if you like, but if I have to shovel snow before its time to leave on Saturday morning the 50K race will be a no-go. Plan B is a 3-hour long run on Saturday and a 10K cross-country race on Sunday.
I don't think that's wimpy - winter driving is more stress than its worth IMO!
I call that smart. Travel in those conditions is dangerous and probably not worth it. Hope it all works out for you!
If you do end up going, good luck! Post some pics of the snow!