The Bloody Weather

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

The snow started right around the time I was planning on heading out for a 4 mile recovery run, and it wasn't long before it had gone past the point of no return. It's not that I'm totally against running in the snow per se - I will probably have to do it at least once or twice in all likelihood - but when it's coming down sideways and even Meadow is having trouble keeping her feet, there's not a lot of point in fighting an impossible battle. I can dress for the cold, but losing my footing and twisting a knee this close to the race just so I can stick to a schedule is obviously not worth the risk.

It's odd being grounded by something other than injury or fatigue. It's a little frustrating, but shouldn't ultimately be a big deal as long as I can get back out in the next day or two. I'll do some cross training tonight instead, then tomorrow I have a contingency plan in place in case the roads are too slick - a treadmill run at Jill's apartment complex - and that will continue to be my backup from here on out. Certainly better than nothing, despite the fact that running on a treadmill makes watching paint dry seem riveting.

One other thought that occurred to me, while we're on the subject of the bloody weather, is that almost all of my training for the race will have been completed in cold weather, but the race itself will likely be far warmer, with temperatures projected to be in the mid-60s by the finish. The experts say you should train for the conditions you'll race in. Unfortunately, I'm more or less doing the opposite, training in cold weather over rolling hills for a warm weather race over a flat course. Not much I can do but soldier on though I suppose; after all Overland Park isn't getting any warmer (or flatter) any time soon.

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