Long Run in the Snow Success

I reviewed how my snow studs did on an initial light run but wanted to give them a real trial over a much longer run. Today was the perfect day, the cold temps had kept the bike path snow covered and the day was a sunny one.

The biggest challenge was psyching myself up for going out into 22° weather for 2 hours solid. I keep telling myself that I know I got out no matter the weather or temperature last year but that was 30 minute work outs maximum when I started the Couch to 5k plan. Now that I look at it, the first few weeks were only 20 minutes each work out. I worked up a sweat but was in and showering soon after that.


I shivered and puttered around until 10:00 this morning and finally pushed (and shoved and kicked) myself out the door. Armed with a couple Gus and a new Cucumber Mint Nuun tablet for my water, I had a lot of gear to juggle in my very cold hands.

This run was probably 85% on packed or 2" - 3" fluffy snow. The bike trail over the weekend had been well used and there were even some icy patches that I make a beeline to, no matter if it was on a hill or not. About 10% of the run was on clear road and 5% was on snow covered gravel or dirt. I logged over 10 miles and surprisingly made a little bit better time than I had expected. Running in the snow takes some effort but the studs on the shoes really were amazing. I didn't ever slip and I only lost one stud from one of my heals. I didn't miss it, thankfully, on any of the descents.

Because I overestimated how long it would take me, I was left with quite a while to stretch out and wait for Jimmy-the-eye to pick me up. This is when the cold kicked in as I walked around the park and tried to stay in the sun. When I got home I saw it had only warmed up to 25°. I was grateful there was very little wind today.

I am thrilled at how good this 10 miler felt. I hadn't logged that distance in over a month and I am not feeling too badly after my shower. I like the possibilities the snow studs have opened up for me but will still be glad for warmer weather.

snow studs

We finally got a substantial snowfall to justify my winter running project. With Miles' help, I screwed in some 1/4" sheet metal screws into my oldest sneakers. I have decided to mutilate my oldest shoes since Yaktracks Pro do not come small enough for my size 6 New Balance 758's.


After an easy 2.5 miles on many different surfaces I returned home to find I had lost one outside stud. The remaining ones showed no wear even though half of the running had been on slushy or just wet road surfaces.

They handled best on snow pack where tires had driven on the 2" of unplowed snow. They were also really nice on unshoveled sidewalks with 2" - 3" of fluffy snow. I was able to get a nice grip to keep moving up a 3° - 5° incline and felt just as confidant descending the same route because of the studs on my heals.

The surfaces I felt less confidant about were the wet roads where I wasn't certain if the studs might cause me to slide if I would pick up speed. The snowy trail I was on was just more difficult to navigate because of the added effort to get through the snow. I will say the same for the hill with road grade gravel.

I look forward to trying them again when I have a few ice patches to test out.



Birbanto helped me with the follow up shots.

Thoughts from the Road - #1611

Take Me Away

Take me away from the cares of the day.
Let my pumping legs make me all sweaty
and muscles burn with the demands of a run
and forget all that's pointless or petty.

Take me away from my worries and fears.
Help me burn off all that limoncelli.
My breathing and pace so unbearably fast
I can't think of her break up with Kelly.

Take me away from the pressures and stress.
A long run builds up my muscle tone
and for a moment forget others' endoscopies,
thyroid tests and kidney stones.

Take me away from the sadness and doubt
if only while I'm running hard.
A run is my daily treatment and cure;
psychotherapy for the avant-garde.

My Runniversary

Today is my runniversary. Last year on this date I started the Couch to 5k program. I ran 2.1 miles that day at a 14 MM pace. I graduated the program in about 9 weeks and have gone on to run 860 miles to this day.This is me at "the horses" (about 2.1 miles in) on my last run of 2010. The total run was a 5 miler at a 10 MM pace. It was the last run of the season with jingle bells on my shoes.

Today I went 3 times as far as last year on this date. This year I hope to log at least 1,000 miles total.

Wedding Day, 1984

I wanted to scan in a photo of us on our wedding day, 26 years ago. This is to show a direct comparison of me in my 26 Year-old Wedding Dress that I wrote about last week. My teeth really were different before my corrective surgery but I would take them back in an instant if I could get rid of the sinus infections I have had ever since.

2010 Shindy

No subterfuge, games nor *gasp* Santa hat; it was a straightforward, classic Shindy dance this year.

A Perfect Gift

Toolman Luke gave RGBisMe a handcarved ampersand in a block of cherry.

The printed piece, Mesquite Standard font, 572 point.

Inking it up in red.

Three very cool prints of this amazing ampersand.

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Christmas Eve

Miles and Bags, again!

Don't forget this cat love a good purse. Here he is with Maga's black winter bag. See the other bags on Birbanto's blog.

Winter Solstice Artistry

These gifts were crafted with love for us by Maga11 & Toolman Luke. The hatchet cover was crafted in a shop near Belleville, the solstice boxes are hand painted with lovely fruit scented candles inside and the sheet metal screw/ screwdriver is for hand crafting snow running studs on our running shoes! Such love and thoughtfulness put into every gift. We are blessed.

26 year-old Dress

I never would have thought I could still fit into my wedding dress. I found it while digging out our Yule stockings.
Puffed 3/4 length sleeves with white piping dates this thin whale corduroy dress but it still makes me smile.

Joyous Yule

This morning was not as bleak as yesterday and allowed us to focus the energy of the sun and light a match. This gives me hope for burning out the darkness of the season and turning a corner to future brightness. We will keep the energies of the sun burning, in candle form, until sunrise tomorrow. It will see us through on of the longest nights. Upon sunrise, we will blow out our candles and greet the new solar year. May it be a bright one for you and yours.

Kindle the Light of Peace; Kindle the light of Love.
Kindle the Light of Joy; Kindle the light of Hope.
Kindle the Light, Kindle the Light, Kindle the Light of Yule.
Kindle the Light, Kindle the Light, Kindle the Light of Yule.

Bellefonte Road Runners

We did a run with a group tonight to see the holiday lights in Bellefonte. Folks dressed up and we wore jingle bells on our shoes.


We ran over 5 miles through Bellefonte with many of the high school cross country team. The streets were dark but the Victorian houses were lovely. I cannot image how they can afford the electricity to decorate those large places with holiday lights.


After about 2 miles many of the younger folks cut back to the school for cookies and hot chocolate and probably to get warm since they had taken off their shirts. We continued on for another 3 or so and enjoyed another less Victorian but decorated residential area.

It was a fun way to start the longest night of the year.

3 Bad Boys

One way or another, they are all probably on Santa's "Naughty List" this year. Well, maybe not Miles.

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True to form, ours is definitely a Saturnalia Cactus.

A Bad Hair Day

Me being Justin Bieber before I fixed my hair.

Ho Saturnalia!

Saturnalia became one of the most popular Roman festivals. It was marked by tomfoolery and reversal of social roles, in which slaves and masters ostensibly switched places, much like the Lord of Misrule in later Christian celebrations.

Saturnalia was introduced around 217 BCE to raise citizen morale after a crushing military defeat at the hands of the Carthaginians.[1] Originally celebrated for a day, on December 17, its popularity saw it grow until it became a week-long extravaganza, ending on the 23rd. Efforts to shorten the celebration were unsuccessful. Augustus tried to reduce it to three days, and Caligula to five. These attempts caused uproar and massive revolts among the Roman citizens.

Saturnalia involved the conventional sacrifices, a couch (lectisternium) set out in front of the temple of Saturn and the untying of the ropes that bound the statue of Saturn during the rest of the year. A Saturnalicius princeps was elected master of ceremonies for the proceedings. Besides the public rites there were a series of holidays and customs celebrated privately. The celebrations included a school holiday, the making and giving of small presents (saturnalia et sigillaricia) and a special market (sigillaria). Gambling was allowed for all, even slaves.

Saturnalia was a time to eat, drink, and be merry. The toga was not worn, but rather the synthesis, i.e. colorful, informal "dinner clothes"; and the pileus (freedman's hat) was worn by everyone. Slaves were exempt from punishment, and treated their masters with (a pretense of) disrespect. The slaves celebrated a banquet: before, with, or served by the masters. Yet the reversal of the social order was mostly superficial; the banquet, for example, would often be prepared by the slaves, and they would prepare their masters' dinner as well. It was license within careful boundaries; it reversed the social order without subverting it.[2]

The customary greeting for the occasion is a "Io, Saturnalia!" — Io (pronounced "e-o") being a Latin interjection related to "ho" (as in "Ho, praise to Saturn").

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Chilled Out

So many little blog entries for me today, mainly because I am just lying around waiting to see if I am getting a cold or not. I'm sitting around, feeling mainly gross, trying to tell myself it's all in my head. The problem is, it is literally in my head; I have kinda sore throat and back of my nose and my eyes are burning.

I am feeling helpless to do anything and worry that even if I try to do something productive that I will just mess it up. I try talking to people I love and just seem to say the wrong things or get angry. I want to connect but my mind isn't stringing words together in thoughtful ways. Support becomes interference, a chat talk on the phone becomes a gripe session, and just trying to catching up is a chore that is more exhausting than it should be.

Sitting around inside as opposed to getting out for a while feels awkward but it is terribly cold. Wind chills have been in the negative digits so even walking outside in the breeze is painful. I have been getting my runs in just fine but today I can't find it in myself to do anything except sit like a bump.

What has given me a real smile this morning is The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Please don't tell me that is woman is really some type of mean snob. I really enjoy her humor, her compassion for others seems genuine and she is a vegan. I find myself smiling even just watching people dance on her show. I like the rapport she has with her DJ and the rest of her on air staff. Her guests seem thrilled to be there and she looks like she is having the time of her life. I don't like sitting around but am glad to watch Ellen's show when I have to.

I have also been reading a bunch of other folk's blogs. My eyes are tired and I have a bit of a headache but it's nice catching up and getting acquainted with what is going on with some other people with whom I share interests.

The meteorological winter has set in and because I have been out in it too much or picked up a little something while trapped indoors with so many people, today is a chill day for me.

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