I’ll admit it, I was a wimp! After trying to find a time that the Cruisers could meet to run yesterday morning without freezing our behinds off and breaking our necks on the ice, I canceled our run. Friday evening I started feeling icky and that made it even easier to cancel…
I woke up Saturday feeling fine, so I decided to go out for a run around noon when the temps had climbed to a balmy 20 degrees. Bill was at work, and most of the available Cruisers had needed to run before 9 AM, so I emailed Becky, our newest Cruiser, to see if she’d run yet. She was just putting her running shoes on and said that she would be right over!
I met Becky through Julie, and even though I’d run with her once before at the Virginia Tech 3.2-Mile Run in Remembrance, this would be her first Cruiser run. Since Becky is a blogger this actually counted as a meet-up run for me and therefore counted toward goal #5! It’s my blog and I can stretch the rules as needed!
Becky and I met for five miles together on the W&OD Trail, and then after she left I tackled another five miles alone. Becky was scheduled to run ten miles today with another friend, but right now we have freezing rain, so I hope she got it in before it started. Freezing rain is not something I mess with!
Because the trail was mostly snow and ice covered, I brought my YakTrax and SnowTrax for us to wear. Becky wore the SnowTrax…
And I wore my trusty YakTrax… I’ve worn my YakTrax for years and they’ve served me well. One of the rubber straps has been broken since I wore them one time on the trail when a lot of the snow melted and the pavement was exposed. During our run, the other strap broke and as you can see the toe tab slipped up across the top of my foot.
Even though the two front straps were broken, I couldn’t tell any difference in the traction and they still felt comfortable. I’m still going to replace them though, and I’ll be more careful with my next pair about not wearing them on bare pavement; although that can be difficult. Sometimes the shaded portions of the trail are snow or ice covered and still very slippery, but the rest of the trail is clear.
After a hard workout in the cold and snow, I was craving something warm and filling for dinner. I decided to make chili and serve it chili bar style. It was yummy!
We are Redskins and Ravens fans so our teams are done for the season, but of course we still enjoy watching the games. Even though I had no skin in the game last night and didn’t care who won, I was happy that our very own Hokie, Shane Graham, kicked the winning field goal for the Saints! It kind of made up for Virginia Tech’s abysmal bowl game performance. Sort of… Not really!
- Questions:
- What’s your cold weather threshold?
- Have you ever tried YakTrax or SnowTrax?
- Do you still have a team in the playoffs?
It really depends on how I feel. Some days I really need the outdoors to de-stress and I will run even in sleet. Other days I just don’t feel like being cold so I stay inside. I’ve never tried Yak Trax but I do have Stabilicers that I am going to test out for the first time tomorrow. We’re in Missouri so we’re getting bombarded with snow so I will need them for my run tomorrow.
My cousins lives near St. Louis and Jefferson City and just posted pictures of all of the snow you guys are getting. It looks like Stabilicers and YakTrax are very similar. Stay safe on your run!
Thanks Deb!!
I am so glad I checked my email right before I left so that we could go together! Thanks for reintroducing me to the trail – I can’t wait for more!
I ended up running solo and tried to see if the rain would let up but no such luck! I’m so glad I bought the Yak Trax yesterday – definitely made the run doable. I came home looking like a wet dog but it felt good to finish! I have plans not move from the couch the rest of the day 🙂
You’re a beast for running in the freezing rain today! I’m so glad you stopped and bought YakTrax on your way home from our run yesterday. Good decision!
Yes! Thanks for letting me know about them!
Also, I won’t be going to Tech next weekend so I should be there for the Cruiser run!
I’d love to try out those Yak Trax sometime. They look like fun and maybe I wouldn’t be so afraid of falling if I had those.
My Patriots are still in and had this week off so I’m excited to see them play next weekend! Go Pats!! 🙂
I’ve had my YakTrax for years and they are worth having if you live where it snows very much and you hate running on a treadmill.
I have Yaktrax Runs, and they are awesome! I wore them yesterday, but the snow in Philly was a bit too deep in some sections and it just felt like I was running in sand. But I didn’t fall once!
Nice!
The photos of the bottom of the feet look funky and creative! And that chilli bar looks amazing- great idea on a cold day!
My cold weather threshold is pretty good (out of necessity!) but this winter I’m trying to be smarter and stick to the treadmill when it’s dangerously slick out.
I don’t care for it, but I’ll be running on the treadmill on super slick days, too. It sure beats a nasty fall!
You just gave me an idea about the bottoms of my shoes…
Man, I wish I had not know you were a Ravens fan! Don’t you know that Steelers and Ravens fans cannot be friends? Ha-kidding. I feel your pain. That chili looks amazing-what a simple and easy idea!
HaHa! My husband took our oldest son to a Ravens game either the first or second year the Ravens were in Baltimore, and he’s been a big fan ever since. So I’m really a Ravens fan by default! 😉
Wow I have never heard of those traks for snow! Good to know!
emma
I haven’t tried the Yaktrax yet, I don’t have a pair either, so I’ll have to go out and buy some. I’m a Patriots fan!
I love my YakTrax, but if it’s icy, I don’t risk it. They are great for snow, though!
I have a feeling I’ll be on the dreadmill during nap time for next few days. It’s bitterly cold here & daycare is closed. Shane Graham was kicker when I was in school. He’s a Hokie legend!
Does your daycare follow the school snow schedule?
I’m so glad you and Becky were able to meet up for a run! What do the Yak Trax feel like when you’re running with them on? It looks like you would feel the coils criss crossing on the bottom of your shoes. And this is random, but were you wearing Brooks running pants in that picture? I have a pair of Brooks pants that have a zipper identical to the one on your pants.
I like your chili bar dinner! I’ve never seen it done that way before.
Hopefully, Becky will be able to join the Cruisers on more of our runs as she trains for her first marathon!
Yes, those are Brooks pants, and they’re so comfortable. I don’t notice the coils on my YakTrax at all when I’m running on snow, slush, or ice. They feel a little different when running on dry pavement, but that’s not a good idea.