'Mageddony

 Y'know how there was no stinkin' snow for the snowshoe race?

Turns out it was just a little late

We've had a couple of nasty storms since then - I don't mind the snow so much, but when it freezing rains on top of a dump of snow then turns cold, that crust that forms on the top can be tough to deal with. I spent my entire run down to the market last Saturday playing "maybe posthole - maybe no?" with every single step. 

With unpredictable collapses in every direction

With hips, knees, and ankles all still reeling from that - and even my left toes, which crunched into a particularly solid bit of crust after the adjacent piece collapsed underfoot - I decided that maybe a different tactic would do the trick on Sunday.

It was a great choice! Sort of..

So the snowshoes definitely helped with the snow conditions, which by Sunday afternoon were highly variable: soft and even corn snow in the sunny spots (as the temperature also climbed above freezing), with still a solid crust in some places.

Enough so that I'd barely break through in my snowshoes

It was such a beautiful day: the sun shining brightly through the trees and on the pristine white of the snow.

Days like this are why I could never move where winter is just a calendar event

I managed to explore a bit of trail I'd never seen before at our local conservation area, and before I knew it - even while taking things very slowly - I'd done a touch over 9km.

With plenty of hills

That did, however, leave my legs feeling a little worked - my glutes in particular had a lot to say about all the climbing. That wouldn't have been such a big deal, except that evening I had some plans..

..of a non-running variety

My hips, glutes, and really every other part of me were not particularly happy with my life decisions by the end of that.

Oof.

Things did not improve Monday, with another huge dump of snow, with even more freezing rain on top. First order of business was to try to clean up a little.

I'd have braided my hair to keep it from icing up like that, but I'd run outside in rather a hurry when I heard a neighbour stuck trying to back his car into his driveway

The old back, hamstrings, and glutes - not to mention shoulders - were getting grumpier, and I still needed to get out for a run.

..which was not the easiest proposition that night.

I was grateful that the plows had done an amazing job by the next day, so I had clear paths for a run from my office.

Kudos to the City of Kitchener for being absolutely on it!

The rest of the week has been ok - the sun has been out and melting anything that was plowed or shoveled, though there are still some pretty nasty spots around my neighbourhood.

I've just been walking through this stuff, mostly

This evening, however, things are getting a LOT worse.

YIKES

I wouldn't mind so much, except I have something absolutely ridiculous planned for tomorrow: it's a friend's 42nd birthday, so my plan is to run 42 laps of a tiny (~1.35km/~0.84mi) trail that sits in a wide-open field between the 401, a soccer dome, and a couple of cemeteries.

And it looks like this outside my front door right now, with much more expected to come through the night

I'm actually planning to bring my snowshoes - not my running ones, but my big foamy ones - to walk the first lap or two in an effort to pack down a path.

..but definitely not doing the whole 56-ish kilometers/35-ish miles in them

I plan to start at 9am, and figure I'll bring a headlamp along just in case..

Yes, I know sunset is after 6pm now.
I said what I said.

But hey - at least there are some compensations for doing stupid things.

Like these essential supplies.
It's a birthday party, innit?

So if you're out in the snow tomorrow, spare a thought for some idiot who's out wandering around in circles, with a ring of vanilla frosting and a few chocolate cake crumbs around her mouth.

..and for Tank, who'll be out there manning the aid station!

See you next week...I hope!