First Snow

This morning marked the first snowfall of the season.  There wasn't much but I have been looking forward to fresh powder so I can gain experience running in it.  I would like to do the Badgerland Striders John Dick Memorial 50k trail run 4 Feb 2012 but need to build my confidence first and see what works and does not.  The cold weather has been surprisingly rather pleasant to run in thus far.  This is all new to me so I am treading forward with cautious optimism.   

Lake Michigan bluffs with a light dusting of snow

I set out with my dog and made my way to the off road trails.   On the paved trail the way there I stuck to the grass where I could and enjoyed the feel and audible crunch of the still frozen surface beneath my feet.  There were plenty of tracks all along the trail from other trail users and animals that told a story all in themselves.  Getting to the off road trail I felt great relief and was instantly more in tune with myself, my animal, and nature.  

The trail can be seen wrapping inside the bluff

The off road trails were for the most part frozen with a rare slick patch of mud.  The entire experience was very serene yet challenging.  I kept foot turnover very high and greatly enjoyed the challenge of staying balanced on the twisting, winding, sometimes hilly path.  The workout was great with many stabilizer muscles getting put to good use they don't see on the road.

Lefty is at his best in the cold.  I wore a pack so he didn't have to.

Our run came out to 16 enjoyable miles with 4 of them off road trail.  I kept my heart rate low, stayed hydrated, and ate making the run much easier to recover from.  I plan to follow up with 16 more miles tomorrow.  The next few months will be my base period and my plan is to run 3 days a week with back to back long runs on the weekend.  Swimming, Racquetball, Muay Thai, and Jiu Jitsu will fill out the rest of the week.

Any thoughts or resources on winter trail running will be greatly appreciated by me.  It is safe to assume no knowledge of the subject on my part.  My biggest concern at the moment is footwear with respect to traction and water resistance.  I am confident there is plenty I have not thought of.