Aesthete Runner

Week 3 of Glacier Ridge Trail 50k training was a solid week. Even though the weather wanted to make things difficult for me, I feel like I nailed every run and my recovery from my longer or more difficult effort runs was faster than expected. Maybe it was the sports massage I had on Wednesday, but mentally I was in a great space this week.

I'll be the first one to admit that as much as I dislike winter, snow, and the cold, it really can be beautiful. I am missing the sun and seeing "brown" everywhere has me desperately awaiting spring, but something about waking up to see the ground and trees covered in snow brings out that child-like wonder.

Another week down and I'm feeling good. It was a solid week of training that went well despite some winter weather that made it more challenging. I reminded myself a lot this week of each run's purpose in the larger picture of the entire 18 weeks.

The snow finally melted and the trail is deceiving. Is it mid-January or early November? I am surprised to see so many golden leaves and grass that have been hidden under the snow.

Week 1 is in the books! There is always a sense of satisfaction starting a new training program and already putting a week behind me. I know there are many challenging weeks ahead but it feels good to be jumping in and moving towards the Glacier Ridge Trail 50k.

Despite the bitter cold I was able to get in some good trail time this past weekend. As much as the snow is bothersome to run in, it sure is a nice change to get a different perspective of the trail. Friends commented on how easy it is to see through the trees without their leaves and see the landscape in a way that is not normally noticeable.

Tomorrow I start officially training for the Glacier Ridge Trail 50k on May 12th. Similar to my recaps for the 2016 and 2017 Chicago Marathon and my first 50k, Earth Day, I will be posting weekly detailing my overall training.

The first Trail Tuesday of 2018! I had a pretty magical moment on Christmas Eve as I ran during our first major snowfall. As I approached the lake, I spotted two pairs of swans swimming and fishing. It was such a cool experience, especially since I was hesitant to run this far during the snow. It was one of the greatest gifts nature could have given me for Christmas.

Happy 2018! A new year with exciting things ahead. I've been enjoying some "down" time from blogging and lowering my running mileage, but I am excited to start training for my 50k next week.