My Winter Home Course

I have to admit that I'm a creature of habit. I wish I could say that I was constantly seeking out new places to run. Dean Karnazes, ultra marathoner and author, talks about leaving his house with a few dollars in his pocket and running wherever his feet happen to take him. I like to think about running in exotic places, but when it's time to put the shoes on, I just can't do it.

Maybe it's because I'm still relatively new to running. I started running about 5 years ago, but up until about 18 months ago I never went more that 6 miles. When I started marathon training, it forced me to find longer routes. This honestly brought me more stress than joy. Running to me is still a science, not an art. Running is difficult enough for me that I need to reduce the possibility that something could go wrong. I need to be able to have access to Gatorade, Gu, and preferably a bathroom.

When there isn't snow on the ground, there are several places that meet my running needs. But in the winter, it's a lot tougher. An amazing number of people run outside all winter long here in Minneapolis. My problem: all of the runners pack down the snow making running on those trails more like running on the beach. Have you ever run on the beach? Well, it stinks. After a few freeze and thaw cycles, the sidewalks become a sheet of ice. Again, stinky.

In this land of high taxes called Minnesota, I happen to live in a city that believes in sidewalk cleanliness. There is a sidewalk that goes past my house, around a city baseball field, through the local school complex, past the police station and past city hall. If anyone slips on any part of that 2 mile stretch of sidewalk, I'm guessing the city is worried about a law suit. The upside for me: the sidewalk is cleaner than my kitchen floor. Anytime it snows, my sidewalk is plowed and brushed clean before the local streets ever hear the plow coming. This 2 mile loop of sidewalk has become my home course in the wintertime.

While others might get bored running the same stretch over and over, I find it very comforting. I even have to run the same, counter-clockwise direction every time. I love knowing which parts will be cold because of the shady trees and where I will have the wind in my face. I love knowing exactly how long it takes to climb the one slow, long hill in front of the school. I love passing my house every two miles "just in case," and I love being able to get a drink out of my cooler every 20 minutes.

It was a balmy 18 degrees this morning when I headed outside to my loop. I put my Gatorade in a cooler to keep it from freezing and left it at the beginning. I finished my 5 laps (10 miles) without incident, exactly as planned... just how I like it.