Snowy

I was recently reading an article about Strava and the death of solitude. The author discusses how going out for a run is no longer just about going for a run. Social media is everywhere and with Strava, your run is recorded for the world (or your Strava world) to see. How will your run be perceived by the world? Did you achieve a course record? Where did you place on a specific segment? There is no longer a disconnect from competition.

Luckily, I don't run many routes where there are course records to achieve or even any segments, but I am in agreement that having everyone know exactly what, where, how long and how fast you are running makes running these days a bit different and possibly more stressful. Of course, on the other hand, one of the best things about Strava is that same social interaction, the chance to be encouraged by friends, and encourage them in return. Plus, Strava is a great way to track mileage, keep up with your stats and see your training log. As with everything, it's all about weighing the pros and cons and deciding what works for you.

So, yesterday, Ian joined Strava and set up a Trail Monster group there. I came down from putting Sam to bed, and saw the following:

"C'mon Trail Monsters, who's running this week? This week's leaderboard is pretty weak: Danielle leading with 3.0 miles and Ian in second with 2.9."

Ha! Just like the article implied. But hey, nothing like some friendly competition to get us out there, right? ;)

It's true, this week's running has been pretty lackluster so far. Monday I was just plain tired, so I stayed in bed. Yesterday it was -11 when I woke up. While I am certainly crazy, I see no need to prove myself on these too-cold days. So I stayed inside. But I know I need to start building, so this morning I got up when the alarm went off and headed out at 5:50 am. I hadn't realized it before heading out, but it was snowing slightly, which meant it was pretty hard to see with the snow and headlamp combo going on. Add in a bit of wind and it was more like running blind! Still, it was 21 degrees - practically balmy ;)

 The powerlines had been rolled by the snowmobile club, and a few fat tire bikers had been through as well, so I stayed on their tracks and was able to keep from sinking in too much. It was still soft, but decent. The paved and dirt loop around Highland Green were in good shape for some faster running, so while I would prefer to not run this route all the time, it's a good alternative at this time of year. No sunrise and no animal sightings today, but a good snowy five miles to start the day.