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December 11, 2007
5 Degrees Fahrenheit
What do you do when the thermometer reads 5 degrees Fahrenheit (before the wind chill) and you have a 4 hour run on the training schedule? Bundle up and get the heck out there!
T (And, bless his heart, he went with me JUST TO KEEP ME COMPANY, as he isn't specifically training for anything right now.) and I ventured out onto the sometimes frozen dirt and sometimes snowy Yellowstone River Trail. We saw ice floes on the Yellowstone River, fresh tracks of some unknown small cat (Perhaps a bobcat?), 2 bulls and numerous cow elk, 1 lone bison looking very annoyed by our passing, and a frozen waterfall in a side canyon.
There were times during the run when the wind made the world feel almost unbearable. But there were also times when the sun shone warmly on our faces. Early into the run, as we ran into a bitter headwind, I asked T, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how much are you hating this run?" His answer, "A 6 or a 7." Later on, after watching the Yellowstone River duck under and back out of a sheet of ice covering the width of the river, I asked him the same question. His answer this time, "A zero." In all, it evolved into a fine run.
Posted by Meghan at December 11, 2007 6:46 PM
Comments
Sounds like a 10 run to me! It's best when your skin peels off your face afterward from windburn/frostbite. I may have broken out the running tights for the run instead of my usual shorts. That poor old bison was probably thinking that winter had finally come and he could get a break from all those humans! No such luck with you two out on the trails.
Regarding your comment about the Grizzly stories at Canadian Death Run I can only think of the one where the two runners saw a bear so they hid in the bushes until a race official came to them and said they were only embarrassing themselves, the bear was gone. They had hidden so long that they missed the cutoff and argued to no avail that they should be allowed to go on because of the bear. Note to self... Bear Spray.
Posted by: Eric at December 11, 2007 8:38 PM
5 degrees is ummm ...hmmmm just ummm doesn't sound...ummm right!
poor duck :-(
Posted by: Bob Gentile at December 11, 2007 10:13 PM
Okay, I will stop complaining out our wimpy Pittsburgh winters now... :)
Glad it turned out okay and you still have all your fingers and toes! :)
Posted by: Beth at December 12, 2007 6:05 AM
Cold, but beautiful. Good for you for getting out there and experiencing it! I guess if you can ski or snowshoe in it, then you can run in those temps too. Coldest I've ever run in was 17 - a damp 17 that froze the water in hand-helds. But oh, was it worth it!
Posted by: backofpack at December 12, 2007 9:36 AM
One tough mama who puts me to shame:) Glad you are out there exist with no excuses!
Posted by: olga at December 12, 2007 10:03 AM
That's why I head out anyways when my senses are screaming it's insane. After half a mile of warming up, I'm fine - then I get to experience sights I don't ever get to see in warm weather. it's good for both soul and body.
So I take it the Griz are hibernating by now?
Posted by: JeffO at December 13, 2007 9:59 AM
BURRRRRRR!
Eric- I think that is exactly what the bison thought, "Sigh, you, again?"
Bob- I hope you wilt under your beautiful Florida heat! Just kidding! Soak up some for me!
Beth- All fingers and toes properly accounted for! And, don't let me stop you from whining! At least I don't have to try to bike in winter weather like you.
Olga- When I think of tough ladies, I think of you!
JeffO- You're so right. I *think* the bears are sleeping now (as I look over my shoulder). At least, they should be.
Posted by: Meghan at December 13, 2007 12:06 PM
I'm jealous - love the Yellowstone area, and LOVE cold weather (5 degrees is a bit extreme, but better than Florida type stuff). Glad the training is going well!
Posted by: joan at December 14, 2007 8:25 AM
Isn't it amazing how having someone to share the misery with makes it so much more bearable? Good for you, and good for T for going with you. Are you near Quake Lake at all? I was just looking at (google) pictures of it. It looks so pretty and it's such an interesting geographical story. Winking goodnight to you from just up north in balmy 27 degree Miss Oula. Good night. ;) (ps: the annoyed buffy part made me giggle).
Posted by: K Borgbrr at December 14, 2007 8:47 PM
Joan- I'm so very lucky to live here in Yellowstone. I'm reminded of this every morning when I'm sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee, and looking out the window at Yellowstone.
Borgbrr- Quake Lake is about and hour and a half from my house. I've played over there some and it's beautiful, though it's story is somewhat sad. Regarding the huffy buffy, you've made me realized that I am constantly anthropomorphizing the wildlife around me. Stay cool in balmy Missoula!
Posted by: Meghan at December 15, 2007 6:24 PM