Bring on the blizzard!

Friday, January 22, 2016 · Mike Davis

Good morning. Grab your coffee and pull up a stool. I am in the Nation’s Capital as I chat with you and am waiting for what looks to be a blizzard. Those of you in New Hampshire will have little sympathy for those of us south of you as it was about this time last year that we started our string of snow storms that left the state berried. I am blessed to be able to be part of both so aren’t I lucky! Pretty much everything is going to be shut down around DC and I will spend most of my weekend holed up in my apartment. Hopefully the electricity will not be affected as that would not be good. The night before last they got a dusting of about a half inch of snow and the drive to the base yesterday morning was amazing. The conditions looked fine but, I saw numerous vehicles abandoned on the side of the interstate. Apparently when the roads are treated beforehand they become an ice rink and people just get out of their cars and walk to safety. Very weird to see. Been a decent week of running so far. Kathy and I had a great trail run of 80 minutes on Monday, I followed that up with some repeats Wednesday night and then last night I ran an easy few miles on the treadmill. Chances are I will be back on a treadmill this weekend for a long run if the fitness center is even open. Dumb me did bring any gloves to run outside with so even if the conditions were favorable it would be difficult. Our trail run on Monday was really cool Kathy took me out to a reservoir that is popular for running and walkers. The trails are not overly aggressive but offer some nice hills and varied terrain. Besides the enjoyment of trails, I can see where trail running would be beneficial on days when you might want to have some shade from the hot southern sun. Monday was not one of those days but, it did cut down the effect of the strong winds. I noticed after that the bottom of my left foot burned, similar to the feel of Plantar Fasciitis and that mildly concerned me as it was my first time out wearing my new Saucony Triumph’s. My feet can be very fickle and the Triumphs were an updated version but, I was relieved to determine that the burning was caused by the terrain and my foot was fine after my next 2 runs. My running partner (and wife) would tell me that I need to invest in trail shoes as most times, she is probably right. Just took a quick trip over to the service station, Commissary (base grocery store) and Base Exchange (base department store) to make sure I have all I need over the next few days. Do I have all I need? No, I have no candles or flash lights but, obtaining those at this point is a lost cause. Other than those items I believe I have sufficient supplies. It is amazing to be thinking about running events ahead for 2016 but, I am already contemplating what events I might like to do. My schedule will have more options come May so I can actually pick and choose somewhat freely. Between North Carolina and New Hampshire I will probably run more events than the past few years. Quietly I have committed to running the Vermont City Marathon on Memorial Day weekend and ultimately my hip will decide if that is possible. This year No Finish Line Running will have its own “Reach the Beach” relay team. Hopefully I can take run the Dover “Apple Harvest” 5K this year and NFLR will once again put together a group to go to North Conway for the “White Mountain Milers” half marathon and relay. In between those events will no doubt be some races in North Carolina as we get more involved in the local running community. I will chat more about my training for the Vermont City marathon in the coming months but for now I am trying to be more consistent with my routine. Time to move along. Hope you have a great Friday and an even better weekend! God Bless! Mike