Trails for Two

The new blog! I think the title is self-explanatory.  



So, without further ado, our first run!

Trail Run: 4.17 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, cold and a little drippy. 35° Gear: Lone Peaks, tights, T, pullover, hat, gloves (shed). No fuel or fluids before or during.

Alita and I kicked off 2017 and our training regime for all our adventures this year with a New Year's Day run in the woods. On limited sleep. In drizzly 35-degree conditions. With livers that were (cough, cough) probably still sweeping up the revels of the night before.

And it actually all went well. We took it slow and easy, and we hit a pace slow enough that we could keep jogging the rolling hills on the loop where we'll be doing a lot of our running this year. It was Alita's first run since before she broke her foot, and my first run in nearly a month. I could feel it, but the slow pace and allowed me to keep grinding away.

The forecast had called for snow or "wintry mix" but all we got was a little drizzle and temps in the mid 30s. Our gear was just right for the conditions, and we were even able to stash the gloves after we warmed up.

All in all, a good start!



And some nice views.

Walked the first 7 minutes, last 5. Average HR for entire run: 130.

Thanks for letting us follow along on your journey...

I hope this blog includes the humor, anatomy, and family and pet updates that we came to expect and enjoy as we shared in your building of the bumblebee.

Sounds like you started the journey with a great trail run.  Good luck...keep us posted!

nkrichards wrote:Thanks for letting us follow along on your journey...

I hope this blog includes the humor, anatomy, and family and pet updates that we came to expect and enjoy as we shared in your building of the bumblebee.

Sounds like you started the journey with a great trail run.  Good luck...keep us posted!

Nah, there won't be any humor, except for Mark's anatomy.

Uh, Mark, what's a 'livers' other than what goes with a nice Chianti?

nkrichards wrote:Thanks for letting us follow along on your journey...

I hope this blog includes the humor, anatomy, and family and pet updates that we came to expect and enjoy as we shared in your building of the bumblebee.

Sounds like you started the journey with a great trail run.  Good luck...keep us posted!

Thanks, Nancy! I'm sure you can expect all the normal geeky physiological observations, wisecracks and ruminations over what is harder to comprenend - a teenager or a mentally unbalanced cat. It's really all just a cry for help, so I appreciate the support.

I'll post a couple of items soon with more details on the training plan and target races so they're hooked up on this blog, too.

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Thanks for letting us follow along on your journey...

I hope this blog includes the humor, anatomy, and family and pet updates that we came to expect and enjoy as we shared in your building of the bumblebee.

Sounds like you started the journey with a great trail run.  Good luck...keep us posted!

Nah, there won't be any humor, except for Mark's anatomy.

Uh, Mark, what's a 'livers' other than what goes with a nice Chianti?

Livers, plural for liver. As in, both our livers. Processing an overabundance of bubbles from New Year's Eve.

And I think my anatomy will provide plenty of humor going forward.

Easy/Recovery Run: 3.2 miles

Weather: Partly cloudy, chilly. 34 degrees. Gear: Topos, tights, T, pullover, jacket, hat, gloves

A street run with Alita, done with a recovery run in mind. Since we were on streets rather than trails, however, we ended up running at a faster pace than yesterday with a steadier effort. I kept an eye on my HR levels and kept Alita from surging ahead, since her legs wanted to go faster than her cardio system is ready to support.

We ran a mile to the local high school track, did four laps, then headed back. We wanted to keep it flat today, and this was the only way to avoid the ravine.

We took a couple of brief walking breaks after two miles, but that encouraged her to run even faster once she felt a bit more fresh. (Boy, does that sound familiar?)

My legs were feeling it throughout, as well. I noticed my resting HR is well above normal at the start of both runs. I'm confident that'll settle down soon.

The weather was fine, and we even saw a few small snowflakes. It will be interesting to see if things actually get as cold as they say. I have my doubts.

Walked first and last 5 minutes. Average HR for entire run: 127

A quick reprise on what we're planning to do this year, and how we plan to prepare for it.

The main event for Alita this year is the 12 hour version of the Elijah Bristow 24 Hour Run east of Eugene in June. We did the 6-hour event last June (you can read my race report here), and she liked the event so much that she wanted to sign up for the 12-hour version this year and see if she can make it into ultra distances. Sounds good to  me!

About a month before that event, we're ticking something off my running bucket list by running the 15-mile event at The Smith Rock Ascent in Central Oregon. The 3,000 feet of climbing has Alita a bit nervous, but I'm confident we can build those climbing muscles before the event. It'll also get her good and strong for Elijah Bristow.

The third event on the calendar (so far) is me actually FINISHING the Mount Hood 50K. As you might recall from my race report, I had to take a DNF due to a munched up ankle, which meant I missed running (I limped a lot of it) what's probably the sweetest section of trail in the whole race. I want a rematch.

Will there be something else later in the year? Well... maybe. If we're in shape already, who knows? (Our goal is to get in shape and STAY in shape, hopefully establishing some good habits while enjoying each other's company in the great outdoors.)

So here's the training plan.



The days work out like this:

Sunday: Long trail run
Monday: Easy/recovery run
Tuesday: Active recovery
Wednesday: Easy/mid run
Thursday: Hills, alternating between repeats and steady climbing weeks
Friday: Active recovery
Saturday: Mid to sorta-long run

I didn't factor in walks that Alita usually takes at school, so that'll be a bonus for her. I'll also sneak in some additional runs or distance on days we can't train together. Right now, it appears we'll be teaming up on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The other days, we'll have to go solo. She'll probably do those days on the treadmill, which lends itself well to big weekly hill climbs. 

I didn't fill out the runs after the 12-hour run yet, but I hope to get in at least another 20 miler (presuming we go well over 20 at the 12 hour run) and some technical trail practice before Mount Hood. Got to be ready for those roots!

When I was creating this plan, I wondered if the distances were a little light, but Alita's coming back from a broken foot and I've been quite lazy lately, so I think we'll need to build it up slowly at first to avoid injury. We can always add a bit more later on if we get inspired.

Again, it's important to me that we establish a routine that we can maintain even when we're not training for something. We're thinking long term here.

Walk: 3 miles

Weather: Clear, cold and windy. 35° w/ wind chill in low 20s.

A beautiful day with clear skies and bright sunshine... and some pretty bracing temperatures for a walk. Especially with a cold east wind that gusted up to 26 mph. It was good motivation to not dilly dally on my lunchtime walk. (Alita also took a walk at her lunch of about 1.3 miles.)

Also: Core work earlier today. Did side leg lifts, bridges, prone and supine leg lifts, partial squats and side steps with resistance.

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles

Weather: Clear, cold and windy. 35° w/ wind chill in low 20s.

A beautiful day with clear skies and bright sunshine... and some pretty bracing temperatures for a walk. Especially with a cold east wind that gusted up to 26 mph. It was good motivation to not dilly dally on my lunchtime walk. (Alita also took a walk at her lunch of about 1.3 miles.)

Also: Core work earlier today. Did side leg lifts, bridges, prone and supine leg lifts, partial squats and side steps with resistance.

It was 42 here the other day and not a breath of wind....  And I decided to wait an hour before I headed out.  Sure, it was not a work day so I had that luxury but seriously, wind chill in the low 20's???  I don't know how you guys do it.  Living all of my life in SoCal has made me soft I guess.  I don't believe I have running gear that would work in those temps...

Tim C wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles

Weather: Clear, cold and windy. 35° w/ wind chill in low 20s.

A beautiful day with clear skies and bright sunshine... and some pretty bracing temperatures for a walk. Especially with a cold east wind that gusted up to 26 mph. It was good motivation to not dilly dally on my lunchtime walk. (Alita also took a walk at her lunch of about 1.3 miles.)

Also: Core work earlier today. Did side leg lifts, bridges, prone and supine leg lifts, partial squats and side steps with resistance.

It was 42 here the other day and not a breath of wind....  And I decided to wait an hour before I headed out.  Sure, it was not a work day so I had that luxury but seriously, wind chill in the low 20's???  I don't know how you guys do it.  Living all of my life in SoCal has made me soft I guess.  I don't believe I have running gear that would work in those temps...

Heh. I probably shouldn't admit that I'm seriously thinking about heading out for a barefoot run tomorrow morning, when it's supposed to be about 23° out... (Oh, the wind chill may make it feel like 14°? Hm. Maybe not... )

Anyway, I totally get that 42° feels uncomfortably cold. It's right at one of the tipping points for me. Too warm for tights, but almost too cold for shorts -- especially if it's windy or rainy. So it's a tricky temperature.

Gear helps, though. And layers. Layers work wonders. With the right clothing (and a little practice getting it right), it's amazing what you can get used to.

Fourteen degree wind chill huh? Hm. I wonder if I put Vaseline on the top of my feet for warmth? Hmm....

Mark B wrote:

Tim C wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles

Weather: Clear, cold and windy. 35° w/ wind chill in low 20s.

A beautiful day with clear skies and bright sunshine... and some pretty bracing temperatures for a walk. Especially with a cold east wind that gusted up to 26 mph. It was good motivation to not dilly dally on my lunchtime walk. (Alita also took a walk at her lunch of about 1.3 miles.)

Also: Core work earlier today. Did side leg lifts, bridges, prone and supine leg lifts, partial squats and side steps with resistance.

It was 42 here the other day and not a breath of wind....  And I decided to wait an hour before I headed out.  Sure, it was not a work day so I had that luxury but seriously, wind chill in the low 20's???  I don't know how you guys do it.  Living all of my life in SoCal has made me soft I guess.  I don't believe I have running gear that would work in those temps...

Heh. I probably shouldn't admit that I'm seriously thinking about heading out for a barefoot run tomorrow morning, when it's supposed to be about 23° out... (Oh, the wind chill may make it feel like 14°? Hm. Maybe not... )

Anyway, I totally get that 42° feels uncomfortably cold. It's right at one of the tipping points for me. Too warm for tights, but almost too cold for shorts -- especially if it's windy or rainy. So it's a tricky temperature.

Gear helps, though. And layers. Layers work wonders. With the right clothing (and a little practice getting it right), it's amazing what you can get used to.

Fourteen degree wind chill huh? Hm. I wonder if I put Vaseline on the top of my feet for warmth? Hmm....

Well it's been confirmed in writing...YOU ARE CRAZY!  A normal person would think long and hard before running in shoes in those temps but barefoot??????? 

I've always preferred colder (35-50) rather than warmer temps provided there isn't to much rain or wind.  I learned to dress for and enjoy colder weather running during Boston training in 2015 and I now have the clothes I need.  I much prefer outdoor running in those conditions over treadmill running.  The only time I opt for the treadmill is when it's really windy/rainy or when the snow is to deep.

Stay safe...and warm...

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

Tim C wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles

Weather: Clear, cold and windy. 35° w/ wind chill in low 20s.

A beautiful day with clear skies and bright sunshine... and some pretty bracing temperatures for a walk. Especially with a cold east wind that gusted up to 26 mph. It was good motivation to not dilly dally on my lunchtime walk. (Alita also took a walk at her lunch of about 1.3 miles.)

Also: Core work earlier today. Did side leg lifts, bridges, prone and supine leg lifts, partial squats and side steps with resistance.

It was 42 here the other day and not a breath of wind....  And I decided to wait an hour before I headed out.  Sure, it was not a work day so I had that luxury but seriously, wind chill in the low 20's???  I don't know how you guys do it.  Living all of my life in SoCal has made me soft I guess.  I don't believe I have running gear that would work in those temps...

Heh. I probably shouldn't admit that I'm seriously thinking about heading out for a barefoot run tomorrow morning, when it's supposed to be about 23° out... (Oh, the wind chill may make it feel like 14°? Hm. Maybe not... )

Anyway, I totally get that 42° feels uncomfortably cold. It's right at one of the tipping points for me. Too warm for tights, but almost too cold for shorts -- especially if it's windy or rainy. So it's a tricky temperature.

Gear helps, though. And layers. Layers work wonders. With the right clothing (and a little practice getting it right), it's amazing what you can get used to.

Fourteen degree wind chill huh? Hm. I wonder if I put Vaseline on the top of my feet for warmth? Hmm....

Well it's been confirmed in writing...YOU ARE CRAZY!  A normal person would think long and hard before running in shoes in those temps but barefoot??????? 

I've always preferred colder (35-50) rather than warmer temps provided there isn't to much rain or wind.  I learned to dress for and enjoy colder weather running during Boston training in 2015 and I now have the clothes I need.  I much prefer outdoor running in those conditions over treadmill running.  The only time I opt for the treadmill is when it's really windy/rainy or when the snow is to deep.

Stay safe...and warm...

You do realize I'm taking that as a compliment, right?

Barefoot Run: 3.1 miles

Weather: Overcast, cold and breezy. 29° Gear: Overdressed on purpose - tights and pants, long-sleeved T, pullover, jacket, stocking cap, gloves (which were not warm enough).

So it didn't turn out to be 23° with a wind chill of 14°, but it was still pretty cold and a little breezy for my first barefoot run of the year.

I'd prefer running in warmer conditions, but my feet have been itching to get out there naked.

I followed my usual strategy of overdressing, which shunts the excess body heat to the feet, and it worked almost as well as usual. My feet took about a mile to warm up and were pretty well adapted for the rest of the run. My hands, though, were freezing! Guess I needed heavier gloves.

This was NOT a low HR run. My body wanted to MOVE to generate as much heat as possible, and I obliged. I ended up going sub-10 for every mile and even went sub-8 in the last 0.1 mile in a failed attempt to hit 3.1 miles in under 30 minutes. After a month of laziness, this was a nice stimulus to my system.

My feet are no worse for the wear due to the cold, though I did manage to get a small blister just behind my toes due to poor form. I'll have to figure out what I did wrong and adjust for next time. (I was probably pushing off.)

Average HR for entire run: 159 (told ya I was moving)

I know that you all think I'm gone, but I am a stalker and I do read this just about everyday - well, everyday that I'm stateside as I was in the Dominican last week.  And I know, I know, I do need to re-start up my blog.

Keep up the fun details, Mark - I'd miss it if you didn't.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:I know that you all think I'm gone, but I am a stalker and I do read this just about everyday - well, everyday that I'm stateside as I was in the Dominican last week.  And I know, I know, I do need to re-start up my blog.

Keep up the fund details, Mark - I'd miss it if you didn't.

Aw, thanks!

I'd noticed that the blog was getting a lot more views than posts, so I figured there were some lurkers out there. Glad you're still one of them!

Oh, and if anybody wonders what bare feet look like after 30 minutes on sub-freezing asphalt, here ya go.



See? None the worse for wear. The heels were a big paler than usual, but that was more dryness than frostbite.

Mark B wrote:Oh, and if anybody wonders what bare feet look like after 30 minutes on sub-freezing asphalt, here ya go.



See? None the worse for wear. The heels were a big paler than usual, but that was more dryness than frostbite.

Craziness confirmed once again...and just to clarify, that is a compliment.  Crazy is good!

You're starting the training right!!

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Oh, and if anybody wonders what bare feet look like after 30 minutes on sub-freezing asphalt, here ya go.



See? None the worse for wear. The heels were a big paler than usual, but that was more dryness than frostbite.

Craziness confirmed once again...and just to clarify, that is a compliment.  Crazy is good!

You're starting the training right!!

Aw, shucks. Thanks.

Treadhill Workout: About 45 minutes at 10% grade (2.371 miles)

Weather: Booger-freezing 17° outside, a toasty 70° inside. Gear: Topos, shorts, T (shed). Ahh...

It's one of the colder mornings we've had in quite a while, and normally I'd love to head out in extreme conditions, but today is our scheduled hill workout day, and this one needed to be on the treadmill. I've given Alita this "treadhill" workout, with a steady slow jog or power hike, to get her (and me) ready for lots of climbing this summer. I needed to make sure I was the proper duration and intensity.

I'd thought 3 miles at 10% at 3 mph would be doable, but it didn't take me long to realize that it was too ambitious for the first week. I managed 40 minutes, or two miles and change, before shutting it down.

Still, in those 40 minutes, I climbed about 1,250 feet.

Yeah, that'll do for a start.

I started walking at 3 mph but it felt awkward, so I shifted in to a slow trot. That felt more comfortable mechanically, but I went back to a walk after about 15 minutes when my HR touched 150. My HR then fell back into the low 140s (good to know that hiking is more efficient at that speed) and slowly rose for the rest of the workout. I'd worried about it messing up my pace at first, until I remembered it was the same pace! Derp.

Average HR for entire workout: 140. (I flatted the TM to 0% for the last 5 minutes, so the climbing calculations are close but not precise.)

I don't know if I could handle going up 1,250 feet on a treadmill.  I just think the pressure on my ears may not allow it. 

We're presently sitting at 28 degrees.  I think we're supposed to be below 32 for 10 hours, so we have a freeze warning.  People about 50 miles north are to go down to 20.  The freeze line is just north of Galveston.

ounce wrote:I don't know if I could handle going up 1,250 feet on a treadmill.  I just think the pressure on my ears may not allow it. 

We're presently sitting at 28 degrees.  I think we're supposed to be below 32 for 10 hours, so we have a freeze warning.  People about 50 miles north are to go down to 20.  The freeze line is just north of Galveston.

Subfreezing in Houston in any circumstance seems apocalyptic to me. 

Meanwhile, it got down to 12° in my neighborhood this morning (14° officially at the airport). Not record-setting cold, but pretty darn cold for these parts. I opted out of going on an adventure run since Friday is my rest day. 

Things are likely to get a lot worse before they get better. We have snow forecast to arrive late Saturday morning, dropping up to a couple inches of snow before it turns to freezing rain Saturday night and Sunday morning with up to a half inch ice accumulation. That'd mean impassable roads, downed trees and power outages over a wide area. There's even a chance I could end up stranded at work tomorrow night, even though I'll be driving the car with studded tires. Oh boy.

So our Sunday morning trail run is obviously off the table. We're hoping to do a trail run Saturday morning before things get nasty. It'll be a cold one, but not as cold as Friday morning. Hopefully.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I don't know if I could handle going up 1,250 feet on a treadmill.  I just think the pressure on my ears may not allow it. 

We're presently sitting at 28 degrees.  I think we're supposed to be below 32 for 10 hours, so we have a freeze warning.  People about 50 miles north are to go down to 20.  The freeze line is just north of Galveston.

Subfreezing in Houston in any circumstance seems apocalyptic to me. 

Meanwhile, it got down to 12° in my neighborhood this morning (14° officially at the airport). Not record-setting cold, but pretty darn cold for these parts. I opted out of going on an adventure run since Friday is my rest day. 

Things are likely to get a lot worse before they get better. We have snow forecast to arrive late Saturday morning, dropping up to a couple inches of snow before it turns to freezing rain Saturday night and Sunday morning with up to a half inch ice accumulation. That'd mean impassable roads, downed trees and power outages over a wide area. There's even a chance I could end up stranded at work tomorrow night, even though I'll be driving the car with studded tires. Oh boy.

So our Sunday morning trail run is obviously off the table. We're hoping to do a trail run Saturday morning before things get nasty. It'll be a cold one, but not as cold as Friday morning. Hopefully.

Bumper cars!  How much does the tire place charge you to swap regular for studded tires.  I'm presuming the studs have their own wheels, so it's an easier and cheaper swap.

We can do cold weather, as long as it's not wet.  Plus we take care of the pets, pipes, plants, old people, and a new 'P' to protect...pools.

For the tailgaters before the Texans-Raiders game, it's supposed to be 33 degrees with a 20 mph north wind at 11:00.  The game starts at 3:30 CT.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I don't know if I could handle going up 1,250 feet on a treadmill.  I just think the pressure on my ears may not allow it. 

We're presently sitting at 28 degrees.  I think we're supposed to be below 32 for 10 hours, so we have a freeze warning.  People about 50 miles north are to go down to 20.  The freeze line is just north of Galveston.

Subfreezing in Houston in any circumstance seems apocalyptic to me. 

Meanwhile, it got down to 12° in my neighborhood this morning (14° officially at the airport). Not record-setting cold, but pretty darn cold for these parts. I opted out of going on an adventure run since Friday is my rest day. 

Things are likely to get a lot worse before they get better. We have snow forecast to arrive late Saturday morning, dropping up to a couple inches of snow before it turns to freezing rain Saturday night and Sunday morning with up to a half inch ice accumulation. That'd mean impassable roads, downed trees and power outages over a wide area. There's even a chance I could end up stranded at work tomorrow night, even though I'll be driving the car with studded tires. Oh boy.

So our Sunday morning trail run is obviously off the table. We're hoping to do a trail run Saturday morning before things get nasty. It'll be a cold one, but not as cold as Friday morning. Hopefully.

Bumper cars!  How much does the tire place charge you to swap regular for studded tires.  I'm presuming the studs have their own wheels, so it's an easier and cheaper swap.

We can do cold weather, as long as it's not wet.  Plus we take care of the pets, pipes, plants, old people, and a new 'P' to protect...pools.

For the tailgaters before the Texans-Raiders game, it's supposed to be 33 degrees with a 20 mph north wind at 11:00.  The game starts at 3:30 CT.

It costs $65 to swap the tires on the rims. It'd be free if we had the snow tires on rims, but we don't. It takes quite a few changeovers to cover the cost of four wheels. On a 1997 Ford Contour with about 235,000 miles, it hasn't seemed like a wise investment.

Cold is easy, but ice is most definitely not nice. And most drivers around here are inexperienced when it comes to driving on snow or ice, so it gets chaotic quick. Hence the videos on YouTube. It happens so rarely that the fleets of snow removal equipment you see in places like Chicago just don't exist.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I don't know if I could handle going up 1,250 feet on a treadmill.  I just think the pressure on my ears may not allow it. 

We're presently sitting at 28 degrees.  I think we're supposed to be below 32 for 10 hours, so we have a freeze warning.  People about 50 miles north are to go down to 20.  The freeze line is just north of Galveston.

Subfreezing in Houston in any circumstance seems apocalyptic to me. 

Meanwhile, it got down to 12° in my neighborhood this morning (14° officially at the airport). Not record-setting cold, but pretty darn cold for these parts. I opted out of going on an adventure run since Friday is my rest day. 

Things are likely to get a lot worse before they get better. We have snow forecast to arrive late Saturday morning, dropping up to a couple inches of snow before it turns to freezing rain Saturday night and Sunday morning with up to a half inch ice accumulation. That'd mean impassable roads, downed trees and power outages over a wide area. There's even a chance I could end up stranded at work tomorrow night, even though I'll be driving the car with studded tires. Oh boy.

So our Sunday morning trail run is obviously off the table. We're hoping to do a trail run Saturday morning before things get nasty. It'll be a cold one, but not as cold as Friday morning. Hopefully.

Bumper cars!  How much does the tire place charge you to swap regular for studded tires.  I'm presuming the studs have their own wheels, so it's an easier and cheaper swap.

We can do cold weather, as long as it's not wet.  Plus we take care of the pets, pipes, plants, old people, and a new 'P' to protect...pools.

For the tailgaters before the Texans-Raiders game, it's supposed to be 33 degrees with a 20 mph north wind at 11:00.  The game starts at 3:30 CT.

It costs $65 to swap the tires on the rims. It'd be free if we had the snow tires on rims, but we don't. It takes quite a few changeovers to cover the cost of four wheels. On a 1997 Ford Contour with about 235,000 miles, it hasn't seemed like a wise investment.

Cold is easy, but ice is most definitely not nice. And most drivers around here are inexperienced when it comes to driving on snow or ice, so it gets chaotic quick. Hence the videos on YouTube. It happens so rarely that the fleets of snow removal equipment you see in places like Chicago just don't exist.

Stay safe and warm if you and Alita head out on the trails this morning.

I managed to get a run in yesterday after lunch.  It warmed up to 12.   I'm still learning how to dress appropriately.  I overdressed a bit but did pretty well.  I can't figure out how to protect my face.  I wore a buff but struggled to breathe through it and it got wet and then froze.  I finally just pulled it off but then my cheeks froze and the air was cold going into my lungs.

We're in for some interesting weather...stay safe over there.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:I don't know if I could handle going up 1,250 feet on a treadmill.  I just think the pressure on my ears may not allow it. 

We're presently sitting at 28 degrees.  I think we're supposed to be below 32 for 10 hours, so we have a freeze warning.  People about 50 miles north are to go down to 20.  The freeze line is just north of Galveston.

Subfreezing in Houston in any circumstance seems apocalyptic to me. 

Meanwhile, it got down to 12° in my neighborhood this morning (14° officially at the airport). Not record-setting cold, but pretty darn cold for these parts. I opted out of going on an adventure run since Friday is my rest day. 

Things are likely to get a lot worse before they get better. We have snow forecast to arrive late Saturday morning, dropping up to a couple inches of snow before it turns to freezing rain Saturday night and Sunday morning with up to a half inch ice accumulation. That'd mean impassable roads, downed trees and power outages over a wide area. There's even a chance I could end up stranded at work tomorrow night, even though I'll be driving the car with studded tires. Oh boy.

So our Sunday morning trail run is obviously off the table. We're hoping to do a trail run Saturday morning before things get nasty. It'll be a cold one, but not as cold as Friday morning. Hopefully.

Bumper cars!  How much does the tire place charge you to swap regular for studded tires.  I'm presuming the studs have their own wheels, so it's an easier and cheaper swap.

We can do cold weather, as long as it's not wet.  Plus we take care of the pets, pipes, plants, old people, and a new 'P' to protect...pools.

For the tailgaters before the Texans-Raiders game, it's supposed to be 33 degrees with a 20 mph north wind at 11:00.  The game starts at 3:30 CT.

It costs $65 to swap the tires on the rims. It'd be free if we had the snow tires on rims, but we don't. It takes quite a few changeovers to cover the cost of four wheels. On a 1997 Ford Contour with about 235,000 miles, it hasn't seemed like a wise investment.

Cold is easy, but ice is most definitely not nice. And most drivers around here are inexperienced when it comes to driving on snow or ice, so it gets chaotic quick. Hence the videos on YouTube. It happens so rarely that the fleets of snow removal equipment you see in places like Chicago just don't exist.

Stay safe and warm if you and Alita head out on the trails this morning.

I managed to get a run in yesterday after lunch.  It warmed up to 12.   I'm still learning how to dress appropriately.  I overdressed a bit but did pretty well.  I can't figure out how to protect my face.  I wore a buff but struggled to breathe through it and it got wet and then froze.  I finally just pulled it off but then my cheeks froze and the air was cold going into my lungs.

We're in for some interesting weather...stay safe over there.

It got down to 16 last night, so we decided that discretion was the better part of valor and scratched the trail run. I have gear that'll work in these conditions, but Alita doesn't. She'll do something on the treadmill later today. I'll need to figure out my options.

They're saying a couple inches of snow and up to .75 inch of ice, with gusty winds.