the Way of the Turtle

MOONLIGHT IN THE WINTER WOODS
8 Mile Run in the Pine Bush
Monday, January 21, 2008

Once in a while, delays work out for the best. My plan for today was to get out for a rare winter run in daylight, but between distractions in Rochester, a 4 hour drive home, and distractions in Albany, it ended up being 7:30 PM before I finally was able to hit the trails. Just as well... if I'd run during the day I would have missed an absolutely gorgeous night.

It was cold and clear, with a full or nearly full moon... and with the moonlight reflecting off the snow I barely needed my headlamp for much of the run. There's nothing quite like being out in the woods on a moonlit winter night, with the light streaming down through the trees. I wish I'd brought my camera... I don't know that any pictures would have come out, but if they did I'd have some pretty cool shots.

I had originally thought to take my snowshoes, but the trail was so solidly packed that I didn't need them and ended up using my screw shoes instead. They worked great... I ran over packed snow, some loose snow, frozen sand, ice... and never once felt any loss of traction.

One of the nice things about fairly cold nights (cold enough that my hands hurt after a few minutes without gloves, and cold enough that the sweat I was generating froze on the surface of my windbreaker) is that my usual tendency to overdress actually works out, and I end up being fairly comfortable for most of the run.

On my way into the woods I heard an owl hoot repeatedly... I wonder if its the same one I saw several years ago when I was XC skiing one afternoon?

I definitely started feeling the distance toward the end, though not as much as last Wednesday's run on the city sidewalks... maybe I'm starting to get my legs back! (I hope so... the Pittsfield snowshoe half marathon is only 8 weeks away!)

JMH