There aren't too many colors left out there. Snow, crusty ice, dark evergreens, steel gray sky, birches...
Rosalea and I left the house at the same time but our routes parted after a few minutes when I turned off at the Maranacook Trails. There were 4-5" of snow with an icy crust that stabbed at my ankles through my thick socks. Maybe gaiters would be good next time, just for some extra protection. With much crashing and rattling, I broke trail up to the yellow blazes, where, amazingly, I saw a couple of folks walking along, and I hopped onto their tracks as I passed them.
Within 10-15 minutes I was already having some trouble with the shin and decided to try to walk for a minute to reset. I tried a few times to run again, but the discomfort was getting kind of intense. Hmmm. Well, it was gray and white and gorgeous out, threatening to rain. I decided to just hike and absorb some gray vibes, and, humbled again by the environments mere existence, to think.
I haven't run much on unpacked snow and I knew that today's excursion would be experimental, but I didn't really anticipate that I'd end up walking almost the whole time. Why did running hurt to a greater to degree than walking? I realized that at the end of each stride, when the back toe normally would push off, it was slipping as it left the ground. This caused the springing action in the ankle to get out of whack, and to overspring. I think is what pissed off the shin. Fucking annoying, but I suppose this is all part of the scenario. Not the end of the world...right?
As I walked along, I thought and mused and brainstormed on the inner mechanics of a leg/foot, and on a surface that is basically snow, and on the combination of these things. One theory I encountered, as I tried to answer the "why does this make my shin hurt" conundrum, was that perhaps I am working that specific area too hard. Perhaps my strength issue is higher up, some sort of posture issue maybe. Maybe it's, like, an abs thing, or an back thing. Hell, why not?! I could double my abs/back stuff just in case. Or, I could run not on slippery snow for a little while. Or both. Or something. I don't know.
I was otherwise comfy, and had overdressed just enough to be warm enough at a brisk, and very loud, walk. Feet were not even cold/wet, somehow. The lack of color and plentiful boundless solitude were a soothing combination. I decided to stay out for a while and ponder (and ponder) and ponder as I crested Suicide Hill and circled the blank field. Love.
As I emerged back at the road, a less-than-cold rain began to fall, and I carefully began to run the half mile home.
Other than trying out some of the stuff I recently eavesdropped from R's IronStrength thing, it has been a humble afternoon of ice and rest and searching...Searching for something that will inform and affirm my potential decision to go play at Bradbury tomorrow...
~60 minutes of mostly walking
~3 miles
~Two long sleeved fleece layers, pants, cotton hippie hat, gloves. Brooks Cascadia 6 with thick Smartwool socks as usual.
~About 26 degrees, 4-5" inches crusty snow, gray skies, some icy rain
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