A quiet winter (so far)

My winter running has been very tame. I actually took about a 3 week break from running entirely, just focusing on cross-training and (primarily) rest. This little break gave me renewed vigor to get back out these last two weeks of the year. I'm now within 20 miles of my goal mileage for the year, so I'm pretty confident that I should be able to knock those miles out before the ball drops on New Year's Eve.

I will share some of the few runs I've been doing in the last couple months since my last update.

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On October 16, I did a short recovery run after my long effort on the 12th. I got a little more than 6 miles at Homestead Ranch Park, a quiet little gem on the prairie. This park features a small mesa with rocky outcroppings, and rolling fields up top. The park itself isn't very big; 4 miles for the whole upper loop.

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On October 20th, I returned to the park for another couple loops of the gorgeous top mesa, totaling 8 miles.

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On October 22nd, I ran 8 miles at the Spruce Meadows loop, with oncoming clouds topping the distant buttes.

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On October 28th, I returned to Spruce Meadows after the snowstorm and tackled another sunset loop for 8 miles.

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On October 31st, I took a pre-sunrise run at Palmer Park, adding 8 miles to my yearly total, and great nighttime views at Grandview Overlook.

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On November 9th, I took a sunset run at Bluestem Prairie Open Space. This was a new location for me, and it was a windy and chilly evening. I finished up my 8 miles in the dark, with my fingers freezing just enough to cause annoyance but not concern.

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After I took my little break from running, I returned to do 8 miles at Ramah State Wildlife Area on December 10th.

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Finally, yesterday, December 14th, I returned to Homestead Ranch Park for 8 miles after our latest snowstorm. The park was every bit as pretty in the snow as it was earlier in the year.

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I look forward to completing my mileage for the year within the next couple weeks, and posting my yearly summary after that.

It's definitely been a different year. I hope this update finds you all well and in good spirits. I hope to rejoin friends out on the trails sometime next year.