Ice, Snow, and 29K

I had a lot of time to reflect on my training experiences while running yesterday. Two hours and 53 minutes of time to be exact. This is what I've come up with. Training in the dead of winter and outside of a formal training clinic is just not the same. In fact, it's quite difficult. Thank goodness I had Peter for company. Or at least partial company. Peter has become quite fond of running with the iPod, so he hears maybe every second thing I say. If I happen to be behind him when I say it, he hears nothing. So the key difference is that 29K feels a lot longer without the distraction of several people to chat with and encourage you along the way. It also takes longer because of the lousy footing that the ice and snow provides - especially along the pathways. The routes available to run in the winter are fewer. So many of my favourite routes are not plowed this time of year. A few times yesterday we had to abandon the path for the road. It was hard to decide which was worse - the crummy footing on the pathway or the speeding cars on Colonel By that were clearly annoyed to see runners at the side of the road.
All of that aside, I am feeling stronger. The training is paying off. And next week I get to do 29K all over again. I'm mapping out a better route - a longer loop with less time spent on the paths or busy roads.