In blizzard and through slush, we ran and skied
The first snowstorm of the season brought challenges and opportunities to the upper Midwest. For me, it meant tricky running, even trickier driving and early season skiing.
Although I was aware of the forecast for Saturday (snow, drizzle, freezing rain and more snow; the order to be determined), I had made up my mind to run the 32nd annual Stevens Point Frostbite 10 Mile at noon. Still, I waited to register until the morning of the race. Of course at 10 a.m. when I did that, the pavement was still clear and dry. An hour later, nearly blizzard conditions had moved in.
For the more than 400 of us (three-fourths of whom were smart enough to run the 5-mile option), every step on the course required negotiation. Was it better to follow the tire tracks or find traction in the unblemished inch-deep white stuff on the far sides of the road? If you wore glasses, as I do and must, was it better to carry the fogged up lenses in one gloved hand, or peer over the top of the frames and through the snowy haze? And once your eyelids froze together, did it really matter?
I’ve run trail races in thunderstorms that were easier. But as sore as I still am, especially my feet, I feel stronger for surviving the aptly named Frostbite.
Sunday warmed to just above freezing, so some of that snow was lost to those of us who also cross-country ski. Still, a public golf course in the Fox Valley beckoned. There were slushy spots that slowed down my waxless rock skis. But rather than a gruesome slog, the first ski outing of the ski season was quite pleasant. Again, my feet hurt inside those combi boots, but I knew I was waking them and my legs up to skiing once again.
I can imagine the classic tracks now criss-crossing that golf course are icy and abrasive. But with another snowfall, which could come mid-week, they’ll be inviting once again.
– Joel Patenaude