A Run in the Snow

One of my favorites things to do, as a runner, is run in the snow.  Not snow on the ground but falling snow.  

Why?  Probably because everything has to time out perfectly for me to get a run in the falling snow.  We have to get snow, which happens rarely in Nashville.  A snowfall has to happen when I am already at home, preferably during the afternoon or early evening.  I have to be at home, too.

Yesterday, on Martin Luther King Day, we awoke to three or four inches of snow on the ground and more snow falling from the sky.  Not big, wet flakes, but smaller, harder flakes, almost like ice crystals.  It was too cold for a wet, snowball packing snow.  Still, snow is snow, and Jude and the boys were excited to be out of school.  

Because it's quite literally the only true neighborhood coffee shop in town, Portland Brew was almost the only coffee shop open in Nashville.  Reduced hours (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.) but still, open for business and serving its full menu of breakfast and lunch items.  I fired up the truck and Jude, the boys, and I drove down to Portland Brew - in falling snow - where we ate breakfast and played Hearts for almost two hours. Great fun!

After we returned home, the snow starting falling harder.  I walked upstairs and into JP's room, where he was sitting at his desk as he prepared to do some school work.  He smiled when I said, "You want one?"  That's code for "I'm going for a run.  Do you want to go?"  

"Let's go," he replied.  And we did.  4 + beautiful miles in 14 degree weather.  

Because it was so cold, I wore running tights and layered up under my orange REI cold weather running jacket.  With great pride, I retrieved my old school, purple Bill Rodgers cold weather running jacket from the closet in the office and had JP try it on for size.  It's a little big for him but it fit close enough for him to wear it on our run.  It's a fantastic jacket - probably 30 years old - and I've run in temperatures as low as 8 degrees while wearing it.  I've always wanted to give it to JP, so watching him run in it was special.

As we began our run, it was pretty damn cold.  He returned to the house before we really got started to get a pair of sunglasses to keep the snow out of his eyes.  We ran up Belmont Boulevard to Portland Avenue, across 21st Avenue, and all the way up Fairfax before circling back.  As we neared the house, we detoured on to Belmont's campus and ran the loop around the green space and the fountains.  

No music during the run and not a lot of conversation, although I pointed out that in my view, running in cold, snowy weather is what separates runners.  Hard core, dedicated runners are formed the crucible of foul weather running and running on days when you don't feel like running.  Anyone can run when it's 55 degrees and sunny outside.  

Just the sound of our footsteps in the snow, as we ran down the middle of the street.  The pace was easy, so neither of us was breathing hard.  I felt like we could run forever which, as any runner knows, is the best feeling.

Top 10 run all time?  Because of the falling snow, low temperatures, and, more importantly, sharing with JP his inaugural run in the snow, I would say yes.  Top 10 run and one I will remember forever.