Notes

-All the snow from the storm is melted. We don't have winters like we used to.

-Went out and did a McNaughton loop in 2:15 last weekend. Feet held up, things are steadily getting back to normal. Trails out there were in great shape, some mud in low spots, but not bad overall, creek was up, so wet feet. Much fun on the hills. This is a good sign.

-Yesterday I saw a large eagle sitting about 20 yards into a tilled corn field on Lancaster Road west of Bartonville. This is the first large eagle I have ever seen sitting in a tilled corn field in winter.

-I started reading "Mishima's Sword" by Christopher Ross. Ross travels to Japan in search of the samurai sword with which Yukio Mishima's head was severed with while becoming the last person in Japan to commit Sepukko. So far a fascinating read, particularly for those interested in Japanese Samurai culture (I am) or Mishima's life and writing. (Snyd, you out there?)

-Finished reading "Working Retrievers" by Tom Quinn, a most beautiful book on field training Retriever breeds. Everything you need to know elegantly laid out. I have this fantasy of turning Zoe into a working birddog, but realistically, there isn't time, nor probably bloodline, but what a fun thought. I'll have to settle for running with her.

Soundtrack: Court and Spark, "Witch Season"

Da Deer Run Run 2006 Edition

A monk asked Tung-shan: "When cold and heat come along, how can I avoid them?"

Tung-shan said: "Why not go where there is neither cold nor heat?"

"Where is there cold nor heat?"

Tung shan said: "When it is cold, let the cold kill you. When it is hot, let the heat kill you."

Not fatal, but brisk. Da Deer Run Run is one of my favorite events. Again we had snow on the course, a nice 5 or 6 inch base that was packed down spit slick in some spots, mushy and churned up in others for those of us toward the middle of the pack. Bitter cold of the past few days had let up some, but it was still mid-20s with strong winds, certainly pushing wind chills down toward zero, especially in the level areas near the lake. I happily finished in 51:10 and hit the hot soup. Fun run.

Snow

We got our first seasonal taste of snow with a relatively early winter storm. By yesterday afternoon I was out in the woods postholing through 8"-20" (drifts) of virgin snow. Sun had arrived making the ice glint diamond-like on branches creating a prism effect. Running was tough with some areas drifted to a couple of feet, but it's always magical hitting the trails with first snow, the effort only serving to amplify the senses. Saw rabbit, deer, coon, coyote tracks, a few small does and a good sized antlered buck, eight point or so, that jumped off trail into thick underbrush, somehow managing to evade the shotgun so far. Good training for Deer Run, Run next weekend. Last year I remember there being a good snowpack on the trails, and I'm hoping so again.

Soundtrack: Jayhawks, "Hollywood Town Hall" Good mood music for a winter day.