Sink Holes

The temperature dropped below freezing again and a fresh coat of snow covers the landscape ... again. But not before the Enthusiast and I got some good mileage in our running logs.

Friday after work, we went to Oak Hill Trail in Peninsula, Ohio, to run a short loop. The Enthusiast has never run trails, but she wants to start. This gave her a little taste.

Last week's thaw had cleared away the snow from everywhere -- everywhere except the actual trail where we ran. A thick ice crust remained on our path, likely the result of winter trail runners who were not shut in from the wicked winter.

Where there wasn't snow, we encountered sink holes that threatened each step. Our shoes were quickly caked in mud as we trekked around the 1.5-mile loop. The Enthusiast is enthusiastic to return and improve on her budding trail running skills.

Sunday, we awoke early and hit the neighborhoods for a long run, returning to the hitherto on-hiatus Cleveland Half Marathon plan. Our run was the same five-mile route I ran the previous Sunday, but this time there were no snowy obstacles.

I pushed the Enthusiast a little bit on the final mile, to which she responded with a lefthand roundhouse punch to my left shoulder. "Oh, it felt good," she later said, while recounting the story to her mother. Still, she finished the long run strong, and she's poised for a good week this week, despite another cold snap.