Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Running at Dawn, Part II

This past weekend I flew to Pittsburgh to visit my parents. Anytime I have a Monday off, I plan a Pittsburgh trip, and since my one of my sisters and her family live in Cleveland, a mere two hour drive from my parents' house, it's usually a two for one deal, which suits me just fine. I get antsy if I can't see my parents and my sister at least once a month.

And since my sister had a baby - and my very first niece - last year, I have been making these trips far more often to smother this little girl with presents and love.

Can't get enough of this face

It was a fabulous weekend, as they always are.

But the thing about traveling right now is that I am training for a half-marathon this coming May, so I am starting to run some pretty long distances. And, since training doesn't care about trips, late nights, or changes in schedule, I knew I had to get a run in while I was in Pittsburgh. A six mile run to be exact.

Since we had planned to drive to Cleveland on Sunday morning for the day, I didn't have much of a choice but to wake up for a 6am run before we left.

So I did.

It seems that I have a bit of an affinity for early morning runs these days, because after the shock and slight annoyance of my alarm going off at the crack of dawn, I thoroughly enjoyed my morning run through my favorite city in the world. It had snowed a couple inches on Saturday night, and flurries were still falling as I made my way out of the house.

For a long while I was the only one out on the roads, except for a few other runners who were obviously training for the same race I am.

And, since I love Pittsburgh, and especially love running Pittsburgh, I couldn't help but capture some shots of the stillness and beauty of my early morning jaunt.










5 comments:

  1. Good for you, keep up the great work! I used to love running when it was cold. Too hot is way worse ;)

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  2. The snow looks really pretty!! Being a Southern California girl, I've never ran in snow, and I have a question for you (because my fiancé is from the East, and there's a *slight* chance we'll move to a snowy climate in our future). I was in Madison, WI last winter, and I didn't have boots, so I just walked around in my running shoes all week, but I found myself slipping and sliding all over the roads and sidewalks. So my question to you is: How do you run in snow? Do you run *in* the snow? Or the middle of the road where there isn't as much ice? Or do you just sort of gain the ability to run on slippery surfaces? I've seriously been pondering this for the last couple years, 'cause running is my life, and I'm so scared I won't be able to do it if we ever move to the East coast.

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    1. Winter running is my absolute favorite. I grew up in Pittsburgh, went to college in Boston, and have now settled in New York, so I'm no stranger to the snow. In the snow and ice you have to run a little slower, and I usually run in the street since it's way less icy than the sidewalks. Running in the actual snow is a little like running in the sand. Very hard, and not all that good for your knees, so sticking to the street is better. The first few times are kind of tricky, but you get the hang of it really fast. There is absolutely nothing like an early morning run when there is a little snow falling. It makes you feel like you are the only person on earth. Wishing you lots of luck if you find yourself on the east coast!

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    2. Ahhh....thanks! I was hoping you'd say it's something you get used to. It really does sound peaceful running in a softly snowing morning. I enjoy my drizzle runs, so I imagine I'd enjoy the snowy ones too!

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