Snow Horse

When the television news announced, Thursday afternoon, that there was a massive storm heading towards the tri-county area, and that the storm front was to dump massive amounts of snow, I giggled with glee. Late Thursday night, I sat in Chili’s watching the snow began to fall.


I really do love snow storms. The best part is when the television news shows “those crazy runners” out in Washington and Cheesman Parks, running in the snow. Layers of Lycra and fleece keeping them warm yet sinewy. I want to be one of those sinewy, stretchy runners gliding through the snow packed streets.



What I imagine...



The snow fell for fifty-two straight hours. I was chopping at the bit to suit up and head out. After homework was done, that is. My chances to tromp through the falling show fell through as I watched the sun come out through my office window and I still had a textbook in my hand. “Fine! No big deal, I’ll complete this four page essay and then head out.” On Sunday afternoon I sat at my coffee shoppe, proof reading my essay. I had one eye on the page, the other on the people running by, coming from the park. I couldn’t take it anymore as I slammed shut the computer and headed to my car to suit up.

 

What I look like...



Changing like superman into my lycra super suit I bolted up the city blocks to the park. The streets were almost dry and I was giddy with excitement as the thirty degree air burned my nostrils. I jumped onto the parks running trail and was quickly met with packed snow. “No problem,” I thought, “this is soft to run on, like the bounce of a treadmill.” Soon I found that the packed snow had melted somewhat then re-frozen as other runners have tramped it down. The divots and uneven surface made it harder and harder to run smoothly. Halfway around the park I begin to feel like War Horse, running through the muddy trenches of No Man’s Land . One wrong step and I might have twisted an ankle. Or thrown a shoe.

Exhausted of the uneven stride, and the horse analogies, I clomped back to the main street and made my way back to my car. What lesson did our protagonist learn? Go for a run first. Before every other runner has time to pack down the snow, homework can wait.