'Snow Joke

It snowed here on Friday (Feb. 5th). Mother Nature provided the first REAL snowstorm of the year. School canceled for both my kids and myself, so we had a terrific "found" day of extra time. I generally prefer to power through the school schedule without any snow days, and particularly with this winter being so mild, I was really looking forward to getting finished with school in early June. Now, one snow day isn't going to mess that up too much, but hopefully this isn't a trend that will net many more days off and longer lessons in June.
That being said, the snow day was both relaxing and busy. Relaxing in the fact that I didn't have to rush my gang out the door at a frantic pace to get to school and work. Relaxing in the fact that I could take my time going from project to project at home that I've put off for months. Relaxing in the fact that I was able to log in to my work Google account and correct student work while watching the snow pile up outside. I managed to get many little things accomplished which was great. It was a relief to get a jump start on weekend chores so that I didn't have to spend my entire weekend cleaning the house and doing laundry and other mundane stuff. 

Post-snowstorm view looking down my driveway.

We ventured out in to the snow in the afternoon when the storm was over. We received a good 6 inches or so, a bit more than what was forecasted for our region. It was a bit of a surprise to see so much of the white stuff, since it has been so mild all winter. I didn't end up running on this snow day, even though I woke up early enough to get to the gym, as the snowfall was already under way, and it seemed like it might not be the best decision.
We pretty much just hunkered down for the day, aside from some outdoor play and shoveling. The nice thing about the storm is that it warmed up a bit after and the sun came out. Perfect for being outside in the white stuff.

Day after the storm, LEGO headquarters in my town.

Still feeling the effects of the storm on Saturday, I figured a trip to the gym was in order to get in some treadmill time. Most of the morning was spent cleaning, and the early afternoon brought trips to the sporting good store (for ski paraphernalia) and Costco. In my Facebook feed earlier in the day, I saw that my running buddies from Michigan, the famous Cass River Runners, were gearing up for their town's winter race, the Winterlauffe. When I was in Michigan in October hanging out with these delightful folks, they invited me to return for the winter race (a 5K, I think it is). It was super sweet of them to ask me to join them for another run, but I knew I probably couldn't swing it, with all the other races still to conquer in my 50 states quest. So while I was going about my chores and errands, Riley, one of the gang, messaged me to let me know that they were thinking about me and that I was missed at the event. It was really nice to know that they remembered me and still considered me part of the crew. My back and forth messages with Riley throughout the afternoon inspired me to run my miles outside instead of in, and I rushed home after the Costco trip to bundle up and bang out a 5.5 miler on one of my regular routes.

Winterlauffe selfie!

It was glorious! I adore outdoor running so much more than the treadmill variety (who doesn't?), and the weather was just perfect for it! Despite the snow all around, the sun was out and the temps were in the low 40's with light winds. Not bad for February. I ran in my lightweight hiking shoes to better help navigate any snow covered sidewalks (there weren't many, but it was a good decision for the areas that were). The cool fresh air was exhilarating and my legs felt happy to be out moving. My own private Winterlauffe, I joked with my Michigan friends. Just what I needed!
I don't know what the rest of the winter will bring, but I do know that if the temperatures cooperate, I'm happy to get out there and get those miles in! Little Rock is only one month away, and I'd actually like to train for this race after not being able to train so much for the last one in Austin. May the groundhog's prediction be accurate, and may the sunny days ahead continue.