Andrew and I joined several dozen Anderson Hills church friends doing fall outdoor yard cleanup at homes in Anderson and Mt. Washington. The first two photos are of my son's adventures on a roof of one of our clients. He was more brave than me.
And after we were all done, this little funny.
That was my choice this morning. A balmy 25 degrees made for a perfect morning. But there was still fresh snow on the ground, and even where the sidewalks had been cleared, it was only a small path.
I could have stayed in and run the treadmill. But that's not the same as outside in the fresh air. So I ran, and ran outdoors.3rd Street and the rest of downtown (2 photos) wasn't so bad, but anywhere near the stadiums and over the river was a mess - unshoveled, unplowed. The Purple People Bridge (photo) - 6 inches. The levee in Newport (photo) - 3 inches.Running 3 miles in 3-6 inches of snow is like running 5 miles on dry pavement, I'm convinced. Your legs work harder to get good traction, and your ankles and knees have to work harder to get balance on every step.Glad I did it.A gym workout tomorrow (4 degrees is the forecast low), followed by a 12-mile run Saturday morning with the ECHO group.
Even though I've now got bona fide snow legs, I have no interest in running outdoors when the sidewalks and streets are icy and slushy, at best.
7 inches of snow on the ground meant an off-day yesterday (save for 3 moderate-level shoveling workouts) and a 3-1/2 mile treadmill run today. Hoping at least the sidewalks are clear by tomorrow morning. I'm eager to get back on the streets, even if the temp is in the teens, as forecast. Be safe out there, Cincinnati!
Just an hour before kickoff of what would later turn out to be one of the most satisfying Super Bowls ever, I took a stroll on Anderson Township's 5 Mile Trail.
I don't often do Sunday runs, but given the pleasant weather today (30 degrees, no wind) and the impending snow threat for Tuesday and Wednesday, I figured today was my pick-day for at least the next few. The 5 Mile Trail parallels and then extends beyond the end of 5 Mile Road - hence its name. In truth, the Trail is only 4 miles long, but the hills (between 100 and 200 ft in elevation) add significantly to the challenge. I hadn't run the nicely-paved Trail since last summer, and then I could not run the length of the Trail back and forth without pulling up for a walk. Now I can. Today I beat the Trail. 4 miles in under 36 minutes, non-stop. Another small victory.
As good as it gets in winter here in Cincinnati: upper 20's with no wind. I took this picture at 7:10am outside my building at 3rd and Walnut. The building you see in the photo is the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and the small speck of light at the top right is the moon, peeking through a layer of thin clouds that are preceding a winter blast of rain, ice and snow that's supposed to start here late tonight. Might make a mess of weekend running plans. Nice to get 4 miles in this morning and still be at work by 8:15am.
.... no matter how often I think I could run their store better than they run it.
