Frostbite 15k Race Report

The race that wasn't.

Eight of us piled into one big truck and headed down to race on Sunday morning. Sure, it had been snowing, sure we could barely drive the snowy roads, sure they weren't expecting the snow to end any time soon.

But we are New England runners--hard core and determined. (and also maybe stupid?) We were sure that any race set for mid-January would go off no matter what. Why else hold a race in January, after all? Of course there might be a little chill in the air, a little snow on the ground, a little ice here and there! But what's 10 inches of driving snow among friends?

Apparently the Rayhnam police did not concur. They shut the race down. We were deflated.

Fuck them. We decided to run the race anyway. We found a few runners from other clubs and set out. The footing was, well, not very good. We were determined, however. We may be running 9 minutes per mile, but we were going to run, damn it!

It was actually very beautiful outside. The snow was the heavy, wet type, and it covered the tree branches in thick clumps. I tried to appreciate it, and the company of other, like-minded crazy people who think it's normal to run 10 + miles in a snowstorm. The snow had really accumulated by the time we had run about 7 miles. It became increasingly difficult to getting footing, and most of us stupidly didn't have yaktraks on (or whatever those things are called). We slipped all over the place, tried not to curse, and finally made it back to the race start.

It was a disappointment not to race. I was feeling the need to suck wind violently and really hurt. However, even had the race gone off I wouldn't have been able to really race it. sad, sad, sad.

I've never wanted to move to the south more than I have wanted to this winter. I'm a Mainer, born and bred, and a little wintertime weather doesn't usually affect me that much. But it's been a bitterly cold and snowy winter so far in New England. And it's only mid-January. We have a long way to go.

Next up: Boston Prep 16 Miler. I haven't run more than 11 at one time since--- ummmmmm. Since a long, long time. This race should be interesting! I'm hoping to finish with my chin up. That would be good.