Double Digits

I broke into the double digit mileage on Saturday morning with a group run of 10 miles. Had I arrived at Kensington Metro Park on time, I would have actually run with a group, but instead I arrived unfashionably late and attempted to play catch-up spotting the rest of the crew a half hour. The park and its 8-mile loop around frozen Kent Lake, provided the most serene and picturesque environment I've had an opportunity to run in. A light snow the previous night blanketed the trees and made for numerous post card moments. I even saw a couple soaring hawks looking to brunch on some critters. I made it through the 90 minute run without once stopping at a red light, breathing bus fumes, or being flagged down by a transient in search of a buyer for his half-drunken bottle of juice (all or which occurs on a regular basis). While I've had a blast running through the city, it was a welcomed relief for a change of scenery. I've found that many of the common complaints about training in freezing temperatures have merit. Many of these complaints are often coupled with my own musings about why it is that I live in Michigan and endure 6 months of winter. Saturday's absolutely gorgeous run, put to rest, at least for 90 minutes, these thoughts. I was bummed that I didn't have a camera on hand to share some of the sights. I'm not bummed, however, about the fact that my body feels surprisingly good. I've got some thoughts about that that I'll share a little later.