12th week
tscha ... a crummy run, no pics. I had planned on getting over the 40km hump, and maybe stretching it to 50 if I was feeling up to it. Things were actually going well up to about the 22km point, felt strong, had gone up a couple steep climbs. But I did a dumb thing and went off the path I was on and into the woods, along what at first looked like a doable deer trail, leading off in the general direction I wanted to go.
We were at higher elevation and it was getting very cold, down in the teens fahrenheit, with a good wind blowing. There was also quite a lot of snow and I found myself running along a very steep grade, way to steep to just ascend to the top, where there's a hiking trail, and too treacherous to go straight down, where there's basically nothing but forest anyway. So I kept pushing forward, following deer tracks.
Leni of course loved it. She thought we were hunting the deer.
But it got really difficult, and my feet became frozen solid, shoes full of snow. I wasn't running, I could barely walk, and spent a lot of time picking myself up out of the snow. And because I wasn't running, yet was dressed for running ie layered but light, and I was sweaty, I started getting chilled.
It was pretty adventurous. Could have been beautiful, too, if I weren't so preoccupied with just getting out of there. And when I finally did get out of the woods, after a good 100m of almost vertical climb, and tried to run -- no way. My feet felt terrible and I started getting cramps in my inner thighs. And snow blindness was making me feel nauseous.
So I called my wife and told her she'd have to come get me. First time that's ever happened!
It took a good half hour for her to get to me. I did walk to a rustic restaurant in the area and waited inside, but it was too warm and I started feeling sick. Leni knew I didn't feel well, she kept trying to hop up on me and lick my face, which actually felt comforting. I was totally relieved when I saw my wife pull into the parking lot!
Got home, went straight into the hot shower and that's where I felt how hypothermic I really was. My feet and hands were hurting, and blue. So I got into bed, fell straight asleep ... and feel all right now, phew!
I am so sick of winter but there doesn't seem to be a change coming any time soon.
tscha ... a crummy run, no pics. I had planned on getting over the 40km hump, and maybe stretching it to 50 if I was feeling up to it. Things were actually going well up to about the 22km point, felt strong, had gone up a couple steep climbs. But I did a dumb thing and went off the path I was on and into the woods, along what at first looked like a doable deer trail, leading off in the general direction I wanted to go.
We were at higher elevation and it was getting very cold, down in the teens fahrenheit, with a good wind blowing. There was also quite a lot of snow and I found myself running along a very steep grade, way to steep to just ascend to the top, where there's a hiking trail, and too treacherous to go straight down, where there's basically nothing but forest anyway. So I kept pushing forward, following deer tracks.
Leni of course loved it. She thought we were hunting the deer.
But it got really difficult, and my feet became frozen solid, shoes full of snow. I wasn't running, I could barely walk, and spent a lot of time picking myself up out of the snow. And because I wasn't running, yet was dressed for running ie layered but light, and I was sweaty, I started getting chilled.
It was pretty adventurous. Could have been beautiful, too, if I weren't so preoccupied with just getting out of there. And when I finally did get out of the woods, after a good 100m of almost vertical climb, and tried to run -- no way. My feet felt terrible and I started getting cramps in my inner thighs. And snow blindness was making me feel nauseous.
So I called my wife and told her she'd have to come get me. First time that's ever happened!
It took a good half hour for her to get to me. I did walk to a rustic restaurant in the area and waited inside, but it was too warm and I started feeling sick. Leni knew I didn't feel well, she kept trying to hop up on me and lick my face, which actually felt comforting. I was totally relieved when I saw my wife pull into the parking lot!
Got home, went straight into the hot shower and that's where I felt how hypothermic I really was. My feet and hands were hurting, and blue. So I got into bed, fell straight asleep ... and feel all right now, phew!
I am so sick of winter but there doesn't seem to be a change coming any time soon.