Slippin' and Slidin' Away

I can't believe how quickly it gets dark in the winter in Ontario!!!  I left work today at 4pm and it was still quite light.  I picked up my mom and the girls and we got home just before 5pm to head out for my second run of 2013.  While I was putting my shoes on it was still a bit light, by the time I got 300m away from home and onto the main road it was really dark!!!  I do not like to run on sidewalks in good weather and in the winter it is near impossible because even if people have shoveled there is usually still ice that hasn't been cleared properly.  It just gets too dangerous.  Tonight I found myself running down two quite busy roads in the dark.  I have never been so thankful for my little flashing clip on light and bright yellow reflective vest.  It's not like I have never run in the dark or in the winter but today it just seemed extra dark.  Most drivers are pretty good about moving over an extra bit and I make sure to stay very close to the curb so I felt safe for most of the run.  The thing I was very aware of though is that one lane of the road is much wider than the other and my trip back home was on the narrow side.  Everything was fine until the bus came along!!  I decided that the space between the curb and the bus was going to be too close for comfort.  I jumped onto the curb and of course right into the deepest pile of snow I could find.  Oh well at least I was safe!!!  The rest of the run was uneventful and despite the major ice on the side streets leading back to home I made it here in one piece.

Run number two of the year was a success and I feel much better having finished it.  I have kept my distance the same for the past two runs but Saturday I'm going to try to increase a bit.  I would love to be able to run that 8k on my birthday that I was planning to.  After all if you add the numbers of my age together they will make eight!