Denver only got 7″ of snow, but the running trails are covered in semi-hard pack and ice. Looks like today will be a treadmill day. I have been using the treadmills in the gym when weather doesn’t permit an outside run. So far I have been lucky that the treadmill days turn out to be the days I run six miles. Six on the treadmill is a lot easier than six on the hills.
I’ve settled into a routine of two miles on Mondays, four miles on Wednesdays, six miles on Fridays, and light free-form intervals on Sundays. Running six every other day didn’t give me enough time to recover between runs. I’m still a novice at this, but I have been learning a lot watching real runners on the trails. I have been watching stride, form, how they use intervals, and course changes to train. I get a lot of encouragement from these people, even though I have never actually spoken to any of them. Whether it’s a nod, or a thumbs up from the younger runners I pass going the opposite direction, or an “oooooyeah!” from a person my age. Every bit of the encouragement, and common bond is appreciated.