Old Man Winter is a................

So it is in Oklahoma that winter decides to come on full force during the time of year when all sane people have had all of the barren landscape and desolate temperatures that they can stand.  Old Man Winter’s gift last week was the second most significant blizzard in the state’s history.  What a joy! 

I used to love the snow when I was younger because it usually meant a reprieve from the oppressive hand of the educational system.  In fact, I credit a significant snow storm that occurred during my junior year in college for some great grades because all of my finals got cancelled.  However, as an adult, snow and ice causes everything in my professional life to become chaos.  Winter weather is a phenomenon that every city manager fears!   Whenever it is present, the roads have to be cleared, motorists have to be helped, and fires have to be put out.  This week certainly lived up to the hype.  The public works crews spent every day clearing the roads (which were the best in the area by the way – my guys ROCK!) the police department had to round up any available four wheel drives to make it through the snow drifts, and one of the worst structure fires in decades occurred (more than likely the result of a wood burning stove).      

Needless to say, it caused a lot of work.  All I really wanted to do was strap on my snowboard and tie a ski rope to the Police Department’s T-Rex (the T-Rex is an all terrain vehicle that was generously loaned to the Guthrie PD to break up any shenanigans that may be occurring in the woods at one of our lakes) and have the Police Chief pull me through the streets of Guthrie.  Fortunately, my better judgment shined through because that probably would have been frowned uponJ.  We did spend a lot of time in the chief’s truck helping stranded motorists and observing which roads were passable and which ones weren’t. 

By Wednesday, I was tired of being cooped up and really needed to get a run in since the marathon is just around the corner.  Since the YMCA was closed due to weather, I decided to brave to frigid air and test fate.  I threw on more clothes than I think I have ever worn including four pair of pants, two pair of socks, two shirts, two hats, two pair of gloves, a face warmer, and a coat.  I must have added at least 100 pound to my weight.  I only slipped once and thankfully didn’t fall.  I did break the record for my coldest run as it was 8 degrees and my previous best was 18.  I went seven miles and it really wasn’t too bad. 

Saturday’s run was another story.  It was my last long run in preparation for the marathon and I had to do at least 20.  I decided I was going to try and run at Mitch Park and the Coffee Creek Trail in Edmond.  I had to leave my trusty running partner Toby Dogg at home because I just didn’t think his little paws could handle four hours of snow and ice. Even though he whined and whimpered, I knew it was the best.  He is still kind of pouting about it and gives me the stink eye any time he looks my way. 

 The run was one of the most difficult runs I have ever experienced.  The trails were still covered in snow so I spent the first five miles high stepping before I got to the neighborhood roads in Coffee Creek.  This just sucked the energy out of me and I felt like I had run double the amount that I had.  The Coffee Creek roads weren’t too bad until it started to warm up and the ice turned to slush and started filling my shoes with wet, frosty misery.  I toughed it out until mile 15 and then packed up and went to the Y to finish the adventure.  That was a wise decision and I ended up going a total of 23.3 miles which is the second farthest I have ever run. 

I realize that I didn’t really have it that bad.  I didn’t get stuck, I didn’t lose electricity, none of my family had an accident, and I wasn’t stuck in my house.  Nonetheless, I wish to give Old Man Winter a nice send off with a one finger salute because the groundhog did not see his shadow and that means it is time for an early spring.  Stay Warm!