A Thank You Letter to Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature,

Thank you for sparing Boston from the early morning snowstorm that hit the mid-Atlantic Saturday morning. The forecast at the beginning of the week brought back memories of that first big storm last January. My stomach dropped at the thought that like last year, we might not see dry pavement again until mid-March.

But at least for this morning, we were spared. Our smaller than usual Run to End Alzheimer’s team headed out for a run in the biting, but dry air.

I understand that training for the Boston Marathon in New England comes with the risk of having to run in difficult conditions. Runners have the option to figure out how to tolerate the snow, ice, wind and cold, or learn to love the treadmill. I don’t really like winter, even when not training. But having a goal at the end of it helps me get through, even if it mean running in the dark on a cold Thursday morning.

I do prefer continuing to run outside, even when the weather adds an additional challenge to an already daunting workout. It makes me enjoy a cup of coffee and a hot shower even more than I normally would. And maybe it makes me feel like a bit of a badass to know I finished 8 miles before most of the rest of the neighborhood has woken up.

Sometimes though, if the weather challenges impact my safety, I’d rather play it smart and retreat to a treadmill. And while that’s fine on occasion, I will do everything I can to avoid the treadmill for 1) a long run and 2) and extended number of runs in a row.

While I’m sure we have not been spared for the rest of the winter, I thank you, Mother Nature, for giving me one more weekend to make a hard run easier.

Always cold,
Chrissy