Snowdog!

Who knew when we moved South we would still get snow? I'd like to think of it as one of the benefits of increasing global climate instability. While I do not miss lingering cold I do miss the snow...and was pleased when not once but TWICE last week Atlanta was graced with white stuff.

The first night, I was the first to make it home to let the girls out. They were eager as usual to go out...but as I told Tilley, you are so excited and you don't even know why. I told her her head might pop off when she got outside to see what was going on. She didn't notice all that much in the parking lot, until we got to the road leading down to the park and she looked at the 2 or so inches of snow and her eyes bugged out like, what the hell! She quickened her pace and between the two of them I felt like I was being led down the Iditarod course by a whole team of huskies...not just one corgi and one aged corgi mix.

When we got to the playground, I unclipped their leashes and...EXPLOSION! Laika skipped around and Tilley took off like a shot. She stuck her nose in it, caught snowflakes on her tongue, and rolled in it. I threw snowballs for her to catch and it was much fun. John got home about an hour later and it was starting to rain, so went out for a quick jaunt as the snow started to fade.

On Saturday, MORE! They were calling for 1-2 then 2-4 and things were really promising while we were at the Chiropractors. We headed home after a quick stop for a new pair of cushy wool socks at Performance, and I got ready to head out with Tilley on a run. I was on target to do something over 7 miles, so arranged for John to come pick up Miss Tilley at about 40 minutes in. I am always skeptical of my layering ability and sure enough spent the first half mile going oohhhhhh crap I am going to freeze. The snow and cold were combining to sting my face, the roads were wet, and it was windy. We pressed on and sure enough we both warmed up. I looked down at first and Tilley was all squinty into the snow....but grinning ear to ear! We headed along the road (versus taking the trail behind the park since NO ONE was out) towards Riverside drive. I was shocked to see only one other runner and two walkers the whole time we were out. Atlanta is such a running town, but when it's sloppy weather, people HIDE. No running. No grocery stores. Restaurants close. It's hilarious.


We ran along the river and enjoyed snowy views and snowy geese, and Tilley had a blast part of the way offleash chasing snowballs she was kicking up by running with her nose in the grass. We headed down Old Riverside and a friendly toot of the horn behind us brought John; I had him pull ahead a few minutes until we got to the bend back on Riverside. I had a Carb-boom at 52 minutes in, and a quick kiss, and Tilley got into the warm car. I was tempted...but pressed on home alone in the cold. John said later that Tilley was standing up looking out the back of the car going WE CAN'T LEAVE MOM! I had my phone in the event that it went badly but by the time I got into a groove again, I was fine. I traced back the little set of footprints and pawprints back towards the apartment (with a quick stop by the Trout Unlimited sign - a client!) and all was well...until about the last :10 when I had to stop and stretch because everything, and I mean everything, tightened up. I made it back to the gate and ran just a few seconds past it to hit an even 1:36 and a shade over 7.4 miles. That's the longest I have run since...September 2004. On to next weekend's long run!