Even though I’m on vacation this week, I still went over to Melrose for our Tuesday Night Club Run.

About a dozen people showed up and I think six of us ran. It was the smallest club run that I can recall. Even when we had sub-zero wind chill and blowing snow, we still had more than 20 people show up for a Sunday Long Run one February day a few years ago.

We had a white Christmas in much of New England and 3-4 inches in the GBA. While sidewalks may have been shoveled or plowed, the sun turned many areas into patches of treacherous ice.

With narrowed slippery streets, we had to switch between roads and sidewalks for safety sake. We did not take any chances with cars. If they had the light, we let them go even if we may have had time to cross. I know that’s a little unusual for Bostonians!

Tuesday Night Hard Easy Run

I called this a hard easy run because we ran about a 12 minute pace, but we had to be very careful. Several times my running mate and I slipped on a patch of ice.

We had to be constantly on the look out for ice. If we were on the side of the road we had to be vigilant of any cars. Even with lights and reflective vests, we could not be sure they saw us, cared, or were capable of seeing us.

With hard packed snow and lumps of frozen snow and ice everywhere we also had to pay attention to where our feet landed. This stuff makes it easy to twist an ankle or just go down. I’m not a kid anymore so there’s not as much bounce and give in these bones as there used to be.

After eating and drinking for an extended Christmas weekend, it felt good to get out in the fresh air and stretch the legs.

We didn’t go fast and we didn’t go far. But we got out, had a nice run and a bit of conversation.

This was probably my last run for 2017, and definitely my last out side run for the year. I may go into the office on Thursday or Friday and use the gym. A good 10K on the treadmill and a core workout would be a great way to finish off the year!

Run well my Friends, and be careful out there!

Andy