Winter break … Long live winter …

Sunday, February 1, 2009
Meters rowed: 6,529
Time: 30:00
Pace: 1 minute @ sub-1:50 @ 5,10,15,20,25 minutes
Total Meters Rowed * 298,115

Break in the weather today. Clear blue skies. Sunny.  Not really warm but so what it feels like it is after the past two weeks. Loud gurgling in the gutters that frame the boathouse, the melted snow gushing in a steady stream out the spout and down the driveway and into the Woodspring. I threw open the boathouse doors with glee, put on the sunglasses just for fun and after four days away did a combo long-row with hard sprints every five minutes. Maybe I could blow away the remnants of that sinus infection, too. Or maybe not. But overall, a great, great pull.

Of course, all this going on about a break in the weather is from a guy who loves winter.  I truly do. I have nearly eight years lived in Alaska as my bona fides. I loved running outside at 20-, 30-, occasionally even 40-below zero. Jack London! Robert Service! Give me the snap in the air. The squeaky squeal of running shoes on Styrofoam-like, hollowed-out snow. The facemask frozen to the beard at the end of a 40-minute run in the 3 p.m. darkness.

All of which means that despite today’s wonderful winter timeout , tomorrow on Groundhog Day I’ll be rooting for Punxsutawney Phil to see his shadow and give us six more weeks of winter.

* As of September 12, 2008