Beauty in the Extremes

I ran outside today, despite low temps and crazy winds (20-25 mph) and have to say this was an absolutely beautiful run.  One of my favorites, I’d have to say.  I’d periodically look out over the snowy fields (well, ice covered snow since we had freezing rain over the weekend) and marvel at the dusting of snow being whipped over them.  The sun was marvelously bright, making the blowing snow look like rapids (not kidding).  I took pleasure in some of the interesting snow drifts that the recent winds had carved out.  Nature can create such intricate and delicate things!

Beautiful!

 
Sometimes (all too often) I get too wrapped up in the temp/the windchill/the forecast to appreciate the beauty that is Minnesota winter.  The beauty that I think only extremes can give you. 

Note: while taking this, the car in the background spun out. No joke.  We checked on him and he was fine, thank goodness!  Guess extremes are also dangerous, since if I would have been running there…

It was also a gorgeous mental run for me.  I thought about my goals for the year and thought a lot about how this run was making me stronger.  I thought about Ron Daws’ book and how he trained through even colder conditions and how that toughness helped him make an Olympic Team.  I thought about Dick Beardsley and how he trained on Boston’s hills in the snow in order to make himself tougher. 🙂

Thanks to Nate for picking me up and for snapping these pictures!