I haven’t gone for today’s run yet, but I’m taking the opportunity (while breakfast is settling) to write.

I ran yesterday; it was my first run in ten days. I’m still feeling the rhinovirus, but I believed I was ready to start training. I didn’t want to leap into this weekend’s workouts – 18 miles Saturday, 10 miles Sunday – without a test-run. I went for a run along the bike path in Pasco. The City plowed it a short while ago. (The section between the BNSF railroad bridge & Road 40 is the only cleared section.) It started snowing Thursday night, but I figured the snow would be light enough that I’d be able to run the bike path without trouble.Both the decision to run and the location were good choices. The path had less than an inch of snow on it. It appeared only one or two pedestrians had been on the path since the snow started. I don’t believe the snow slowed me down at all; given how many slow slogs through the snow I’ve endured recently, that was a relief.

The section I ran is 2.5 miles, so I had a decent 5-mile run to test my fitness. Those are decent mile paces for me. I am looking forward to today’s run, even though part of me is incredibly intimidated by the idea of running 18 miles.

I’d planned to run Owens Road, the course of the Jump Off Joe Marathon. Last weekend, it was mostly snow-free. I’ve decided to run here in town, though. I don’t want to be eight miles from the truck and feeling like I cannot run the eight miles back to the truck. I’m weary of running on asphalt, but I need to be patient – and it’s far better than doing this workout on a treadmill.

I plan to run along the river path in Richland. From the north end of Leslie Groves Park to where the bike path run adjacent to the I-182 bridge over the Yakima River is about 15 miles, round-trip. This path gives me access to bathrooms and water, just in case. I’d thought of running Owens Road tomorrow, just for the opportunity to run on gravel instead of asphalt. I can’t wait to get out on the trails!

This winter has been crazy. Between the weather and being sick, I’m concerned I won’t be adequately prepared for BMC50K. It looks like next week will bring daytime high temperatures above freezing, so it’s possible some of the snow will start to melt. I’m staying ever-hopeful. Time’s running short – seven weeks! – but I’m still going to give my all.