It's All Relative

Roanoke, VA
28°F
Light Freezing Rain
Wind: E at 8 mph
Humidity: 55%

This is what I awoke to this morning.

It seems a weather front decided to hang a right and finally pay us a visit. As I've indicated before, our winter this year has pretty much been justification for the global warming theories which abound - upper 60's just last week.

But not today.

And so, it would have been very easy to call Bill and bail on our scheduled run. But then I recalled a recent post by one of my blogging buddies - Lisa, from Michigan.

Michigan as you know, is much further north than Virginia and has Canada, along with 4 of the 5 Great Lakes for neighbors. As a result, the regular Arctic blasts and renowned lake effect weather patterns create a unique climatic phenomenon whereby only three seasons exist - June, July and Winter.

They actually have snowmobile road signs there for crying out loud!

So anyway as I reflected on her post and the conditions she has to run in, I realized I was being a lightweight. And so out the door I went and as Bill and I covered the 4 plus miles in the steady rain and sleet, I recalled Lisa's profound observations:

* Don't try to breathe through your nose in 14 degrees. You could kill yourself from the frozen snot stuck in your nose.

* When dodging ice, who cares how you look? The point is to stay upright. If you manage that, the hell with everything else.

* Don't mind those who stare at you from their warm cars. They don't get it.

* Hot chocolate is a powerful motivator.

* Buy a neck warmer. My chin was frozen.

* Be careful when removing your frozen ski cap. I almost put out an eye when my hair became frozen and sharp.

Thanks for the tips Lisa!

“He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity.” - Cesare Pavese