Xmas day stretch -- Tue. December 25th

What better way to work up an appetite for brunch and then a big roast dinner than to get out there onto the snowy trails? And to thank God for putting us here, on the day of gifts and infinite thanks? My way of celebrating, once we'd done the family opening of presents -- an exploratory run in my new trail shoes. The roads are all clear now, though the trails were still pretty deep in snow; quite hard work, in fact, on stretches that hadn't been snowmobiled. Temp. was just above freezing, except in shady hollows, and the milder weather had set a crust on top of the undisturbed snow. I did pretty much the same run I did a few weeks ago, both on foot and by bike: trails from GeoHannum, through Dave A.'s place across Federal, past the town beach and then along to the M&M crossing 9, but instead of Holland Glen follow 9 to the Gulf crossing (past the site of a nasty smash I saw on Xmas eve), down onto Federal and then rail trail back to Cheryl, with Federal and 9 to finish. Good mix of terrain and slopes and solid distance:

Time: 1:11:03
Distance: 8.61 miles
Speed: 7.3 mph

Comments: I knew it would be slow, so target was to better 7 mph. Right leg not numb, but stiff and then sore in calf and knee -- a strained small muscle, I think. And so tired -- the lack of sleep on Xmas night really making itself felt. Still, I'm glad to have gotten out, and it was a real adventure run: the new shoes definitely as grippy and comfortable as I'd hoped, once I got the lacing right.