What Winter?

You call this winter?

I’m reluctant to mock Old Man Winter lest he unleash a blizzard upon me but only two minor snow storms and mild temperatures all winter have resulted in bare trails here in eastern Massachusetts. That’s the good news. The bad news is I haven’t been able to enjoy them. My back sort of went south after running the Hamster Wheel 6 Hour Ultra in early November. Since then I’ve only run a few times, and not a step in the past seven weeks.

All this down time has me guessing about what direction I want to take in 2016. Should I continue to try for a return to running or finally pull the plug? It’s been my passion for nearly 50 years but running with constant pain or discomfort has taken away much of the enjoyment. I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a multi-day coastal ride or a long multi-state hike for a long time.  Perhaps this will be the year.