The Last Thing on Your Mind

There's snow point in me trying to change your mind about winter right now. Icy you out there, shoveling every day, cursing the neighbors who cover your car right back up the second you clear it out. I know it's been making commutes twice as long - at best - and forcing a lot my training buddies inside to the Dreadmill. 

As for me, I'm feeling more like Edward Snowed-In than Edward Harms these days. However, I do not run inside. In 2.5 years of marathon training, 0 runs on the treadmill (and thankfully 0 slips on the ice!). 

Recently, I've been risking narrow one-way streets and playing my own personal game of Frogger as I 'commute' to work the fastest way possible - on my own two legs. I hop snowbanks, typically making it only 1-2 miles before I finally mis-judge a puddle and end up soaking at least one foot completely. Before I can get to any sort of bike path (hoping someone's cleared it), I have to trudge a little over 2 miles, stopping every 50 yards to let another pedestrian by, wait for lights, or just to try to plan out my next 50 yards when I'm faced with an impassable wall. 

If, like me, you depend on the T to get to work...better start running.

But I'm out there.

And my MR8 teammates are out there. 

Not much room for 1 car, let alone 1 car + 1 runner

My other CharityTeams families - The Shawn Thornton Foundation, Team JAF, Flutie's Team, The NE Patriots Foundation, Last Call Foundation, The Journey Forward - they're all out there just the same. 

In conditions like this: 

"Snow for 120 minutes" = hours

Nearly every day. 

And I have to admit, at the end of the day, I still like the snow. I can't really even explain why at this point. But last night, on the way back from my Quiz For A Cause (HUGE thank you, by the way, to everyone who came out - I raised $268 with only 6 out of 17 teams actually participating in the QFAC! Next time more participation = more cash prizes = more cash for MR8!), I decided to walk back (only 2 miles) to my apartment, because the snow legitimately makes me so happy. I find myself grinning at points, again, no idea why, but it just puts me in such a good mood. When the sun is out and it's cold and/or windy, I can't stand it. But put me in a snowstorm and almost always I find myself taking off my hood and walking with my eyes toward the sky rather than the ice below my feet, as I probably should be doing. 

At this point, if you know me, you knew I was a weird guy, so I know what you're thinking. 

But to all my running friends, all the ones with #Fthesnow in their facebook statuses, here's what I'll promise you: 

1. You'll make it to the starting line, AND the finish line, of the 118th running of the Boston Marathon. Whether we have another 4 feet between now and then, or not another flake (not near a window, but I think it's snowing right now, by the way), you'll make it.

2. The snow will make you stronger. I know it feels like it's wearing you down, tiring you quicker, slowing your pace, forcing you inside or to do cross training instead - and you're right, but at the same time, you're getting tougher.

3. April 20th, 2015 will be one of the best days of your life. 

4. I'll be there at the finish line, cheering you on, offering hugs, pounds, and high fives (depending on sweatiness level), just dishing out daps left and right. 

5. The last thing on your mind will be the snow. That's a promise. 

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/EdHarms/bostonmarathon2015