Week between Christmas & New Year – 23^rd thru January 2^nd – unexpectedly (first time ever) workplace stayed closed, restarting production after the New Year.  Count it: 10 days off (including weekends).  FAAANNNNTASTIC!

GREAT to have extra time over the holidays.  10 days though, this body gets antsy.  Too late to coordinate a family trip but ’nuff time to late-register for a holiday-week marathon 🙂  The Huff, a 50K trail run in rural Indiana…in winter.  Hmmm.

Early Friday a.m. flight to Indianapolis, 2+ hour drive to Columbia City.  13 degrees & overcast.  Breakfast/lunch/brunch – 5am day start, 2-hour (Eastern) clock jump, time for Indiana food.  Snow & colder temps expected 2^nd half of day.

Bib pick-up at the print shop which produced our swag shirts.  LOVE the Midwest – friendliest folks in the U.S. ❤

Hotel check-in – one gal shop.  Same friendly face answered the phone, mopped the front lobby (lotta traveller tracks) AND pushed snow outta handicap parking.  Was there in the morning when I checked out too.  Give that lady a raise!  WOW!

Dinner-dined at Chapman’s, directly ‘cross from the County Courthouse.  Standing-room only in this 6-table diner.  THE place for eats in downtown Columbia City.  Cajun shrimp bowl – tasty, filled the gut.  Back on the road, mile-half hotel return, 3 inches of fresh powder. Parked the rental, cranked room heat to HIGH (ice had formed on window inside).  COLD blustery nite.

Saturday race day.  Woke early, scraped & warmed the car.  30-45 minute drive to Chain O’ Lakes Park in Albion.  Winter wonderland.

Arrived 10 minutes til Race Start.  2 degrees above zero & SNOW.  THIS is when runners wear spikes – which unfortunately, I failed to pack.  Gonna be a Slip & Slide kinda day.  2-lap course, Drop Bag in the Main Tent, food & change of socks awaiting.

Chain O’Lakes State Park: Beautiful wooded trails, difficult weathered terrain.  Fresh snow covered long up-n-down stretches of melted/refrozen ice.  Tough slow-going trek & C-O-L-D ❄

iPod froze, no music.  iPhone froze – one pic, one choppy video.  C-O-L-D.

2^nd water bottle on my hydration vest FROZE SOLID, only 8 miles in.  3 Aid Stations.  Remember the third one best – HUGE bon fire.  Camped there 15-20 minutes & drank slushy Coke (only liquid which didn’t freeze in the sub-zero wind).  5 miles more.

Back in the Main Tent, located my Drop Bag & worked off my shoes.  Cheeks & beard coated in ice.  Slurred speech.  Tongue stopped working.  This is CRAZY.  What am I doing?  50 yards into the 2^nd lap, I turned back.  Told the race officials, no mas.  Penciled my name on a handwritten list (yep, their pen had frozen – HA!).  DNF.  [More than 50% of today’s field did the same.]

McDonald’s splash bath & a large order of fries.  Happy to be on my way HOME.  Tough way to end the year.

Hey now – no tears here.  Kickin’ off 2018 with FAMILY on the Big Island, Hawaii.

Sis’ birthday run (Hilo to Volcano 50K) just 7 days away.  4000ft climb (ocean-to-mountain).  H-U-G-E !

The Huff (short clip before iPhone froze)