Captain (Snow) Crunch

Miles today: 4.9

Miles this week: 8.1

Miles in 2010: 126.9

I kind of think of Jeff, my boss, as the Captain of the ship at Riverside Runners. He's been at the helm since the store started nine years ago and he is so good at his job. He knows so much about running a business, selling shoes, and taking care of customers. He's really good with words and always explains himself really well. He spends lots of time meeting and talking with people who want to make a difference by putting on races in their communities. He works with lots of different venues in Lynchburg to help promote wellness and fitness in the community. He sponsors and puts on a bunch of different running events for many great causes. He's dedicated and confident. I really enjoy working for him...and even more than that, I love, love, LOVE that he supports my running project. It makes me feel like I actually have credibility. When he put the link to Project 365 on the Riverside Runners website, I was pumped.

Tonight, when I was getting ready to leave work to go for my run, Jeff got back to the store and was dressed in his running gear. That meant one thing: he was running with me!

We headed out into the blustery weather, which had picked up since earlier in the afternoon...and big huge wet snowflakes were falling down. The porch, stairs, and sidewalks were all covered and the roads were beginning to cover too...

I haven't run with Jeff since Monday, January 4...when I wrote about the Buddy System and my Cold Weather Gear Debut. Since then, we've been pretty busy at the store and then bombed with snow...so I've been getting my miles in and I haven't had a chance to run with him.

It was really fun to run with him tonight. There are several reasons:

A. Jeff is fun to talk to while running because he always has something interesting to say. (For instance, we talked about barefoot running, my recent falling history, reflective vests, etc...)

B. Jeff knows a lot about running and it makes it interesting.

C. Jeff hasn't been running a lot, so he's not going all out crazy and it feels pretty comfortable to run with him.

D. Jeff always makes me wear a reflective vest when I run with him...even though I oppose it. But then I'm always safe.

Those are just some of the reasons. Anyway, we ran down Rivermont to Oakwood Country Club, through the parking lot, and then decided to head down Peakland, too. I was suprised we would do the whole 5 miles, partially because of the weather and partially because I thought he'd want to go easy, but he pushed through and we made it all the way to the end of Peakland and then turned around and came back.

We talked a little about how some people aren't very good at shovelling their sidewalks, ran some on the road, and just kind of enjoyed the run.

It was fun to be out when the weather was kind of bad because it always feels good to hear fresh snow crunching beneath your sneakers and the feeling of snow flakes in your throat as you inhale them. Jeff's a great running partner. I'm glad I work for him.

The pictures are of us on the porch at Riverside Runners after our run. 

PS: I read somewhere that: "It is not legal for pedestrians to walk or jog in the street if a sidewalk is available." Interesting.