Two Hundred Twelve

January 2, 2015
7.40 Miles in 1:15:06
Mood: Slushy
Soundtrack: The Mediocre Show / LCS Hockey Show

This is the run that almost didn't happen. Denver was covered in snow, and I knew that there wouldn't be many great places to run without slogging through a sloppy slushy nasty icy mess. It was pretty cold to boot, so the idea of heading out for a run was less enthralling than normal. At the same time, I hadn't run since Monday, and it was now Friday. I was going through running withdrawal, and I needed an endorphin fix.

My solution was to make this a road trip run. I was hoping that I'd find dryer streets and sidewalks in the Denver Tech Center, because for some reason I thought that might be a good place to go. I made my way to Park Meadows Mall because I had a Christmas gift that I needed to return because it didn't fit. I quickly made my return, looked at the snow that was basically everywhere, and came thisclose to just driving home before I decided that I should just bite the bullet and start running.

The run that followed was a lot of me running on semi-busy streets because the sidewalks were swamped with snow, slopping through puddles of slush, putting up with icy winds, and generally not finding too many great places to run. By the time I was finished I was tired, cold, wet footed, and more than ready to call it a day. It wasn't anywhere close to a great run, and my speed was ironically glacial, as when you're running on snow it's hard to get going very fast. Even though for the most part, I wasn't terribly happy with the conditions in which I found myself (winter sucks), I still felt pretty good once it was all over. Getting some exercise, even cold wet wintry exercise, tends to feel good when it's been longer than normal.

The picture from this run comes from the first half mile. I ran to the spot where you can cross the highway and also look down upon the mall parking lot. I amused myself by taking the glass elevator which was silly since I was getting exercise, and the stairs weren't all that steep. I did it because I enjoy a glass elevator experience and will take any and all opportunities to ride one when they arrive. When I got to the top, I thought that the grate of the highway bridge made the parking lot look kind of cool, I also liked the mountains in the background and the giant pile of snow in one of the few places that was well plowed. Blizzards come and go, but the mall parking lot must remain clear for commerce!