Distance today = 51.57 km; Total distance = 18,464.80 km; Location = Worndorf – 47 59.250′ N, 09 00.328′ E; Start time = 0824, Finish time = 1646

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/288820779

It was back to a snow covered landscape today – surprisingly so, at this time of year. My Garmin registered a temperature of -3.7C this morning while I was running, and that was when it was being warmed by the palm of my hand. I suspect the real temperature was closer to -10C.

I generally don’t mind running in these conditions, but there was a slight headwind, which drove the light snow directly into my face. Each time a snow flake hit my eyes, it felt like a small pinprick in my eyeball.

I was stopped by a German policewoman, who told me it was too dangerous to run on that road during a snow fall. She spoke excellent English, and was very polite, pointing out there was a cycle path only about 50 metres away. I hadn’t seen it, as it was totally white, like the rest of the countryside.

Luckily, there were many different cycle paths along my route today, and I didn’t have to run on the road too much. On one occasion when I did, I found it was easier to “ski” down a hill, than to run. The road was smooth, and the snow reduced the friction to almost zero. I simply slid my feet along the side of the road, like cross-country skiers do. I reckon I was moving about twice my normal speed for a short while.

My feet were quite wet from an early stage, and in these conditions, they spent pretty much the whole day at around freezing point. When that happens, there’s no real deterrent to running through the snow. I regularly plodded through deep snow drifts, as I knew my feet couldn’t get any colder than there were.

I finished with a good total, and had quite an enjoyable day in retrospect, considering the conditions. We had trouble again with accommodation. The first choice was closed because it was a Monday. The second choice had recently ceased to be a hotel. We finally found a very pleasant abode for the night – something that’s even more important when the snow is getting heavier outside.