Run Grampy Run: QualifyGrampyQualify Part XIX - Crazy? It depends on your point of view.

Let me begin with a definition of winter running:

Running in the cold and dark
Running in the snow
Running stuffed like a sausage into multiple layers of technical fabric
Running with a nose feels an obligation to run while I the whole time that I run
Running with wire coils strapped to your shoes for traction
Running with water bottles that freeze, if fortunate into and icy slush or if not so lucky into solid blocks of ice

It is January 25th and I remember now why I usually do not train for a spring marathon. I usually do a nice "short" half-marathon in April. I do not intend to minimize the accomplishments of half marathoners but there is simply a huge difference in training miles required to train for a marathon vs. my usual "just finish and don't worry about the time" spring-time half-marathon effort.

Adding to that the goal of preparing to qualify for Boston and we are talking about some serious mileage here. Think about running from St. Louis to Chicago and almost back to St. Louis kind of mileage. Think about over 120 hours running mostly in the dark and cold and on snowy, nose running winter days. Crazy you say? Yes we freely admit to being a bit, nay quite warped.

On the 15th, a friend, visiting from Chicago decided to head out with me at 6:30 AM as I got the training group started on a 13.1 mile run through 6 inches of snow. (I had run the previous day so as to be able to spend time with Susan and our friends for our anniversary.) His comment was: "I'd like to go because I have never had the opportunity to see 50 crazy people together all at the same time."

Fast forward to last Saturday, as we finished our ten mile run in 8-9 inches of loose snow I saw something that reminded me of old adage: "Everyone in the world is quite mad, except for me and thee. And sometimes I have my doubts about thee."

As we returned to the parking lot what did we see but a whole gaggle of crazies, even crazier than we runners, for they were playing softball in the snow. Yes, softball, a game where much time is spent standing about waiting for some action. At least runners are always moving, generating body heat, even to the point of sweating. As I stood my my car, stripping sweaty layers of shirts down to bare skin and putting on a dry shirt I asked myself: What would possess someone to play softball on a cold snowy winder morning? What possible advantage could there be playing snow softball?

A quandry. But there surely are some advantages. Okay, I thought, the ball wouldn't roll far once it hits the ground. Also, sliding into base probably is easier in the snow. But I finally decided that the biggest advantage is that snow softball players don't have to tote a cooler to keep the beer cold. If you are lugging 10 pounds, it's 10 pounds of beer. No cooler, no ice just beer! And you can slip your can into a pile of snow while you're at bat and it's still icy cold on your return.

And for the spectators there is a wonderful advantage. The teams are highly unlikely to play shirts and skins. So often in the hot summer months there is simply too much skin on a ball field, especially considering how much beer the typical softball player consumes. (I apologize for the generalization.) I didn't want to sick around long enough to get an action shot, but here is photographic proof that there are folks crazier than runners.