Ah yes, winter is upon us. The winter wonderland that Mother Nature dropped upon us last week put a crimp on some running, I’m sure. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit on the couch and watch the Vikings all day. (I taped the game “Vikings 28 Packers 27″ and watched it later) 

On Saturday we had 7 people on the Centennial Trail snow shoeing our way to a good sweat. It is only the 3rd time I’ve ever done it, but it does have some nice advantages. Easy to learn, fairly inexpensive and a good workout. We went about 3 miles, up and down, taking turns leading. It was a beautiful day for a group outing, we took full advantage of it. David Martin and Karrie Johnson joined us for the first time and seemed to enjoy themselves. Lisa Gustin, Paulette Kirby and Gary Haven are using it as a springboard for a possible run at the Badlands Primal Quest to be held next August. Randy Ericksen and I just went along for the fun, and to keep the muscles well oiled.

Sunday morning saw 8 of us back for more, this time to cross country ski. I did quite a bit of this back in the 80’s, (still using the same skis) but have only done it a couple of times in the past 10 years. Dave and Karrie were back for more, either they liked it yesterday, or they are gluttons for punishment. Paulette, Gary Haven and I also returned, and were joined by Meg Warder, Lisa Christensen and Patrick Gilcrease. The first half mile was a challenge for a couple of us, I went down a dozen or so times before I got my legs under me. Once that was behind me, I only fell 5-6 times per mile. Good thing the snow was deep and fluffy, no damage! We went about 5 miles at an easy pace, waiting for the stragglers (me) and enjoying another beautiful day. I’m sure I’ll be sore tomorrow, but that is a good thing. Using muscles that haven’t been used for awhile is always beneficial. And while I’m not running as much this month, I still need to get my endorphin fix once in awhile.

If you would like to join us next time, check out the club website (blackhillsrunnersclub.com) and join our yahoo email group. We send weekly emails letting everyone know what is going on. And who knows, you just might end up joining the club. Dave Martin did, and he admitted he is not really a runner. That’s ok though, for us it is more about fun and fellowship than it is about how good you are.

Gary