Nowhere to Run to, Baby

For all the veterans of any Boston Marathons out there, I ask you - is this the toughest season of weather we've ever had to train in in advance of the April Classic?  It certainly seems that way for us E Streeters.
Freezing temperatures day in, day out (with today FINALLY cracking that streak)

Incessant snowfall

Icy roadways

Disappearing sidewalks.

What's a runner to do?

Funny you should ask.

Early this morning, myself and fellow marathoner Barry Scanlon had to get creative for our training run.   So we took to the pathways of the Lowell Cemetery.

Virgin (a word that should never be used in a conversation about Barry and I) snow lay over all the streets within the cemetery, providing some simply breathtaking snowscapes.

Believe me, we do our damndest to hit the streets, but when there's no road shoulders, huge puddles, and lots of car drivers blinded by the solar glare, sometimes we're better off Hiding on the Backstreets.

Ask Lowell historian Dick Howe, and he'll tell you, the cemetery loops are a peaceful and educational snapshot of our region's history, and when you're the only live bodies winding through its passageways, it provides a serene and welcoming respite from the treacherous streets.

Sure, cemetery runs aren't your bag if you're looking for the long mileage, but for the maintenance miles we need to log between the LSDs (runners know what I'm talking about), a cemetery stretch might be just what the run doctor ordered.