4.45 miles
top of Franklin and back
19 degrees / feels like 10
50% snow-covered
Yes! What a difference it makes to run outside! It was cold, and I wore a lot of layers, but not nearly as cold as I thought it was going to be. According to the experts, an arctic hellscape blast is headed our way for 7-10 days in the beginning of February. Possibly -20. I wonder what the feels like temp will be? More treadmill, I guess. But, that also means more Dickinson, so it’s not all bad. The run felt good. My hands and feet weren’t too cold. I didn’t have my headphones on as I ran north, but when I turned around, I decided to put them in. One problem: it was so bright, I couldn’t see the screen to find a playlist. After trying for a few minutes without success, I just pushed a few random buttons and listened to whatever came on. I’m not sure what kind of playlist/shuffle it was on, but it started with Gerry Mulligan’s “Israel,” and I was really enjoying it. I like reading and writing while listening to jazz, but I’ve never tried running to it! A new experiment? Seeing how my run changes with different rhythms? That sounds like fun!
Layers
- 1 pair of socks
- 2 pairs of running tights
- 1 long tank top
- 1 green base layer shirt
- 1 black 3/4 zip black pull-over
- 1 pink jacket with hood
- black vest
- buff
- 2 pairs of gloves
- cap with ear flaps
I’ve decided to refresh my memory on past poems that I’ve memorized in the past. My tentative goal for the year? 100 memorized poems. I’m about halfway there, if I can remember all the ones I’ve already memorized. Today, I revisited Dickinson’s “We Grow Accustomed to the Dark.” I love this poem and how it gives me words for my experiences with vision loss. Throughout the run, I recited it in my head. Favorite verse today:
Either the Darkness alters –
Or something in the sight
Adjusts itself to Midnight
And Life steps almost straight.
In terms of (re)memorizing poems, I think I’ll start with the vision ones first. They might inspire me in my own writing. I’ve decided on this project because memorizing poems makes me feel good, and it’s one of the more effective ways for me to study poetry as craft. Plus, I’ve been working for months on my own poems, and I’d like to devote some attention to other peoples’ words.
10 Things I Noticed
- the classic: a lone black glove, abandoned on the middle of the path
- the river: all white, covered with snow
- some kids sledding down the hill between edmund and the river road
- cigarette smoke invading my nose, escaped from a truck
- Dave the Daily walker (who I good morninged) was in more than his standard short-sleeved t-shirt. He had on a stocking cap, gloves, and something long-sleeved — a shirt, or a coat? I can’t remember
- a chipper was set up in the grass between edmund and the river road, near minnehaha academy, rumbling and grinding and buzzing
- a group of 4 or 5 fat tires
- a biker approaching with their bike light on
- the floodplain forest was white with tall, brown, slender trunks
- someone in bright orange, sitting on a bench above the river, almost to franklin