Watching the Winter Olympics recently had me thinking a little more than usual about the hazards of running on the ice and snow.

So did the fact that I recently took a spill while doing so.

It was a spill that reminded me that in running, as in life, it is often the little things that trip us up.

In my case, it was a relatively small golf-ball-sized chunk of ice that caused me to take a spill during a recent Saturday morning long run. Fortunately I did not suffer any injuries, as my fall was cushioned by a snow bank and the numerous layers of clothing that I was wearing to ward off the cold. But I did get a powerful reminder that “ice balls” are something to watch out for when running or walking outdoors in the winter.

Cold, snow, and ice are most often seen as the biggest hazards of winter running. But I have found that unassuming ice balls often can be every bit as dangerous.

Part of the reason for this is that their small size makes them easy to overlook. With our eyes peeled for the bigger sheets of ice and banks of snow to avoid, it can be easy to miss an ice ball.

Another reason that ice balls can be so dangerous is because of the stride that we often have to shift into when running outdoors in the winter. It is a stride that I recently heard referred to as the Wisconsin Shuffle. It involves shortening our stride and lowering our leg-lift as a way of maintaining better traction.

While the Wisconsin Shuffle helps to prevent us from slipping on the ice and snow, it makes us more vulnerable to the dangers of ice balls. Instead of running over them we bump into them. This becomes a problem when ice balls are frozen onto the road or sidewalk–as they often are–because that way they can easily trip us up.

So I have learned that it’s best to avoid ice balls when running outdoors in the winter. They often look harmless but actually are like little land mines just waiting to trip us up.

Just as I have learned that in life it’s best to avoid the little temptations that can often trip us up. Things such as the little taste of something that we best not eat or drink; the little look at something that best not get our attention; the little bit of gossip or negativity that best not come out of our mouth; and so on.

Sometimes evil does its work through knockout punches. But oftentimes it’s through sneaky little “love taps” that feel good at the time but eventually wear us down.

That is why I do my best to keep an eye out for the little things that can trip me up, such as ice balls.

Super Bowl Sunday seems like a good time to share about one of my all-time-favorite commercials.

I love it not so much for its humor or creativity but for the kind of dog that it features–corgis.

The commercial I am referring to aired several weeks ago and features Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers as a dog-walker with a bunch of corgis. When Jake from State Farm asks him “Why corgis?” Aaron replies: “Spirit animal.”

I am not a big enough fan of Aaron Rodgers to know if he actually has corgis. And I am not “new-agey” enough to ever call them my spirit animal.

But I am a big enough of a corgi-lover to know that they do make a wonderful companion.

One of the best ways I’ve heard them described is by a friend who works at an animal shelter. She is not a corgi owner herself. But as someone who has been around them and many other types of dogs, she says that they have a certain “corg-atude.”

Which in my experience is to say that they are a nice mix of fun, friendly, and feisty. They are small in stature but big in heart and toughness.

On our morning walk today, for example, Caleb’s response to the icy conditions and 10-below-zero cold was to roll on his back in it.

In this photo, he was playing some football just minutes after a morning walk when the air temperature was 20 below zero.

Aaron Rodgers’ “spirit animal” may not be getting any air time or playing time during today’s Super Bowl, but that will never stop them from having a good time regardless of the conditions!

Watching the Winter Olympics has me thinking a little more than usual about the challenges of winter running.

By that I mean running outdoors in a cold climate such as here in west-central Wisconsin.

In a number of ways, the cold, ice, and snow that come with winter in a northern climate add even more challenge to an already challenging activity. I have a friend who is a 2:28 marathoner and former college running coach who likes to say that running through a cold, snowy winter is “poor man’s altitude training.” Meaning that the challenge of it whips us into shape the way that training in mountainous high altitudes can build our cardiovascular fitness.

Based on my experience this makes total sense. I have had some of my best races over the years in early spring after building a strong base by running through the snow and cold.

Similarly, there also are a number of running observers who believe that training through challenging winter conditions is why northern climates have historically produced so many good distance runners.

So sometimes if I catch myself complaining about having to run through the ice, snow, and cold, I remind myself that rather than suffering I am building my fitness through “poor man’s altitude training.”

While most of us here in the Northland will never participate in the Winter Olympics, we can get ourselves into “Olympic” shape by running through a cold, snowy winter!

Starting with the first winter I spent with him–as shown in the photo with this post–my buddy Caleb has always enjoyed walking up snow mountains.

When I say snow mountains I mean the big piles formed when snow is plowed to the ends of driveways and parking lots.

Pretty much every morning and evening on our walks during the winter Caleb makes a beeline to the top of these piles.

I’m not exactly sure what he enjoys about walking along the top of them and, being a dog, he’s not talkin’.

Sometimes I think the attraction is that being up high on a snow mountain is a welcome vantage point to a dog such as a Corgi that is built so low to the ground.

I’m not so sure that’s it, though, because Caleb does much more sniffing than looking when he’s on top of a snow mountain.

My guess is that his attraction to them is not so much that they offer him a better view of the world but rather that they offer him a new place to look for “treats.” Treats meaning anything that is “edible”—oftentimes rabbit poop—that is buried in the snow.

While I will always find it quite repulsive to see Caleb rooting for such disgusting “food” sources, I have to say that this winter it fills me with joy to see him doing so.

That is because for several months during this past summer and fall Caleb was having quite a bit of trouble walking, let alone climbing hills. During a week-long visit in late August to the family lake place he threw his back out by going up and down too many stairs.

Stairs can be hard on short-legged corgis so I have always done my best to carry Caleb up and down them. But during this particular visit I let him get out of my sight one too many times and he wound up going up and down too many stairs.

Caleb strained his back bad enough that for several long weeks he had quite a bit of trouble walking. There were more than a few times when I had my doubts that he’d ever regain his mobility.

Well, I am happy to report that after several anxious months and visits to the vet, Caleb is back climbing snow mountains again. I said many prayers during the ordeal, doing my best to ask not just for Caleb’s recovery but for God’s guidance on how to best navigate the challenge.

One of the challenges that I faced the past few weeks—along with many other folks, I am sure—is holiday stress. As joyful as the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season can be, it has a way of stressing us out as well.

At least the commercial side of it, anyway. When I get too wrapped up in trying to find the perfect gift, the perfect ornament, the perfect treat, the perfect companions, or the perfect whatever else I think will make my holidays bright, I start to lose sight of the true gift of Christmas and get stressed out.

I was feeling a pretty big wave of this holiday-induced stress one particular evening as I wrapped gifts, packed my bags, and made a trip to the grocery store.

Which is why I found special comfort in the Bible verse I read the following morning during my daily prayer and meditation time:

“I am content with weaknesses…for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”—2 Corinthians 12:10

Reading that verse was a timely, wonderful reminder of the true gift of Christmas: A Savior who came into this world and comes into our lives most freely and fully when we are in the midst of struggles.

What a wonderful gift it is to have a God who is there for us when we are feeling stressed out, down and out, or otherwise faced with adversity, strengthening us to climb those mountains and other mountains placed in our path.

One recent morning on my daily run I wore a safety vest for the first time in a long time.

It’s a reflective, neon-green vest that I won several years ago as a door prize at a running club banquet and that until recently I had never worn before.

So what prompted me to wear the safety vest on this particular run after going on hundreds of runs without it? A couple of things, I guess.

One is that I headed out the door for my run a little earlier than usual, when it was still dark. Even though I run almost entirely on sidewalks, I do cross a few busy roads so I figured that a little extra visibility couldn’t hurt.

The other main reason that I donned a bright green reflective safety vest for the first time in a long time on my run is that I had safety on my mind, thanks in large part to a Menards TV commercial airing in recent weeks that I have a special affinity for.

The main reason that I have a soft spot for this commercial is that my dog Caleb is in it. He is part of the “family” being protected by smoke and fire detectors available at Menards.

Another reason that I have a special affinity for this particular spot is that parts of it were shot in my home by none other than me. If I don’t say so myself, the footage looks pretty darn good.

But enough with the humble (or not so humble) bragging. The main reason that I mention all of this is that it relates to safety. The first mention of which here involved safety on the run.

While I have not worn my bright green safety vest on a run since the aforementioned morning, I do believe that I make a solid effort to stay safe while working out and in all other areas of my life.

Which reminds me…I probably should check the battery in my bedroom hallway smoke alarm!

For the past 12 years I have had the good fortune of serving as race director of the Carson Park 5 & 10 (Carson), 5K and 10-mile run/walk in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

A big reason that I consider it good fortune is that I have long had a deep appreciation for the history of the event.

Founded in 1969, Carson is the first organized run/walk event in western Wisconsin, as well as the first put on by the ITC running club that I have long been a member of.

In my view this long history is a cause for celebration both because of the numerous health benefits that running and walking provide and the friendships they help to build.

Not only has my participation over the years in Carson and numerous other run/walk events done much to help keep me both physically and mentally fit, it  has helped me to make many great friends.

Running can definitely be a solitary pursuit, which is one of the many things that I love about it. Spending some time alone on the run is one of the best ways that I know of to clear my head and focus my thoughts.

Just as running together is one of the best ways that I know of to spark great conversation and develop a friendship with someone. I’ve been fortunate to have made many great friends over the years while logging miles with them, not just during training runs but during races as well.

Back when I was a competitive runner, some of my biggest rivals became some of my best friends. There is something about pushing each other to our limits that makes us grow and appreciate one another.

Now that I am more of a running event organizer than a competitive runner, I have found many of the same things to be true. In organizing the Carson Park 5 & 10 for the past 12 years, I have grown friendships with many wonderful people. In fact, probably even a broader spectrum of people than when I was strictly a runner.

In organizing this year’s 53^rd annual Carson, for example, I had the pleasure of working with and getting to know Rachel Lange of the Wisconsin Logging Museum and Rachel Meyer of the Chippewa Valley Museum.

I also was fortunate to have the help of a number of my co-workers, most of whom are not runners themselves. Shown with me (center) in the posted photo are co-workers Joe Mabie (aka Joe Bunyan) who did the PA announcing for the event and Logan Enerson (aka “The Dude”), who helped with course setup and giving out awards.

Joe is an occasional runner while Logan to my knowledge has little to no interest in running.

But they both are good friends who I have grown to appreciate even more thanks to running.

If I had to choose a favorite part of the day it probably would be morning.

This has not always been the case, as for much of my life I was more of a night owl than a morning person.

This began to change about 12 years ago, however when I switched from being an evening to a morning runner. Instead of running after work I began to run before work.

Another big change in my daily schedule came when I added morning prayer/meditation/Bible reading to my daily routine.

Every morning I sit at my kitchen table and let God fill me with his love.

The longer I do this the more convinced I am that my morning prayer time is the most important part of my day. It is when God charges me with the power to have a fruitful day.

I got a wonderful confirmation of this during my prayer time yesterday when I looked out the patio door window next to my kitchen table and saw my first morning glory bloom of the season. I’ve always liked morning glories for their hardiness, colorful blooms, and vigorous way that their leaves climb and spread.

Seeing my first morning glory bloom of the season during my morning prayer was a wonderful confirmation of how–when we give God the glory–he puts glory in our day.

On this Independence Day weekend we celebrate our freedom.

So it seems like a good time to celebrate the freedom that Christian faith and aerobic fitness give to me.

It’s a long, wonderful list of freedoms that I could go on and on about.

I’d rather not do so now because I, like many others I am sure, am looking forward to spending much of my Independence Day weekend enjoying a whole lot of down time.

So in the interest of brevity, I will simply share a list of some of the things that a regular Christian faith and aerobic fitness practice—which for me is running, dog-walking, and spinning, with a little bike-riding thrown in– give me freedom from.

They are, in no particular order: worry, fear, inactivity, brain fog, extra weight, low self-esteem, emotional baggage, and negativity.

I know that a regular faith and fitness practice will never totally free me from all of these issues. And that’s just fine because having to wrestle with them from time to time can often be a good thing.

I’m just grateful that a Christian faith and aerobic fitness practice do for me  exactly what is shared in Hebrews 12: 1-3. It helps me to throw off all that hinders and run the race marked out for me.

On this Independence Day weekend and every day, that definitely is a freedom worth celebrating!

Probably my favorite part of my favorite morning running route is a short stretch through a small neighborhood park.

One thing that I like about it is that it puts me onto my community’s ever-expanding trail system.

I live in a small to mid-sized city—Eau Claire, Wisconsin, population 68,000–that boasts more miles of fitness trails than any city in the Badger State other than much-bigger Madison. That is definitely one of the big things that I love about living here.

Another thing that I love about it is that it has a good amount of natural beauty. Two large rivers flow through the area—the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers. Adding to the natural beauty are pastoral, gently rolling hills with plenty of green grass, green trees, and green corn and soybeans. Oh yeah, there are a lot of cows too!

I live and run in the city now, so I don’t see cows anymore on my daily run like I did for many years when I lived in the country. What I do get to see on my current favorite running route, though, is a thick forest of tall trees. It’s not a big forest—about a block long by a block wide—but it definitely is a scenic one.

It’s where I often see wildlife—mostly deer. Where I find shade on hot morning runs. Where I often see and say hello to other runners, walkers, and bikers. And where, most importantly, I get to soak in some of God’s amazing natural beauty.

In wellness circles I’ve been hearing the term “forest bath” being used for describing the benefit of getting out in nature. While that term may be a bit “new agey” for an old-school native Midwestern like me, it is an excellent way to describe it.

I definitely consider myself blessed to have a convenient place to take a “forest bath” on my run most every morning!

Two of the greatest gifts that my parents passed on to me are an appreciation for Christian faith and running.

I will forever be grateful that while I was growing up they brought me (and my brother and sister) to church.

We didn’t have far to go, as our church—Como Park Lutheran in St. Paul, Minnesota—was just a block and a half down the road. It took some doing to get us there, though, as none of us kids were exactly early-risers.

One of my fond childhood memories is of my Mom and Dad more or less “dragging” the three of us kids down the street to church.

I sure am glad they did so, because the Christian faith that they introduced us to has been a huge life-saver and life-giver to me over the years. I can’t imagine trying to do life without it.

Another huge life-saving, life-giving gift to me over the years—also introduced to me by my Father—is running.

I took it up during my college days, after I was done with the organized sports (mainly hockey) that kept me in shape during my younger years. It was pointed out to me by my girlfriend at the time that I was putting on some weight around the middle.

What can I say? I definitely have some vanity when it comes to my physical appearance.

Fortunately my Father was way ahead of his time and was running for fitness back in the mid-1970s. For him it was not for vanity reasons but because the aerobic exercise of running made him feel better.

It took me a few years to catch on, but I sure am glad that I did. Running has done a ton over the years to improve my life by boosting my mood and energy level and lowering my anxiety level. Not to mention all of the friendships that it has brought into my life.

Looking back, it’s pretty awesome that it all started with my Father on the same street—Hoyt Avenue—that borders Falcon Heights and St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s the street where I was first led to the gifts of Christian faith and aerobic fitness.

Thanks Dad!