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Thursday, August 29, 2013

On Weather Watch

It's that time again, the time when I enter the 10-day weather watch window for an upcoming event.  I am not exactly sure why I like to watch the forecast so closely. I am not obsessed with it as some people have assumed. Generally, I only think about it once a day. In fact, I would venture to guess that once this post is done I won't think about it again until tomorrow morning when the local weather on the news reminds me to check the 10-day for Lutsen, Minnesota.

What has given me a bad rap is that I post the daily weather during this 10-day stretch on Facebook for all my friends and family to see.  I don't understand why they think I am obsessed.

I can't remember which race I started this little tradition with, but I had so much fun with it that I did it for another one.  Now, a major race can't go by without someone asking me if I am going to post the forecast or not.  I am still trying to figure out if those folks are serious or not.   I have been teased about this "obsession," admonished, and lauded.  It all depends on, I have come to figure out, if people have a horse in that particular race (namely themselves).

I have had folks ask me why I WASN'T posting the weather for an upcoming major event. The answer in that case has usually been that I wasn't running it.  I mean, I am not the local running club's weather guru, a weather forecaster by trade, I don't even play one on TV; I just post weather updates on races that interest me personally.  In any event, the fact that I post now is more for the amusement of others, as well as myself.

For the Moose Mountain Marathon, however, I have to say, I really am interested in the weather. More than any other race I have done, the forecast will impact what I wear, what I carry with me, what shoes I choose, and what I pack in my drop bag. (Yes, the marathon has drop bag options!) This will be such a long race that I will need to be prepared for every possibility come race day and maximize my packing and drop bag potential.

The shoes are the major concern since I am not too enamored of my trail shoes in general, and I don't feel super confident in how they perform on wet rocks.  If it rains, I may opt for my road shoes and hope for the best.

So, with that in mind, let the weather watch begin!

2 comments:

  1. Gotta love weather watches! I do the same here but usually for 7 days. It makes no sense for me because 99.9% of the time the weather is essentially the same but I do wonder about rain or intense trade winds and how they may impact my racing. I was very concerned last December for the Honolulu mainly because the trades had died and the islands were covered with vog. Luck had it, the trades came back and air quality improved!

    Keep us posted if nothing else, it gives your mind something to do during the days leading up to race day!

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    1. Thanks! I know the weather thing is pretty crazy. I used to live in Mississippi and it was the same - the weather hardly changed day in day out. Here in Northeast Wisconsin, it turns on a dime. Crazy cold one day, hot the next. And the wind can come from any direction it seems like. Makes the weather watching more interesting if nothing else. Envious of your Hawaii weather. I have been over there twice and was able to run the first trip over. Very hot! Don't think I could deal with the heat. :)

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