Next week is the last run before the end of daylight savings time. I'd like to
make it a special run and have as many of you as possible join us. If you can't
make the run, then join us for dinner and to celebrate after the run.

I'm taking ideas of a good run (and dinner) location for next Thursday. Think
about light, so as many people as possible can join us.

Sunset is 6:03pm; end civil twilight (when the last light ends) is 6:30pm.
Thursday is the full moon. Weather forecasts (we all know how reliable they are
6 days out) call for mid 50s and a chance of rain.

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For those new to the group and wondering ...

We do continue to run on Thursday nights through the winter. We will
run on trails whenever possible. Some of our best runs have been
through snow at Green Mtn and Chimney Gulch. We also do an ocassional
paved and flat run over the winter, such as: the roads around Red
Rocks, Bear Creek path from Stonehouse Park, Highline Canal.

We welcome you all to join us through the winter. The runs are a
little different. The runs will still be about an hour, but we may
shorten the regular routes in slow conditions. I usually don't pick
the run location until that week when I see what the weather will be like.

When it's really cold, we won't spend a lot of time hanging out before
or after the runs. That means that we may not be able to give a
detailed explanation of the routes. It also means that we may not want
to wait at key intersections. If you don't know the trails, please
read the route descriptions and download the maps.

See below for lights, and other tips for dealing with the snow and cold.

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There will be a few, special runs over the winter:

Thanksgiving day run. It's a Thursday, after all. It's a good idea to
empty out extra calories before you pile them on later that day. I'll
be out of town this year, so I'm looking for someone else to pick a
location and lead the run.

Annual x-mas lights run and dinner. We usually jog the roads around
Wash Park oohing & aahing at the lights. We're open to suggestions of
other good neighborhoods to check out.

2nd annual NY day run and pancake breakfast at Ken Caryl, thanks to
Derek and Jessica Griffiths.

Full moon runs. Last month's run was a good hit. Look for other runs
when the full moon falls on other than Thursday.

Wed morning runs with Leigh (and Ray) will continue as long as people
keep showing up.

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You will need a few things to deal with the winter conditions.

Lights: There is a wide range of options to choose from. Generally,
there's a trade-off between brightness, and weight and battery life.
Newer technology has eliminated some of that trade-off. Halogen bulbs
are the brightest small bulbs, but take the most battery power. LED
bulbs last almost forever, and last a long time on batteries.
Something like the Petzl Tikka is very light - you almost don't even
notice it on your head. It's great on roads and smoothe trails, but
may not be bright enough to go fast on technical trails. The newer,
super bright LED bulbs are a good balance. I've seen them in hand and
bike lights, but not too many headlights. Some of the better
headlights use a combination of bright halogen and energy saving LED.
This lets you switch modes as the needs change. Something like Petzl
MYO or Black Diamond Zenix.

Some of the best deals are with bike lights, such as the Cateye EL300
or EL500, or Performance Viewpoint. For $30-$40, these are very light,
and have the new super bright LED bulbs. You can hold them in your
hand, or easily make a handle with duct tape.

Yes we do run on snow and ice. Yes it can be done fairly safely. There
are slip-ons you can buy to run on ice, like the YakTrax (at most
running and outdoor stores). Many of us make screwshoes. See the link
below. It may sound strange, but it works great, is easy to do, and
doesn't cost a lot. No it doesn't ruin your shoes. However, you have
to be very careful when putting screws into Nike, Asics, or other
shoes with air/gel pockets.
http://skyrunner.com/screwshoe.htm

For clothing, several thin layers are better than one think one. You
will warm up as you run, so you will want to be able to quickly take
of (or put on) a layer. Avoid cotton. It soaks up moisture which will
make you cold. Use synthetic, wicking layers next to your skin. If
there's snow on the ground, a slick, outer layer works well. Fleece
acts like velcro for snow. You really don't need expensive gore-tex or
waterproof layers in CO. Simple, breathable, nylon does a pretty good
job of shedding Colorado's usually dry snow.

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Think about snowshoeing. It's great exercise, very easy to learn, and
a lot of fun. You will generate more heat, and build up more sweat
snowshoeing in the snow, than you might running in the summer heat.
You can go almost anywhere. You don't even need a trail. There will be
snowshoe races almost every weekend during the winter. Most of the
races are easily accessible for beginners. Most of the races are 5km,
but you can race as long as 20mi. Distance doesn't mean the same thing
on snow. There was a 5km race (admittedly short) with a winning time
under 20 minutes. Then, there are 10km races where the winner may take
1:30 or more. Look for races listed in the regular DTR mailing. I may
also lead a couple of free, outings.

Look for postings about carpools to some of the races

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Weekend runs continue all year. The Evergreen Runners Circle goes all
winter. Look for the run locations in the DTR message.

Other group runs happen whenver anyone wants to lead a run. Leading
doesn't mean being the fastest. It just means setting the time and
place, and explaining the route to whoever shows up. Please send me
the details by the weekend before so I have time to get it into the
regular message.