January and I have a complicated relationship.
This year, I started off with some gentle consistency — shorter runs and yoga workouts, just like I had been in December. Mid-January, though, I hit the wall. Between January 15th and January 30th, I did exactly one workout — not exactly ideal training for two back-to-back winter races.
The thing is, I wasn’t really feeling bad or guilty about it. It felt like a very conscious choice — like my body and my mind were telling me to slow down and focus on other things that fill my cup. Looking back, this isn’t unusual — January is almost always either a high-mileage month followed by a February dip or one of my lowest mileage months.
I’ve realized that this isn’t just a coincidence. Winter, for me, is a season of slowing down, reflecting, and planning. It’s just taken me a while to let my mind be okay with what my body already knows.
So naturally, in the middle of my seasonal slowdown, I lined up for two races in freezing temperatures.
Because reflection is nice.
But so is a little chaos.
Snow Moon Trail Run 5k: Not actually the GOAT… but there was a goat!
After Detroit (aka: the race that broke me), I decided not to sign up for races for a while — especially not far in advance. With my dad scheduled for elective surgery in February, I wasn’t sure what his recovery would look like. I didn’t want to go through what I went through in 2025 again in 2026: registration after registration turning into a “DNS”.
One thing will get me to change my mind about that: FOMO. When I realized that this year’s Snow Moon Trail Run would be the 10th annual, and that there were connecting medals for Snow Moon and Red Moon this year, I forgot all about that decision not to sign up for races. In my defense, I did only sign up a few weeks ahead of the race.
This was my first time actually running the Snow Moon Trail Run. I have worked it with Dig Deep/TriToFinish many times, but I’d never been on the other side of the registration table. I have run the Red Moon Trail Run before, which is the same course. But there’s one big difference: the weather. Each year is a little different with one thing staying consistent: Snow Moon is always cold.
This year was no different. When Kirsten and I arrived, it was 21 degrees, but at least it was sunny. Leading up to race day, I had planned to mostly walk because of my lack of training. But then I thought, “If I run it, I won’t be as cold for as long…” and maybe the two weeks of no working out would actually mean fresh rested legs that were ready to conquer a trail 5k. Kirsten agreed and told me that she’d see me after the race.
The trails were snowy – some parts were nice and packed down, while others were more like mashed potatoes. I did run-walk intervals and eventually caught up with Kirsten at the Full Moon Junction aid station. We said hi to our friends and got some refreshments before hitting the trails again. We started off doing our own thing, but eventually Kirsten and I ended up doing run/walk intervals together.
Somewhere between mile 1 and mile 2, we saw a group of people with a dog. I said, “Oh hi, pupperoni!” as we approached them. They stopped on the trail to let us pass them, and as we did, I realized that they had another dog with them. Except… it wasn’t a dog.
It was a goat.
When I finally believed what my eyes were seeing, I shouted back to them that they needed to find the aid station and stop by because our friends who were running the aid station call themselves “The Wobbly Goat Krewe” and they would lose their minds over seeing someone walking a goat on the trails.
After the race, we found out that the dog’s name was Marvin. And the goat’s name was… also Marvin. Definitely the highlight of the race.
Marvins aside, I was surprised by how decent running felt. After two weeks off, I expected sluggishness, but my pace and strength were solid. I ended up finishing with one of my best trail race paces. Snow Moon reminded me of how much I love being in the woods and on the trails, no matter the season.
Winterlaufe 8k: Not actually racing… but we were MOO-ving!
Snow Moon Trail Run may have been new to me, but I am no stranger to Winterlaufe. I have run the 8k every year since 2015, except 2021, making this year my 11th time running it. You can always count on Winterlaufe to be hilly and cold, but the road conditions are unpredictable, especially the stretch on Beyer Road. Besides not wanting to break tradition, this year the swag definitely got me to sign up – the shirt and medal both featured a cute little penguin.
My original plan was to walk it with my hubby, but he picked up work for that day. When I found that out, I honestly considered not even doing the race, and just meeting up with my friends for lunch afterwards at Levi’s. After being pleasantly surprised with my performance at Snow Moon, however, I decided I would switch my registration from walker to runner and give it my best shot.
The week of the race, my friend KT asked in our group chat if anyone wanted to wear onesies since the weather predicted was going to be quite chilly. I didn’t own a onesie at that point, but decided now would be as good a time as ever to get my first one. A few days later, I was the proud owner of a penguin onesie, matching the race theme perfectly.
We gathered at the start of the race for a group selfie — among us a penguin, a cow, a possum with babies, and an alligator. Kirsten (the cow) and I (the penguin) ran with our friend Brian. He was wearing an orange jacket and ran between the two of us for most of the race. And just like that, we had a Brian sandwich.
Other runners and the volunteers loved us. A few of them were dressed as penguins, too, and I stopped to hug and grab a picture with one of them. Lots of people shouted some puns at us: “Looks like you’re having an UDDERLY good time!” “Just keep MOO-ving!” By the end of the race, I was smiling from ear to ear and didn’t mind the cold at all.
Wearing a onesie at a winter race? 10 out of 10, would recommend. I kept warm and entertained. Between Snow Moon and Winterlaufe, I realized winter running doesn’t have to be about high mileage or PRs — it’s about friends, silliness, and just showing up.
“Waddle” I do next?
The next race that we are likely doing is the Bay City St. Patrick’s Day races – specifically the Irish Double. Kenny has the day off and hasn’t been able to do the race in a long time, so the plan is to walk it together. Who knows — maybe I’ll find myself a fun leprechaun onesie, and maybe we’ll run into Marvin again!
RD on the Run 