Had to make a point of actually looking around this morning as a ran.

1) to keep my mind off the run
and
2) not miss the one and only chance I'll get this winter to run before the sunrise surrounded by snow in Central Park.

It was so still and empty when I first went out. Lights shinning down on snow. Glimpses of squirrel prints where they'd hopped about. Just calm and serene.

For some reason I was thinking about the raccoons that intimidated me last year on the bridle path - one popped up out of a trash can right and front of me and gave me the evil eye - and low and behold, I saw a raccoon wander across the snow.

It could have been a giant rat cat I suppose. But I'm pretty sure it was a raccoon.

The rest of the run was quite painful. Still, at least I talked my brain into going out. It almost won this morning. I hate it when it wins.