I brag about being a die-hard outdoor runner, but...mornings like this one remind me why most runners will have nothing to do with winter running.

This a.m., I put on all my running gear and strapped on my Yak Tracks, determined to do my 6-mile run in fresh air.

Problem No. 1: Yak tracks don't do you much good when you're running on solid ice. You need some snow on top for maximum yak traction.

Problem No. 2: The snow that had partially melted into slush yesterday afternoon, froze overnight, leaving the roads with a rocky-lava-like covering....only colder and much more slippery. I was convinced I was going to break an ankle before I got home.

Problem No. 3: The birms are full of snow/frozen rocky-lava slush so...you have nowhere to go. When traffic comes, you pretty much just have to step off and stop running until they pass. The one time I insisted on gutting it out and running in the 6 inches of birm I had this morning, I got honked at and flipped off.

Suffice to say, I've had better runs. It took me 10 minutes longer to a 1/2 mile less.

And, yet, it was probably still more enjoyable than dragging myself through a hot, sweaty treadmill run.