Running up north

I am over the top jazzed to be running the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland this January. I am feeling fairly well trained and am super super super super excited to run it. In my heart of hearts I would like a medal from all of the runDisney Half Marathons (not the full and never the goofy). While I can't wait there is a piece of me that is jealous of everyone further down south. I have been reading blogs of folks who are training down south and a piece of me is jealous. Last Friday I put in ten miles on the treadmill due to the massive amounts of ice. (It is a fine science to actually get to run 10 consecutive miles on the treadmill at the ymca here in town because they have rules about only signing up for a half hour slot on the treadmill, I do feel a little guilty but I have some what figured out how to cheat the system so I get more than a half hour at a time. I know they have a purpose for these rules, but I need to be training for January, and I only cheat the system when I need to do my long runs.)

I think it is time I invest in a pair of yaktracks or some other type of outdoor grippy dealy for my shoes. Saturday I went for a run with Dakota with the intent of going only five or six mile run. Somewhere about mile two, I feel, hard, and fast. The ice had won. I thought I was on solid ground but in reality it was a sheet of ice. It sucked. My knees were bleeding and my hand was cut up. Dakota sat very nicely next to me and looked at me wondering what in the world happened. She was sweet and licked my face (she means well). I got up and she walked like a perfect little puppy, we walked back to my house so I could clean up. I hate running on ice but I hate running on a treadmill even more.

I guess I need to check the roads a little better before heading out to run, I  need to be careful. I can't won't get hurt now, I AM RUNNING IN JANUARY. I WILL earn my coast to coast medal in 2013.


Anyone else running on snow and ice?
Any tips for running on snow and ice?
How do you keep yourself from getting bored on the treadmill?