Shamrock Shuffle never disappoints.

6:41 am: Smile after peeking outside to check the conditions and seeing the snow falling hard. Back to sleep.

8 am: Snowing harder and wind picking up from the north. Call my running partner CDP and we both decide to ditch the race.

8:12 am: Call her back and tell her I"m running. She sticks with her decision to take a pass.

8:37 am: Looking for a cab, none in sight. Only brought two $20s, so just watch a couple buses pass. Another bus stops and I humbly ask the driver if she can break a $20. She waves me in sans fare. Random act of kindness. Really nice.

9:10 am: Running late after bus detour and drop-off far from starting point. Run about a mile to check in my coat and get to starting corral. Sweating, cold, feet soaked. But loving the comaraderie of runners before a race, except for the guy bragging how his NIke Gortex shoes are keeping his feet "bone dry." Clapping, shouting. Ready.

9:45 am: Big toes numb 100 feet out of the starter's chute. Slow going, but that's probably good. I always start off too fast.

Mile 2: Guy splashes past me and left pant leg now is sticking to my leg as if affixed by ice. Keep thinking: tortoise and the hare, tortoise and the hare. First race I can remember dodging potholes.

Mile 3: Slow going, lots of bottlenecks and stoppers. Near collisions but everybody is cool. I see a fireman running in full fire gear with "Dyer" on his back. "Dyer, Indiana baby!" I shout to him as we high five. My pops was a fireman in Northwest Indiana, which includes Dyer.

Finish line: Not sure of my time yet, but figure it's around 44 minutes [update, I alway overestimate my speed. officially it was 46:41] Not a day for times, just finishing. Grab some fruit and a Gatorade and head for a hot shower and warm socks.

Last year's weather was bad, too, but not this bad. Still, always love finishing a race. Even a shorty like a 5-miler. Great race and great city to run in.