Distance ice skating?

This past Sunday I decided to go out and do something I haven't done since I was a teenager.
Since it has been so cold, and we really haven't had that much snow, I went ice skating on the creek instead of my long run for the week.

I suited up in my winter running gear, but grabbed my ice skates instead of my shoes and I brought my 2 dogs along for company. I remembered my Garmin so I could track my workout.

It was a lot of fun. The ice was rough in spots, and soft under the bridges where salt had fallen down onto it, but overall it was a nice experience.

I skated a total of 7.2 miles in 1:03, turning around when I found open water on the creek.
This is not much faster than my running speed. I was a bit surprised, but I guess rough ice slows you down. My HR was in my running Z2 so I got my 1hr workout that I wanted.

There were a lot of tracks on the ice: deer, rabbit, fox, etc
I saw a couple of large hawks, and a few rabbits. No deer

The dogs had a blast running with me. They really seemed to enjoy the long trek into strange territory after they learned to start/stop/turn on ice without falling.

I enjoyed it so much I may try to get back and do it a few more times before the ice melts.
It was a nice change to the normal workouts.
I think being outdoors, in the woods, with constantly changing scenery made this great.
I don't think I could skate circles on a pond and be as happy.
(That's what hockey games are for)

Anyone else add distance skating to their training routine during the winter?