With this winter being colder and snowier than typical, many of us have been cooped up inside for way too long! After weeks of doing our Saturday morning walks inside at the community center, Deb and I decided we had to be outside this past weekend.

We went to Sharon Woods park in Westerville because the Buckeye Striders were scheduled to be there. The temperature was about 22 degrees, and there had been a light snow the night before — an inch or so deep. Typically the trail at Sharon Woods is pretty clear, except for the section near the sledding hills.

The morning was beautiful! There was no wind, birds were singing and the snow crunched a little under our feet.  We saw tons of deer and critter tracks. Everything was clean and white. Though we did not see many runners, all of them were friendly.

We were scheduled to do 6 miles, however, after 5 we were tired. Because of the snow, we were working just a little harder than usual and were using different muscles, so we called it a day. Sometimes, level of exertion is more important than total miles walked.

I like to register for a spring race so I have added incentive to train earlier in the year. Most winters it is not much of an issue in Ohio — we tend to have a lot of warm days in the middle of the winter that melt most of the snow.

This winter is a little different. Not only are we experiencing larger than normal snow fall, but it is not warming up between the snows. It’s been challenging finding clear sidewalks, trails or streets.

I am so happy that Deb talked me into giving the park a try over the weekend! It was beneficial both mentally and physically.

 

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