The squirrel sat staring up at me near my front porch. A flurry of snow tumbled to the ground around us.
I waited expectantly for him to speak, delivering the message that Aslan had given up and headed South away from the White Witch, unable to break her spell of perpetual winter. Ultimately, the squirrel hopped away toward the front yard oak tree without saying a word. Granted in the non-Narnia world animals don’t talk but it wouldn’t have surprised me in the least if the tree rat had piped up with exactly the message above. This happened yesterday. April 5th! The brief flurry marked the third day in April with some snow. In fact, Monday marked the worst winter conditions I’ve ever wound up driving in with poor visibility and terrible road conditions.
I used to complain bitterly about snow and cold. I’ve stopped that now. There is nothing I can do about it and I’ve resigned myself to living in a climate with winter that lasts into May, except of course, the weekend of the Boston Marathon when New England welcomes runners with it’s annual one-day summer.
My current mood is not improved by the fact that I’ve picked up my 3rd minor cold virus of the never-ending Narnian winter. I’m sure the evil Big Pharma has teamed up with the White Witch to keep us all pent up indoors together sharing our germs.
When not hampered by freezing temperatures, snow, and the morning darkness thrust upon me by Daylight Savings Time, my return to fitness has gone relatively well. While swimming and biking are far ahead of running, it is clear there is a long way to go to regain the level of fitness in all three disciplines I had prior to surgery. A 2000 yard swim is tough toward the end, and my first slightly hilly outside run was a monumental effort. It remains to be seen how biking outside goes. I am not a cold weather cyclist by any stretch of the imagination. And by cold weather, I mean anything below 60 degrees sends me to the trainer in the heated garage. I do this stuff for fun and biking below 60 always ends up as a cold, Reynaudic, snot-fest. At the end, I can’t feel my fingers well enough to blow my nose. It’s not fun and not worth it. Besides, warm weather will be in in a few short months and then I can comfortably ride well into October when temperatures are still in the 80s.
I am making a concerted effort to improve both my nutrition and my overall health and wellness. About a month ago, I made my triumphant return to Body Pump. It has been at least two years since I did a Body Pump class and it took a couple sessions to remember some of the routines and moves. I skulk in the back of the class trying not to mess up other participants since I am always one step behind the instructor.
I was conservative with the weight for the first class remembering that it is very easy to go too heavy. Body Pump features a high number of reps with lighter weight and if you go too ambitious you will pay dearly by the end. That said, too light and you are just wasting time. I did reasonably well choosing my weights though my biceps wound up not speaking to me for a couple days. I’ve made notes and improved each week. It is hard for me to get psyched about weight work but I do find classes like Body Pump to be fun and plan to continue regularly.
In the meantime . . anyone know the way back through the wardrobe?
Bring it On 
Do not despair, my friend!! The snow is likely done and summertime right around the corner. Winter may have cut into the beginning of spring time, but that usually just means it will go from 40 degrees to 80 degrees overnight and stay there until late October……I have no scientific explanation, other than I think the calendar guys miscalculated and our years around the sun are slight more than previously understood, thus shifting our seasons 18 degrees clockwise (hot longer in the fall, cold longer in the spring). But I don’t think anyone else has figured that out yet. Keep swimming, keep running and soon you will be biking outside!