No running outside today, but that doesn’t mean that I sit on my arse and eat bonbons. Yeah, we have gotten about four inches of the five to eight that is forecast. Just enough to make the road slick and nasty.

At a different point in my life, I would have sighed and headed out the door for a 3-4 mile run. Then later move snow for another hour or two.

Now that I don’t bounce nearly as well. The tendons/ligaments are much more susceptible to strains, sprain, or tears. Plus, my heart rate in these kinds of conditions makes the workout anaerobic, not aerobic, which is not my goal at this time of year. Running on slick roads is not something I want to do.

Later I will be behind the snowblower and shovel to clean-up after the storm, so that will be a big workout in itself. I have learned the hard way, that I cannot run the same day that I have to do snow removal. It takes too much out of me, and the next day becomes a recovery day as well.

These small changes are part of my new normal. While I don’t like or embrace the changes, the more I fight to keep things how I used to do them, the worse I feel. Slowly I am learning that focusing on what I can do is more important than attempting to do what I used to do.

So instead, I walked 2.0 miles down back to the ledges. It was pretty easy going down the lower gate since the Town plows down there now. Going beyond where they finished was a little more of an adventure, but someone came through with their 4WD truck and made the walk a bit easier.

While down-back, I was struck by its beauty and silence. The snow coming down and the wind blowing blocked off the sounds of civilization.

It was nice and reminded me of other times in my life, where I walked alone in the woods.

Walking down-back in the snowstorm was an opportunity to relax, reflect, think, and remind me how lucky I am to be living the life that I have. It reminded me that life is not about running around with our minds stretched thin by all the distractions that modern life provides.

Sometimes we need to let all the noise and confusion go and enjoy what is in front of us.

Was the walk a good workout?

Absolutely. By the time I got back to the upper gate, I had worked up a good sweat, my quads were burning, and my head was less foggy than it has been for a while.

While I might not have gotten the 5.0 miles I had planned on running, the 2.0-mile walk was probably more beneficial to my long-term health.

Have a great day, and keep smiling.