Well, I haven't been posting much lately, but taking on the captain role again always gets me back into the thick of things. I'm going to continue with the theme from yesterday and talk about spring and summer. Here in FL, it's basically summer all year 'round. We've had a very mild winter and it's been great, but I can feel the heat and humidity coming back. I know everyone is all over the country, but what has your winter been like? Have you been on plan or has the weather, good or bad, affected you? What are you planning for spring to help keep or get back on track?

Mel

It was milder this winter here in Michigan. I live near Lake Michigan so we usually get lots of lake effect snow. Only about 20 inches this year. Usually it's more like 70. But, it was colder and cloudier than usual. We broke our record of days without any sun. I didn't get out much. I can't wait to get out this spring!

Our winter has been really mild in terms of snowfall but we have had two periods of arctic cold (we usually only have one but we had a couple of doozies this year) and the wind is driving me insane! There's some sort of weather pattern we're in where the snow falls and falls in the mountains and the wind blows down here. Great for making up for previous drought years and for the ski industry but I've had enough!

I did tweak exercise this winter. Last winter I drug myself out to walk in the mall in the wee hours of the morning. We were trying to do the same thing this year but it really was taking a toll on me because I wasn't sleeping enough. My friend and I had been talking about doing Jazzercise for a while so we decided to flop around to afternoon exercise and do that instead. I have to admit that while the sleep has been great and I'm not sooooo bored from walking in the mall, I am really not an enthusiastic afternoon exerciser. I have 1 more week on my free month and I think I'm going to let it go at that. I can get back to walking outside after the time change and it's time to start training for the 2 day walk in June I'm doing so I'm happy that spring is on it's way!

I also intend to figure out a new DVD or something to get some strength training in. One thing Jazzercise has made readily apparent is I have WIMPY arms.

Peg

I'm in Ohio too and though the winter was pretty mild, the early dark keeps me from doing as much outside as I do in the spring and summer. I do have cold-weather gear for running, so I've been pretty good about getting 2-3 runs in even through the winter each week.

I've been busier and more tired than usual and haven't been getting up as early for workouts in the morning. When I was in better shape, I was doing a morning and an evening workout 6 days a week. Now I'm doing about 5-6 workouts a week.

I am almost done with my first draft of my proposal, so I should be less crazy soon. I am planning to try Bob Greene's 12-week body makeover plan as a way to get a jump start on spring. I want to start gearing up for biking and getting in the pool at least once a week as part of that plan.

I will probably do a couple shorter tris this year but this is going to be a lower-key season for me because of the dissertation taking first priority right now.

In the Dakotas we started out winter with many freezing storms and then snow. But since December we've only had about 2 inches of snow and then cloudiness. Many, many gloomy days and cold. But not as frigid as in the past. I think the farmers are more worried about drought again than anything else.

Weather doesn't seem to affect me as much as it used to...maybe because I don't have little ones to keep occupied. The cold makes swimming harder for me, because of my arthritis etc., so I have been indoor biking more....I don't like that as much, but you do what you can do...and go with the flow.

We had a very mild winter here in GA. (Although, being a native Northerner, all of the winters here have seemed mild.) Other than some really wet weather, the temperatures would not keep in inside here during the winter.

I'm more affected by the short days. It is dark when I leave and dark when I get home, which makes it next to impossible to exercise outside. I feel more awake and energetic with longer days that are starting.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to get in a evening walk now.

Dawn

We had a super mild mild winter for Western Massachusetts. A couple of cold spells. A few storms, but I don't think we even got more than 6 inches at a time here. We had a lot of warm days and got really spoiled. Now we have bitter cold. I think the winter blues are starting to kick in, but with everything else going on, it could easily be circumstances and not weather.

It didn't affect my food plan, or my exercise. I usually exercise indoors, even in the summer. As for as spring and summer plans, I'm not really sure. We are talking about a long weekend in Mystic Conn., that usually involves some walking. Not much else planned yet.

Laurie

quote:

Originally posted by Bee:

That's on our agenda too : )

I think I'm more frightened of it then her

quote:

Originally posted by Alli Coffin:
I want to teach my 5 1/2 year old to ride her bike without training wheels. alli

That's on our agenda too : )

We've had a mild winter in New Jersey...the first I'm aware of that the kids didn't have even one full day off for snow. The few snow storms we had were weekenders.

The mild winter got me more active. I wanted to ski, and rather than sitting here staring out the window at snow and dreaming about skiing, I put the family in the car and drive to where there was snow for skiing. Not sure I would have gotten to that point if I wasn't pining for snow.

I'm looking forward to getting more outdoor activity in as the weather warms up. I want to teach my 5 1/2 year old to ride her bike without training wheels, get in a few hikes a month, build new garden beds, get back into rollerblading, and explore local lakes for kayaking.

As far as food goes, I'm looking forward to the return of farmers markets and local produce, and I'm going to try to raise a bit more of my own.

alli

We've had a mild winter by Ohio standards, especially in the beginning of the season.

I got in some good runs even in January because it was unseasonably warm.

Exercise certainly didn't suffer on my end - just moved indoors most of the time but I've been struggling with illness and food for the past 3 months.

I'm hoping that with Spring around the corner, we'll all start getting (and staying) healthy and I'm working hard at the food piece.

I also hope to start doing more outside stuff with the family on the weekends.

Well, here in Tampa, we had a mild winter also. Chilly to me though. If I wake up and it is in the 30's or 40's, I freeze. So, by 7 or 8 am it might be in the 50's and I won't ride my bike.

We are waking up in the 60's now, so by 8 it is in the high 60's. If the sun is out, I am riding.

Now that we are warming up, my plan is to ride my bike to the ymca (2miles away) at least 3 times a week.

The only thing winter has done to me is keep me indoors so the only walking I have done is to pace the floors. I follow a route from the kitchen thru the dining room and down the hall to the living room door and make a circuit of the living room and then back down the hall to the dining room and into the kitchen. I make about 5 or 10 rounds of that but not as often as I should.
I will be glad when Spring finally gets here and I can get outside again (even breathing mildly cold air causes a pain under my left shoulder blade).
I hope to be posting a thread in the next few weeks about resuming our "Workout Across North America" along with a complete description of what it is for the benefit of all our new friends.

We have had a little of everything this winter. Saturday was fabulous...sunny and spring like. Sunday was colder and windy. Today (Monday) it has been rainy and very windy.

This is the time of year I just want the cold, wind and rain to be gone and sunnier days in the forecast.

Spring is wonderful for getting out more and enjoying nature. It also means fewer days of school to get it all done, progress reports, spring feaver(the kids get antsy) and I tend to get more stressed that I haven't gotten to everything at school. I also start dreaming of summer!!!! I am planning a few personal days to relieve some of the stress and take time for relaxing.