My Journey With Health And Fitness – Adjusting For The Weather

Today did not start well. I went to do my morning walk on the treadmill because it was absolutely freezing out. Unfortunately the treadmill seemed to feel it needed a break and would stop every few minutes. After about the 5th time this happened I gave up. Instead, when it got lighter out I took the dogs for a walk. It was actually kind of cute because I had on my red plaid heavy coat and they had on their red plaid sweaters. Yes, I now wear clothing that matches my dogs’ clothing.

Here in the Metro Vancouver area the weater has gone from one extreme to another really quickly. Up until the middle of October we were still seeing temperatures in the 20’s each day. Then, we went to the torrential rain as the temperatures went more into the average level for this time of year. However, this week we have gone to freezing temperatures and even some snow. It was so bad yesterday morning (the wind making things worse) that my walking group opted to go for coffee rather than doing our walk. All of this is potentially taking away my motivation for working out because it means using the treadmill which you know I hate and besides, it is becoming really unreliable.

So, I have come up with a new strategy. I have always done my most intense workout first thing in the morning. That usually means running or lately at least a brisk walk. I realized looking at the weather for this week that I needed to make some adjustments to the order of my workouts. Yes, the weather is going to be cold this week but it is going to be clear. I decided the best solution would be to start with a treadmill walk first thing and then after lunch when it is the warmest out I could go for a run. That will keep me at the zone minutes I want to do each day but I won’t be horribly uncomfortable taking away any excuse not to do a good cardio workout.

Today will be my first day on this new schedule. I’ll be heading out around 12:30pm and according to my weather app it should be hovering around 0 which with the sun out should make for a nice run. I’ll let you know how it goes.