Cold Rain and Exercise

For me there's nothing worse than cold rainy days. By cold I mean just above freezing to anything below 50 degrees. That wet cold cuts right to the bone. That's how it was today.

I'm not one to hit the gym. Boring. Also not a big fan of “gym culture” where gym rats show off and have incredibly tedious conversations about protein supplements.

I'd rather go for walks in the woods, ride a bike, paddle a canoe or any other outdoor activity. Heck, I'd rather chop firewood than go to the gym. Unfortunately cold wet days don't lend themselves to outdoor activities, unless you want to catch pneumonia or something. Give me full on winter where at least it's possible to cross country ski or snowshoe.

One of the reasons I'm such a fan of sailboat living is because I get plenty of exercise without even trying. All that rocking back and forth is great for core muscles. We paddle to shore in a kayak instead of using a powered dingy. Once on shore we do a lot of walking. One marina put us so far down the dock it was a ¼ mile hike to the main office. A quick trip to use the bathroom was a half mile round trip. We did a lot of waking while staying there.

Maybe what I should do is invest in some really good foul weather gear that's comfortable to hike in. I've rain gear, but with any sort of sustained exercise I'd get just as wet from sweat. Good breahable gear does not come cheap.

When I was younger and nothing kept me inside I wore a lot of wool. Unlike cotton, wool keeps you warm even when wet. The downside is that it is heavy and you end up smelling like a wet sheep. Modern synthics perform better, but the good stuff is hard to find in big fat guy size.

For now I'm staying inside near the woodstove, waiting for better days.

-Sixbears

Freakin Frozen!

First off, no regrets. My lovely wife and I are happy to be home. We were gone for most of 6 months and we are glad to be back.

That being said, I am officially not acclimating to the cold. It's freaking cold. Sunday night it was down into the single digits. Monday night it's supposed to be 3 degrees Fahrenheit. That's really not unheard of for early April in the Great North Woods. What has changed is me. I'm no longer used to the cold.

We plan on being home for the rest of the year, only heading south after the holidays. I'm hoping that by living through the fall I'll get somewhat used to the colder temperatures. One thing that does not work is going from sunny Florida back into winter conditions.

My lovely wife was talking to some of her elderly friends from church. In recent years they gave up being snowbirds and now spend winters up north. They are suffering and have not adapted to the cold at all.

One thing for sure, I'm going to have to get some more long pants, warm jackets, fuzzy socks and lots and lots of fleece.

After one more week of cold it is supposed to start warming up again. My suffering shouldn't last too much longer. I'm chomping at the bit to start on some outside projects, but they are going to wait until I can work outside without wearing mittens.

-Sixbears