"Shoot, it even [snowed] at night."

Tourism in Maryland has had a slogan for several years that they've proudly toted: America in Miniature. While this can certainly be said about their geography (we have barrier island beaches, a bay, big cities, plateaus and mountains), it also applies to their weather.
 
Yesterday was perfect day for running: 45-50 degrees, sunny and not too windy.  Today, on the other hand, it is snowing, and I'm not talking light, dusting snow.  I'm talking 6-12 inches out there, and it's still coming. Needless to say, I did not run today, although I guess I could have this morning, but the snow started at 7:30 AM and I was not about the get up and run in this cold. Cue the return of the Polar Vortex.
 
It sounds like a swirling tornado of polar bears, but in actuality, it's much less of an entertaining thought than that. Negative temperatures do not instill in me a desire to go outside. However, going outside must happen if one is to get in and out of the house. So, my exercise for today was shoveling. Ick. A cold, wet, icy mess.

It reminded me of Forrest Gump when he explains the various types of rain in Vietnam. "We've been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stinging rain...and big old fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath."
 
Shoveling in snow that is blowing sideways like some magical Harry Potter snow storm is not fun. A workout was definitely had.



Snow minutely deters one from swimming. While one cannot swim outdoors in the winter (correction, you CAN, but only for a charity event. Otherwise you're an imbecile.), you can indoors. If you can get to a pool, you can swim. I had meets on days when it snowed several inches, and school definitely would have been closed. The roads weren't great, but hey, we went. It was almost like being in Norway, or some other freezing country where they have tons of snow but hot tubs/springs everywhere; it's freezing and you can see the gorgeous snow, but you're warm and snuggled in hot water. Plus that warm toasty feeling once you leave the aquatic center and step into the cold is awesome. Perhaps I need to invest in a treadmill, so the cold/snow won't stop me from running. Or maybe I just need to move to Florida.


Or run around my basement in circles. Like a dog. Thanks for that, gem, Raych ;)