Day 2: A Long Cold War

At 4:50am this morning it was cold.  44 degrees to be exact and I hate running in the cold.  For me the perfect temperature for a jog is 90.  Needless to say I was not going to enjoy this morning’s run or because I am so slow call it a rualk.

I know what you are going to ask: Why don’t you use that gym membership then and go for a jog in doors? While I do have a gym membership I am currently waiting for it to expire so that I can cancel it.  I just don’t enjoy going and there are many reasons (or excuses if you will) but hear me out. 

Gym Excuse One: Time

I try to think of things in terms of math in ways that will make logical sense so bare with me while I reason out not going to the gym based on time.   In order for me to have the same amount of time to get everything I need to get done in the morning I would have to wake up at 4:30.  I now get up at 4:50 which would add up to 20 min. of lost sleep a day or 1 hour 20 min. of lost sleep for the week.

Time spent in a car.  I commute to work every day.  While not a terrible commute it takes me at a minimum 40 min. to make it to work as long as I leave between 6:30 and 6:45 am every morning.  After 6:45 my commute goes up to an hour and at 7:00am it goes to an hour fifteen min. Out the door at 6:45 adds up to 80 min. in the car. 

My gym is 15 min. away by car or 30 min. round trip (and that doesn’t count the time walking in from the parking lot, finding a treadmill, and cleaning the sweat off it afterwards).  When added to the 80 min. I am already stuck in a car it makes minimum 110 minutes a day or 9 hours and 10 minutes a week.   I could drive to Disney World and still have two hours to spare with that kind of time.  Besides I believe that not going to the gym is only and excuse if you don’t exercise.  Instead I choose to jog in 44 degree weather while it’s still dark outside.  I take a flashlight with me and stay in the neighborhood and hope cars see me before it too late. 

That brings me go jogging in cold weather.  When you are chugging along at the break neck speed of 3 to 3.5 miles an hour you have to take wind chill factors into consideration.  My fingers go numb and my face hurts (the only exposed parts of my body).  It takes a full 10 minutes to warm up and when the sweat starts it turns into little droplets of ice water running down your back.  It’s not all bad because the physical torture of jogging in temps this low distracted me from the pain in my legs and lungs. 

I was only happy when it was over. 

Meanwhile my wife enjoyed another  morning walk along the beach and was even nice enough to share a photo with me. I would share of photo of what it looked like when I jogged this morning but it would be black.

Daily Recap:

Matt: Jog – 30 min.

Kelly: Speed Walk – 45 min.