Missing: Spring time

Has anyone seen Spring lately? Maybe some parts of the country are enjoying family time outdoors, visiting zoos and parks, or baseball games that do not require athletes and spectators to wear double layers.  Or, maybe outdoor exercisers are more alert bright and early for their morning run, bike, or walk.  In fact, I’ve heard it’s easier to get up during warmer weather and I certainly believe that phrase!  This winterish, Spring has made training more difficult for many of us in the Midwest. It makes it difficult to get up early and difficult to simply train outside!

The past couple weeks Spring has come and gone and when she’s here, it simply rains or even storms.  I’d grab a few buddies and we plan outdoor workouts, only to find ourselves frustrated with Mother Nature.  The Doppler will show no rain or storm clouds over our running route, so we would get up at 5:30am and try to out-run the predicted storm.   We find ourselves running 50-yards in the downpour until lightning strikes way too close and the rumbling thunder sends the sound waves vibrating around you.  We quickly re-route to the gym for an hour or so on a treadmill run with interval workouts post run.  Or, we get up earlier than usual just to hit an alternative plan for a 50+ mile biking route.  At this point NO one wants to be on a bike trainer for hours especially after spending the winter months indoor. 

Yesterday, was one of those days where we planned a long bike ride and the morning started out wet and drizzly.  There was a 70% chance of rain.  A group of us hit a 3-hour spinning marathon for a charity organization at a local gym which consisted of watching a big screen, traveling through different terrains and countries with an awesome instructor!  Some of us didn’t find the desire to attempt a 3-hour spinning class so we decided to spin the first hour, hit the cardio cinema and run for about an hour, then spend the last hour spinning.  A couple gals even decided to participate in a Zumba class the last hour instead.  Needless to say, we endured a cardio-fest!  No telling how many calories we burned (we did bring nutrition to ingest along the way)!  I say it was a pretty good alternative for a rainy day. 

Mother Nature is one of those things that frustrate us because it’s out of our control and we think it ruins our plans or rains on our parade.  When we make plans, we should be flexible or simply plan for alternative A, B, and C.   Nature is in God’s hands and despite how much we dislike our weather, it is much appreciated.  I only say this because last summer we had a severe drought (and blistering heat) that shut down parts of the river to barges transporting through to other cities.  But, now, we have floods shutting down roads.  We don’t always get what we want. 

If your Spring has gone missing maybe check out alternatives or create your own fun workout plan.  No one wants to run or bike for hours indoors, however, mixing up cardio workouts will make your time not only go by faster but more enjoyable. 

A natural beauty that survives on rain drops
(the Lily exhibit at Balboa Park's Botanical Gardens)

Quote of the day:  Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.  ~ John Ruskin

Bible verse of the day:  “…I will send rain on the land.”  ~ 1 Kings 18:1