As I was reluctantly  heading to the gym for a 30-min training walk on a treadmill, I realized the rain had stopped and the temperature was in the high 30s. Though it was starting to get dark, it wasn’t hard to decide to stay in the neighborhood to walk outside instead.

So I rushed inside to put on some warmer walking pants, a reflective vest and head lamp.

The majority of the sidewalks in my neighborhood were very clear. We have a few neighbors who are diligent about shoveling and one or two who really love their snowblowers, and generously clear lots of sidewalks. I also thought that because of the mild temperatures and the rain most of the day, that everything would be clear.

Excited to Finally be Outside

I happily took off down the block, excited to be outside and not slipping, sliding or freezing. I turned the corner to encounter my first obstacle — a driveway that was never shoveled and was now solid ice. I gingerly crossed the ice and picked up the pace. Most of the block was pretty clear of snow and I stomped right through some wet spots only to realize the sidewalks are uneven, and what I thought was a little water was a puddle much deeper than I thought. Though the water was cold on my feet, it was not cold enough to turn around. I kept going.

As I tried to cross the third stretch I thought was just slushy snow, it dawned on me that this walk outside might have been a mistake. The slush and ice in the street would require walking down the middle of the road. (Not a good idea even with a headlamp.) The puddles at the ends of driveways made it impossible to go back and forth from the sidewalk to the street. And there were sheets of ice under the couple inches of slush. At this point I had to keep going.

I made it home after 36 minutes on a route that typically takes less than 30 minutes. My socks were pretty wet, but I felt great! I was able to walk at a pretty good pace for some of the route, and because many in our neighborhood had their porch lights on, there was plenty of light reflecting off the snow. And when I had to walk on the treadmill the next day, I really didn’t mind so much.

When winter is especially cold and snowy, like this year, sometimes you just have to go out and walk in it.

Learn more about training in the winter and what to wear by listening to Episode 19 of the WALK Podcast, Dressing for Walking in the Winter.

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