The wages of inactivity.

It's back!  Winter that is.  After dodging the snow Wednesday night and Thursday, we awoke here in Hog Heaven on Friday morning with an estimated 4 inches of wet, heavy snow.  I don't like it, but I'm trying to be positive.  The moisture content will be good for the lawn and trees.  More importantly, it'll be good for the farmers.  And, Iowa farmers feed the world.

Despite the slushy mess, I managed to get in a brisk 4-mile walk.  I had to stay in the streets though since most people hadn't shoveled yet.  That's understandable since most of the snow fell overnight.  What's not are those sidewalks that will still be snow-covered on Monday morning. 

Today (Saturday) dawned cold but sunny.  It was still only 17 when I went out running.  Add in brisk northwest winds and the wind chill temp was +3.  But, once I got going, I warmed up pretty quickly.  The idea was to do an hour run and I ended up doing an hour-and-a-half.  I need to quash this exuberance before it quashes me.  It's still a long way until May 6.

Anyway, tomorrow is cross training.   Next week's schedule calls for three maintenance runs leading up to a long run next weekend--this time 24 miles. 

While out walking Friday morning, I saw a guy back his car down to his mailbox, stuff an envelope into the box, raise the flag, and . . . drive back into his garage.  I was shocked, but I shouldn't have been.  I grew up across the street from a guy who backed down his driveway every day to get his mail.  I kid you not.  We lived beside a church, so he lived across the street from the church.  Maybe 100 yards from his sidewalk to the front door of the church.  He drove to church every Sunday morning.  Rain or shine.  We laughed at him but it really wasn't funny.  There's an epidemic of obesity and diabetes in this country, and lack of exercise is part of the problem. 

Speaking of which: Few people in our neighborhood remove their own snow.  Don't even mention shoveling.  My wife and I shovel.  A double-wide driveway and 100 feet of sidewalk.  Always have.  One of our neighbors uses a snow blower.  Everybody else, within sight of our house anyway, hires someone to plow their driveway.  Plow.  A big honking truck with a blade on the front.  And, these aren't all older folks.  Most are in their 40s and 50s.  Some have teenage children.  What are they thinking?

The same people have someone come by once a week during the summer and mow their grass.  On a riding mower.  Even the people doing the work get no exercise.  My 86-year-old mother does her own yard work.  All of it.  Maybe that's why she's 86 and fitter than most of my neighbors.  Just saying.