Embracing February Fitness

   For many people, February is the dreariest month.The Holidays are well in the rear-view mirror, football is over, and every weather report warns of impending meteorological doom.
    I'm the opposite. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are a tad warmer than the past few months, hockey is in season, and even though there is more snow, it doesn't linger as long as early-winter storms.
    This past week, Central Jersey dodged a bullet with the "Nemo Blizzard." While the people in Long Island and Connecticut got belted with snowfall measured in feet, we had a manageable six inches, which fell, conveniently, on a Friday night.
    I did a hard treadmill workout Friday morning consisting of a five minute warm-up, 15-minutes of half-marathon pace running (8.6 on the 'mill); two 10-minute intervals at 10-k pace (9.1), and an all-out five minute sprint to finish, beginning at 9.6 on up. Each sprint was separated by three minutes of walking and jogging.
    With the snow accumulating, I followed a snowstorm tradition in my family and picked up a dozen Dunkin Donuts on my way home. Although they are my favorite "guilty treat," I only buy them during snowstorms, as a post-shoveling treat for me and my son. You burn a ton of calories keeping your body warm while shoveling, and they just go great with warm milk when you get inside!
     So, after dinner, I cleaned the wet, heavy snow off the driveway with the radio blasting from the garage, and indulged in my two butternut donuts. The best!
     The next two days, I got in refreshing, crisp hill runs in the mid-winter air, with the pretty backdrop of melting snow in the bright sunshine.
     I think the trick is to think past the reality of February, and look at it as almost the start of summer. Baseball comes out of hibernation this month, and my training during this time of year is always with Spring and Summer races in mind. My motivation seems to be high, and I know, although it may not seem like it, the darkness of winter is on the wane.
    Don't dread February - embrace it!