This Weather Sucks!!

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant. If we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” – Anne Bradstreet

As many of you know, my biggest hobby outside of the office is distance running. I usually do most of my longest workouts on weekends, because that when time allows for it. This past weekend was awful. On Saturday, the freezing rain made the path slick, and a bridge on the Monon trail was a sheet of ice. Thankfully no one else was around (saves the embarrassment), but when I was trying to cross it I lost traction and landed on my hip and elbow! I’m alright, aside from the bruised ego.

Sunday was better with no rain, but then we had -13 degree wind chills! The water bottle that I was holding froze before I was even halfway through the run, so I had to drink it quickly then just not drink anything for the rest of the time outside. My life sucks.

Ok, maybe my life doesn’t really suck, but we’re in a time of the year that can be challenging to stay active outside. And if you have New Years Resolutions, you may be entering into the part that begins to test your will power. A few weeks to several weeks in, that’s where we start to form habits and long-lasting behavior changes. And those long-lasting behavior changes are what lead to a new (and better) end result.

Whether in our health or in any other part of our life, we are the sum of what happens to us, and what we do. We can’t always control what gets thrown our way, but every day you get a chance to control whether your actions point towards better health or not.

Keep with it, because eventually the routines will become easier. (And hey, maybe the weather will warm up and water bottles won’t freeze anymore!)

- Dr. Scott Minton