Humans Outside

Windows into just a few of many days of life outside. The daylight is back, and my outdoor time is getting easier — even if it is still cold. Yesterday I noticed the birch trees turning red, a sign that spring and leaves are coming soon for them. We’re all out here like the plants, enjoying that touch of new warmth.

Checking in from the cold and that good good March sunshine! We closed out the last week of February with a loooooot of cold run miles helping my friend Amanda bring in the win for the Local Legend challenge (remember last year when I ran around the block 800 times? Well , the location moved, and I was too busy to compete, but then it turned out I wasn’t too busy to help a friend win). It’s been 0°ish and colder, but the sun is back in the sky, and you can’t be mad when it’s out there being awesome and bright. This is the time of year where I’m like whoa hey, maybe I WAS a little dark-season-depressed after all?

Howling wind and cold almost kept me home tonight, but at the last minute I rallied the teens, grabbed the skis and dashed up for an hour of laps. It was -3° so we didn’t last long. But we were there!!

It was 100% snow out there today as I made myself run for 40 minutes. It was also 100% worth it.

A few months ago I decided to stop posting a photo a day of me keeping my outdoor habit, something I had done for more than 3,000 days in a row. Im definitely still keeping my 20-minute daily streak, but I just didn’t want to have to snap it each time.

It’s amazing how quickly you lose a habit even after 3,000 days. And now I simply don’t think about posting.

In the absence of photos, however, my daily habit leans towards boring. It’s a lot of hot tub time, honestly. Some of that blah is the weight of late winter. Everything is just so hard when it’s been so dark and cold.

But the light is on its way back, and I’m eager to start feeling it. I’m sure you are, too.

3,095 days, and still going strong.

Driving home from work tonight, looked up and saw this, and almost drove off the road. Pulled over instead on a side street to gawk from outside the car. Forget a snap from today’s run. This is where the awe is.