The Winter Wonderland Workout

I was pretty hard on myself last week, Modern Philosophers, for not keeping up with my workouts.  That changed today.

I got in my best workout in over a month, putting in about an hour and a half of cardio work and strength training.

And the cool thing is, I only had to use two machines to get in all that exercise: the snow shovel and the ice chipper.

That’s right, Modern Philosophers, I used what the experts (and by experts, I mean me) are calling The Winter Wonderland Workout.

The process of clearing the snow and ice from the driveway of The House on the Hill is better than most workouts I’ve ever done at the gym.  It snowed last night, and then we had an ice storm, so today’s experience wasn’t a typical one.

I had to break through the ice first and then shovel away the snow.  I could feel the sweat pouring off me even though it was only 25 degrees.  I was sure I was burning more calories than the combined amount burned by all the men in the photo at the left.

I did all this work on a serious incline, and more than once, found myself sliding down the driveway because of the icy conditions.

Once I had worked my way back to the front porch of The House on the Hill, I was hit by a sense of accomplishment similar to the one I feel at the end of a long run.  I was exhausted, a little achy, and dying for a Snapple.

I took off my boots, stood by the heat grate for a couple of minutes, and then sent an email to The Girl Who Melts The Ice In My Heart.  The moment I hit the send button on her email, however, I heard something that angered me deeply.

It was the city snow plow.  And it was rumbling down my block.

I trudged to the foyer for a look out the front window, cursing under my breath as I went.

It was just as I suspected.  A huge pile of snow, slush, and ice was now littering the end of my driveway.  The driveway I had just spent over an hour clearing.

I put on my boots and jacket, grabbed the shovel, and went back to the gym…I mean…outside to continue my workout.

The stuff left by the snow plow is heavy, so I got in some really good arms, shoulders, and chest work.  Twenty minutes later, I was finished again.

I refuse to go back out there again today, so the snow plow guy better plan to clear my driveway if he hits this block again.

It feels good to workout.  Now I need a nap…