It's the middle of February; how's your winter going?

You wouldn't expect your neighbor to clear the snow on the street in front of his house, so why would you depend on him to clear the sidewalk in front of it?

(From Phil's Blog)

In Massachusetts, we get most of our snow in February and March, so I'm anticipating some big storms in the next few weeks, but we've had a couple of notable ones already this year. Last week's dud notwithstanding, last night walking home from Davis, before most of my neighbors had shoveled their walks, I found myself slipping and sliding all over the place! That's not exactly the kind of excitement I'm looking for on my walk home.

How is your neighborhood doing on snow clearance? Does your city have a snow clearing ordinance?

Bundle up for the cold!

The talk of the town this week is how bitterly cold it is. I'm always amazed at the variety of bundling that people do -- at all times of year, really, but especially when I'm piling on as many layers as I can manage. I was pretty comfortable on my walk this morning, other than my face, because I've never figured out the trick of getting my scarf to stay up over my cheeks.

I'm shocked when I see people exposing bare skin at neck, wrist, or ankle (our intern this morning reported seeing people out and about without socks!). In fact, Somerville, where I live, has just announced a cold weather alert, and is providing warming centers open to the public during this cold spell.

Most of us (and certainly those of us reading this post) won't need to visit a special warming center, and will conduct our lives normally, if with a bit of extra shivering, in the next few days, but this brings up the important point for all of us of dressing appropriately. In the winter, the difference between a cold and shivery walk and a pleasant one is my clothing.

It seems obvious to those people who are accustomed to cold weather, but wearing the proper cold-weather attire makes all the difference, and when it's bitterly cold, the right amount may be more than you think. For the folks I work with who are from tropical climates, the idea of being warm in the out-of-doors during winter is itself inconceivable until I explain just how many layers I'm talking about.

It is possible to walk outside in the winter and stay warm, but you have to plan for it. If the option is to bundle up or not set foot outside the house from December through March, I pick the down parka and three layers of socks!

Winter in Boston: not for sissies

Wow, this sure has been an unpleasant week for walking, and, really, leaving the house in general here in eastern Massachusetts. Yuck!

Monday, we were treated to a thin sheen of ice on just about everything. Several of my friends slipped on their front steps or sidewalks. I continued my campaign to shame the architecture firm that lives at the end of my street and never clears their sidewalk by calling them and pointing out that walking by their building is extremely treacherous.

Tuesday wasn't bad, but yesterday blew chunks, rather literally! I felt like I was walking on small, icy marbles suspended in water for maximum slipping and slopping. Happily, by the end of the day, it was just rain, but when temperatures dropped last night, that was transformed into a thick sheet of ice almost everywhere.

Take care out and about today, and this winter! I know it's no better to be on a bike or car today, either.

Cold weather walking

Now that the weather around Boston is starting to get blustery and cold, I know a lot of people have a more difficult time motivating themselves out the door for a walk.

I know that, for myself, there are a couple of hurdles to get over when I'm thinking about walking in cooler weather. First, if I'm comfortable in my house or office, it's pretty tough to get excited to step out into the cold. If I'm a little chilly, as sometimes happens if I'm sitting still indoors, it's even more difficult to consider going out! The best way for me to encourage myself up and out, in either case, is to think about the good things about getting outside. If the sun's out, even if it's cold, I'll be glad for a hit of bright light. If it's grey, I just focus on feeling good through movement or getting errands done. I must admit, this doesn't always work, so if any of you have other ideas here, I'm all ears.

Once I'm feeling inspired to leave the house, there's the issue of dressing appropriately. In warm weather, all I have to do is put on comfortable shoes and be on my way. In the cooler months, there's the additional step of bundling up. Of course, I can't recommend this enough. Nothing will hamstring my decision to stay active in cold weather like one or two walks that see me arriving home with a case of hypothermia. If I do that in October, you're not going to see me leaving the house voluntarily until April, maybe May. So I'm a big fan of bundling up. I don't care if it makes me look silly (okay, well, I care a little bit, but I get over it) to wear a hat, scarf, gloves, three sweaters, and two pairs of long underpants under my winter coat. I understand this is particularly difficult for people who come from warmer climates. Trust me; having the right clothing for being outdoors makes a big difference in your experience of time spent out and about. SRSLY.

I'm a big believer in structurally encouraging myself to do the things I know I want to do, so I like to make plans to have hot cocoa at a coffee shop that's a pleasant walk from my house, for example, so I'm motivated (i.e., forced) to leave the house, but there's a built-in reward at the end. I mean, a reward beyond the satisfaction of getting up and moving around, which can be hard to get excited about when you're cozy on the comfy couch in the middle of winter, for sure.