Winter 100 at the Preservation Parks

Tom and I have been participating in the Winter 100, one of the programs of the Preservation Parks of Delaware County.  I wrote about the Scavenger Hunt, another program.  Someone is trying to get us outside and active, no matter what the season!

The Winter 100 encourages people to get outdoors more in the winter.  The program runs from January 1 through March 31.  During that time you register, get a log, and keep track of how many miles you walk in a park.  Because Tom and I walk almost every day across the street at Char-Mar Ridge, this was a no-brainer for us.  We registered on January 1 and got our log.

I walk three miles most days in a loop around Char-Mar Ridge and along the Ohio to Erie bike trail.  Tom does 3.5 miles because he does the Char-Mar Ridge loop twice.  I only missed walking two days in January and one day (so far) in February.  My rule is I don’t walk outside if it is raining or below 10.  One of the days was raining and two were below 10.  Indoor workouts are fine on those days.

But walking outside has lots of benefits.  I see robins, cardinals, squirrels, and deer.  I say hello to fellow walkers, which might be the only people I see all day except for Tom.  Sunrises and sunshine give my spirits a lift.  It doesn’t feel as cold and dreary when I am hiking through the woods.  I feel like I get a workout when I end up tromping through deep snow.  Walking on the ice on the bike trail has been good for my core and balance.  No falls yet, although I have done some wind-milling.  Fortunately there isn’t usually anyone around to see me being acrobatic.

Tom took this gorgeous sunset
Cardinals add a spot of color
Snow sliding off the kiosk

It didn’t take us long to hit our Winter 100.  We sent our logs in on February 5, at which point both of us had over 100 miles.  A couple of days later we got some stickers in the mail.  I like the stickers, but I’m not quite sure what to do with them.

Completing the Winter 100 was not a hardship and it was fun to have a reason to walk.  Although we could easily get 200 before the end of March, Tom and I are no longer keeping our logs.  Instead, we are enjoying getting out each day.