It’s December and with a little more than two weeks before the official start of winter season, my husband and I are now ready to welcome it with arms wide open. It’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year, but with it, comes bitter cold temperatures and difficult traveling conditions. I wish everyone to be safe and to make sure to bundle up!

I’ve decided to lie low from joining races for the coming season but that doesn’t mean I’ll forget about running. My love for running will never fade. 😛 I will still keep running through the winter. I have yet to experience running in the snow and ice. I know, it may seem crazy to think about it but a lot of people say it’s really fun and with the right gear, it’s doable!

I’ve only started serious running this year and so far, I prefer running in cold temps than in the heat and humidity of summer. I love that I don’t have to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to beat the heat. I love getting out there and knowing that even though I’m cold starting out, I’ll eventually warm up. I love being outside, even if it’s cold.

To those who have ran in the winter cold and snow, care to share your experience?

Speaking of snow, Perfect North Slopes (related post: Mudstash update) opened last weekend! 🙂 They have made enough snow during the past cold days to have a few runs open for preview. We dragged ourselves early Saturday to the place to check it out and get a head start on the slopes. 🙂

We came to pick up our season pass too!

Our season pass is good for one day per week. Since they had a limited amount of terrain open last weekend, they considered both Saturday and Sunday, bonus days! So, we got to go again on Sunday with our season pass for free! Awhhh-some! 🙂

It was hot for snowboarding on those two days. The temp was in the high 50s. We didn’t have to wear thick jackets. Some of the people were wearing shorts while skiing and snowboarding. I thought they looked weird. 😛

Here are some of the videos we took that day! We were trying to learn how to “butter“. But in order to that, we had to learn how to spin first.

My husband did a good job and learned it pretty fast!

As winter comes, try not to hibernate! Don’t wait for spring to get active again. Beat winter blues! Get outside if you can.

Winter sports are not for everyone. If the cold isn’t your cup of hot chocolate, there are alternatives to still get active indoors.

For me, if the weather doesn’t permit me to go running outside, I go to our local gym and use their treadmill. Sometimes, I join my friends play indoor volleyball with them.

My arms got so bruised after I played volleyball for the first time again after so many years.

It has been so long since I played volleyball. This is totally normal for the first few days. The impact of the volleyball damages the small vessels under your skin. I’ve had this before during my first days of volleyball training when I was in high school. Once you play more, you get used to it and the bruising gets minimal ’til you don’t get them anymore.

More bruises on my knees too. I will definitely remind myself to wear knee pads the next time I play again. 😦

Another alternative that my husband use to be active indoor, his indoor bike trainer.

Basically, you put your bike’s back wheel in the trainer, and then pedal your bike, but it doesn’t go anywhere. Depending on the trainer, you can set the angles and tension to give yourself a more rigorous workout.

Winter weather can sometimes make working out seem less than desirable but there are really no excuses for my husband and me. There will always be a way if you really want to. So, bring it on Winter! We’re so ready for you!

Do you have alternative workouts in the winter? What activities do you do to stay active in the winter?

Have you guys set up your Christmas tree yet?

We already did! 🙂

Christmas is definitely in the air in our home! 🙂

I love spreading cheer the old-fashioned way. Go ahead and fill out my address book, if you want to receive a Christmas card from me!  … I know you want one! 🙂