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I was biking until early Dec. Sure u could do it, but it was too much of a pain in the butt. I might start back up now. Got too cold after the 20 inch storm. Also can't run have injury.
I just don't really care to do it personally.
As far as exercise goes, have you tried or would you be open to working out at home with some DVDs/videotapes? I haven't worked out in a gym in years and do not walk or run outside. I use Tae-Bo and Walk Away The Pounds indoors, and I have lost 50 pounds so far. You could also go to YouTube and find videos of exercises you can do indoors.
For all of those people who move here and DON'T like the cold weather or can't tolerate it -- you are insane! People who are moving away from here for that reason should never have come here in the 1st place! By the way, the South is hot like MN is cold -- unbearably! The grass truely is always greener on the other side, it seems!
Honestly, I don't know why anybody would want to move here. I've been here 60 years and never really liked it, but it was always easier to do nothing than to get up and move.
Now I'm finding I hate this climate more with each passing year. This isn't where I want to spend my retirement.
I don't know why people move here, but I hope they continue. We will have a house to sell before we can leave.
Honestly, I don't know why anybody would want to move here. I've been here 60 years and never really liked it, but it was always easier to do nothing than to get up and move.
Now I'm finding I hate this climate more with each passing year. This isn't where I want to spend my retirement.
I don't know why people move here, but I hope they continue. We will have a house to sell before we can leave.
This is exactly why I left. I hated the winters more and more, each year that passed. I wanted to establish roots somewhere else that wasn't in MN while I was still young. I was back in MN for Christmas, and I realized I do miss my friends and family, but I don't miss the cold, ice, and hassel that goes along with it.
Also, I am a marathon runner, and I joined a gym every winter - running outside can be done but it's horrible.
Of course, if you're into physical fitness, one of the best muscle building activities you can ask for is weight lifting. And we homeowners have been getting plenty of healthy weightlifting in the past few weeks - one 20 lb shovel full at a time.
I have to agree w/ Mark_22 here. Not exercising in the winter is an excuse. Plenty of people run in the winter in MN. Many ever bike commute. I prefer biking in colder weather because you aren't so sweaty when you get to work. I live in Portland, but was in MN for college so I know what it's like. Personally, I find the dark gray skies that predominate during winter in the Pacific Northwest much harder to take. It's harder to get motivated to run in the rain than in the cold.
Some people pride themselves on their resistance to cold, their "manliness" (or "womanliness"), their hard exterior. However, many of those same people whine like babies when it hits 80 degrees, totally betraying their veneer of durability. It all boils down to the fact that some are cold-blooded, and others are warm-blooded. Usually those from cold climates are warm-blooded; and from hot climates are cold-blooded, though the latter seems to be less and less the case with A/C everywhere. However, some from cold climates actually do better in hot conditions, and vice versa.
I live in Duluth - a cold, icy, snowy, frozen hell for five or six months in a typical year - and believe myself to be a "warm climate" type of person. Unfortunately, I have to stay in Minnesota for now due to medical insurance reasons. I would say the five depressing things about winter here are:
1. The uninterrupted, persistent cold. Most cold-weather cities in the U.S. get at least an occasional break from the cold. Even if it is not much of a respite (e.g. 50 degrees), practically every city of significance enjoys a few warm spells each winter. Not so in Duluth. The warmest it usually gets during "January thaw" is in the upper 30's, and that's short-lived.
2. The indoor desert. Arizona, move over. The presence of humidity on the muggier summer days isn't unbearable; it's the lack of it all winter. The cold temperatures see even the hardier Duluthians indoor most of the time, and raising the temperature of a house from the ambient temperature outdoors does not increase the dewpoint much from what it is outdoors. Therefore, if you are sensitive to dry air, you can expect itchy and/or sensitive skin, bloodshot eyes, and all the other ills of dry air from November to April. For me this is refractory to all the lotions I've tried.
3. The inability to do outdoor tasks comfortably. This varies a lot based on personal weather preferences, but I find all outdoor tasks (long walks, bike rides, etc.) virtually out of the question during a Duluth winter. Even if you are fully covered, your face still bears the brunt of the chilly air, especially if you are walking or biking head-on to a wind. To make it all worse, staying indoors and not going outdoors deprives you of melatonin and the other benefits of sunlight, which make you tired and depressed.
4. The lack of indoor recreation options. This does not apply in Minneapolis, where you have a variety of fine ethnic dining (Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Colombian restaurants, etc.), markets (Russian, Somali, etc.), museums, clubs, and things to do in general that don't involve the outdoors. Not so in Duluth. I apologize to all my fellow Duluthians in advance, but for a single person, this is a homogenized social vacuum that lacks any shred of diversity. The most popular restaurants here are the Olive Garden and Red Lobster, and I saw once that a local restaurant used Miracle Whip for a lot of items on their menu. It's not quite Deliverance, but for a person who has a deep interest in other cultures and foods, it might as well be.
5. Other little things that add up. Say it's -15 out in the morning, and you have to be to school or work in thirty minutes. Unfortunately, your entire car is glazed over. You quickly try to scrape it off, but it takes you a long time. You then try to start your car. It hesitantly starts. You look at your FCD and see the engine is exceptionally thirsty because of the cold and you are getting very bad gas mileage.
So, stuck at home (because of a lack of things to do) with itchy and / or sensitive skin, unable to do anything substantial outdoors, etc. - for all but the right people (whom I described in a recent post in the thread "Duluth sucks!" on the Duluth board), it's truly miserable. In most other aspects, it's an outstanding city, especially in the summer, boasting more outdoor recreation options than most Midwestern cities and a very low cost of living to boot, but the winter is just too strong of a counterweight. That's why not too many people move up here or are attracted to Duluth as a place to settle: too cold.
I don't like it here....Want to move out asap, I have a lease till July but want to go now. Not sure why people move to the midwest, in all honesty. It's very cold here, for me.
This isn't a 'rants and raves' website. If you want to troll around, do that on craigslist.
About the cold- Yeah, it's winter and it's Mid-Continental Midwest. What do you expect, it to be warm? Go out and spend about $300-on nice shoes, gloves, jacket and scarf and you wont be bothered.
I don't know what there isn't to like:
- 4 very distinct seasons
-- Spring - Mar, Apr, May
-- Summer - June, July, August
-- Fall - Sept, Oct, Nov
-- Winter - Dec, Jan, Feb
- Some of the best schools that money can get you
- Parks, trails and zoos
- Some of the cleanest air quality and water quality in the US
- Fortune 500s
- Healthiest residents
- 15,000 lakes
- one of the largest lakes -Superior
- one of the longest rivers - Mississippi
- fishing, hunting, hiking and camping
- four professional sports teams
- arts scene
- music scene
I agree, Minnesota's biggest downfall is the winter, but it just makes us appreciate the summer. There is nothing like the first 60 degree day and seeing people just come out of the woodwork...
If you cant get over a bit of cold and snow from Dec-March then good riddiance.
Some people pride themselves on their resistance to cold, their "manliness" (or "womanliness"), their hard exterior. However, many of those same people whine like babies when it hits 80 degrees, totally betraying their veneer of durability. It all boils down to the fact that some are cold-blooded, and others are warm-blooded. Usually those from cold climates are warm-blooded; and from hot climates are cold-blooded, though the latter seems to be less and less the case with A/C everywhere. However, some from cold climates actually do better in hot conditions, and vice versa.
I live in Duluth - a cold, icy, snowy, frozen hell for five or six months in a typical year - and believe myself to be a "warm climate" type of person. Unfortunately, I have to stay in Minnesota for now due to medical insurance reasons. I would say the five depressing things about winter here are:
1. The uninterrupted, persistent cold. Most cold-weather cities in the U.S. get at least an occasional break from the cold. Even if it is not much of a respite (e.g. 50 degrees), practically every city of significance enjoys a few warm spells each winter. Not so in Duluth. The warmest it usually gets during "January thaw" is in the upper 30's, and that's short-lived.
"January thaw"? Jan. is the coldest month in MN as a whole and for the Twin Cities. There is no such thing. Last Sept.(09') Duluth had an average temp of 70 degrees. This past March (10') I spent a good 3 hours one day on the beach barefooted. Quit your overexxageration.
2. The indoor desert. Arizona, move over. The presence of humidity on the muggier summer days isn't unbearable; it's the lack of it all winter. The cold temperatures see even the hardier Duluthians indoor most of the time, and raising the temperature of a house from the ambient temperature outdoors does not increase the dewpoint much from what it is outdoors. Therefore, if you are sensitive to dry air, you can expect itchy and/or sensitive skin, bloodshot eyes, and all the other ills of dry air from November to April. For me this is refractory to all the lotions I've tried.
Same thing for everyother cold weather place. Get that jergens out.
3. The inability to do outdoor tasks comfortably. This varies a lot based on personal weather preferences, but I find all outdoor tasks (long walks, bike rides, etc.) virtually out of the question during a Duluth winter. Even if you are fully covered, your face still bears the brunt of the chilly air, especially if you are walking or biking head-on to a wind. To make it all worse, staying indoors and not going outdoors deprives you of melatonin and the other benefits of sunlight, which make you tired and depressed.
You're a Duluthian, so you're probably poor and disgruntled about your lack of skill to obtain a job so Ill give you the benefit of the doubt. But, you need to understand you need to spend good $$ on clothes to stay warm. Again, this isn't just a 'Duluth' thing. It gets cold dark and long anywhere up here. I went out and snowshoed, skiied, snowboarded, ran, and played ice hockey all the time.
4. The lack of indoor recreation options. This does not apply in Minneapolis, where you have a variety of fine ethnic dining (Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Colombian restaurants, etc.), markets (Russian, Somali, etc.), museums, clubs, and things to do in general that don't involve the outdoors. Not so in Duluth. I apologize to all my fellow Duluthians in advance, but for a single person, this is a homogenized social vacuum that lacks any shred of diversity. The most popular restaurants here are the Olive Garden and Red Lobster, and I saw once that a local restaurant used Miracle Whip for a lot of items on their menu. It's not quite Deliverance, but for a person who has a deep interest in other cultures and foods, it might as well be.
Look at the demographics. It's a metro of about 200,000 people, 95% of which are white. The most 'popular' restaraunts certainly aren't Olive Garden and Red Lobster.
5. Other little things that add up. Say it's -15 out in the morning, and you have to be to school or work in thirty minutes. Unfortunately, your entire car is glazed over. You quickly try to scrape it off, but it takes you a long time. You then try to start your car. It hesitantly starts. You look at your FCD and see the engine is exceptionally thirsty because of the cold and you are getting very bad gas mileage.
Um, I'm a smart person. So in the winter i give myself ample time to be prepared. I drive a 1995 beat up SUV and my car NEVER had an issue starting.
So, stuck at home (because of a lack of things to do) with itchy and / or sensitive skin, unable to do anything substantial outdoors, etc. - for all but the right people (whom I described in a recent post in the thread "Duluth sucks!" on the Duluth board), it's truly miserable. In most other aspects, it's an outstanding city, especially in the summer, boasting more outdoor recreation options than most Midwestern cities and a very low cost of living to boot, but the winter is just too strong of a counterweight. That's why not too many people move up here or are attracted to Duluth as a place to settle: too cold.
It's easy to sit there and complain, but your complaints don't just apply to Duluth. It sounds like you just need friends or a hobby
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