Jumping

I am so incredibly sick of winter, of the cold, of the wet dripping from the sky that turns the dirt into mud and ice.  I am one who LOVES to play outside.  During the summer you'll find me in the mountains more than anywhere else.  I hike, I run, I walk, I skip, I explore, I play.  Sometimes I'm with people.  Mostly I go alone.  I love it there.

Not only is outside a place to play, it's how I get my exercise.  I find it really, REALLY hard to get my ass out the door and into the cold only to run around, weighed down by layers of clothing, the freezing air stinging my ears and lungs.  It's just not fun.

But I need to exercise.  I feel so much better about myself, my body, my life, when I am exercising, so I'm trying something new.  I bought a jump rope.

What?
Really?
A jump rope??
Those things the little school girls swing around while wearing matching skirts and chanting cute rhymes at each other?

Yes.

And no.  I bought a grownup jump rope.  It's built for speed. It's made for people my height, and it has these wonderful ball-bearings for even rotation along with soft grip handles.  I've long thought rope tricks are cool, so I'm going to learn.  Boxers and wrestlers use jump ropes for conditioning.  It helps enhance their endurance, agility, footwork, coordination and quickness.

Check out this guy:

I'll probably end up with welts on my forehead and bruises on my feet, but I'm excited to try something new.  I loved jumping rope in elementary.  I guess we'll see how it goes.

What do you guys do to stay active in the winter?  Anything??  And hey...if any of you decide to pick up a rope, we can always work on our double dutch. :)