6 ms·

I'm an above average runner (fast enough to qualify for Boston anyway), mid-40s, been running about 15 years. I've run dozens of marathons and a few ultras, som

by js2 9y ago

I'm an above average runner (fast enough to qualify for Boston anyway), mid-40s, been running about 15 years. I've run dozens of marathons and a few ultras, some over 24 hours and/or 100 miles. I also did CrossFit for about 15 months a couple years back. So I'm in pretty good shape and I have a pretty good idea of physical exertion levels, both aerobic and anaerobic. With all that said, I've had to shovel snow a few times, most recently last week – it is (or at least can be) as strenuous an activity as I've ever done. Shoveling snow should not kill you, but it's a mistake to underestimate the level of effort it requires. Then again, I was raised in Florida so maybe I just suck at it.

gbrown 9y ago
It can be done at a reasonable pace. If you try to distance throw large amounts of wet, heavy snow, you're going to have a bad time. If you make good use of appropriate shovels, minimize wasted effort, and take your time, it's really not that bad.
- shados 9y ago
  > and take your time That's the catch. In some cities, you have to shovel snow in front of your house by a certain time or get a ticket. If you have responsibilities (kids or whatever), have to get to work, and have to shovel before heading out or take a fine, you don't exactly have time to do it slowly. Health be damned. So I live in a condo and hire people to do it ;)
  - Retric 9y ago
    It's an issue, why no just buy a machine to do it for you? You can get a low end snowblower for ~200$ which are probably not worthless.
    - dbcurtis 9y ago
      Let me assure you, a $200 snow blower is worthless. When I lived in Minnesota, my motto was: "Life is too short for a crappy snowblower." If it didn't start on the second pull, SOLD. And it had better be two-stage and have some signifcant power. When I moved to California I sold my snowblower to my then middle-school-aged nephew. He made a ton of money going up and down the street of his town clearing snow for sweet old grandmothers.
      - bluedino 9y ago
        >>Let me assure you, a $200 snow blower is worthless >>When I lived in Minnesota You definitely don't want a $200 snowblower if you live in Minnesota. But, if you live in somewhere like Ohio or Michigan in an area that doesn't get a ton of snow, a $200 snowblower can do the trick just fine. But that once or twice-a-year storm that dumps 10 inches might be too much.
        zokula 9y ago
        What? On a average year Michigan gets way more snow than Minnesota. In the UP alone many areas average over a 150 to 200 inches. No where in Minnesota does it break 80 inches in average.
        bluedino 9y ago
        Nobody lives in the UP. The southeastern part of the state where everyone lives is lucky to see over 40 inches a year
  - StudentStuff 9y ago
    Wow, that sounds terrible, akin to the brown lawn tickets cities like Grand Rapids, MI give out. Why would people re-elect politicians that put horrid ordinances like these in place?
    - maxerickson 9y ago
      The ordinance isn't ticky-tack, it allows people to use the sidewalk. A lot of towns have similar and don't enforce it very much.
      - choward 9y ago
        And snow plows that my tax dollars pay for are what keep the roads clear for vehicles. Why isn't it the same way for the sidewalk? Why do I have to take care of public property?
        davidw 9y ago
        Because few people would want to pay the taxes needed to have public workers do it, is my guess. Plowing streets can be done fairly quickly with trucks; sidewalks would probably require more workers.
        shados 9y ago
        They make small trucks to plow the sidewalks. It's what cities that do it use. It's quite efficient.
        astura 9y ago
        Yep, they are super nice machines too, they do the job super duper fast and really well. My city uses them but only to plow "city streets," or rather "streets not in front of anyone's property and streets in front of city property" I really really wish they'd do my property. I pay a ton in property tax, you'd think they could afford it. Either way, it would be more expensive. I'm not sure if the operators are hourly or salaried but it would probably cost more in manpower to do all the streets, they would probably need more machines too plus there would be an increase in maintenance costs and a reduction in lifetime of the machines.
woolvalley 9y ago
Snow shoveling is more of the weightlifting kind of exertion (think squats) than the running kind. Your body is trained for the running kind, something very different.
kevin_thibedeau 9y ago
That's because shoveling requires arm and back strength which running doesn't provide.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
branchless 9y ago
I just got in from shoveling a lot of snow and I sure as hell won't be doing a marathon, ever. Shovelling snow is far, far easier.

by js2 9y ago

gbrown 9y ago

It can be done at a reasonable pace. If you try to distance throw large amounts of wet, heavy snow, you're going to have a bad time. If you make good use of appropriate shovels, minimize wasted effort, and take your time, it's really not that bad.

shados 9y ago
> and take your time That's the catch. In some cities, you have to shovel snow in front of your house by a certain time or get a ticket. If you have responsibilities (kids or whatever), have to get to work, and have to shovel before heading out or take a fine, you don't exactly have time to do it slowly. Health be damned. So I live in a condo and hire people to do it ;)
- Retric 9y ago
  It's an issue, why no just buy a machine to do it for you? You can get a low end snowblower for ~200$ which are probably not worthless.
  - dbcurtis 9y ago
    Let me assure you, a $200 snow blower is worthless. When I lived in Minnesota, my motto was: "Life is too short for a crappy snowblower." If it didn't start on the second pull, SOLD. And it had better be two-stage and have some signifcant power. When I moved to California I sold my snowblower to my then middle-school-aged nephew. He made a ton of money going up and down the street of his town clearing snow for sweet old grandmothers.
    - bluedino 9y ago
      >>Let me assure you, a $200 snow blower is worthless >>When I lived in Minnesota You definitely don't want a $200 snowblower if you live in Minnesota. But, if you live in somewhere like Ohio or Michigan in an area that doesn't get a ton of snow, a $200 snowblower can do the trick just fine. But that once or twice-a-year storm that dumps 10 inches might be too much.
      - zokula 9y ago
        What? On a average year Michigan gets way more snow than Minnesota. In the UP alone many areas average over a 150 to 200 inches. No where in Minnesota does it break 80 inches in average.
        bluedino 9y ago
        Nobody lives in the UP. The southeastern part of the state where everyone lives is lucky to see over 40 inches a year
- StudentStuff 9y ago
  Wow, that sounds terrible, akin to the brown lawn tickets cities like Grand Rapids, MI give out. Why would people re-elect politicians that put horrid ordinances like these in place?
  - maxerickson 9y ago
    The ordinance isn't ticky-tack, it allows people to use the sidewalk. A lot of towns have similar and don't enforce it very much.
    - choward 9y ago
      And snow plows that my tax dollars pay for are what keep the roads clear for vehicles. Why isn't it the same way for the sidewalk? Why do I have to take care of public property?
      - davidw 9y ago
        Because few people would want to pay the taxes needed to have public workers do it, is my guess. Plowing streets can be done fairly quickly with trucks; sidewalks would probably require more workers.
        shados 9y ago
        They make small trucks to plow the sidewalks. It's what cities that do it use. It's quite efficient.
        astura 9y ago
        Yep, they are super nice machines too, they do the job super duper fast and really well. My city uses them but only to plow "city streets," or rather "streets not in front of anyone's property and streets in front of city property" I really really wish they'd do my property. I pay a ton in property tax, you'd think they could afford it. Either way, it would be more expensive. I'm not sure if the operators are hourly or salaried but it would probably cost more in manpower to do all the streets, they would probably need more machines too plus there would be an increase in maintenance costs and a reduction in lifetime of the machines.

woolvalley 9y ago

Snow shoveling is more of the weightlifting kind of exertion (think squats) than the running kind. Your body is trained for the running kind, something very different.

kevin_thibedeau 9y ago

That's because shoveling requires arm and back strength which running doesn't provide.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

branchless 9y ago

I just got in from shoveling a lot of snow and I sure as hell won't be doing a marathon, ever. Shovelling snow is far, far easier.