I missed my regular run at the park with the hill last week because of a schedule change involving my daughter and the car. I also got so wrapped up in yearbook pages, that I missed exercise altogether several other days. I could really tell a difference in my mood. I was impatient and had less energy. I recognized the problem Monday night and got up early to run on Tuesday in our neighborhood. I felt better immediately.

However, I don't let myself run on my 52-year-old knees more than once a week. So today when I went to the hill, I had to do something different. I decided to see how many different ways I could climb the hill in 30 minutes. Picture in your mind a hill with a jogging path around the bottom. Lots of little trails lead from the jogging path to the top of the hill.

I would take one path to the top of the hill, take a different path down, then jog to the next path up. I made five trips up and down the hill, with short jogs in between. I was breathing hard at the end. It worked a different set of muscles.

When I ran at the hill two weeks ago everything was still a winter brown. Today everything is green. Spring has arrived! There were butterflies, wildflowers, and several species of birds. Strenuous exercise lifts the spirits of a Type O. To get Type O exercise in the fresh beauty of spring is a truly delightful and uplifting experience.