Nov 17, 1999

I've been an outdoor runner during my 20-year running career. Living in the Detroit area, I've seen some varying weather. The winters here are occasionally extreme, but usually not bad enough to keep me inside.

With the proper clothing, the conditions can be quite enjoyable. If the snow on the roads makes the footing a little precarious, I just slow down a little.

I think that people who feel that they must excercise indoors because the weather or the footing is not ideal are missing out on some great runs. Some of my most memorable runs have come during the winter months.

Like you, my runs pass a health club that has treadmills in the windows. I affectionatley refer to this club as the "hamster cage." While I can sometimes understand using the treadmill on a day that is in the 30s and raining, I'm baffled at how many people are still on the treadmills when the calendar starts flipping over to spring or the last gasp of Indian summer before the tights are brought out for good and the shorts packed away in the basement. (Kirk Raddatz, Royal Oak, Michigan)

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