My dog Ruby and I went for an excellent walk this morning. Starting at the road junction we came back toward the cabin through what we call the black forest, across the creek, almost up to the clearing, but we then veered east onto the old logging road and followed it along until it petered out. We had to muddle about a bit until I could find the trail that veers north to what I call Alex’s corner. Snow and deadfall have so camouflaged this trail that there were moments of uncertainty along the way. What was an obvious path last summer is far less clear now beneath snow. When I chanced across a rock ‘duck’ at a sharp turn I promised myself to never make fun of my wife again for leaving these trail markers when she walks in the woods. From the corner, the dog and I bushwhacked uphill to what is locally known as Moser’s Summit, a hilltop clearing with a bit of a view. From there, we followed the ridge down to the town boundary line and then back home. All in all, a most excellent walk through the woods. I confess it was a bit of a challenge making it uphill to the summit; I had to pause a few times to catch my breath least I start to sweat. Sweating is tolerable in the summer but not in the winter when the temperature is low.

I describe this activity in the hope that you can sense the pleasure I experienced going for this morning tramp in the woods. I am trying to understand the current enthusiasm some people have about what is called high intensity interval training (HIIT). An article by Gretchen Reynolds has been posted on the New York Times website for several weeks that suggests “Including high-intensity training in your workouts provided better protection against premature death than moderate workouts alone.”¹