Are we there yet?

As I write this, wet flakes fall from a dark sky. It’s below freezing outside and it’s chilly even here in the office.

Wake me, please, when the days grow longer.

When a scarf around the neck is for fashion not function. When you can run, walk, bike or garden after dinner because the sun still shines.

We’re getting there.

March, welcome.

We hope this issue helps spring you forward.

Our own Mike Lewis shares expert tips on starting—and sustaining—a running program. And what better time with all the area 5Ks and 10Ks coming up this season? Lewis has run in the Boston Marathon several times, an event Martha Shedd has been training for with the help of others but with a strong will all her own. She provides great motivation for the first-time runner in this month’s Fitness Inspiration.

You’ll also hear from more inspiring people on their amazing journeys to better health. Learn what worked for David Schneider and Cindy Godsey, two participants in our Before-and-After Fitness Challenge. We’ll feature more of these stories in coming issues.

Our cover story turns to a topic near-and-dear to most of us here in Hoosierland—basketball. Veteran sports writer Lynn Houser writes about the local pick-up hoops scene. He talks with regular Joe Greene, who rebounded from an injury and is back playing twice a week.

If basketball isn’t your thing, our calendar section offers plenty of activities to keep you busy over the next few months. Look for the INstride team at two upcoming events: the INstride Hands-On Health Fair (April 10) and the Monroe YMCA Spring Run (April 17).

And while the number of events and activities bloom as we leave winter behind, keep in mind the importance of a break. Writer Carol Johnson reminds us that nature can be the perfect (free!) remedy to stress. As a wellness expert tells her: “Take a park, not a pill.” You don’t need Florida to have a spring break experience.

The first official day of spring is March 20. Enjoy!

Sarah Morin, editor