Isn’t it funny how we are always getting back into things? A few years ago when that virus took me out for three months I had to get back to being a triathlete. Last year, after my foot surgery, I was getting back into shape. This year, after my cold I was getting back into running again. Oh, I haven’t been to yoga for 2 weeks now, guess I’ll need to get back into that. Bike? What’s a bike? Guess I’ll need to really start riding again sometime. Weights? Haven’t lifted one in 2 months. I know it’s good for me and will help me be a better athlete, but I just don’t have the time.
It doesn’t end with our active lives. We are diverted in our everyday lives as well. Kids, significant others (or lack thereof), projects, jobs, this list goes on and on. You all know what I’m talking about.
At what point do all these things make us who we are? Are we still defined as triathletes if we have been focusing on landscaping our yards and have only been working out 5 hours per week? When do we lose the vaulted title of lifestyle athlete? After a month, two months, a year, of not competing? How many diversions will it finally take to give up being a triathlete? Are we afraid that our most recent diversion will be the one that breaks the camels back and we will be transformed into some couch potato with dusty carbon bikes hanging in the garage? Maybe we will turn into one of those people who can remember when they used to race and be in good shape but just can’t remember why we stopped being an athlete.
Maybe discipline is the 5th discipline of triathlon? Without it, the first thing that came along would derail us and we would forever be held captive by that soft sofa and big screen TV.
Okay then, enough rambling, it must have been a really boring afternoon run if it made me think of stuff like this!
Can’t wait to get my new Garmin 305. Then I can get back to timing my runs….
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6 comments:
Hey Bones,
I think a lot of it comes down to "randomness"--the constant and inescapable law of entropy. We always have to be purposefully "getting back into it" because non-voluntarily, we are always losing it...
I asked T if he still considered himself a rock climber, even though we only get out a couple of times a year (at the most) and spend just about no time training for it, and he said "yes."
I think I always considered myself involved in triathlon, even when there was a long gap when I just dabbled in training--but that "dabbling" in training was still more than the average bear, just because of my background. When I came to NM, after healing from being hit by the car, it was the first thing I independently turned to--even though it had been 10 years since I had been fully participatory.
I think part of this depends on how immersed you are in the world of triathlon. For me--my world revolved around it in the late '80's early '90's--and it obviously stuck with me. Now, sometimes, I wonder why I put so much time into it--and I wonder if I am still going to be putting this much time into it 20 years from now...
So a late night rambling reply to your post work out rambling entry!
:)
Dude-you need to just get back on the bike! we won't let you give up "tri-ing"!
:)
I look at triathon as being as being my second job. My second job is taking care of me, and that's how I do it. That allows me to do all the necessary things to take care of everyone and everything else, cheerfully. It also provides positive role model stuff. My sons will, hopefully, think that women are supposed to be active and adventurous and seek out someone like that. My daughter will hopefully some day be active and adventurous. Meanwhile, when mom and wife are happy, everyone else is happy too.
PS: You can delete the fisching comments, you know.
I was just commenting to someone else why I don't feel compelled to do an Ironman. I just don't have time to commit to all that training! But that doesn't mean I don't do shorter races and/or work out most days.
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