Today I got up, saw the beautiful sky, sipped some coffee with my wife on the patio, and realized, “Hey, I should go for a run today.”
That thought isn’t particularly novel or interesting, but the fact that it gave me pause is.
The problem is that after months of cycling obsession I actually felt a bit like I wasn’t allowed to run, that it would detract from my cycling performance goals, that I might hurt myself because I haven’t been working up those running parts of my body (btw, only running increases bone density).
Now that I’m back to medically “overweight” instead of “obese” my training has become more mundane and I’ve been reminded of things I learned as a kid all over again: the most important aspect of long-term fitness is fun. If you can’t smile while doing it, then why do it at all? Why is it even called training when playing is so much more fun?
In fact, the reason I switched from being a runner and cyclist to doing triathlons was mostly about variety, not speed, not the optimal sport for my specific body type, and definitely not to be better than anyone else. It’s the same reason I abandoned the gym and started doing stand-up paddle-boarding on the lake, and yoga, and hiking, and playing roller-hockey, and skateboarding because they are fun!