To carry out life as a triathlete you have to maintain balance. Triathlon is three sports in one-swim, bike, run. This is no surprise but life is the same way, and for a middle-aged man with kids and a wife at home balance is a must. And it's not easy. This week my life was not in balance.
Work and studies swallowed my life this week. Being up until 2 a.m. on two occasions resulted in a late wake up on Friday and a rush to get out the door to our camping weekend on Friday. That's where the snowball fight picture came from. I loved the time with my son this weekend but wish I wasn't so rushed and wished I could have planned better. Lack of that resulted in the degradation of my spirituality. Just how that happened is another discussion for another venue, but the point is-balance matters. Spend too much time in the pool when training for a triathlon and your bike time degrades resulting in a slower overall time in an Ironman. Spend too much time at work and your family, spirituality or physical health degrades and results in a weakened overall self. We should all try to avoid that.
Over time I've come to the realization that my best self REQUIRES physical exercise and movement. It's kept my self alive in austere environments and during extended periods of time away from my family. During hard times when life seemed so difficult and lacking in meaning, triathlon and physical exercises have made the most sense in my life. Conducting such activity allows me to clear my mind and make sense of the other things in life that are important but not the center of my normal best fitting self.
I was glad to conduct some exercise after getting back from the camping-it felt great and was mind clearing. I did about 40 minutes on the bike trainer and it felt great. Helps me get stoked for the coming triathlon season!
Hope ya'll are doing well and we'll see you out there.
Cheers-
