posted on June 17, 2011 by Ann Brennan
I am impressed. I am not being facetious or sarcastic when I say this. I am impressed with people who don’t exercise. I am impressed that they get through their days without screaming at the cars that are moving too slowly in front of them. That they are still walking around with heads full of hair because they haven’t pulled it out from the stress of life. I am impressed that they get from one day to the next without worrying about when they will be able to get in the next workout.
I am impressed because I can’t imagine doing it. I can’t imagine the kind of person I would be without my workouts. This is especially so this morning as I am still fuming over having to have cut my swim workout short.
This has been a light week. Two 30 minute runs, two weights workouts, and two 22 mile rides. To be honest I have been feeling the stress of a lighter week and was looking forward to this mornings swim. Finally, something hard. Finally a workout that would leave me gasping for breath and needing a nap. Finally something to relieve the stress I have been under while trying to write three weeks worth of articles in one week so I can actually enjoy my vacation this year.
To be fair, the aggravation set in early in the swim. I knew I was short on time. I knew I had to complete 4500 yards and rush back out to pick my daughter up from her strength and conditioning class.
Heading into a workout rushed doesn’t generally work for me. Today was no exception. To make matters worse, my goggles leaked all the way through my 500 yard warm up and the stress that I was trying to relieve with the swim, just built.
Eventually I found a rhythm. I completed my 600 yards of drills and moved into the 500 repeats feeling loose and de-stressed. And then, after my second set, as I was really beginning to feel good, I looked up, saw the clock and knew there was no way to get it all in, unless I wanted to be 30 minutes late for collecting Meg.
So, I had to compromise. I cut 2 sets of 500 and the 500 cool down. I cut 1500 yards from my 4500 yard swim. I still completed the 400 yards of kicks but it was what I didn’t do that nags at me.
I know what you are going to say. It is the same thing I would say to you if you had to cut a swim, run or bike short.
“Something is better than nothing,” you would say, “Three thousand yards is nothing to sneeze at.”
And it is true. But I am still annoyed. I still wish I had more hours in my day. I still wish I had planned better and as I was trying to rush to my daughter’s gym to collect her and bring her home, I still found myself wanting to scream at the mom who was driving 25 miles an hour down the road.
So, I am impressed. I am impressed with people who don’t remember the last time they walked, much less ran, swam or rode a bike. I don’t envy them. I don’t want to be them and I wouldn’t give up my workouts at all. But I am impressed that people can function without exercise while a light week is enough to send me into a bit of a tailspin
ps I love Annes writing, impressiver
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