Why?

I'm constantly asked by others (and myself) WHY I do all this exercise/workout/training/racing stuff. It sure takes up a LOT of time. Time I could use instead to sleep (yeah, baby), eat, sleep, watch TV, talk to friends, play games, sleep, clean the house, do laundry, and sleep some more. Plus it costs money--despite what everyone assures you, you just can't put on a pair of gym shorts and cheap Keds and go out for a 10 mile run one day. And let's face it, it HURTS sometimes. Many times. A lot of times.

So why?

Well, the first couple of answers are obvious: one, because it's good for my health. I stay relatively fit (I ain't gonna ever be Nastia Lukiun, my up the block neighbor--believe me when you see her house and mine you will know why I say UP the block), it's good for my bones, my heart, and all those other things. Exercise really makes a huge difference in your health. Second, because it's fun. I like being competitive (although at my speeds, I'm competitive basically with myself and the turtle who lives in my back yard) and I love getting outside in the fresh air and doing stuff outdoors.

The third reason, though, is the most important.

It keeps me sane and makes me feel good (those sound like two reasons, but they really do go together).

You cannot--you simply CANNOT go out and run or bike or swim for a while, hard, and come back not feeling the buzz afterwards (yeah, okay, most of the buzz is afterwards and not during, but you can't fault a buzz at any time). That stuff lasts for a while, too. I myself love a glass or two of wine at times, but this post workout high really beats that (mostly). It's a clean, happy feeling that your mind and your body take on, tired as the latter might be.

And again--you simply CANNOT be running or biking or swimming (or playing tennis or rowing or climbing a rock wall) and be thinking 100 percent about your problems of the day. Work, family, money, car troubles--they don't necessarily go away, but they all go down to a quiet hum in the background as your heart and lungs and legs work on getting to a higher, faster, stronger level. Sometimes, when you are done, you realize how trivial some of these worries really are, or you come up with a solution that you didn't see before.

I can understand how working out and training can easily become addicting, like a sort of drug, because the sensation is really and truly narcotic in its own way. Those of us who exercise and train regularly get grumpy and out of sorts when forced to take a break or a rest (you know you have reached that level when your spouse says, "honey, you're apparently stressed. Why don't you --" (NO, not take a hot bath, have a glass of wine, go shopping) "--go for a RUN?" To ensure you don't fall into that addiction trap, I think it's important that you have other things in your life that are unrelated to simply sleeping, eating, working, and working out. Maybe gardening or traveling or reading or cooking or coaching Little League. Me, I like to train, show and work with my dogs, cook, read and go dancing with the Patient Spouse. As Lance wisely said, it ain't all about the bike (he might have meant that differently than I do, but it works).

So this is why. It makes me feel Tony the Tiger great. If I can get up and run 8 miles, I can do anything. Yowza.