Don’t let the title deceive you. This is not an un-retirement. But, undoubtedly, my running routine will become a little more reliable now that Michelle and I have finally completed the house buying process, signed the papers and moved all our belongings in to our new abode, approximately 4.5 miles from my job. As a one car family this means I have the option to either drive into work periodically, ride my bike or run…runmute…to my place of employment. It will probably be a mix of the three, but I have made the decision to runmute as much as is sustainable physically and emotionally. I’ve made this decision because I just plain like to run, but also because doing so is the most reliable way to keep my physical health intact. I haven’t been sick for years. YEARS. Not a flu, not a cold, not even a sniffle and I attributed a lot of that to my physical routines. This past week however, I felt “off”. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew something wasn’t going well inside and it might have been due to my significant decrease in physical activity related to so many life responsibilities filling Michelle and my life right now. Kid visitation, moving, etc. It took up so much of our time that I just couldn’t work in a run and soon enough a minor virus worked its way into my bloodstream. My body was, possibly, not primed to defeat it, but it did a decent job keeping it from taking over that’s for sure. Still…screw a bunch of that.
“If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”
I like that mantra. I like being primed to run even if I’m not training for anything. I like being primed for physical and emotional health even if it’s a touch neurotic. I like not having to worry about calories, indulgences and other common concerns, if only because I work those worries away.
So with that in mind I purchased an Osprey Talon 22 for my runmuting purposes and have pulled out all the appropriate cold weather running clothes to begin my mornings with a brisk 4.5 mile run into work. I will bookend that with another 4.5 mile run back home when the whistle blows as well, giving me a 9 mile total for each day. I’m not really interested in adhering to that every day as I don’t think the toll it would take on me would sit will with Michelle, or me for that matter, but it will be nice to “stay ready”, all without the intrusion training had on my daily routines. I’ve always considered the possibility of making running PART of my routine and this works in perfectly. I know it’s not for everybody, but I’ve always stressed the importance of making physical activity an inherent part of your day (commuting the easiest way) in order to keep it sustainable. So many people, especially for a New Year’s Resolution, try to ADD physical activity to their days, seeing it more as a burden than simply a part of their lives…and this just isn’t going to last. Physical activity must be integral if it’s going to last. That could be riding your bike around town instead of taking your car. It could be running/walking your dog at least 3 times a day. It could be running to work or for errands. WHATEVER it is, if you’re forcing it, it’s not going to last. There are countless numbers of lonely basement treadmills acting as dirty laundry racks to prove the point.
Personally, getting up and out the door at 5:45/6:00 isn’t going to be easy, but I know when I make it to the end of my block I won’t regret it for a second. I’m just fortunate enough to have a runmute as an opportunity to keep me ready for what may come. I hope you can find your own way to “stay ready”.
Speaking of what may come…there MAY be an absurd race on my schedule at the end of this month. If I commit to it, (training not withstanding), I’ll make mention of it in another post.
Onward!
Welcome back. I look forward to hearing about your absurd race; life needs impossible goals and foolish decisions.
If you’re thinking of the Tough Mudder in Northern Indiana a couple months from now I want in.