Fun

My workouts lately have not been all they could be. I have been doing them (mostly) but I have not been inspired. I've even been questioning whether I want to continue doing triathlons.

I've been avoiding swimming (that's how I do it, I don't like it just avoid it :) and my running has just sucked.

This morning was swimming. On my way to the gym I decided that I needed to make swimming fun again. When I was a kid we would spend entire summer days in the pool just playing. Even when I started swimming again in January, I had fun. Well, lately it hasn't been so much fun. So this morning fun was on the agenda.

I decided to swim, just swim. I thought I'd do 1000m and see how I felt. I did not set my watch timer, I did not try to go fast, I just swam. When I was done I realized I had done the 1000m in 12 minutes. That won't set the world on fire but it was respectable. More important, I had fun. I was focusing on feeling my hands push the water and how my legs kicked and turning to breathe, not to try to correct anything, just to enjoy the feelings, and I had fun.

After 1000m I decided to kick for a while just for something different. I kicked for about 300m just watching the other folks swim and bob around. It was fun!!

I then decided that another 1000m were in order. As I was starting to swim I decided I used to love flip turns, so flip turns were in order. I did the entire 1000m doing flip turns the whole way. I really enjoyed it and I had fun.

I was in the pool for 45 minutes and ended up doing almost 3000m. I was very pleased and felt good about swimming again.

Tonight was running. Okay, this has really sucked lately and I was not looking forward to it. I'm following Jeff Galloways program and doing a walk/run thing. So I start off on my warm up and am walking.

My first run interval comes up and I'm dreading it but take off. After that interval was over I felt pretty good.

When the next one came up I was actually looking forward to it. When the next one came up I was eager to start. In the middle of it I realized that I was enjoying running. I was running like I used to run and I really enjoyed it. I was having fun. I ended up doing an extra interval I was enjoying it so much. I had fun.

As I was driving home tonight it hit me! One moment of absolute clarity. I remembered why I enjoy these things. Why I like doing triathlons. Why I get up at 4:30 to train.

All that muck I've been dragging myself through lately is worth it. And now I remember why I do it. Because it's fun.