Week 31 - 33 exercise doesn't have to be exercise.

[Chrissy Scott]

If I go out on a bike ride I try to get at least 5 miles at a time. I can do a quick 5 - 7 mile loop on my shortened lunch breaks. When time isn't an issue, I go for closer to 10 miles. Now in the world of cycling, 10 miles is not very far at all. So, I try to do a really hard 10 mile, fast, solid pace. And it feels good to go out and ride those 10 miles.

But... a nice leisurely 20-miler feels even better (not to mention those extra miles help that UBBT number get closer). So, whenever the weekend allows... Tina and I spend our morning biking from home in Natomas to a breakfast place of our choice in midtown (usually Crepeville where there are chocolate crepes because sometimes breakfast needs dessert). I started thinking about how making exercise and the healthy lifestyle a part of your life doesn't always have to be a "work out." And... it was kinda nice. A walk at McKinley Park, a bike ride to breakfast or a day at the gym. All keepers! I'm someone who really loves to work out. But sometimes that leisurely ride is what I need to fill my cup, you know? It's not always a sprint, it's not always a race. Sometimes it's just what centers you. You've gotta work out all of you. And while the physical benefit of a nice long ride is appealing, the way it calms me and refreshes me is so much more than a number on my spreadsheet tracker.

I guess what I really learned from this little realization is a lesson I, personally, really needed to learn... that sometimes a workout isn't a time to challenge and push myself. Sometimes I don't have to try to shave a few seconds off my mile, or swim a lap with two less breaths or do sprints until it hurts. I so wish I had realized this like a decade ago. In a weird way it makes the hard workouts feel better. It's about balance I guess. Slowly but surely... I'm learning...