Right, bad news everyone, I've got a bee in my bonnet and I'm having a rant!
Earlier in the week, I picked up on a comment on one of the forums that I frequent (also known as waste half my life), regarding someone's opinion on how stupid someone making an effort and getting a bit of exercise looked. I'll spare you the details, but the gist of the comments related around how going jogging for the first time isn't going to make you any thinner and how the commenter shouldn't have their eyes offended by someone wearing sports kit and giving it a go! Now, I'm by no means some woken millennial and I'm certainly not easily offended, driven to feel the need to jump on the band wagon, or stand up for someone else. In fact I couldn't care less about most things that don't effect me, and certainly couldn't give a toss if you want to insult someone else. But, on this occasion it really annoyed me. In case you haven't noticed I'm fairly fit and despite my sweet tooth and predilection for fridge raiding, tend to live a fairly healthy lifestyle. I do a bit of running and quite a lot of cycling, so unlike the majority of the population I am actually in a position to comment on this one, and it makes my blood boil. We've all got to start somewhere. Indeed, nearly 10 years ago, when I decided that I was getting a bit more lardy than I should be, discovered that my back was starting to hurt due to lack of use and had a few concerns that I might not be fit enough to do my job if the shit really hit the fan, I started off down the route that most people take and spent a few hours in the gym. And those few hours started to make a difference, I felt better for it and after a while actually started to enjoy it. A little while later, we moved house and my access to the gym wasn't quite as easy as it had been. Not to worry though, there's a small park just around the corner, maybe I'll try my hand at running. Despite the fitness that I'd built up over the previous months going to the gym, that first run, which was probably less than a mile, nearly killed me. In fact I got back home and pretty much collapsed on the sofa. "Sod that for a game of soldiers" was the only thought going through my head as I lay there thinking I was about to die! But you know what, a couple of days later I gave it another go, and it wasn't quite so bad. In fact I can still vividly recall the first time that I managed to struggle round 10Km and the feeling of euphoria when I completed my first half marathon. And the cycling's the same. I've always done a little bit of utility cycling, mainly as a means of getting the mile or so to work and back. As part of my new found Gym routine I'd been doing a bit of exercise bike cycling too, but when I decided to make my first foray into proper road cycling it was a whole different ball game. Pulling my new Lycra cycling leggings on for the first time and putting a pair of baggy shorts over the top, as I was too embarrassed to be seen in Lycra, hardly set the scene and that first time out I probably only managed about 5 miles before slinking home absolutely knackered. I clearly remember the first time I managed 10 miles and recall with horror how tired I was the first time I pushed it up to 20 miles. In fact, I often cycle along roads that I took on those first forays out and recall how I ran out of gears getting up some of the hills. Hills that are now no more than gentle inclines and hardly warrant changing down a gear for, but at the time nearly killed me. As I got fitter it never got any easier, I just went a bit further for the same effort and it was a long time before I felt that I was actually getting somewhere and an even longer time before I really started upping the mileage. Likewise, I clearly remember blowing out of my arse trying to run up hill and feeling that I couldn't possibly go any further or get to the end of those first long runs. But you know what, after a while it starts to get a bit easier without you even realising it. Imperceptibly you loose a bit of weight and that flabby bit slowly turns back to muscle. A feeling of euphoria slowly replaces the feeling of exhaustion and eventually you start to enjoy it instead of dread it. But, before we get to that point, we've got to start somewhere and that's the slow, unfit, struggling people you see on weekend mornings and feel the need to comment on or take the piss out of. But before long, if they carry on and don't give up, they will be having the last laugh at your expense and at least they're giving it a go! Occasionally, when I'm running an organised event, I'm lucky enough to either start lapping some of the back markers, catch up with the back of a shorter run, or see people going the other way on an out and back course. And you know what, there's nothing that brings more of a smile to my face or instils a bigger feeling of admiration in me, than seeing those brave people struggling along towards the back of the field. The sheer determination to finish on display is staggering. They may be slower, but there's the same will to finish as there is at the front, and whilst it may be a totally different race at the back, it's still the same amount of effort and still requires the same mental fortitude to finish, if not more. I know that my day will be over in a few hours (depending on how far we're going), but I wouldn't fancy having to expend the same amount of effort for twice as long, as those at the back often are. If you think of it that way, those making it look effortless at the front, are actually having a far easier time than the folk at the back! It's the same when I'm out and about at the weekend, nothing cheers me more than seeing someone who may be a touch, how shall we put it, "unfit" coming the other way. I'll always give them a friendly nod or wave and where appropriate a word of encouragement, because they're making the effort and having a go. And whilst they probably look at me, cruising along without a care in the world, it hasn't always been that way and not so long ago, I was wearing their shoes! You can't change anything in life without trying. We've all got to start somewhere and that applies to anything we do. So, instead of making disparaging comments or taking the piss, how about having a go at something you can't currently do yourself? You might be surprised, you might actually enjoy it and get some benefit from it. I'm not saying that you need to go out and run a marathon, in fact I'm not even suggesting that you need to do anything fitness related. There's a million things you could do instead of sitting around reading this drivel; Learn to play an instrument, bake a cake, start a blog (that wastes loads of time), plant some seeds and grow some vegetables, take up hang gliding, do whatever you want. But get out there and give it a go and please, please, please, don't try to put off those that are giving it a go!
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Paul PerrattOld enough to know better, young enough to still feel invincible, stupid enough to keep on trying the same thing again and again. Cyclist, Gardener, Runner, Hiker, Cook, Woodworker, Engineer, Jack of all trades and master of none, Anti social old git and all round miserable bugger. Archives
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