Unfortunately, it's been a bit of a funny one for the last couple of weeks and I've not really got anything of interest to talk about. As I've probably mentioned before "the Old Cheese" isn't well, and as such I've spent a fair bit of time on the road recently. I'm sure that it goes without saying that traveling between home and down to see her rather impacts on the amount of adventuring and pottering time available. I wouldn't have it any other way though, and family's got to come before fun. There will be plenty of time for adventures in the future and in the mean time there's plenty of other things to be getting on with. What I will do, whilst I haven't got anything more interesting to talk about though, is just spend two minutes talking about "Why". It's a funny old word isn't it, I looked it up in the dictionary earlier and apparently it can be used as an; Adverb, Conjunction, Pronoun, Convention and an Exclamation. Not that that's a lot of help, especially as I don't even know what half of those things are, let alone what they mean! In my case it seems to come up all the time as in "Why do you want to spend all day running" or "Why do you want to cycle to work in the rain" or "Why do you want to spend the night sleeping in a hammock when you've got a perfectly good bed". No one ever asks "Why do you want to go out for a meal" or "Why do you choose to drive to work and not cycle there in the rain" though, do they? So why is that? Is it because running 30 odd miles or cycling 200 is so far away from the public perception of what's normal that they can't understand it? Or is it because they can't, but wish they could? It's never even a "I'm asking because I'm interested" type of why either, it's normally a "well I think your a total idiot" type of why. But, why not? Just because my choices in life are different to yours doesn't mean I'm wrong and your right, does it? Just because I choose to live in a house made of bricks (when I'm not under canvas or away in the van) doesn't mean that all those people who live in mud hut's, caravans or caves are wrong does it? As far as I'm concerned, I feel a million times better now that I'm cycling to work on a daily basis, than I ever did when I had to commute by car. I get up in the morning excited about my ride into work. I get to see some beautiful sunrises, I get to see the frost glistening on the trees and fields, I get to feel the wind on my face and get into work feeling energised and ready for the day ahead. How many of us can say that after sitting in traffic, stressed out at our lack of progress, whilst crawling our way into work in the morning? It's the same with running, I'll grant you it's taken a long time to get to the point where I know that I can pull my running shoes on and just go for as long or as far as I want. There's been plenty of setbacks along the way too, and believe you me, there's no worse feeling than getting injured and fretting that this may be the end of your running career. But, believe you me, it all pays off in the end. Getting up early on a weekend morning is no longer the chore it once was. There's an opportunity to be outside in the fresh air, experiencing the world at it's best. Where ever you may be, your not far from the countryside or seaside and all it has to offer. There's no better feeling than running through woodland in the early morning, with the birds singing their hearts out and the sun glinting through the trees, it's magical! It's the same up on the hills on a summers evening, with the swallows flitting around and the skylarks singing. Or walking along the canal in the dusk with the bats performing feats of aerial agility that we can only dream off around your head. The sight of Kites, Buzzards and Kestrels soaring effortlessly on the wind, to be replaced as night falls, by fleeting glances of owls caught in your bike headlights as you roll along quiet country lanes, looking for a place to pitch your hammock for the night. The sight of the sun glinting from the sea as you work your way along a deserted coastal path. The crunch of fresh snow underfoot as you run along roads now impassable to vehicles. The tracks of Rabbits, Voles and Deer clearly visible, amidst the crashing silence created by that same fresh snow, the trees bowing under its weight, the wind blowing the loose powder around your feet. The thought of coming home to a brew and hot toast when your soaking wet and cold. The blessed relief of turning a corner and getting out of the wind when you've been running or cycling into a gale force headwind. Frozen fingers wrapped around a hot brew, a plate of beans on toast, or a bowl of rice pudding, in a village hall at midnight, when your mid way through a 200 mile Audax ride, with half a dozen like minded lunatics. Watching the stars and listening to the night time creatures going about their business from the comfort of your bivvy or hammock as you drift off to sleep. The tiredness, accompanied by that feeling of deep satisfaction that comes from a full days exercise out in the fresh air. The general sense of satisfaction that comes from going further, faster, harder. The same sense of satisfaction that comes from finally managing to conquer that hill without stopping, or achieving some new personal goal. Yes, I'll grant you my legs are a bit stiff sometimes and occasionally it takes me a while to get really going in the mornings. But isn't that the same for all of us as we get older? And, at the same time, at least I know why my legs hurt (it's running up that stupid hill 5 times yesterday).
When I look around and talk to people with more sedentary lifestyles of my own age, I've got far less aches and pains, I'm more agile and flexible. I've not got a bad back and I don't rattle when I walk from all the medications I'm taking. At the end of the day we are designed to run, walk, lift and carry stuff, not sit in front of screens and TV's all day without moving. It's no surprise half of us struggle to get up the stairs! The benefits may not be immediately obvious, but if you look they are there. In my previous job I spent a lot of time crawling around in plant rooms and lift shafts. On the odd occasion that I worked with other people I'd be done, dusted and on my way home, whilst they were still struggling up the first flight of stairs. No parking space right outside the office door or shops? No problems, I'll park further away and carry what I need, whilst my colleagues drive endlessly around waiting for a closer space. Car won't start in the morning. No problem, I'll walk or take my bike! And so the list goes on. OK, maybe by spending 3 hours running with my heart rate at 145 BPM I'm using up all my heart beats and I'm going to have a heart attack. Or maybe the fact that for the other 21 hours of the day it's ticking along at 45 instead of 90 cancels that out? Perhaps running's bad for your knees and I'll wear the joints out. Or maybe that's bollocks and provided you build up slowly, have sufficient rest days to allow your body to recover and stop if it hurts, you'll actually end up in a better position due to strengthened muscles and bones! Maybe, just maybe then, the question should actually be the other way around and instead of people looking at me like I'm crazy and saying "why do you want to go doing that". It should actually be "Why do you want to spend your life sat in front of the TV watching drivel". Or, "Why do you want to spend Saturday mornings sat in a big queue of traffic getting to Costa when you could be out in the fresh air"? Perhaps, and I'm as guilty as the next man on this one, that's something for all of us too think about the next time were casting judgements on other peoples choices or trying to project our failings onto them. Maybe it's us that's got it wrong and not the person that we think is different or weird for their life choices? And maybe the answer to the "Why" question is just "Why not" or simply "Because I can"!
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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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