Quality of life

I always had good balance. I can surf, ski, bike, ice skate, skateboard, rock climb and walk on railroad tracks. Yeah, real good balance, when it comes to the physical world.

As I have gotten older I have put myself in the position where I spend less time in the pursuit of balance in the physical world and more time struggling for some modicum of balance in the other areas of existence. I found that it is harder for me to come to terms with the concepts of non-physical balance. Needless to say I seemed to be wiping out, crashing and burning, face planting and hitting the bricks with much more frequency, force and devastation that I ever did during more "dangerous" pursuits.

I am married. I have a job. I have parents, a house, cats, cars, and a couple of "hobbies", bills, debt, depression and high blood pressure. I am overweight by 50 pounds (progress, 45). I do not drink at the moment, it was getting too comfortable.

I have determined that when engaged in activities that involve balance it is the little things that disrupts the process and ultimately cause unwanted results. You dig a rail, catch an edge, skid a back wheel or hit a piece of loose macadam. Yes, it’s the little things that play Holy Hell with balance.

Fifteen years ago I combined a couple of things I really enjoy with one I’m not so keen about (running) and entered the sport. The next ten years saw an increasing involvement, participation, growth and love of triathlon. I had balance, all kinds of balance. It was tough at times. It was, dare I say it? a real balancing act. Then I stopped. Why? I don’t know, but I did, and I started to lose my balance.

The harder I tried to regain balance it seemed that the more I struggled. Balance in the physical world was not an issue because I was not involved in triathlons or other activities. I was just trying for the other kinds of balance and I really didn’t know who this out of balance person was and it wasn’t a good feeling.

Well, I must have learned a few things in 51 years. So let’s go back to the start. Let me try again to feel what balance on a bike feels like, how balance in the water feels and, this is new, how balance on a treadmill works. Hey, this sounds like training. Training for a triathlon. Whew, I said it! I have started again and it seems like it’s working. Perspectives have been changing and there seems to be a shift towards an overall balance. It’s not there yet, but I’m comfortable with the start and the historical perspective is good.

So what do I do? Keep at it that’s all. Swim and ride my mountain bike and ride Gina (my tri bike’s name) on the mag trainer and run when it’s not too cold. I’ll think of the feelings at the starting line and oh, those at the finish line. I’ll rebuild my base, the base for balance.

BACK TO QUALITY OF LIFE